Fish Catching Travel
My friend Todd from Austin had scheduled a weekend trip to POC with friends and was wanting to put in at 6 mile launch. The 25 mph south wind put a stop to that. So with discretion being the better part of valor, he decided to put in on 616 at the bridge. So with three boats, down the river we went.
Two things struck me immediately, one was the tanic color to the water, and second the wind was howling up river, pushing a ton of water in the river. Now I only fish there about 3 times a year, but I have never seen it that high. Of course, once I saw the water color I knew it would be tough. With the rains we have been fortunate enough to have there is lots of fresh water, so we headed down river.
We got a late start as they drove down this morning, and I had to quit at 3 with my parents arriving for a visit, so I fished about 6 hours. We just place hopped down river, and did not catch a fish until the first creek coming in on the right about halfway out to the bay. One boat caught one trout there, and I caught 3. None worth a hoot.
This was the biggest fish I put in the boat. I love the way these Black Drum fight on light line, makes you think you have a whopper.
I moved across the river to a little flatter bank, and put 2 keeper trout in the boat, one about 19″. They came on a Bass Pro 3″ paddle tail in purple and yellow. The other guys were having a little trouble catching them, but did put one rat red in the boat.
A little later Orlando, who was fishing with Todd, caught a rat, and then a nice redfish that just happened to be 28 1/4″. They said it was a pig, but he was just over. I was across from them, and had just boated a 15″ trout, a small one, and a red that just made it. When I caught the 20″ red I actually saw him moving bait on a grass bank which is almost out to the bay. In fact, I saw several of them chasing bait.
I had just caught a trout on a popping cork with a Rage Shrimp, and when I saw him move the grass. I just tossed it in the grass, popped it once, and he ate it. On that same bank I had one of those moments we all have occasionally. I tossed the Gambler Flappin Shad out, reached down and moved the trolling motor, then closed the bail and started trying to figure out where my line was. It was by far the best trout of the day, to bad when I finally caught up to him I set the hook and broke my line. It is a bad feeling to watch a huge silver boil as he tried to throw the hook. Oh well.
For the day I ended up catching 11 trout, of which 3 were keepers, one good red, and the Black Drum above. After a real run of trout the last 2 months, I was about due to have a slow day. I am not sure how they ended up, but will let you know how the weekend comes out for them.
What fish we did catch were on the shallow sides of the river as you go down. Until we got past the second set of power lines down river we did not do a thing. It got better as we went down. My best bait was a paddle tail on a 1/8th jig head, and I caught a couple on that Flappin Shad. I could not find anything that worked better than anything else. When I caught 3 on a popping cork, of course I could not get another bite on it. One of those days when you change baits or colors, catch a couple, and then not get another bite. Just hunting and pecking.
It appears the fresh water has really run them down river, and combined with the warmer weather we had a couple of weeks ago, the big bunch of trout have moved way down river. To bad the wind was completely wrong to put in at 6 mile, that area of the bay should be loaded with fish.
And the wind, don’t you just love living on the Texas coast? It was howling out of the south when I got up early this morning. Which meant it was blowing right up the river. It was a hassle, but not unfishable. Right before I quit, just like they forecast, the wind turned around and came out of the north, so it started blowing hard, right down the river. So while it made for a rough ride back to the ramp, it is supposed to stay out of the north for a few days. The 6 mile ramp should be somewhat protected tomorrow, and hopefully those guys will be able to launch there in the morning. Todd has been looking at Google Earth and the map. He is sure the fish are there, I hope so.
So no great gang buster day, but I really like to fish the river. It is just a different deal. With the number of redfish bites we had, it would have probably been a good day to throw that Redfish Magic. One thing about that bait is it is a good choice in the wind. Woulda/shoulda/coulda. For me it is simply the joy of putting the boat in the water, heading out, and fishing. Some days are great, some not so great. But no matter how you look at it, I got to spend the day fishing. It makes me a lucky guy. Thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines.
