FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
The Wade Right Fishing Belt
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The last time the wind did not blow.
The day started off on a sour note. When I got to the ramp at daylight there was 4 TPWD boats with wardens. I pulled down to get ready and it was right next to a game an fish boat. I asked what was going on and the warden told me a woman fell off a boat last evening in the discharge cove and they were going to look for her. As a side note as I put the self inflating life jacket in the boat and hooked the kill switch he said smart man. All that needs to be said about that. And my condolences to the family and friends, sorry for your loss.
Weather
76/80. Clouds then sun, humid, breezy, 0% chance rain. Wind SSE 15 – 25 mph gusts to 30mph.
Lake Level
Today 98.12 msl. 5 days ago 98.21 msl.
Solunar Time
Best 6:49 am to 8:49 am. (Only relevant period. Day classed as not so much!)
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The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.
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Today was a simple plan. I put 2 rod holders on the boat and trolling for whites was on the menu as soon as I pitched one bank up lake with good cover. The water is still clearing, in the mid 80s, and the drop is a little more apparent. And of course the same problem I have had on the lake reared it’s ugly head.
4th pitch.
On about the 4th cast one started swimming with it and in the boat she came. I pitched the stick worm back in there and another one jumped on. So now I am thinking something might be happening here. And it was, the same old, same old, not another bite for an hour. At this point the wind was blowing so time to try out the rod holders and catch some white bass.
I thought this was the plan……….
Starting down at the dam it was slow. I think 1 white and a couple of small bass smacked the shad looking crankbait. The best bait today turned out to be anything that looked like a shad that ran 10 foot on 15lb test about 50 feet behind the boat in the 2.5 mph range. It was really windy down lake so I started slow trolling up lake, following contours on the GPS. It was an hour easy before I had another bite, and then it was on. When trolling is good it can be fun, and this was fun, and unusual.
It was catfish crazy. That was one big school.
There is a large flat point around the corner from the dam and the wind was blowing right over it. It took about an hour to get there, but I kept working that 15 – 20 foot depth, looking for shad. As I got to the point there was tons of bait being blown over it and as I made a pass on the down wind side I caught a catfish, then another, and another. I could see the shad but not the fish, but whenever I got in 16 – 18 feet one would jump on.
I have caught plenty of catfish on lures but this was something, I have no clue how many were on that point but it was a bunch. And probably as many missed it as got hooked up, but one thing about catfish, if they get a treble in the mouth they are coming in the boat. It was at least a bite or two on every pass. After catching them, some small bass, and another couple of whites I decided to check back down lake, so I left them biting.
And as usual trolling on Coleto a nice bass hooked up.
It was just to windy on the big flat point near the ramp. A couple more, including the best bass of the day, hooked up and several missed it. So around 2:00 I called it a really successful day. Catching that many catfish trolling lures was special, and just enough of the other guys cooperated to make the day a success.
I have done a lot of trolling, and today experience did help. Remembering exactly what the baits were doing at speed, and then duplicating it exactly put the fish in the boat. There are some places that are perfect and I found one today. And there are a couple of other places that I would like to have fished but the wind was blowing a good 20+ making it a hassle so I called it day.
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Change is coming.
Sad to see. Down Lake.
As more and more of the lake side is being cleared big changes are coming. Quite a bit up lake is cleared and now an area down lake is being bulldozed and burned off. One of the things I like about Coleto is so few houses, but that will be a thing of the past. As waterfront property becomes more valuable you can expect more and more houses. Things change, and the lake is changing rapidly in many ways.
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Pine Island National Seashore
As usual I left it to the other folks on the water this weekend so the Boss and I headed to the beach for a little sun and reading. The tide was way the hell up, and it was blowing onshore at 25mph. A few folks were trying to fish but it was just to rough. And as we came in the park in there were signs saying 4 wheel only as there was no beach and lots of soft sand. We went down about 4 or 5 miles and set up and enjoyed the ocean. Of course there were folks driving their cars, and there were a couple of spots that were pretty sketchy, but there is no fixing stupid.
And they just showed literally tons of trash left on the beach in Virginia Beach. Wtf is wrong with folks? At this point in time that should never happen. We are slowly killing the ocean with plastic and crap like this is part of the problem.
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One thing I noticed today there is a pretty clear thermocline line in the 25 foot range. Trolling less than that and the water was clear, get out in 25 and it was a blurry line around 3 – 5 foot deep. So that brings several thoughts to mind. Is that where the good fish are? Many lakes the thermocline is the depth as summer comes on and who knows, maybe that is where all the good fish have gone. As soon as this wind calms down, and it will, time for some deep worming. Just a thought.
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Not sure what is next, or when. Maybe a keeper day for a fish fry, and as soon as I look at the weather a day on the bay. And I am looking to go somewhere next week for a couple of days, again weather dependent. No matter what I will be fishing. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
