FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

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New Coleto Day Use Fee.

Since it seemed the fish did not bite all that great early on the 2 prior trips this week I decided to take my time.  When I pulled up to the gate on Coleto I almost fell out of the truck.  As of October 1 it now costs $17 a day!  Are you kidding me!  That is as high a anywhere I have ever put in, and those happen to be some really fabulous places in this country.  Of course I pay the annual, which is now $180, and even that is high.  Not sure what they are trying to accomplish, other than reducing day use, but just wanted any of you who go to know that before you go so there is no big surprise.  But all that aside, a really good day!

Weather

94/72.  (Projected heat index 103)  Partly sunny, very warm and humid with a 20% chance of a shower.    Wind  E 10 – 25 mph.

Lake Level

Today    95.37 msl.       Tuesday  95.42 msl.    (It is still dropping.)

Solunar Periods

Minor 12:28 pm to 1:28 pm.  (Only time when out but that is when I had a good run.)

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The Knockin Tail Lure with a built in tail rattle!   Look for it this winter.

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That was a bite!  This girl was thick nose to tail.  2cnd big girl this week.

Starting about 8:00 I decided to switch it up a little today so it was up lake to the area with wood where I have been catching them.  But instead of tossing plastics it was the Bang O Lure over the same brush.  And while the water color is still a little murky up lake they did cooperate.

Love it when they have a face full of Bang O Lure!

It was definitely partly cloudy today and the wind was out of the NE with just a tiny little hint of fall.  The main lake had a good chop and up lake it was a little more protected.  It was probably my second or third cast when one rolled on the Bang O Lure and I missed it.  From then on it was a pretty good bite considering how tough it has been.  The same wood produced the same fish.

And like they did Monday they wanted it twitched right on top, small jerks, with pauses.  The closer to the cover the better of course, but the one kind of wood producing the most bites by far was the thicker stuff with branches.   So it was a matter of making a cast and working it right to the cover and stopping it.  I easily missed as many as I boated but the bite was on.  Probably a case of using my favorite Bang O Lure which needs to be retired, or at least new hooks as it has taken a beating.  But I did boat around 10, mostly smalls like I have been catching in that area, but it was good fun.  Then around 11:00 the wind really started to blow some.

Smaller on spinnerbait but they were smoking a buzzed spinnerbait.

Next up was main lake stretch near the dam with heavy wind.  I ran the spinnerbait pretty fast right below the surface making a wake and they were stopping it.  4 hooked up and several more swirled on it without hooking up.  None were all that big but since it is my favorite technique 4 in an hour is not to bad.  But I wanted to fish one more area before I quit.  Good choice.

The next area was a channel bank with a couple of small points where I caught them on Monday.  First up I tried the Bang O Lure but without any shad activity that went by the wayside pretty quickly and so time to throw some plastics.  I ended up missing a couple, they were tearing the stick worm off the hook so time to give them a different look.

Sticking with the watermelon red color I switched to the Pit Boss, a creature style bait, still with a 3/16 tungsten pegged right  above the bait.  Being shorter and more compact, I was hoping they would go ahead and eat it, which they did.  The second bite on it was the big girl above.  Having caught a few big ones in my life, it was one of those that the minute you set the hook it did not move.  I looked like a rookie trying to get her in the boat, don’t generally use a net, but finally got a thumb in her and it was the second one this week.  She was thick and heavy.  From then on until quiting about 1:30 I boated another 4 or 5 on the Pit Boss.  They were hanging on to it much better so the hook up ratio to bites went way up.  Points with a little deep water was the ticket, and most came withing a couple of hops from the bank.  And on that note I called it a day.

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This week it really has seemed like the fish know fall is coming next week.  It may not be all out cool, but I could feel it in the air this morning as the wind was out of the north first thing, and it seems like the fish do too.  After a long period with no real big fish showing up that has obviously changed.  While I do not weigh them the 2 big ones boated this week are the size that made Coleto one of my favorite bass lakes.  So who knows, maybe the bite is on.  And if it is it could get real good real fast.  The front is coming Monday and that will be telling.  The wind is slated to blow out of the north for a few days so we shall see.

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Michael H, a freind on facebook, reported he did ok on the crappies Wednesday.  He caught 10 keepers and put one over 2lbs back to spread those good genetics.  So good day, 10 will make a pretty good fish fry.  And I spoke with Larry at the ramp who is camping and also crappie fishing.  They sure have been consistent this year, or at least more folks are chasing them.  But nice to have them available year round should the fish fry move you.

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I give this week, and the lake, an A.  It really has stoked my passion and I intend to keep it up.  Will be some weather watching the next couple of weeks, looking for a 2 or 3 day window for the Upper Laguna.  Time for a little Controlled Descent over deep grass on the King Ranch shoreline.  The place I stay gets as high as $300 a night during the summer season, and of course I am not having that.  But it goes down to $88 which I can live with so a 2 night stay is in the works when the weather is right.  And of course both Fayette and Falcon are on the watch list.   And I promise to fish POC next week after the front.  Cool that water down some and the mullet run should be on, much less the fall gathering of the redfish.   One thing about fall, so many places with lots of great patterns.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines