FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
“SAVE OUR WATERS”
*******************
The Wade Right Fishing Belt
Brought to you by
The Best Wading System on the Planet.
*********************
Merry Christmas!
Sorry for the few reports the last week or two, but family duty called. With Christmas taken care of, and the Boss working her usual holiday schedule, time to look at the weather as I have a few days to myself. And it looks fine so I am headed to North Padre for a couple of days. I thought about staying down at POC but it is not the same. I have no preconceived notions how this might go, that is what makes these short trips what they are, but the activity periods look good coming in the middle of the morning. Time to pack and organize as it will be up real early in the morning for the 2 1/2 hour drive to Bird Island Basin.
Weather
Monday 70/40. Mostly sunny with 0% chance of rain. Wind E 5 – 10 mph.
Tuesday 72/53. Partly sunny and pleasant with 3% chance or rain. Wind 5 – 15 mph.
Tides (At Bob Hall)
Monday Low 6:25 AM -0.5 High 3:19 PM 1.7.
Tuesday Low 7:07 AM -0.6 High 4:16 PM 1.8.
Activity Times
Monday Major 10:12 am to 12:12 am. Minor 3:47 pm to 4:47 pm.
Tuesday Major 11:07 am to 1:07 pm.
*********************
The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.
*********************
A tale of 2 days – figuring it out. Day 1.
Dropped the boat in at Bird Island Basin at 8:00 and headed to my favorite area on the King Ranch Shoreline. For the next 2 hours I tossed it all, and I mean all of it, without a bite. Topwater, plastics, soft jerk bait, and could not buy a bite. So after wading for what seemed like a couple of miles I finally headed back to the boat for a move.
A couple of miles down there is a flatter area with grass that usually holds a few, with “usually” being the operative term. At this point I am getting concerned, not a touch. But I kept after it working shallow to deep. Changing colors, alternating baits, zip. From above my waist to ankle deep I could not get anything going even with bait flipping in the whole area. So across the bay to the island side and a bank with a good drop that has been known to have a red of two. But guess what? Nothing, I mean I can not get a bite. This is starting to be a problem. I am not that experienced there, but this is going really bad. To add to the pain there is not really any wind. But still, the water temp was 61 and clear, which is ok, but at this point I am really puzzled.
Nothing big but finally.
With the wind barely blowing I decided to change tactics. I decided to drift and use the popping cork. The last bait I thought I would use was a popping cork, but it is one of the best trout locators there is. And I happened to have one from the creek with the last of the cheap ass plastic shrimp they like so much.
I tried to stay out farther than I could wade and it only took a little while before I found some. To make a long story short it was an easy 25, most like the smaller one above, but I was catching fish. I did throw some plastics but I kept moving until I found the place where I would start in the morning. And day 2 was a much better day.
Day 2
Day 2 started off completely different for several reasons. On the way to Bird Island at daylight it was foggy, but on arrival the bay was clear. So quickly in the water and headed to the waypoint from yesterday afternoon and as I got close the fog blew in big time. Since I was running the shoreline I just slowed down and stopped on the waypoint. Since quitting time was early to get home and get organized for travel it was a make it or break it wade.
That’s more like it.
It was only 42 degrees on leaving the ramp, and the fog really made it chilly. It took me a little to get on them, and while the bite was not fast by any means, the fish were more like the size you expect there. They were in water a little more than waste deep, and wanted plastic fished on a light jig head, a 1/16 seemed to be the best. When you flip the smaller jig head off the bottom it falls slower and more erratically, giving them a chance to smack it. And the ones that did bite thumped the snot out of it. (Note: There was bait everywhere I fished both days and that did not seem to be all that important there was so much.) Both the new Knockin’ Tail in pumpkin and the 3″ DOA Cal in Chicken on a Chain thing got bites, but it sure seemed the smaller the better.
Before I quit at 12:30 a nice limit jumped on with a few others in the same range. Unlike the day before, no small ones, which may just have been a function of the popping cork. A rat red finally jumped on but that was the size of it as far as redfish goes. it was interesting how as soon as the fog started lifting they bit a little better. And I kept trying the soft corky style jerk bait and topwater, but they were just not having any of that.
So I call the day a success. It was nice to figure it out some and why on the few times I fish down there I stay at least one night. If it is tough, or you don’t figure it out on day 1, you still have a fighting chance. And if I was going tomorrow I know exactly what I would be doing and where. But tomorrow is Christmas Day, and I had to get back so I can do what? Go fishing on Christmas Day like I have done off and on for years. No better present than that.
**********************
And this from Facebook. Here is the Coleto schedule for the year, good information to know when the lake might be busy on a particular weekend.
Coleto BassMasters 2020 Schedule:
January 11&12 Bastrop
February 15 Coleto
March 21&22 Stillhouse
April 18 Coleto Open Invitational (tentatively)
April 19 Coleto
May 23&24 Somerville
June 13 Coleto
July 11&12 Choke Canyon
August 15 Coleto
September 12&13 LBJ
October 17 Coleto
November 14&15 Fayette
December 12 Coleto
“Every other tournament will be held on our home lake of Coleto Creek. Home tournaments were voted to be one day tournaments due to the cost of entry to the park.
The Invitational and Club Classic have not yet been finalized.
Good luck everyone in 2020!”
*********************
We leave for Vegas and the Boss’s birthday present. It will be Lady Gaga in concert, which should be spectacular, then off to Zion National Park for our last trip of the year. Talk about a contrast. Vegas, then a cabin in the mountains without TV, lots of snow, and hopefully some good wildlife viewing. This will be the 4th or 5th trip west this year, we love the outdoors and mountains, and the more we go the more we like it. Should be a great way to wrap up the year.
But first it will be off to Coleto in the morning. No big early start but as it will be the last day of fishing this year maybe I will stick a big one. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff. I hope you and yours have a safe and Merry Christmas!
Good Luck and Tight Lines
