FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
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Don’t Leave Home Without It!
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Had a great time at the Houston Fishing Show. Sold a few baits at the Controlled Descent booth Thursday afternoon, and got to hang out a little with Tim and Jason from Wade Right and Joshua of Marker 54. All reported a good day on Wednesday, the first day of the show. As soon as I get done with the fishing report there is a few things I want to share that I saw at the show. Plus, the report is not going to take long!
Weather
68/78. Cloudy with a 20% chance of a stray shower. Wind S 10 – 20.
Lake Level
Today 98.29 13 days ago 98.24
Solunar Times
Best 11:18 am to 1:18 pm.
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Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.
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The “NO FISH” Fishing Report
I got home really late after leaving the show and ended up sleeping in. When I got up it was warm and misty, unfortunately the wind was blow hard out of the South, and it did nothing more than blow harder the rest of the day. But after talking fishing all day yesterday I had to wet a line somewhere.
First the conditions. The water temp was 59 degrees at the ramp, down just a little. The area mid-lake around the discharge cove was 67, and it was 61 way up lake. Basically the same as it has been all month. The color is still spotty, it seems every time the wind blows some areas color up more than others. And it was one of those blowing around any corner, white capping anywhere it could get a head of steam, which on Coleto a South wind means most of the lake.
Long story short, 4 total, and those came up lake in the first hour. The next 5 hours was without a bite!
Pretty Sorry.
Starting up lake the first bite was a white bass on the A Rig, then another. Switching to crankbait a small bass jumped on and I had some hope that maybe, just maybe, it was going to be a better day than it has been lately. But NO! To make a long a boring story short I fished the following. A Rig, deep diving crankbait, buzzbait (One more small jumped on later.), swim jig, spinnerbait, Bang O Lure, plus the kitchen sink. I planned on fishing plastics but the wind ruled most of that out. It was coves, channel banks, flats, up lake and down, here and there, semi-clear water, dirty water, and on and on.
Folks I do not have a clue, nada, zip, zero. Bass fishing hard over the last 40 years I have seen lots of different conditions on lots of different bodies of water, but this has me really puzzled. The lake has been like this for the last couple of months, fairly stable water levels, the color clearing a little, then muddying back up here and there. (I did see one bed, but no one was home.) The temp has also remained stable in the low to mid 60’s. At this point I am just rambling, it is puzzling to say the least.
When I got to the ramp 6 hours later the only other fisherman I talked to had the following comment, “Wish we caught some.” And my buddy, who comes to the ramp to read in the evening, said there just has not been the normal amount of fishermen out most days and no one he talked to has done worth a hoot. As I left they were rolling in for the weekend so all I have to say it “Good Luck”.
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I really had a big time at the show. Nothing like a couple of thousand fishermen all in one place talking fishing.
Michael of Controlled Descent. Enjoyed working the booth and meeting lots of new folks and couple of readers who stopped by. Thanks for letting me help out.
Jason and Tim selling some Wade Right belts. And we all got in a lather talking about the upcoming Chandeleur fishing trip. It is gonna be fun!
Joshua talking about his cool Marker 54 shrimp baits. After a good day one he wondered if he brought enough. Now that is a good show!
Of course besides hanging out with my bro’s I did make the rounds and there were a couple of things that really peaked my interest. My favorite was the coolest thing I have seen in boats in while, or maybe ever.
Hog Island Boats
One cool boat.
As all of you who read this stuff know I have a real problem with the escalating cost of boats, and when I saw their 16′ skiff I was all about it. This thing is basically indestructible, floats in zip, light weight, safe, a nice V, and can be configured in many ways depending on your style of fishing. This is the boat I would have bought 20 years ago when I bought the Carolina Skiff. This boat can float trout rivers, take on big water like Lake of the Woods, or float in spit on the flats chasing redfish. And the best things, it is basically indestructible and the price is right. (The whole rig in the price range of a big motor.) Not only a good entry level boat, this one will do it all, and would be a great forever boat especially for us multi-species guys. Made in Steamboat Colorado they are available in Austin at Action Marine. I hate to gush to much but this is the best multi-purpose boat I have seen in a long time, so take minute and look at their website. And I really enjoyed talking fishing with the owner, John St John, a great guy who gets it. This is by far the coolest thing I saw at the show. I would buy one tomorrow but the Boss would kill me! (Why she would have a problem with 3 boats in the yard I do not know! What is wrong with her?)
http://hogislandboatworks.com/page.php?page=sw-16-skiff-specifications
Mang – Buy one, plant one.
Kyle Rossin stopped by the Controlled Descent booth and when we got to talking I found out he co-owned the Manggear Company. What makes them all that, every purchase results in the planting of a mangrove, which in Florida is becoming increasingly important. Besides their cool stuff, these young men are making a real difference. I love seeing young entrepreneurs and these guys are doing something I do not see near enough, giving back. Hey being in the fishing business does not require you have a social conscience, or to give back, but I see many companies not doing enough, happy enough to take from the sport but sorely lacking in the return. When the show was over I went by their booth but guess I missed them, I was going to buy a shirt just to have a mangrove planted, so I will order one on line. It is incumbent on all of us to participate in some way no matter how small, the future of our sport depends on it. So stop by their website, and check out the blog page, these guys are not only talking the talk, plenty of blowhards in fishing, these guys really do walk the walk.
I did make a couple of purchases but kept that to a dull roar. Guess I have enough stuff to last a lifetime, but there is always something. And I met some really great folks, and invited one to come fish Coleto with me. While there I also met a guy who fished and guided on my old stomping grounds, among others. But we all have one thing in common, a love of fishing. Heck if it wasn’t so far away I would go back today!
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Now back to the lake. I do not know what to say, or what to think. February and March are some of the best months, and normally fish 5 – 8lbs are not that uncommon. So what has happened? Is this the perfect storm of conditions holding them back? Of course the loss of our grass is a big factor, but I am getting worried something else is going on. Where are the fish? So I guess one of 2 things will happen – They will come to the bank in mass and it will be crazy good, or there is a problem.
Looking at the area forecast for the next 15 days, except for Sunday a week from now, there is rain in the forecast and with that some high winds. What’s new? But with the lake fishing so poorly it will be back to the coast for me. I forked over for a Live Target mullet swim bait that looks cool, and with the fish on mullet as a steady diet right now I have visions of big trout. And if the stars and moon line up time for a 3 day trip somewhere. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
