FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

This ladies and gentlemen is a real gator.

Weather

44/63.   Sunny to partly cloudy with a 3% chance of rain.  Wind ENE 5 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today 94.34 msl.  Wednesday 94.36 msl.  (Hanging in there.)

Bite Times

Minor  10:59 am to 11:59 am.  (Only time when I will be out there.

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

 They will be available soon.  The Knockin’ Tail catches fish.  

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

The ospreys were out and about and I did see an eagle.

It was almost 11:00 when the temp finally hit 50 and so off to the lake.  There was no doubt it would be tougher, and it was.  Still ok on the numbers today considering I only fished 5 1/2 hours today.  Part of the reason for fishing today was the skiff needed to be run.  This is the first time in 3 months, it just might be time to sell it as I hate to see it sit.  But of course as soon as I do the other boat will end up in the shop for a month.  Part of boat ownership.  And while I was at it I forgot the book on the new locator and so there is work to be done with that.  I have my moments with new electronics, but remember I am the guy without an iPhone.

This is becoming a regular thing.

With no water temp gauge not sure what it was, but it was cold today.  And combined with the bluebird sky and the cool nip with the north wind I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but I new it would be slower.  It was, but 6 or so jumped on the swim jig in the first place and a couple did the craw stealing thing.  And the lone catfish came next to brush on the swim jig.  I will give cats one thing, when they hit a swim jig they smack it. Though I caught a couple of bass pitching the Pit Boss, they were definitely the smalls for today.

The biggest bass for the afternoon.

Some of the coves had a little color and that was were the bites tended to come.  Even on a cooler day the water with a little color will tend to warm better with the sun on it than the clear stuff.  Later I switched to the Knockin’ Tail in a green color and it worked slow rolling.  It was the better choice in the clearer water down lake and the first 5 or 6 cooperated, but they were small.  Those were in the back of a couple of coves and the first crappie came from the very back in about 2 foot of water.  Then right before I quit another jumped on the Knockin’ Tail in a pocket with brush, again shallow.

If you like crappie they are biting.  The back ends of flatter coves and scattered brush is holding them.  That is where they are right now and they are catchable.   Just take a 1/16th crappie jig, or a roadrunner, and toss it in those places and keep after it and you just might clobber them.  You will lose a few jigs and sure will catch a lot of small bass.

And I did have one of those “God Will Get You For That” or Karma moments,  you call it.  After catching 5 or 6 on the Knockin’ Tail I was thinking how good they hit it, they eat it and stay hooked up.  A couple of casts later the best bass of the day smacks it, jumps and comes off.  Then 2 or 3 casts later the same thing.  That will teach me not count my fish before they  are caught.

Not a bad afternoon considering.  The skiff ran great, it was a good reminder why I have kept it all these years.  It is about as hardcore of a fishing machine as there is.  No frills, not pretty, but from tarpon to crappie, it has caught them all.    And one last word on the fishing, it is about to be full on spring bite, it will not get much better than that.

This guy has a way to go before being a “real” gator.  And you usually see the small guys on logs and rarely on the shoreline.  It is a dangerous world out there.

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

Would You Like A Little Cancer With That Filet-of-Fish

Our waters are headed to crisis.

Good Morning Doug
Read this. Are we killing our self’s? I had no ideal it was this far reaching. Keep writing and i’ll keep reading.
Steve
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/general-rules-regulations/fish-consumption-bans-and-advisories

I have been worried about our water for a while.  How a “fisherman” can read this list and then support the current efforts to roll back environmental protections on our waters is hard for me to understand.  As I have written  in the recent past, time for harsh penalties for folks who defile our waters.  And jail needs to be a viable penalty for intentionally dumping chemicals and other harmful junk.  Fines help, but obviously they do not deter squat.  All you have to do is read this list.  And finally, not sure who is responsible for enforcement in the state but obviously we are not getting our monies worth as they let it happen again and again.  As usual, follow the money.  And yes, we just might be killing ourselves.  Thanks for the link, if anyone needs any more reason to be concerned this would be it.

************************ 

I am really considering where this blog goes from here.  As I spend more time doing exactly what I like to do in the fishing realm I know it  can become stale for not only you the reader, but also for me at times.  The time and effort, not to mention the bucks, start to reach the point of diminishing return.  Lately there has been some soul searching going on here.  I find myself at times fishing for the “blog”, trying to catch them on this bait or that, this way or that, this place or that, all the while spending the big bucks in an effort to keep it interesting for you.  Not the “real” reason I fish.

I have been fortunate enough to fish some of the greatest place in this world, and that practice will continue of course.  The plan was always to retire and fish like a madman as long as I can, and so far that is what has happened thanks to my lovely wife.  But things change, they always do, and I find myself wondering if all the work and money on the blog is worth it.  I so appreciate those of you who have stuck with me all these years, you have kept me writing when I was tired or just not feeling it.  It gets hard to fish all day, then come home and mess with photos and write something interesting when at times I just want to put my feet up, drink a beer, and watch senseless tv.

Lately I have been thinking about just what I am doing or accomplishing.  As an example I have been in contact with a hard bait company interested in working something out, but I am just not sure I am up to it.  Guess what it all boils down to is I need a break.  Not from the fishing, that will never change, but from the blog side and all that comes with that part of this endeavor.  Who knows, maybe this is just a passing malaise.  It does happen occasionally.  But it is now 10:00 am and time to hitch up and head to the lake, and of course the above report followed.  But no matter what happens I can not thank you all enough.

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

Enjoying the sun.  In the little farther north climates turtles are a sure sign the fish are biting.

I am taking the Boss to the airport tomorrow so she can fly to Iowa and visit her mom for a few days.  And then being free I will head to the strip club, drink whiskey, and drive her car 100 mph.  Oh wait, I never drink whiskey and have not darkened the door of a strip club in 30 years, but no promises on the car!  What I will really do this weekend is  rewire the running lights on the skiff, watch the Daytona 500, and read a good book.  Not to exciting but it will do just fine until back on the water next week.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines