Fish Catching Travel
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Public Service Announcement
Before I get to the fishing there is something that I have been thinking about lately, and today just proved it. With all the fresh water that has come in lately the alligators are on the move. They will go with the flow, and the point is, if you wade an area with a marsh close you need to keep a sharp lookout.
This was a big gator.
When I went to take out this big guy was at the ramp. So just a word to the wise, a little more caution if wading areas near a marsh with gators. I have seen some way back in the Powderhorn, but not this far out by any means.
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Having had some pretty good days on the Powderhorn Ranch shoreline this time of year I was excited to get out today. The tide was going to be high after lunch so an early start was mandatory, and the water is high anyway. Getting up at 4:30 was tough, but it turned out to be worth it. So I put in at 6:30 and went halfway down the shoreline and could see rafts of mullet coming down the bank with the tide so out I jumped.
By 7:30 I was one frustrated fisherman. I had 5 great blowups on the small 2 hook KVD topwater in bone, and only 1 made the net. 2 more were on, including what would be the biggest of the day easy, and they just pulled off. So then it was a little smaller Skitterwalk with no bites. So with the mullet as big as they were I went to the big KVD, which I have taken the 3 smaller hooks off and replaced them with 2 bigger trebles. That helped quite a bit.
Just wanted you to see the KVD Sexy Dawg.
It was not really fast, but it was very consistent. They were not big, but I could have sacked a limit on top, so I decided to toss some plastics every so often. And the like that too.
Another topwater fish. They weren’t big, but some were nice.
A nice fat one.
From 8 until I left at 10:30 or so I alternated between plastics and topwater. It was one here and there, but they bit consistently. Several reds blew up on the topwater but unfortunately none hooked up.
Basically I stayed in knee deep to waist deep and worked the areas over with the bait. You could see them bust when a trout or red went through them, so I stayed with the schools of bait. That really wasn’t that hard, that bank is loaded with bait. They were moving with the tide, and when the sun really got up, and the water too as the tide came in, the activity ceased and so did the bites. I really think if a person was there with live bait it could be ugly.
With the tide up after lunch it was really important to be out there at daylight and they were biting when I got there. And there were other boats there, several shortly after sunrise, so be there early. But I am sure there are some really good places out on the island with similar characteristics. As usual find the bait, find the fish.
I want to take a second to plug a company who does not give me anything to say what I am going to say. I waded for 3 hours before I went back to the boat to take my waders off. If you notice on the picture above I am wearing the Wade Right by Coastal Fishing Gear. I have been using mine over 2 years and it has held up fine. And when the Shoedog lost a buckle they sent one to him immediately. A good product and good folks.
But the point of this is by being able to carry a spare rod I did not have to go back to the boat to change rods and was able to switch from top to plastics which made the morning. And my favorite thing is the tackle box is clipped on high enough stuff does not get wet. So if you do a lot of wading check them out. Tell them I said hi.
http://www.coastalfishinggear.com/osfm_wade_right.php
So I decided to head into the Powderhorn just to check the water color and fish one of my redfish banks. So it was the big cove near the mouth and the Redfish Magic. I know I harp on that bait, but why not?
This was one of the best fights I have had in a while. What a pig!
The water was a little copper color, and so was that red. I just fished the cove to be sure that the fish are biting in the lake. When I got to the end of it, in front of the point with the duck blind on it, I decided to do one drift.
The size is not important, but the fact I caught him inside the Powderhorn is.
When the water is off-color like that the popping cork is the way to go. A Rage Shrimp in the clear brown with a charturese tail 20″ below the cork was the ticket. I just let the wind take me and put 4 quick ones in the boat in 2 foot of water. I just kept drifting and if I had worked it over there are surely some better fish there somewhere. All 4 were small, but that wasn’t the point, the fish are in there, and with a little effort a guy might be able to sack some.
A very good morning. Lots of blowups, having them eat the plastics, and then catching a big red about covers a good day of bay fishing. I quit at noon a happy camper. Catching trout on topwater is one of my favorite ways to catch them. I wish I had brought a couple of chug bugs, popper style topwaters, I think they would have smoked it. Isn’t that just like a fisherman, I had a great day, but still have a case of the “what ifs.”
The plan will be to fish several days on the Gulf next week. I really want to get down to the Panther Reef/Cottonwood Bayou area. The fishing is settling down on the bay but I will let them have it this weekend. There is lots of folks fishing but we are lucky, there are lots of places to fish. Today (Friday) it will be Coleto at daylight. It has the potential to be a heck of a day on the lake. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
