FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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First I want to really thank Steve for sending me to the Tide 4 Fishing website, which I had not looked at before.  It is one stop shopping for all the information I need other than the POC weather.   And when I prepared this for tomorrow’s fishing yesterday it was pretty clear where I would be heading in the morning.  So I am off to the Gulf, not sure where yet but I am going in the morning.  Now I have to think about where I want to be at daylight.

Weather

84/72  Mainly sunny.  Wind NE 10 -15  0% chance rain.  (Not that much wind.)

Tides

High  5:22 am  1.4   Low 7:21 pm  0.8  (At least 2+hours later than POC.)

Flow Projection + Solunar Times

The tidal coefficient is 43 – lower variation in tide height – small current.  There is a 2 hour high activity period from 8 – 10am when it appears the current will really start to flow on the falling tide.  (Later, and being so far from POC the water moved, slowly.)

Keller Bay

Due to the NE wind I decided to hit the pasture shoreline in Keller again.  That is protected perfect for that wind, and it worked out great today.  It was cracking daylight as I dropped the skiff in the water and headed down the shoreline to the high bank.  I found a wad of bait so I anchored and jumped in.

The tide was definitely up and the water near shore had just a little chill to it.  Of course it was topwarter first.  Right off the bat I missed a couple so I started switching back and forth, if they missed the topwater I tossed the 3″ paddle tail in white/red glitter.  Nice to have 2 rods on the Wade Right.   A couple of rats jumped on then I caught this one.

This was the biggest of the 5 reds I caught today.

It took me a little while to kind of figure it out.  There were small schools of bait fish making v’s, and the trout and reds were with them.  It actually turned into a game of target practice with either plastics or topwater.  Most of the fish were off the bank in 2+ feet of water.

The first one has been to the fridge a time or two.  Number 2 is what hit topwater.

There was nothing fast and furious this morning, and I think it was directly related to the low velocity.  They were just not going nuts, but they were catchable at daylight, and got better as the water began to move.  I caught a couple in a foot of water but most of the bites came standing waist deep plus and throwing way out.  Thanks Chad.  And with the high projected to be 5:22 and the good bite related to the flow to be 8 -10, I would estimate that it was at least 2 hours behind the projected times at POC.  You learn something every day

Initially the wind was blowing around 15mph, more out of the north and it was 60 degrees.  As the morning heated up it became more easterly at less than 10, which was blowing right over my head.  The ripple started about 4 feet off the bank and that seemed to be the best place to fish.

                   Nothing to big but no problem sacking a limit.

Before I quit about 1:30 I caught on paddle tail and straight tail plastics in 3 different colors.  The Nasty Baits Voodoo Shad in brown/chartreuse straight tail was the best plastic.  And 2 topwaters caught fish, the Knocker B and the Heddon One Knocker, both worked in a walk the dog pattern.  They actually hit both topwaters until almost noon, and the little better average came after 10.  It was mostly small up until then.  Unfortunately I had a real big trout for Keller jump off, bummer, and then had another good fish follow one I was fighting.  And I noticed the water was moving, you could not really feel it, by looking at the mud I was stirring up wading.  It was easily after 10 when the water moved, later than the POC projection by a good 2 hours.

Not a bad morning, and the best thing was really understanding and paying attention to how far behind Keller is from POC.  And watching my mud tipped me off when the water really started to move out.  So nice to understand a little more and add one more thing to the arsenal.  Plus, it was an easy 20 today, and the only downside was I did not stick a big red.  And unlike the last few trips, I did move the boat about 10:00, simply idling down the bank and watching for bait.  Once I found some about 100 yards from where I started the bite was consistent.  Don’t get me wrong, it was not a killing by any means, but the fish are biting and I am all about it.  Today bait was absolutely the ticket.

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It was good to hear from Jim again.

Doug, I haven’t written you in a few months but that doesn’t mean I haven’t read every post you have made. I always look forward to seeing FCT in my email inbox. I have to commend you on your discussion regarding tides. It is the BEST discussion I have ever read. I love technical fishing and mathematical stuff so I have thoroughly enjoyed the reading. Keep up the good work!!

Jim in Cypress

Thanks for hanging in there with me, I appreciate it.  There may never be an absolute way to project where and how the water is moving, but the discussion has sure helped my understanding and I am glad you liked it.  Hopefully this discussion was a little improvement on some of my content.  Comment anytime.

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And Steve added another comment on the tide stuff, and it further refines what we have been talking about.

Good Morning Doug
After reading all of your research information and others, it really comes down to finding water movement. The same guide, who explained the tide as a bubble of water, also explained how to fish in the winter when we have very low tides and hours of no water movement at all. Some of the things he mentioned were fishing places with a narrow drain that really funnels water and windy shore lines . All of that makes good sense; wind does make for some current. The most interesting advice he gave was to fish the spoil inlands along the barge canal. When looking for water movement, barges create tons of water movement in and out between these spoil cuts. I would have never looked at it that way, but it does make perfect sense. This whole topic has made me more aware of how fish move. Now I realized why when I went from place to place it was hit and miss.
Steve

Commenting on the narrow drain in winter, last December when the Austin boys were here we had a day like that, super low tide, emptied a back lake, and the fish were in a channel that you could cast across blindfolded.  There were reds, trout, flounder, and black drum in the center of that small channel eating, and we put a bunch in the box as it got dark.  And I have actually had a spoil pile moment in the Upper Laguna.  They were tight on the piles, and we were sitting in the barge canal tossing topwater in 90 degree weather with 20″ plus trout smoking it in the middle of the day.  We had to move once for a big double barge, he went by us and promptly grounded.  After much banging and clanging he finally managed to get off and get moving.  And last, I am so with you on the hit or miss thing after a move.  Often a great move was nothing more than sheer luck, and there were just as many times when moving was a complete failure.  The key is moving water, and being there when it does no matter what day or time it is.  Would seem easy wouldn’t it.  This discussion will continue, and in the next week or two I am going to put the tide stuff together in one article.  I appreciate your participation, comment anytime.  And if the rest of you have anything to add to the tide conversation, speak up, we can all learn something.

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A good Monday.  The skiff did not suffer from 6 weeks of inactivity, though it still initially starts like a bear, then just hit the key after that.  Have to get that looked at.  And I am still waiting on my trolling motor for the flats boat, have to check on that tomorrow and see what is up.  Other than that if any of the rest of you have anything to say send it along.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines