FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Home of the Bang O Lure.

(Sorry if the picture look sideways, some kind of coding problem which I am working on.  But no matter how they look this was one crazy day of fishing – see the newest post for a couple of reports from Fayette regulars.  It is crazy good!)

First I am just going to shut my mouth and digest this a minute……………….

Here is the couple of important thing about these pictures.  You can tell by looking at them it started on the first bank at 6:45 where I put 10 in the boat in nothing flat, most on a crankbait.  It ended on the next to last bank at 3:30 where we fished it twice and caught 15 or 20 on both passes, the last place we only caught 3.  The crankbait I was using was a wooden shad looking thing and they like it on Fayette.  Of those 10 a couple came on jerkbait.  Shoedog was throwing the Whopper Plopper for a little, he has a bad case of it, and he even had a bite before he got with the program.   Once he did it was a killing.

Number 2, I caught them on 5 different baits, Shoedog on 6.  And they all worked all day if you wanted to fish any one in particular.  All together we caught on 4 different jerkbaits, 3  different crankbaits, the swim jig, a lizard and a couple of more I can’t remember.  One thing about the jerkbait and crankbait bite, they we smacking it.  Several came when my crankbait ticked the grass.  And with their proximity to grass, the usual there, it was time for a different bait.

Probably around noon I really got them going on a 1/4 oz. white swim jig with a paddle tail trailer, and I did not stop throwing it the rest of the day.  They definitely wanted it at a moderate steady speed, not manipulated, and they were smoking it.  I would hate to guess how many I caught on it, but it was a big ass bunch of nice ones.  Most were close to the bank and if I felt some grass it often triggered a bite.  It was one of those days when you got to really see how deadly that swim jig is.

While I was using the swim jig at a steady moderate speed Shoedog got out the shallow running Shad Rap and just slow cranked that at the same speed and they jumped all over it, and it was running maybe a foot deep.  A couple hit it on top and he saw a couple of more eat it.  We kept at it with those baits for most of the afternoon.  Two totally different presentations got it done.

They were so active during the middle of the day that we had a couple of follows to the boat, and another couple nice ones rolling after a good bass I landed.  It went like that all day.  As far as location they were in the 2 – 5 foot depth in that 80 degree water.  We tried to keep the boat in 6 feet and get fairly close to the bank with our casts.

When there was a little drop, and that good grass in the 3 foot range, we would catch a couple, 5, or 1, whatever, but we would catch them.   And I do believe that as many as we caught in a spot that it helped trigger more bites.  We had lots of back to backs or doubles.  It was different in that they stayed that shallow all day.  When Fayette is good like that it is crazy good, and today was that day.

Last, the pictures are just a small sample of how it went today, we really did whack them.  When you start getting in the 50+ range, most nice average heavy slot fish, it is all about the catching.  This was one of our better days ever if you just take into account average weight.  And one thing about Fayette fish, most look like they just left the buffet after thirds.  They just kept coming, and we were more than happy to help them out.

One word about the weather, it was a complete miss, 100% wrong.  But the thunder and lightning was in the distance, and the wind was only a slight hassle at times.  The fish were where they were if that makes sense.  Catch a couple, then another, then another, then maybe no bites for a little ways, and then do it again.  They were in the back ends of coves to the outside points or somewhere in between, it was a matter of covering ground.  They were on deep banks and flat banks.  So while I would like to take credit it was the fish.  They were on the chew and we just figured it out.

Today was simply a thing of beauty.  I just want to take this time to say how lucky I am to have the Gulf, Fayette, Coleto, Falcon, Amistad and a host of others close.  Living in Arkansas was fishing heaven, and while this is a different heaven, I really do appreciate days like today more and more.  No matter how much, or how little, we get to fish ever day is precious and I do not take them for granted.

Not sure what is next, we are still in that high wind pattern, but it will break.  Summertime is descending on Texas, when the weatherman asked himself the following question:   And when is this humidity and heat going to get out of here?  His answer:  October.  So welcome to summer in Texas, and with it will come those calm summer mornings on the Gulf as the trout slurp that topwater.  And Canada is only a little over 2 weeks away!  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines