Fish Catching Travel
My friend Jeff, who is in my phone as Jeffish, was finally able to shake lose for a little fishing. I always enjoy fishing with him, and we have had a few pretty good days. Today turned out to be one of those days.
I gave him the choice as to where he wanted to fish, and since we had talked about Shoalwater a couple of weeks ago he decided that is where we should go. I think the desire to get a few trout had something to do with his choice. He needs to fry some fish for his family this Christmas, and apparently Grandpa can eat some serious fish.
We headed out of Charlie’s at about 8:30 with a low tide and moderate winds out of the southwest. On the way down we stopped and fished one of the big cuts leading out of Shoalwater without success. Since electric chicken DOA CAL’s had been working for me the last month we stayed with them on a 1/16 jig head.
The wind was blowing just right in the mouth of the bay so we just let the wind blow us into the bay, nice to have a perfect breeze, throwing long casts in front of the boat. It started off with small trout, catching about 5 for everyone that went in the box. It was actually a good thing to see so many 14″+ fish, a good sign. Most of the ones we kept were like the one below.
Jeff with a nice keeper. This was the average size we put in the box.
It remained steady for the rest of the time we were there. We made multiple drifts in the bay and then idling back to the mouth and doing it again. The fish were from 3 to 1 foot deep. In fact, I actually saw 4 of them eat it right in front of me in really clear shallow water.
They did not seem to be located any particular place, you would just hit a pod here and there. Since the fish were running small I decided to make a change, one of two that would work like a charm. First I put on a bigger bait, a 5″ electric chicken Gambler in the flapping tail. The bigger fish definitely liked it. The second thing that happened turned out to be lots of fun.
We had several fish hit the bait the minute it hit the water. So I decided to just start reeling it as soon as it hit. Boy they really like that. Occasionally if you did not get a bite by reeling it half way back, then we just started jerking it a couple of times and letting it fall, and they smacked it that way. But basically most of the fish were caught double jerking it off the bottom and letting it fall on a slack line. I think this time of year the 1/16 ounce head makes it fall just right. So if you have a few minutes and want to watch the video and see a few caught, here it is.
The trout are biting so good right now. Folks it is NOT the specific place. It is the way the trout are positioned right now, and they are definitely eating. I have fished a river, the POC area, and now Shoalwater, and the fish are biting everywhere. It is not what, it is how right now. So if you have a favorite area, back lake or pass, it is time to go catch a few. The electric chicken color on 10 lb. line and an 1/16 ounce jig head has worked everywhere I have tried it the last month. Now do not get me wrong, that is not all I have thrown, it has just been the most consistent. I did catch 3 on corky that day, but it was not as quick a bite obviously, and I had no bites on a topwater. But with another cool front coming the corky should really come in to play.
Now I normally do not show you the dead trout in the cooler picture, but I took one this time for some reason. So here is a nice limit headed to Jeff’s house to feed his family and friends this Christmas.
So that is how the day went. Good company, cooperating fish, and a beautiful day. So have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am off to celebrate with my wife’s family, so will not hit the water for a week or so. Hopefully I will survive without some fishing jones. I think next will be Baffin Bay, and maybe a little Falcon. I know now is the time to whack a big trout, and I would love to get that done.
So thanks for reading my stuff. This has been our first full year and it has exceeded anything I would ever have dreamed.
Good Luck and Tight Lines.
