Fish Catching Travel
I love winter fishing. When the Shoedog and I hit the Lavaca River at 8 it was a nice balmy 29 degrees. It was flat out cold. We headed to our first stop, and other than starting the boat once, we kept the trolling motor down and covered the bank from 8 until we quit at 2.
It was slow at first. You could really tell the effect of our cold front as the water temp was only 48 degrees. Shoedog was a little worried last night that they wouldn’t bite all that well, and they didn’t, for about an hour. Then he caught the first good one.
Shoedog with a nice 19+ incher.
He started with a popping cork and a paddle tail, I started with a watermelon red with a Chartreuse tail Down South Lures plastic on a 1/16 jig head. And they definitely like it, in fact after I lost my first one on a snag I used the same bait all day. Folks I have told you about that plastic in the past, it flat works and is the best new plastic I have used. Try it, if you are around the fish they will eat it. As we went down the river Shoedog saw this poor Blue Heron. He was caught on an old limb line and was struggling to get off but it had wrapped around his wing.
A sickening sight. All because some scumbag is to damn lazy to pick up his limb line.
We went over with the trolling motor and we spoke softly and reassuring and he did not struggle to bad. I got a hold of the line and cut it off as close as I could to his wing and he was free. Just like I have ranted in the past about line tossed in the lake and wrapping props and potentially wildlife I am going to do it again. What kind of a person is so f’n lazy that they would not pick up there lines when they are done. There are lines in lots of places on the river, and this can be the result. So if you take offense at me calling you a scumbag, to bad. This is the kind of bad behavior that results in more laws and loss of wildlife. So if you are not going to do it right – don’t do it.
He did not fight to hard, I think he realized we were there to help.
Look at his wing, this is what happens when thoughtless sportsmen, and I use the term loosely in this case, have no respect for the creatures of our world.
I hope he is alright. At first his wing would not go down, but he was able to ease up the bank and started to tuck it back where it belonged. At least he is in a place there is plenty of food and with some rest and recuperation he should be fine. It was just a disgusting sight to see that poor thing struggling and I am so glad we were in the right place at the right time.
One of three we put in boat today.
We just kept working the bank, tossing our bait to the bank and working it off. The popping cork caught fish but the Down South Lure’s Plastic was the real ticket. As it warmed up, and the tide continued to fall, they bit right along. Most of the fish I caught on the plastic were off the second drop into about 5 – 8 foot of water. Clearly banks that were soft or mud held more fish, obviously that mud was holding some heat and the fish were buried up in it.
We also put 3 bonus flounder in the box. 2 on the watermelon Down South, and one of Shoedog’s popping cork. The trout are so fat and healthy right now. I noticed a lot of dead shad at the ramp, and when we cleaned fish some of them were packed with them. Shoedog gave the rattle trap a go without success, and in spite of my determination to try a couple of other things I stayed with the same plastic. When you catch fish basically for 5 hours without stopping why look a good thing in the mouth.
Of the limit we boxed today 4 were like this. I hoped you could see the Down South better, but there it is.
Like the other day I was just hopping it up off the bottom and letting it fall. I am so impressed with the way they eat that Down South. On the 1/16 jig head it falls nice and slow, perfect for the water temperature. It could have been tough but once I got the pattern down it was a thing of beauty. There was a period where the tide quit, and they slacked off, and then it started coming in and off they went again.
I am not sure how many we caught, but 40 – 50 is an easy number. We just boxed the first 10 legal and spent the rest of the day tossing them back, lots of them keepers. I did lose a big fish of some sort, I think it was a flounder as he was heavy and shaking his head before he pulled off. They definitely slowed down on the popping cork, but with warmer weather coming it should up the water temp and get them back on it.
So what a great winter trip. Nothing like sacking a good limit and adding some flounder to the box It was a ton of clothes and gloves, but it sure was worth it. So no matter where you are seek out the deep water. This cold snap has driven those trout to seek shelter in deeper holes, especially with a soft bottom. Fish slower, use lighter baits and line, and do not get in a hurry. Let your bait hit the bottom, then double hop it up and let it fall on a slack line. And like all winter trout fishing, some smack it, others are there when you lift up. So right before you hop it pull it just an inch, if they are there you will feel it and can set the hook.
We got fished cleaned and they are getting an all expense paid trip to Arkansas. Shoedog is headed that way this weekend, and not only will he have a fish fry for the folks and family, he will fish a couple of days on Norfork or Bull Shoals with our buddy Clyde. Clyde has 12 barefoot kids and lives in a shack with about 10 old dogs, so his fish eating herd will love the fish fry.
Tomorrow is still up in the air, but it will be fishing. I had to quit a little early today, but that will not be the case tomorrow. All I have to say is those trout, where ever they live, better look out. We haven’t decided where next, but with the trout fishing this good they are definitely on the menu. So keep stopping in, I will just suck it up and keep fishing. Thanks for reading my stuff.
Scoll Down and Take the Survey Please!
Good Luck and Tight Lines
