FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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I just could not help myself and headed right back to the marsh.  When I was trying to go to sleep last night the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad kept coming to mind.  So the plan was to throw it all morning and see how it goes.

A cold one on the deck as the sun goes down.  Does it get any better than this?

Weather

86/80.  Generally sunny with 20% chance of rain.  Wind ESE 5 – 10.

Tide

High  1:15 am  +1.2.   Low  12:29 pm   -0.5.

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                                                     There is a new bait on the way.

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The biggest I managed to land on the Controlled Descent, but definitely operator error.

You would think as long as I have been fishing the head up butt syndrome would not happen as often as it does, but today it showed up.  I tied it on my trout rod, which has 10lb line, big mistake, more on that later.  It seemed like they wanted a nice steady vibration with the spinnerbait so why not slow roll the paddle shad?

They were eating it, and that one had some spots

I used both the white/limetreuse and the watermelon red/limetreuse on a 1/8th swim bait hook, rattle inserted with some scent.  Because I wanted a maxim thump I pulled off the small tail.  It did not take long to learn they wanted it at a medium retrieve where you just could not see it but you could feel the tail.  If there is one complaint, it caught lots of smalls, like that is a problem, but several nice ones hit it.  Obviously it had more to do with timing than anything else since I went to the spinnerbait at prime time.  I just have a “spinnerbait” problem.  And Chris, that fancy rod you made me is doing yeoman work.

On the other hand 2 broke off on the 10lb, and of course they were both big ones.  Rule 1 – Do not throw 10lb to redfish around pilings, you will not have a very good outcome.  And the bite could be little tricky, you would not even feel the bite but your line would just start moving.  Some right toward you and it was tough to catch up to them.  I even had a big one on a spinnerbait follow it all the way to the boat making a huge mud. Fun stuff.

This size really liked it and after a while I just quit taking pictures.

The weather was perfect, the tide was falling all day, and the wind was light.  It was another day of covering water, but since I am learning every day my timing was good.  But here it seems like anytime is good, sometimes are just better than others.  They seem to be on the rounded banks inside big coves.  That is where much of the oyster is and consequently that is where the fish are.

And one thing really driven home the last couple of days is reading the water.  Not talking about seeing fish, I mean getting back in these places without getting stuck.  As along as the tide is moving you can see a slight line where water drains these big places.  Idling real slow the cove might, and I do mean might, be 2 foot, but there is always a channel which allows you to get way back, it may only be 1/2  foot deeper, then fish the tide out.

This size is just right for a great fight.

Around 2:00 the water had all but fallen out and it was time to hit my 2 best spots.  It was back to the spinnerbait and 20lb test, running it just like the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad and the better ones would just smack it.  Today the hook up ratio definitely went to the Paddle Shad.  Not sure I lost any this morning other than the 2 break offs.   The 20lb test is fine for these waters, and makes it a lot easier to control them in cover and oysters.  I mean they are shallow!

Just waylaying the spinnerbait.

As you can see from my face, or lack thereof, it was hot and sunny.  The fish had moved out of some of the smaller potholes and were on the shell with bait.  I can see how down here if you fished it a lot you could have a milk run.  With the 16″ limit the paddle shad took care of that pretty quickly.  So a another successful day in Grand Isle.  I really enjoy coming here, it is one of the “fishiest” places in the country, both the fish and characters who live here.

This is such a fishy place.  The options are endless, from tuna to trout, tarpon, snapper, redfish, kinfish, and on and on, they are all here.  There are close rigs that when the wind is not blowing I have seen jon boats out there.  Buggy the owner guided some guys to a pile of mangrove snappers today.  Said all he could do was keep rigging them.  This whole place revolves around fishing as there is nothing else.  When I get back there will be more of a how to article.  The access is good, and you kayakers, this place is the bomb.

Bridgeside Marina and Cabins the place for fishermen in Grand Isle.

Tomorrow I might, and I use the term lightly, hit the bay and trout fish.  The guys from Louisiana next to me only caught 8 today, and they fish the salt a lot, so we shall see.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines