FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Still suffering the hangover from our awesome trip to the Chandeleur Islands aboard the Southern Belle it was time to hit the lake and fish the morning and see what is up.  With the water dropping and heating up I do not have a clue as to what or where I am going to fish this morning.  But as usual, you don’t know unless you go.

Weather

90/71  Partly Cloudy with stray showers.  20% chance.  Wind SE  10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Today  95.69 msl   14 days ago  96.04 msl   (We need some rain.  We are 8″ down.)

Solunar Times

Best  5:57 am to 7:57 am   Good  11:44 am to 1:44 pm.

If I lay here real quiet no one can see me.

It was 6:15 as I headed up lake.  First I was interested to see how much it has dropped in 2 weeks, which is plenty.  The plan was to throw a great big buzzbait to keep the small ones off and maybe catch a big girl.  Well half the plan worked out perfect, the 4 or 5 small ones who took a swing at it missed, but part 2 of the plan was a complete bust.  Now obviously throwing a buzzbait with serious falling water and rising temps is not the best option, but I don’t care.  Give me a hoss over 10 little ones any day.  So after 2 hours of that less than successful plan, and with the sun full up, it was back to what I know works, pitching plastics to good cover.

They are there, it is just a matter of keeping after it to maybe boat a little better fish, but  unfortunately the others were smaller than this.

There is fish, as there has been for the last 6 weeks, on “good” wood.  Today I made a couple of casts to the better looking spots, and actually caught a couple on the 3rd or 4th cast.  They were not aggressive by any means.  But if you can find some deep wood with deeper water close there are fish to be caught.  The 5″ Watermelon red “senko” style bait will get bit.  After catching 6 or 7 it was time to do a little experimenting.

I went through the crankbait box and found no inspiration but when I opened the Bagley box I thought why not?  On went a 3 + 3/4″ Rumble B in a bluegill color.  By now it was around 10:00 so I headed down lake to deeper channel banks and went to cranking at a steady pace with the occasional twitch.  It was another 5 or 6, not fast by any means, but the crankbait pattern has some potential.

Both smacked the crap out of that Bagley crankbait.  And my run of catfish continues, hard to remember how many I have caught on lures this year.

So around 12:30 I could see a big front coming my way.  With the rain suit on board I was thinking of hanging in there a little longer when I saw a bolt of lightening in the thunderhead.  As I have no desire to be fried into a heaping pile of melt I headed to the ramp.  It rained on me as I loaded the boat but quit about half way back to town.  And of course as I sit here typing this not a drop has fallen at the house.  We need rain!

********************Get inhaled!

I did want to add a little about using the Controlled Descent Lure on the beach at the Chandeleurs.  First I used a big rattle and no foam as I wanted it to get down to the bottom.  Using a 3/8th ounce jig head on the white/limetreuse Paddle Shad, which I glued to the body like I do with all plastics, I allowed it to hit bottom and then stay close.  A steady retrieve produced some real solid thumps, and I mean eating it.  I probably boated 3 or 4 of my biggest trout of the trip that last day, and definitely had my best string of the trip.  They were smacking it.

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I got this comment from Gage.

I think your reports are great you need to keep posting I’m interested.

And in the same vein I got this from Kristina.

Hi! I’ve been reading your site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Houston Tx!  Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent job.

Aw shucks.  But really you all know I love to hear from folks no matter what the reason.  This is a better place when others participate, I spend enough time here blabbing incessantly.  So thanks, and the rest of you we love to hear what you have to say.  So feel free.

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And I heard from Billy a couple of times this week and this comment is right on point.

Rain?
What is this you speak of?

Oh man do I wish.  When we drove home from Dallas this weekend it rained cats and dogs all the way to Schulenburg and then nada.  Maybe we had a little last night, and then there was a small shower at the lake this morning, but none of it qualified as rain at my house.  We are now 8″ down and it is getting close to a real serious problem.  I have not given up hope we might catch up, but time is ticking on and real “summer’ is right around the corner.

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A full rainbow following an early morning thunderstorm on the Chandeleurs. 

I have already heard from a couple of you who have expressed some interest in a Chandeleur trip.  Maybe we can organize a trip, it takes 10 and once we reserve there is no “Gee I can’t make it.”  Having been on lots of “trips” with folks it takes planning and commitment to make it happen but occasionally when it comes down to brass tacks things have a way of changing. This is not one of those we get a house on a moments notice and go fishing.  So I am keeping a list and if you are interested let me know.  Nothing is written in stone but I would definitely go twice next year!

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There is some serious crappie butt being kicked right now on Coleto.  A box full of minnows, deep brush, or timber near the mouth of a big cove, are all producing fish.  The best areas seem to be from mid lake up, at least where I am seeing the boats.  Just get over the brush and count it down until you get a bite.  Either let it hit bottom and reel up, or drop it 5 foot at a time until it happens.  It is not rocket science.  So if you want some fine eating go get you some!

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I am ok with the morning’s results, it really was just about what I expected.  Whenever the next trip to Coleto is it will be an evening trip.  The weekly pot tourney has started and it is fun to occasionally have a go at it so a little evening exploration is in order.  But the lake is headed to the back burner for a while.  Time to start fishing the bay a little more regularly, from what I am seeing online they are biting big time.  As you now I only go during the week this time of year, no need for me to add to the weekend confusion, but if you are around holler, maybe we can fish together.

I am getting excited about Port Mansfield.  I have the Sunday breakfast responsibility and am already stressing.  A healthy well balanced meal or a fat and salt filled breakfast of sausage, taters, biscuits, and piles of cheesy eggs?  Oh the dilemma.   Other than that not much else to report.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines