FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Proudly Representing

Put your favorite Knockin Tail under a Four Horsemen popping cork and hold on!  A deadly combination.

After looking at the weather the next few days I decided to fish the lake on Tuesday, then either the Lavaca or Garcitas on Wednesday.  It is calling for some morning rain on Wednesday but it really does not matter on either how early you go.  So if it does rain in the morning no big deal.  If they are there they will bite most of the day.  So tomorrow the lake, it will be interesting to see how that goes.

Weather

71/88.  Sun and some clouds with a 15% chance of rain.  Wind  SE 9 – 14 mph.

Lake Level

Today  93.15 msl.    Friday  93.24 msl.  (The ramp getting sketchy, be careful.)

Solunar Time

Minor  11:43 am to 12:43 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

All your wading needs.

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Day 2

It was dead calm when I dropped it in the lake.  The water temp remains in the low 80’s and the wind was light all day.  The water has cleared a little, even up lake.  First up was my favorite point and 2 smalls (When I use that term it could be 2″ or 13″.)  jumped on the buzzbait.  So next was the bank where several good fish ate the swim jig last trip, and not a bite. I turned around and re-fished it and caught 2 smalls on the buzzbait.  From there I ran all the way up lake, the plan was to throw the swim jig

So why am I showing you this?

I went all the way up the river until it was 5 foot of water and proceeded to fish down with the swim jig, and surprise of surprises, I could not get even 1 bite.  Staying with it for a couple of hours just knowing it was going to happen, and it didn’t.  Shallow banks, deep banks, brush, they just did not want it.  Crazy after the other day.  Shows you how important weather is.

There was one bank, where it is only 4 feet deep, that had multiple birds on it and I could see the occasional shad jump.  So why not the buzzbait.  A few casts later several fish chased it and when I stopped it a white bass jumped on.  That is way earlier than normal, to be there now makes little to no sense.  But last week there was some schooling action which I ass-u- me were small bass.  So why not a pearl Knockin Tail slow rolled?

That produced 2 small bass and I missed what was probably a white bass.  It made sense if they were that shallow to troll a couple of baits that ran less than 5 feet and see if they are up there, very similar to what normally happens in January.  Well it worked, about a dozen whites like the one above, 2 catfish, and several small bass.  Most of the whites were small but there was a keeper or two.  A Rapala Rattle Rap in shad was the best.  After trolling and finding several bunches it dawned on me, cast the rattle bait.  On one pass on a long bank 5 bass, 2 whites, and another catfish jumped on.  It was 2:00 and my last bank when I stopped fishing,  As I was putting the trolling motor up a school of whites came up right around the boat and I caught 2 more smalls.  Just nuts.

But I learned, every thing was on the shad and they were liking the rattle bait.  As I was quitting I did not throw it anywhere else, but it will get a good work out next trip.  I was just using it at a moderate pace and they were jumping it.  It is a little puzzling why they are that far up but it is probably all about the bait, and trolling around there was plenty of bait.  But I did not look a gift horse in the mouth and took what the lake had to offer.  So I showed you those 2 because it was a progression today, and I can not wait to get back out and do it again.  Maybe I learned something.

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And SA Joe sent along this comment on the 20 year old boat with a burnt cylinder.

Glad to see you back up and at it !!!!

You mentioned ” It has a dead cylinder on a 200hp Merc. And they want $11,000! ” Mine is 2001 Basscat with 200 Merc EFI, the ECM went out throwing weird symptoms. Along with my mechanic we figured it out,, Ignition packs, stator, etc…..but it still ran and went thru oil.

There is no new replacements for them and have to be rebuilt by CDI for $1300. So if you can part out an old motor for some spare change. Parts are the way to go..

There are fish still in medina, got me a nice one bass today at 6.81

The joys of boat ownership.  But the cost is worth it, keeps some of sane.  And I am slowly getting back to normal.  Still tired at times and the occasional brain fog is a hassle.  When you add not being able to hear out of one ear, taking care of that next week, it has been a crazy 6 months.  But it will all be resolved when I start actually catching them again.  And nice to put a good one in the boat.  Good to hear from you.

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Though it has been a dink fest this week I am looking for things to improve.  It really shows how fishing regularly is important and I am just getting back in the game.  It looks like this is turning into one of those see how many different places you can fish in 1 week.  Next up for day 3 is Garcitas or the Lavaca.  That decision will be made in the morning.  But it is time, and after that happening today anything is possible,  I am looking forward to some serious 4Horseman popping cork and Knockin Tail fishing.    So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines