FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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It will be good to be back on the water tomorrow.  I decided to fish the lake and see how the fishing is.  If it is ok then it will be back on Thursday hoping to have that epic pre-frontal big fish day.  There is a method to my madness.  If it sucks then it will be a no brainer back to the bay or river, that choice will be dictated by the wind.  That is what I love about fishing this time of year, somebody is biting somewhere, you just have to make the right choice.  Not saying I always make the right choice, heck I suck some days just like everyone else, except that one dude who somehow never has a bad day, ask him.   But occasionally I do get it right, so let the weeks fishing begin.

Weather

63/50.  Partly cloudy with 0% chance of rain.  Wind  ENE 5 – 10 mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.18 msl.  Week ago  98.20 msl.

Solunar Times

Best  8:25 am to 10:25 am.  (Only relevant time but we shall see as the day heats up.)

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Well it went about like I thought, and I am literally deciding where to go tomorrow as I type this.  The water temp is basically 61 – 64 degrees over the whole lake.  Up lake is clearing some and the rest of the lake is still slowly clearing.  First up was a cove they have stayed in the last couple of days, dropped the power pole to start rigging a Jerk Shad, and dang it.  The Controlled Descent pearl Jerk Shad box was not in the boat.  I look everywhere and finally it dawns on me, it is in the salt stuff from the Lavaca last week.  Having to much crap has its moments.   So must be time for the Bang O Lure.

2 best of the 10 or so.

Today the definitely wanted the Bang O Lure under the surface, which really makes it hard with the water color like it is.  I managed to miss the first 3 when I could not see them.  Before the day was out I got with the program some and started catching most of them.  They wanted it twitched pretty good and then pulled under about a foot.  They were still a little tough to see, and half I never did see.  It takes extra concentration on the Bang O Lure right now.

2 important things on fishing the Bang O Lure.  First, if you see a boil, or disturbance in the force, and they do not have it, let it pop up and then sweep it under.  Amazing how many will eat when you do that.  Second, if they flat miss it, toss right back in there and feed them how they want it, on top or under the surface.  Of all the lures over the years it is by far the best throw back lure I have ever used.

The best places continue to be the coves.  And once in the cove the calm side is clearly better.  That has stayed consistent.  They are shallow, at least the ones I am catching.  Today I threw spinnerbait some, which is just not working.  And none were interested in a senko style plastic pitched to wood.  Same results with a white swim jig.  Though several the last few trips have come out of wood, it really is more of a grass, shoreline bush pattern, than stumps or logs.

Fishing is about like it has been.  It did not help today that there was really no water warming, and about 4:00 it was over, unlike the other day they bit later as it warmed.   The air temp never did warm up much today.  With tomorrow hitting 70 degrees, and a good chance of rain the lake has potential.  And it sure would have helped if I would have had the Jerk Shad.  A much better bait in this color water right now, easier for me and the fish to see.  So I have just talked myself into hitting the lake again.  I am gonna catch a big one tomorrow!

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I get very irritated when folks criticize others who are engaging in a legal activity in a legal way.  If you don’t like it change the rules but otherwise keep your trap shut.  They have done nothing wrong.  And the new marlin story online is a perfect example.

A boat recently caught a huge black marlin off Australia, well over 1400lbs!  As sadly happens sometimes they die during the fight and this one did.  No one wants this to happen.  Some folks are bitchin’ about it but it shows their true lack of knowledge about the sport.  Fishing and hunting is better now than it has ever been thanks to sportsmen toting the note.  Change takes time and marlin fishing is a perfect example, it is evolving  into catch and release world wide.  Fish are tagged and tracked adding to the knowledge and conservation of the fish.  Without those efforts, and fisherman dollars, nothing would be learned.  No individual or organization has done more for the fish than the participants.  So if it bothers you then work towards changing the rules, or start giving to research if the rare loss of a fish likes this bothers you.  But these guys did nothing wrong and deserve no criticism.  In fact, congrats guys, the fish of a lifetime.  If I was that lucky I just might retire to the rocking chair!

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A quick word on fish photos on the blog for some of the new readers.  99%+ of all the fish caught are released and a few are photo’d then released immediately.  Unless they are headed to the pan they do not get laid on a dirty board, put on a scale, or handled by the body if at all possible.  A quick photo usually takes about 20 seconds and back in they go.  So that is why there are only selfies.  Catch and release works, and the less they are handled the better.

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The weather dude is about to get on my “list.”  He is now talking rain, rain, and more rain, maybe up to 6″ in some areas.  That is playing a part in the decision to fish the lake tomorrow.  If it gets another muddy rise that will about knock it in the head for another month.  So I am signing off now, and getting the deer sausage out of the over and let the feast begin.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines