Fish Catching Travel
When I got up this morning my intention was to head to POC. The boat had both fresh and saltwater rods and tackle in it, and it would be simple to toss the bass stuff out and be on my way. The first thing I did was check the weather, which actually made up my mind for me, it was going to be absolutely perfect for the lake. Clouds all day, little wind, and a nice cool night just sounded to good.. So I tossed out the saltwater tackle and headed to the lake.
I went up lake and started fishing about 6:45. It was calm and should have been perfect. It was 3 places before I got a real bite. I alternated between frog and buzzbait and it was not until about 8:30 before I got the first good bite. I was on a shallow grassy bank leading to a huge grass flat. As I eased down the bank 6 bass in a row, including a hoss, blew up on it without getting any kind of hook in them. From that point on it started getting better and better.
Bite #1.
From then until about 11 they stayed on the buzzbait pretty good. I was running it fairly fast and when they finally started eating it, they were smoking it.
The Strike King Tour Grade Buzzbait in the sexy shad.
As the morning went on I kept moving down lake hitting isolated grass points catching one here and there.
That is my happy buzzbait face – I just love catching them on it.
One thing that was surprising was I did not catch a fish on the frog. Course it might have had something to do with the way they were eating the buzzbait, so the frog stayed in the boat the rest of the day. As I moved down lake I also threw a watermelon with red flake senko style bait that has been working for me, and I caught 4 or 5 on it. but no real good ones.
Just wanted you to see that stick bait.
To fish the senko bait I was using 15lb mono with a 1/8 slip sinker. It fell a lot slower and when they hit it my line would jump. Just hopping it along on the outside grass edges, and for how little I tossed it the bites came fairly regularly. But of course I just kept mixing it up and tossing the buzzbait. I put several in the boat here and there, most like the ones above, but I could not get that big bite. One thing I am noticing is areas with grass but clearer bank edges are the best.
I was about to quit but I just could not stop. Over the years I can actually say it just seems like I can feel a big one coming. That is a product of having the experience to recognize that set of conditions that says “big fish“. About 2, on a flat, and I mean flat bank, in less than a foot of water I had that big bite I knew was coming.
Look at that big headed thing!
That is a big fish anywhere you go.
That girl just smoked it, there was no missing her. Then it was just a matter of cranking her out of the grass and not messing up. I know I throw that buzzbait to much, and there are lots of times when other baits would work better, but there is just something about catching bass this size on a buzzbait, and Coleto is the lake for it. So I called it a successful day. I caught an easy 15, and of those only 2 were small.
The fish are still bunched up, and when you find one you will find a couple of more, it just takes lots of time and weeding out unproductive water. Probably the best pattern is point hopping with that senko. There is usually at lest one on each of them somewhere. But for me it is covering the water, making lots of casts, and hopefully getting that big reward. I got a few other rewards today thanks to the wildlife. Everything was moving late, and when the fish were really biting the critters were moving.
Must be nice to be buck with those “don’t shoot me” horns.
Today the fish and the animals at the lake were most active during what was high to falling tide on the coast. I have a feeling there was a pretty good bite on the coast this morning. Guess I will have to check that out as I got to scratch the big fish itch.
It is shaping up to be a good week. Another day on the water and then to South Padre. And finally a break in the weather is just around the corner, and with it the good fishing to come. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
