Fish Catching Travel
It has to be said – I am sick of this $h1+! There, I said it. I have had enough of this stinking weather. We all know the old joke, if you don’t like Texas weather just wait 5 minutes. That has become an understatement. Looking back on the last month I have hit frontal conditions deteriorating into completely terrible several times this winter. Front, after front, after front. Does it seem like I am whining? Well I am. And it happened again.
So with a warm night Saturday, but a front expected to slowly move in Sunday morning, I decided to hit Coleto for a quick trip then home in time for the Super Bowl. The Weather Channel Web site’s hourly forecast had the front moving in closer to noon, with the wind increasing out of the north, and much cooler temperatures. When I walked out to get the stuff ready it was so warm and calm, and my spirits soared in hopes that I would get in some good fishing time before the wind came.
When I put in at the ramp at daylight it was dead calm and warm. First it was a cove up lake and the Strike King Swim Jig. That resulted in exactly nothing, so it was off to a channel bank with lots of grass on it. It was about 8 when I got there, and then here it came. Not slow, not easy, but a full on 20 mph roaring north wind with an immediate 15 – 20 degree temperature drop. And to help matters – it started to rain, steady. It was perfect.
It was blowing right down lake, hard enough to make throwing the Swim Jig a hassle, in fact hard enough that fishing was a hassle. So up came the trolling motor and down lake I went in search of at least some semblance of calm water. I stopped at a cove where I have caught a few, and with the wind blowing so hard thought I would throw a spinnerbait. And guess what, I caught a couple.
Thought I better take a picture of the first one and even though it was a little guy, it surely could have been my last.
You know, sometimes I just can not for the life of me figure out why bass act like they do. For the next 3 hours, until I finally gave in to the miserable weather, they actually bit. None was big by any stretch of the imagination, but I ended up catching 9, 8 of them buzzing the spinnerbait on top. Again, as has been the problem with these awful fronts and high winds, I fished where I could, not where I wanted. And surprising to me, some of those bass were in the back ends of coves. You never know.
Just an average one for the day. It was freaking cold, good thing I had all my cold weather gear in the truck and grabbed it when I put the boat in.
Actually I should have quit shortly after the front came, but of course I didn’t. What? You think I’m crazy. I stayed until all my gloves were soaked, my feet were cold, everything was damp, and I was chilled to the bone. But I was proud of the 9 I did catch. Not big, but it was fish, and I was fishing.
So what could make the day more perfect? How about getting to the ramp, the deserted ramp, and there is the Game Warden. What is wrong with that guy? Not a soul out but delusional me, it is Super Bowl Sunday, and he is out there working? I thought I was the only crazy person. Actually he was a really nice guy who originally was from Halletsville and had been working East Texas. He has transferred here now and is happy to be back near the coast. And I was happy to have a fishing license.
The bass on Coleto are just looking for any excuse to start spawning. I noticed a couple of new abandoned beds in the back of one pocket that were made the day before. And with some of the fish I caught stationed right in the back end, it only took 2 halfway warm days to get them there. But then here comes another huge front to knock them back again. Is it prolonging the agony or the ecstasy? Only time will tell.
It is 39 degrees as I write this, with it expected to get in the mid 40’s today. Tomorrow looks great, into the 70’s with a light wind. And then here it comes again, a big front, dropping temps into the 40’s for daytime highs, followed by crap for several days after that. Man I am sick of it. This seems to be the worst winter since we have been in Texas. Bring back palm trees and flip flops.
So I sit here staring at the map of the Upper Laguna Madre, trying to decide if I am going to get up really early and drive down to the PINS to put in at Bird Island Basin. I just have not quite got over that trip down there last week where I didn’t have a bite. Who fishes the Laguna and does not have a bite?
Fayette County – The Shoedog
While I was off in Corpus with the lovely wife Friday Shoedog headed to Fayette for the day. He dropped me this report along with a few pictures. Of course the wind was a factor, sorry, but this is truly Ground Hog Day all over again.
Love those Fayette fatties.
“As usual a 10-20 mph wind forecast in Texas means straight line winds all day long. I caught 11, 2 good ones, lost one, and missed 3 other strikes. 8 on that wacky colored Suspending Rogue, 2 on an orange/blue back Husky Jerk, and 1 trolling a Shad Rap. The good ones were on the Rogue but I might have missed some more, but in that wind who knows. I do know that 59 – 60 degrees made all the difference, 57 – 58 degree water and there were no bites. I did notice there were large schools of bait in 20 – 25 feet of water with lots of larger fish around them. Probably could have jigged some up with spoons. I think they need some new grass growth to really get them in the shallows where we usually whack them. A few sunny days, and getting away from these perpetual northers every 3 days, and we will be set. Not many folks out and had the lake mostly to myself after 3 pm. All in all a good day to not be at work.”
That boy can throw that jerk bait.
We love that lake. If we can get a couple of can get a couple of real warming days, see my frustration scattered though out this post, the good fishing will really turn on there. Fayette can get crowded, so if you can sneak away on a weekday give it a try. For pure fish catching fun Fayette can be one of the best little bass lakes in Texas.
I promise to get back to my old optimistic self in the near future. I have to keep reminding myself it is February. It is just me trying to hurry things along. Spring is right around the corner. Maybe the ability to fish where and when I want just seems to make winter last longer. It is simply a matter of making do with the conditions we are presented. With a warmer day on tap it will be off to the Gulf tomorrow. Where I do not know, but it will be somewhere. So thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
