FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

You could not ask for better conditions for the lake in the morning.  As consistent as it has been I hope to have a real good day tomorrow.  Of course you never know but if I was in charge this would be the conditions.  So no excuses tomorrow.

Weather

78/67.   Mostly cloudy with a 25% chance of rain.  Wind S 10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Friday 94.34 msl.  Today 94.35 msl.  (Hanging in there.  We need some rain!)

Bite Times

Major  7:48 am to 9:48 am.  Minor  1:10 pm to 2:10 pm.

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

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With the great forecast I was up early and on the water as it barely cracked daylight.  I wanted to be on the water and first to a couple of places.   And being a holiday figured there would be more traffic, and there was.  But the conditions were a no brainer, the fish were going to bite.  I got the new locator working properly on the skiff and the water temp was 61 at the ramp.  But that was the lowest, much of the lake is above 64, and the water color is great.  It was a little foggy but no problem heading up lake and anticipation was high.

So how good was it?  Let me put it this way, I was fishing at 7:30 and by 8:30 I had boated over 20!  And it just went on like that until I quit at 2:30.  Of course the early numbers were helped when the white bass come up right next to the boat.  They came up right after I idled over the point headed into the second cove.  The bite was cool as I reeled it right below the surface with the tail making a waked and they just smoked it.  I messed around with them for just a little while. catching around 10, but as the bass were on the chew time to get back at it.  It was that freakin’ good.  In fact, the best bass of the day came on the same Knockin’ Tail.  The one in the pic below has now caught at least 30 and is still catching fish!   That thing works, end of story.

The Knockin’ Tail.  And spinnerbait.

As a side note I met Keith and his fishing buddy who drove over from San Antonio.  He commented on the blog the other day and I tried to help point the way.  But he has fished Coleto in the past so he knows the lake.  They caught some smalls on the Pit Boss and had a few crappie bites on it I did.   Though I did not see them again hope they caught some more fish.  Nice to meet readers on the water, lets me know there is someone out there reading this.

Put a quick 10 or so in the boat in nothing flat.  Nice when they come up 20 feet from the boat!

From that point on it was bite after bite.  Crappie, whites, bass, all came to the party.  Today pitching the Pit Boss was the best bet.  They are going to the beds and have moved next to isolated cover in the coves.  Some came off stuff with less than 3 foot under the boat.  Pitch it close, get a bite.  Several rolled on the Pit Boss the minute it hit the water, they were shallow.  And it is worth saying again, they hold on to the Pit Boss longer than any other plastic, plenty of time to set the hook.  I honestly have not a clue how many I caught today, but there was not a stop that did not produce fish, it was often 7 or 8 depending on the cove.

And the  crappie keep on biting bass lures.

I decided to keep 2 for supper and that was easy.  The crappie are shallow and spawning.  If a person would take a slip bobber and jig or minnow and just dip around cover up lake it would be a no brainer to sack a wad.

Everybody came to the party today.

The swim jig produced it’s share but the Pit Boss really close to cover was still the best.   But I really do believe that you can catch them however you like, it is that good.  While more big fish will show, it would be hard for the bite to be any better.

A good indication that spring has actually sprung was all the critters moving around.  And in a couple of places the gators were stacked up.  I did not take the good camera as it was raining when I started, but at least there was a couple of things to show you.

Big and small, the gators were on the prowl.

3 jumped on the spinnerbait, and when one like above stops it while it is being buzzed it is just such a great bite.  I just threw it because I love it.  But the way to go is the swim jig and pitching to cover.  When pitching I am pegging the tungsten slip sinker and just working it around cover.  Like it has been the bass are there, and then the occasional bonus crappie.  Not sure how many crappie bites today but it was probably 6 or more that I did not catch.  Most of those I have caught the last couple of weeks have been good ones.

They were loving the Pit Boss.  No real big fish today, but it was flat awesome.

When conditions are like this early spring it rarely disappoints.  And they were so perfect this morning that there was not a doubt they were going to have at it.  Our forecast has warm days with clouds and occasional showers, and before the next couple of weeks there will be an epic day.  It is coming.

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And as usual great to hear from Mac.

Doug, Keep doin’ what you do! When I turned seventy I was about to throw in the towel Life seemed in my the 4th quarter. I would soon be in a hospital., rest home or dead.

I even almost quit fishing the shallow water redfish pursuits. Then came the redfish on a fly. Rejuvenation !!! Spring is almost here and now my wife will have to live a lot without me. She knows this well, but I will always bringing her along for flounder fishing.
Our honeymoon found her cleaning up on the flat fish using the best live bait for them-Mud Minnows . Being a artificial advocate, the score that day– wife caught 12 and practiced ” catch and release”. Me zero. We ate ham sandwiches instead of
flounder on our wedding day!!!!!!!!!
Now Janet, a nurse, has been a personal trainer for me and Boy Howdy does she do a great job. She enrolled us in a fitness center . And things have really picked up.

Yesterday, I ran in the Austin half marathon. I have a new Doctor who has really made a difference . Her first words were ” Mac, try to kill yourself. Park far away wherever you are and if something tastes good spit the damn stuff out. You can eat some meat but used the example of cattle Grass fed beef is the best” I then asked her ” What do you want me to eat–Grass in my front yard .? Then she gave ne her recipe for a long life Magnesium pills, Vitamin
D3 and Vitamin C.  Since being on these, for 4 months ,I feel I can wrestle a bear.

In closing ” JUST DO IT” IRON MAC

So good to hear from you.  I feel your pain, it can be hell getting old.  But us “old guys” have to take the bull by the horns and do something about it, and looks like you are doing great.  And your doctor sounds like the Boss.  For me the tread mill and resistance training I started last year has made a real difference.  No more sore shoulder or back after fishing all day.  And congrats on running the half.  That just might be my next endeavor.  So keep it up, we just might out live a bunch of them!  And if you make it to the coast be sure to let us know how it goes.

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All I have to say is WOW.  It has been a while since the fishing on Coleto has been this good.  If I did not have to get home to clean up the mess, you know guys, the one you have when the Boss is gone, it would have been until dark.  Tomorrow I pick the Boss up in Austin, then right back on the water.  When fishing is like this time to go.  I know I have not been to the bay lately, it is coming, but never look a gift horse in the mouth.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines