FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
The sun sets on another great day!
First off I would like to thank the Wade Right Boys for the invite. This trip has become my favorite and I look forward to it every year. This is my 4th and we have had from good fishing to tough, like all fishing travel. But this time was my favorite for several reasons. As those of you who read this stuff know I am not so hip on the dead fish pictures, but a trip to the Chandeleurs is different. It is a meat haul and I make no apologies for sacking them up. So why 600? Because we kept 300 and easily threw back more than we kept so it is a low estimate. At the Chadeleur the limit is half the Louisiana inshore limit, 25 trout and 5 reds, which in our case means we could have 300 trout and 50 reds. So enough talk, here it is.
Reds and trout, we boxed them up.
*****************
The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.
For all your wading needs.
****************
The 12 of us met at the boat Sunday and by Monday at daylight we were in the water. Here is how the 3 days went. Started catching them on plastic day 1, most drifting with some wading, and we refined from there. It was post cold front and they were not really interested in topwater on day 1, by day 3 they were blowing up on it. Folks were catching them right along, and though the limit was 12″ most folks were staying in the +14″ mode, and everyone was catching. Sorry but I can not resist, here is my bite.
This was a big bite and the biggest red of the trip!
I have had some great lifetime bites on my trips and this one makes the top 10 easily. While out of order, what happened was we were catching lots of fish, smalls on plastics when I had an epiphany. There were giant mullet everywhere and it dawned on me that the bigger fish were still eating them so why not a big topwater? The reason this was a top bite, it was in knee deep water. This big red, a “jetty” red, came from 15 feet away back out of the water and absolutely crushed it in an huge explosion. It almost spooled me and after a titanic struggle, it would not fit in the net I got my paws on the tail and my trip was made! The bite that morning was off the chain and I spent the morning all up in them, including tons of them swimming right by me.
That is a 7″ bone topwater in his crushers.
We had wind, which at times hit 20mph the first 3 days, which while it kept us off the beach it was perfect for drifting, which was how the pattern developed over the trip. The water temp was in the low 80’s and the air temp was perfect all 4 days. Just cruise down the island, go to the back of the cuts and drift out, and once the area was found just figure out the depth, which for me was from knee to thigh depth. Plus the wind gave just enough cover for the big topwater and boy did they smash it.
David with the mullet which tipped me off.
I fished with David one day, Nathan the other 2 1/2. David and I kept 22 or so and during the early afternoon he smoked me until I finally put on the same exact bait, a Knockin Tail in the Magic Grass color. And it was interesting on this trip they wanted the bait basically reeled, which made sense when they were that shallow. I fished a swim jig hook most of the time, but a jig head while drifting which had the better hook up ratio. And Tim wanted me to let Michael know he whipped them on his special color Knockin Tail. I have said it before and will say it again, if you have not added it to your arsenal you are missing out.
Nate, my 2 day boat partner. The stringer was over his shoulder when I picked him up, which is part of the story.
As I do this I realize there are tons of stories so they are going to come in no apparent order. Nate is a well traveled hard core fly fisherman with a long history of targeting giant trout on the Texas coast. This was his second trip and on day 3 he said the area we were going to fish was the best big trout water he had seen and there were lots of sharks, both true. So lets get the shark stories out of the way. (And there was tons of huge rays, some of the biggest I have ever seen. But remember when rays and sharks hit the flats we are all there for the same reason!)
There were big sharks in that area, I mean good ones. The day I smoked them there on topwater a big hammerhead started tracking me and the stringer. As he eased in I let him get right to the fish, and since were were knee deep I smashed him in the head with the big topwater, it as freakin awesome as he exploded away. Seeing that big a hammerhead that shallow is not a common happening. Once enough? Nope. The last morning 2 big sharks were close and when they got down current from me one went down. At this point I am wise to it, turned, let the stringer go below me and here he came. Wait, wait, then smashed him right in the head and off they both went. So cool, but no, not done yet.
Nate stayed in the water smoking nice reds on fly by sight casting them, which he did for 3 days, he does not blind cast. It was time to quit so I went and got the boat and eased over to where he was to pick him up. He made 5 or 6 false casts to get the line tight on the reel when a good red jumped on out of nowhere. And here it comes, a big bull shark which absolutely blasted that red in a foot of water and cut it in half. Then turned around and got the rest. I thought he had tossed it into a huge school of reds it was such a commotion. These are the stories that make any trip.
And here are a few random pics giving you and idea how it went for all 12 of us.
A Knockin Tail beatdown. The first morning’s wade.
Sorry for the backlight but it happens. The first morning I waded a long point with the Knockin Tail and beat them down. I kept 11 but it could have been 25. Once I figured out how really shallow they were it served me well. Color did not matter but they were literally eating it and the swim bait hook kept it from getting caught in the 2 foot deep grass, which is where they were.
How about a couple of small random barracuda? Told me they were rare inshore. And I added a good spanish which is on the smoker as I write this.
The biggest trout of the trip was 4lbs, there are plenty of them. And lots of reds by all this size, this one on the Knockin Tail.
They sure did like that topwater.
The last mornings 2 hour wade. 5 trout and 1 good red. And it would have been a lot more if I was keeping the smaller trout, it was flat good fishing this trip.
The snoopy rod tournament.
Wednesday afternoon everyone was issued a snoopy rod and 3 jig heads. It was a winner take all for $240 which was won with a 17″ trout. They were loaded with 6lb line and you literally had to crank your ass off to get the plastic in. Most of us gave up after a little bit and went back to fishing. But boy were they a hit at night under the lights behind the boat. They boys were smacking sand trout, gafftops, speckled trout, and who knows what else, it was a hoot. And of course “someone” could not hit the ocean and tossed it in a boat. Suffice to say boys having fun with their snoopy poles.
Getting ready to go. Hanging out.
The boat had plenty of room for 12. Multiple bathrooms, showers, and smaller staterooms. The food was good and plentiful. And this is the first trip I have ever taken were one night was a perfectly cooked humongous prime rib. There was plenty of adult beverages and BS sessions. An eclectic bunch of professionals, it was a great bunch to fish with. And great to see the Iowa boys and Kyle again, never a dull moment. So thanks again to Tim and Jason, the Wade Right Boys, for putting it all together, next year is already set so hope I get invited back. (As a side note you always have folks say they will go on trips like this a year in advance and then not come through. This bunch will pay if they don’t go, the trip costs the same whether 1 or a dozen go, so once it is booked it is put up or shut up.) And a bigger thanks to the captain and crew, first class. Even our fish fry night was handled by the mates who caught enough off the back of the boat to feed a dozen while we slept.
No better way to start or end the day. It is not all about the fishing.
I am sure I have forgotten plenty, if I remember anything else will add it later. But overall the best of the 4 trips. We could not have had a better set of conditions, and we got it figured out the first morning and the beatdown began. We all ended up with all the fish we needed and I will be doing a fish fry for the Boss’s family at a wedding next month. I love that trip and wish we would do a couple a year. The islands are not a real great “big” trout place, but it is not the only reason to go. And who does not like getting your line stretched by big reds. Time to put it to bed and get back to fishing this week. Both fresh and salt the bite is on.
*****************
I got this from a Ross right before we left.
Doug, see ya out there at the Islands! I am leaving with Capt Howie tomorrow as well! He will do a full 3 day trip, by the way, which is what we are doing. But, 6 is the max people! Your past trips are what made me book with him. Spending today getting all the last minute organization done and absolutely can’t wait for our first experience at the islands!
Good luck to you and your crew! Safe travels as well!
I sure hope you had a successful trip and we would love to hear how it went no matter what. So let us know.
***************
Stuff cleaned and reorganized, reels cleaned, and I am already thinking about fishing. I am to tired for major editing so here it is corrected or not. The Boss has a long stretch on so I will be hard at it. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
