FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
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Day 1
I can not help but get excited when heading to Falcon. I drove down the evening before so I could be on the water at daylight Tuesday morning. I stayed at Beacon’s because I like the location and good rampage no matter the water level. It puts you a little north of the Velano and an easy run up lake.
Lets just get the general conditions out of the way before we go to the fishing. First the weather. It was supposed to be raining on Tuesday, which it did, and basically it drizzled and misted for the next 3 days, and never did get as warm as forecast. I was definitely ok with that but 2 problems reared their ugly head that made a big difference. First the water temp had dropped 5 – 7 degrees in the last week, which combined with a 3 foot drop knocked them back a bunch from full on spawning. More on that later.
The 2 guys next to my cabin were coming back from the Houston Boat Show and decided to fish the week before heading back to Oklahoma City. As usual I am terrible with names (Sorry.) but one was the Kayak Doctor, for obvious reasons, and he happened to know my friend Dez, one of the Austin Boys. They had talked to a guide at the show and he suggested they fish down lake, I was starting in the Velano. Once on the water the color was awesome over the whole lake. The temp was as low as 57 in some places but no higher than 60, after being 65 the week before. This level was great with good brush in the water, but not to much, and I was excited seeing it. Unfortunately I did not know it had dropped that much the week before.
It was drizzling/raining right along and around 44 degrees at daylight, it would not warm up all day. A word on clothing. I keep all kinds of stuff in the truck this time of year, and boy was I glad I had it all. It was snow suit, hoodie, and full rain gear with boots. I stayed dressed like that all 3 days, warm and toasty. I love slow rolling a spinnerbait there and planned to keep after it. First up was a spawning cove near the bridge and I started off by committing a rookie mistake number 1.
The point at the mouth was perfect, 6 foot deep with great cover and a nice drop. As it thumped along it got heavy, no bite, and as the cover was so thick I just kept reeling thinking it was a bush when all of a sudden a huge boil, it was a Falcon giant. And as my buddy Tad would say, so with my superior skill I f&%# it up. I did not set the hook, and it was gone. Little did I know that would be the last big bite of the trip. But like many of those I did manage to catch it was a very weak bite. So I moved to a nice flat covered with brush near a channel bend and there were a few there.
No Falcon giant but a good start.
On that one stretch I put 4 bass in the boat, and of course my mastery of the mighty catfish on lures continued. They have come off and on for decades, but the last year they sure have been consistent. The fish were in a couple of feet of water around sticks. As a side note, of all the guys I spoke with none were finding fish on the hardwood.
They sure do have a tendency to smack the shit out of it when they commit!
So now I am feeling pretty good. Lose a big one first place, catch 5 the next, looking good. And from that point on the rest of the day not a freakin’ bite. From the back of the creek to some familiar main lake pockets and points not a touch. They were just no where to be found but I soldiered on until dark. But hey, I am fishing on Falcon so no problem, a better day is coming.
Of course there was the usual Falcon tom foolery going on across the lake, with a period of rapid gun fire, silly boys, and netters everywhere. And as I idled through a huge flock of Cormorants one was floating on his side so I stopped. And guess what? The shad eater had choked to death on a big gizzard shad. I am sure that warmed the heart of the guy at Falcon Lake Tackle.
When I got back another boat was parked in the other cabin next to me and they were on the porch. They had come down from Weatherford and were going to fish with one of the hottest guides on the lake who had been murdering them the week before, with lots of fish a day, some in the 9lb range. They were told bring only 2 rods, one with a spinnerbait and one for plastics. Suffice to say that would be telling the next day. Then the guys from Oklahoma got back, and buddy boy they were cold. And to top it off they caught one fish all day. Can you say tough? But hopes spring eternal, and we were all up and atom the next morning.
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Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.
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Day 2 – More of the Same.
The Texas boys were going to meet their guide and head to the State Park ramp at the lower end as were the Oklahoma boys. I was going to hit the bank in the Velano first thing then head up lake to a creek where I caught my 3 personal bests my first trip there. It was still drizzling and cold, and while the rain let up some it spit all day. The water temp had dropped again the night before but at least the color was still good.
On the first pass on the bank from day 1 four jumped on, though nothing to get to excited about. It was one more spot in the Velano without a bite and then a 6 mile run up river. It looked perfect, and it was, for a short period.
Run of the mill. Fish number 1, spawned out tail ground, number 2 not spawned yet.
They were in small shallow pockets on the edge of the channel. One thing was becoming quite clear, they were just “getting on.” No smack, no big bite, just swimming with it and you had to be on your toes. So now I am feeling ok, it is not even noon yet and I have caught 8. But hold on bass dude, they were about to take their revenge. Not another bite the rest of the day. I tried pockets, creek channels, as I worked my way back and just could not buy another bite. Like day 1 nothing after noon. So at 5:00 I called it a day after catching 8.
I got back first then the Weatherford guys, and they caught around 25 with the guide. Then the Ok guys, and they caught 2 all day. The guide’s fish were off, the couple of foot drop in the water level and temp drop knocked them stupid. They caught their fish on plastics deep and only one on a spinnerbait. Though they did have a couple of 6’s it was not what it had been. So I felt ok with 8 considering. And there was not a breath of wind most of the day, in fact all 3 days. Wind can be your enemy on Falcon, but no wind does not help things. The old “Watch out what you wish for.” So we talked about things, and the guide was coming to fish up lake the next day and the Ok guys were going to do the same.
Day 3
I had initially planned on staying and fishing Friday if the fishing improved, which it did not. So the plan was to fish until noon and if I did ok stay the rest of the day, and maybe another day, but that was not to be. Starting on the “good” bank in the Velano one jumped on the spinnerbait and not another bite. (Interestingly the guide and the Weatherford boys started across from me.) I knew the fish were there so with no wind and clear water out came the Bang O Lure, and second cast a nice on jumped on. It was one of those cool Bang O Lure bite. There was a big swirl behind it, I twitched it a couple of times on top, then pulled it under and she smoked it. Love it when they do that.
And I am thinking why did you not throw this earlier?
It is still early and now I am excited. Hey the truck may be packed but I can unload in a second. So I throw it, and throw it, and throw it some more. And from then until I quit at 1:00 to call it a trip, only one more bite on spinnerbait, and it felt like a crappie bite.
While this trip did not live up to Falcon’s reputation it did not dampen my love of that place. So big, so much water, it is one great place to spend a few days. The possibility of catching a real one on any cast keeps the hope alive. Since it has lost some of it’s luster over the years the traffic is not near what it used to be and there is plenty of water for everyone. In fact, I will be heading back soon, the results this trip does not deter me. And it was great to have some good fishermen to talk fishing with, which really helped to keep things in perspective. The original forecast was for one day of drizzle and rain, then clearing and warming the week, which obviously did not happen, or I would still be there instead of in my chair typing this. I give the trip a B, one of those on the edge of greatness.
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I did want to give you an update on the AGM batteries I put in the boat last month. Using them all day with the trolling motor on constantly the gauged showed only a 1/4 down, not bad for the miles I fished. So money well spent.
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We have a little cold front with high winds coming this weekend there is no real plan for the coming week until we see the weather. The boat is a complete mess, though only making a couple of lure changes over 3 days the tackle is in good shape.. I will get all that straightened out this weekend. The only other real plan is to get the skiff out and take it fishing. It has not been started in over a couple of months so it definitely needs some running. I hate to see it sitting, and have considered selling it lately, but having a back up is a good thing, but it needs to be fished. Nothing worse on a boat than sitting. Parting with it would be like losing an old friend. I have had it 19 years, and if I can’t kill it nobody can.
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One really great side affect of staying at Beacon Lodge, no wi-fi. And since I have not succumbed to the I Phone I was basically out of contact most of the week. No facebook, no email, no nothing, and it was awesome. The Boss has been after me about the I Phone thing by I have successfully resisted like the old man I am. And I was reminded on the way down how much of a slave to social media we have all become. There was a really slow truck in the right lane and everyone was going around him. There was an old man driving, heck, older than me, and he was texting. What has the world come to?
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So there you have it. Traveling and fishing is always an adventure of some sort, and you just have to make the best of it. You never know until you go. Up next will be more fishing. I still want to get down to the Nueces before it is to late for the big whites, and as soon as we get a stretch of weather that duplicates this week, no wind and drizzle, and it will be time for a few days of the Upper Laguna. And to the guys still there, hope you put the hurt on them Friday and it was good to meet you all. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
