Fish Catching Travel
Coleto Creek
With our weather very unstable Friday I did not get up and went ahead and slept in. Of course the minute I got up and looked outside, it was cloudy and not so dang hot, it was off to Coleto Creek to catch a few fish. I managed to make my first cast about 8:40, late for me.
The TV fishing report said it was spinnerbaits, which is great by me, so I thought I would see if I could catch some on it. Well the best laid plans…….. I did catch a couple, but they were small. I also threw the frog some, but for some reason I can not get that going like last year at this time. So after a couple of hours I went back to the Zoom worm with the big flapping tail, which has been my only consistent bait on Coleto lately. I am fishing it on 20lb. test, with a 1/4 ounce slip sinker Texas style, and sprayed with Bang. They are still coming out from the big grass edges in isolated clumps. I put 3 or 4 that were not to bad in the boat, and broke one off.
When they hit this worm they definitely hold on to it, so just drop your rod and set the hook.
At this point, about noon, it had really clouded up, it started to mist, and I could hear the thunder over Victoria. I decided to work my way back down lake just in case, and also made another decision, to change my tactics.
So with it cloudy and basically calm, I decided to try something different, a topwater. I got out a Chug Bug in chartreuse and started throwing it around grassy points. Well low and behold I started getting bit. And then here came the rain, but thank goodness no lightning close to me, so I kept fishing. The retrieve they liked best was a jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk moderately fast, and nice and steady. Just popping it right along, and most of the ones that hit it blew up on it.
I even caught 3 out of the boat ramp cove. When it was all said and done I was able to add another 8 or 10 on that topwater. Sorry no pics but it rained the rest of the afternoon. So until I get back there this week I can not answer the question: Was it the cloudy day, or is that something that will be consistent? One never knows. But looking back over some prior posts, what was working where last year on Coleto is not the case right now. So I will keep trying stuff until I figure it out.
More on Ethics
I happened to discover this article today and I wanted to link it for you if you have not read it yet. Apparently this is the first use of a new Texas law for the prosecution of some alleged tournament cheats. Of course they are innocent until proven otherwise, but this story illustrates a point I have made a time or two in the past, both here and on chat boards.
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Female-team-first-to-catch-felony-saltwater-3836898.php
Many years ago bass fishing had a big problem with cheating. And while it still has the occasional hitch in the git along, much of the cheating was solved by having draw tournaments instead of partner tournaments. Even in the 70’s, and going into the 80’s, I refused to fish a tournament that allowed partners to fish together. The incentive in big $ tournaments is just to much for some folks to handle. As a side note, just this spring on Amistad we found a fish basket way back in a creek in a place it would have been hard to find, but the water was down, and there it hung high and dry. This was clearly a tournament cheats holding basket.
Saltwater is rapidly gaining more and more converts, and here we have a perfect example of how far it has come, or maybe how low it has sunk. This was a WOMAN’S tournament! And if the article is right, allegedly they were not only holding fish in a basket, but they added another on the way to the weigh in. Now again, I do not know if they broke any law, we will let the process figure that one out. But my only comment is this: This is not just some little cheating thing, if the allegations are true, this is a felony. As far as I am concerned if they are found guilty, each and every one needs to do a little prison time. It is time for saltwater tournaments to be draw tournaments whenever possible. And if it involves big money, as in an offshore fishing tournaments, there needs to be some kind of observer on board.
Of course you will hear all the normal excuses from tournament organizers, it is to complicated, to hard to do with different size teams entered, we threaten a polygraph, among other things. But folks, those are excuses. When there is that much money, boats, and prestige involved, some low life POS is going to cheat, whether you like it, or believe it or not. Think about it, the first application of the law is on a woman’s tournament, who’d a thunk it. It just made me sick reading that article. You will never be able to stop all the cheating, but making the format that much more difficult evens the playing field for all of us who fish tournaments for fun. So let see if the prosecutor in this case sees it for what it is, a crime, and then does something about it.
Duck Hunting
I was lucky enough to be introduced to duck hunting by a friend of mine. Now I had never hunted ducks, but once I tried it I was hooked. So with new stuff bought, gear clean and ready, it is off to kill some Teal in the morning. I hope to get to hunt even more this year, and may even start to give it a try on my own a time or two. My brother is a hunter and is interested in killing a few ducks himself, so I can see this outdoor sport added to the repertoire. So stop by tomorrow for the story, good or bad.
Final
Thanks for the positive comments I have gotten on whether I am giving out to many specific spots and places. Not only do they come down on leaving it like it is, it also shows me there are actually people out there who read my stuff. For that I am thankful.
The big weather change we have had here lately is a good sign fall is coming. The critters are moving around, the nights are finally cooling some, and just like them I am ready to get after it.
Good Luck and Tight Lines.
