FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Don’t Leave Home Without It.  I don’t!

******************

As I “recover” from the less than stellar trip to Coleto 2 days ago there is no easier way (Can’t believe I am saying easier, we shall see.)  than hitting the bay and catching a few fish.  The only thing I am hoping from the forecast is give me the clouds, but otherwise spring is here.  So the plan is POC tomorrow morning at first light for a combined wading and boat fishing day.  Might even keep a couple for the pan.

Weather

70/62.  Partly cloudy with a 10% of rain.   Wind E 10 – 20mph.  (They got the east part right, but forgot to add a North to it.  And it blew a good 20!)

Tides

Low 5:10 am – 0.0   High  5:59 – 0.7

Solunar Period

Good 7:00 to 9:00 am.  (No big tides and prolonged rise.  Classed as moderate.) 

******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

*******************

It was not quite sunrise when I got to Froggie’s, there were only 2 trucks in the lot.  The wind was blowing a good 15mph out of the NE, the water temp was 70 degrees, really clear, and the tide was out.  It was not super low, but low enough.

It looked ok for wading the Barroom shoreline so I started there.  Unfortunately the wind was blowing right down the pike, and would become a real issue after noon.  My first wade resulted in one huge flush on a topwater, to bad he missed it by a foot.  So it kept me there a little longer than I should have but finally I gave that up and headed across the bay.

A good dozen of these.  No big ones but solids.

First up, and last, was my old faithful cut.  It was not really out of the wind, making the cast directly into it.  By now it was blowing.  To get it to the bottom in 5 – 6 foot of water I had to go to a 1/4 ounce jig head, heavy for me, on the DOA Cal.  It is a compact bait and with the heavier jig head you could keep some feel.

The water just started to run with the wind behind it and like last trip the trout were positioned on 2 hops down the drop.  It took a perfect cast, again reminding me of trout fishing on the White River.  It needed to fall with the tide, in other words go with the bait.  4 or 5 jumped on, but with the wind it was tough to feel and I missed several.  I did have 3 or 4 blowups on topwater but never got a hook in one.  Turned out one area on the flat was rat reds, I caught 2 but that was the size of it for redfish.

When I moved and the bite was on.

On the other side of the cut there was some activity shallow, so I idled way around and worked that bank to the cut.  At this point the wind is at my back and the water is moving pretty good.  I did see a couple of tailing redfish, but by time I make it close they were gone.  But I did foul hook a huge mullet and all I could think about was drifting fresh cut for blue cats.  But I digress.

After I worked my way to the other side of the cut there was an eddy and the bite was on.  I really think that when I was on the other side casting into the wind the fish were probably right in front of me, waiting on that side for bait.  So now I could throw it right on the edge, hop it up, let it hit bottom, hop it again and fish on.  Plus I switched to spinning gear and 8lb line and the feel was much better, and they were smacking it.  I worked them over pretty good but they finally got tired of me catching and releasing, along with several that pulled off.

Around 1:00 I decided to head back, maybe a little boat fishing in Big Bayou, but by now it was really blowing.  Nothing like those big 3 footers coming on your side and giving you the occasional saltwater bath.  As I ran down Grass Island to Falwell it was blowing hard enough that it looked like a boat yard.  It was fishable, and it looked like everybody had the same idea.  So after the beat down coming across, and the 20mph plus straight line wind, discretion was the better part of valor and I called it a day.  The trout have been consistent the last 4 trips.  I am not the best trout fisherman by any stretch, but I can catch redfish.  Why the last few trips I did not catch a good one or two is puzzling.  But I am not looking a gift fish in the mouth.  It was a good day.

******************

I am sure most of you have heard the state went to a 5 fish trout limit on the whole coast.  And there are a couple of other saltwater changes per TPWD.

• Extending the 5 fish bag limit for spotted seatrout to the upper coast, creating a coast-wide 5 fish bag limit.
• Requiring the use of non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing for sharks in state waters, except when fishing with artificial lures.
• Increasing the minimum size limit to 40 inches total length for Cobia.
• Closing oyster restoration areas in Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay and Copano Bay for 2 harvest seasons.

TPWD has a great website loaded with information and it is incumbent on all of us to keep tabs on them.  They do not always get it right but they sure did on the 5 fish limit.  Any of us who fish a lot know it definitely helped in our area with the average size of the trout.  No big scientific study here, I just know it sure seems there are more “better” fish since the limit change.

*****************

And on the subject of TPWD and CCA I do have a couple of opinions, imagine that.  First there has been progress and CCA deserves credit for much of what it does.  But one thing the state and coast is sorely needing is more ramps.  It sure would be nice that as funds are allocated for projects by both organizations better access for all of us would be included.  I do not have to tell you, from now through September most ramps on the weekend are nuts, entertaining at times, but nuts.

And the TPWD crab trap removal project is a great thing.  We need the same program in fresh water.  All the freshwater lakes I fish, and I do mean all, have plenty of forgotten limb lines, jugs, and trot lines.  It would be a great thing if 1 week a year the same rules apply, if it is there it can be picked up.  Having found a catfish hanging out of the water, a blue heron hooked on a limb line, and trot lines covered in moss that have not been tended in months, the problem is real.  Just a thought.

******************

The last 4 trips to the bay have been easy limits.  And today the fish were nice fatties, a healthy indication that the 5 fish limit has helped.  While the wind shortened my day it sure beat the lake.  But as you all know by now I will keep banging my head against that wall until I figure it out.  Spring is finally here and it is back to fishing a lot more, and I will be on the water somewhere tomorrow.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines