FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Check them out – the only way to wade!

**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**

Happy Birthday Joy Mellinger.

I would like to wish an early Happy Birthday to the best mother-in-law a guy could have.  You raised a great daughter who is the love of my life.  Have a great birthday.

**********************

Tomorrow is the first of what I hope is at least 3 days at the lake this week trying to get them patterned somewhat.  Funny but it feels like when I used to practice for bass tournaments.  There is actually, in a funny way, a lot of pressure taking Santiago’s boys fishing Sunday.  I always want to put folks on fish, especially when they are in my back seat.  And there is nothing better than getting a kid on some fish.  The day will be interesting as it will be day 2 post cold front with mile high skies, it might be tough.  So I will hit it hard tomorrow and we shall see.

Weather

81/49  Mainly sunny.  Wind NNE 5 – 10mph.  0% chance of rain.  (A great day to be alive but not sure it is the best for bass fishing.)

Solunar Times

8:35 am to 10:35 am  (The only relevant period during the day.)

Lake Level

97.84 msl   Last trip  10/2  98.15 msl  (Has dropped a third of a foot in 3 weeks.)

It was a good thing that I had my day bag with me.  When I took off it was 50 degrees with a light north wind as it cracked daylight.  It was cool so I slipped on a pair of socks with my sandals and my sun gloves and off I went up lake.  Taking the skiff I had no idea what the water temp was but the fish sure are warm.  And the lake has clearly dropped some from last trip.  During the morning I say deer, gators, the turkeys were gobbling again, and a pack of coyotes were just over the hill howling their ass off.  A great day to be alive.

It was at least an 1 1/2 hours before I got my first bite.  And it was a good one.

Glad to have one like this any day.

I was pitching a stick worm, watermelon red, with a 3/16th slip sinker rigged Texas style.  She started swimming with it and when she jumped I was a little surprised as she did not feel that big.  I was pitching it to cover because nothing else had even generated a bite.   I made a move and for the next couple of hours there was a slow bite.  With the weather that was not surprising.

         Run of the mill on plastics.                  The best one on the buzzbait.

5 more came over the side on the senko, working it slowly, but as I am looking for an easy shallow pattern I gave the buzzbait a try, and I caught 4 on it, one which was a keeper.  The sun definitely started warming the water and a few shad started flipping here and there.  I kept hunting and pecking around and before I quit at 2:30 it was a total of 10, not bad considering conditions.  They were not exactly smashing the buzzbait, and a couple just pulled the trailer under.  The only real dang it moment of the day, (See the first fish above, why he made the pictures.)  one bumped it and when I set the hook somehow I pushed the thumb bar and got one of the backlashes that could not be taken out.  Somehow the fish stayed on.  Oh well, I needed to change line on that reel anyway.

So looking back on the day no complaints.  2cnd day post cold front, that swirling cold wind out of the north, falling water, and a mile high sky, everything working against catching fish.  It surely made them much more inactive.  Actually I am satisfied with what I caught.  It is going to warm the next couple of days, then cloud up with a chance of rain for a couple of days.  It really does have potential to get good.  I really worked the upper end over and will cover down to mid lake next trip.  If I can find a couple of more places Sunday with the boys is shaping up to be some pretty good fishing.  And there is an obvious bite on slow moving small plastics that can be exploited, but not quite what I am interested in, so I will be betting on the weather change to really get them moving on both topwater and buzzbait.  And if all goes well I can put the boys on a big fish or two.  You never know.

****************************************

I got this comment from Rick one of my loyal long time readers.

At times I definitely take things way to seriously in the boat and feel pressure to catch fish to support the blog.  Some of that intensity comes from the knowledge that it is the little things that often separate great catches from the run of the mill.  I am trying to learn to start taking it a little less seriously and enjoy what I have, the ability to fish when and where I want, often with some great folks.  So I will not be slowing down, just trying to put things in proper perspective.  But I still want to knock the crap out of them every time I get on the water!  Thanks for commenting.

*******************

And Elaine sent along this question.

It gives me great pleasure to share what has turned out to be a great adventure for me the last 6 years. I am fishing my life away, which I will do until they pry the fishing rod out of my cold dead fingers.  As far as the recipe I will holler at him and see what I can find out.  But trust me, I did not in any way exaggerate how good it was.  It is easy to expand the fishing story, or the fish caught, all fishermen do it at times, but as far as that meal exaggeration would not even get anywhere near how good it was.  So thanks for commenting, hopefully I can get you an answer.  (Besides the recipe I sent your way he dropped me a note that he is NOT Cajun.  Hell I thought everyone from south Louisiana was Cajun.  You learn something new every day.)

********************

Before I call it a day I did want to add one more comment on the weekends fishing.  Dez, Maggie, David, and Johnny literally knocked the crap out of them fishing the pass and jetties with live and cut bait.  Dez is the man who gets the job done.  Lots, and I mean lots, of big reds, sharks, jacks, and even a 7 foot tarpon for the weekend.  To confirm their POC results the online posts from jetties and passes up and down the Gulf are full of big reds.  If you ever wanted that bucket list bull red now is the time.  It will be on for a while longer so do not miss your chance.

And one other comment on the fishing to come.  As fall begins to rear it’s head the flounder are starting to move around some.  Lots of folks are floundering at night all along the coast.  And when we were cleaning fish Saturday night a couple of guys had a nice cooler full they caught during the day.  So if you love you some flounder now is the time.

******************

It was really a beautiful day, just not for catching.  But clearly if you are willing to work at it there are fish to be caught on the lake.  This is my favorite time of year with bay and lake both fishing fairly well, with the best fishing to come.  So I will continue to make up for lost time by fishing every chance I get.  So thanks to the Boss for being so understanding.  My life is so much better because she understands my obsession, and never gives me any crap about it.   And thanks for your reports and comments, they are appreciated.  I have a couple more I will get posted next time if fish, including a good Coleto report.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines