FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
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It seems like folks I know are getting some serious TV time and exposure. Joshua, owner of Marker 54 that makes the best fake shrimp in the business, announced he has been invited to fish a redfish series that will be broadcast on Discovery Channel.
I have been invited to the Discovery Channel elite series sponsored by frogtoggs. 25 professional anglers from across the country compete in a 4 stop, multi state, redfish tournament series with a live championship. Each event is a 3 day format with top 5 from day 1+2 competing on day 3 for winner take all. This is gonna be fun.
His shrimp products flat work.
Wow! Congratulations on your selection. Seeing your magic shrimp smash big reds in the Chandeliers you should be in business. So good luck.
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And then I get a message from Michael that he will be the “guide” for a kayak fishing film crew that will be shooting out of North Padre and the Upper Laguana using the Knockin Tail. He will be working with a film maker that shoots some of the fishing shows that fishing nuts like me watch. He wanted to know if I wanted to head to Padre to do some exploring and mapping in preparation, of course my response was yes. He cautioned it would not be that big of a “fishing” trip which was also fine be me.
One of the reasons I was excited to go was to get a ride on that 25′ JH Outlaw, and it did not disappoint. To call it a fishing platform does not do it justice. Of all the boats I have fished this was the first boat that you could actually fish 4 out of without any problem. It was nothing short of a beast, rode like a dream, and we were able to get back in some areas that was kayak water. He wanted to have multiple places to fish with the kayaks, and since he could easily transport a couple and the film crew we were just mapping and checking areas that fit that bill depending on the wind.
Now of course we fished some, and while we only landed one 18+ trout, the 13 – 15″ were on the chew and we probably boated around 15 plus anyway. We tossed the full complement of Knockin Tails with all sizes catching a fish or two. Michael threw the 3 1/2″ a bunch and it probably caught the most fish but since we were not keeping or counting who knows. The point was to quick check each place to see if we could get a few bites, and then to see how to get in and out. My take on the trout fishing down there was things will be just fine, the number of fish right under the new slot was good and the future looks bright.
I will never make fun of that DOA weedless topwater.
Since we were looking for the most different bites in different places, I decided to throw a bait that I have carried around in my tackle box forever and have never caught a fish on, the DOA PT-7. It is that little fat soft topwater that has an embedded hook and you fish it in a walk the dog pattern. I just threw it for the heck of it, mainly because there was lots of floating grass in some of the places, though I did not have a clue they might hit a topwater in the middle of the day.
First time I ever really used it and it worked.
The interesting thing was of the 5 or 6 I caught on it most just barely sucked it under. In fact, with it being a little rough you would just see it disappear, weird. Several blew up on it but those did not stay hooked up. I really gained a new appreciation for what it can do. It has a place in any saltwater angler’s arsenal, and it came through the floating grass like nothing. (Can you say Port Mansfield?) As a side note it looks like it will be perfect for some freshwater mats. Once I let them eat it just a second longer like you would do with a frog the hookups went up.
And the other thing I really liked about our day was the mapping card he had in the big Simrad. Sorry I don’t remember what brand it was; I will get back to you on that but it was the bomb. The overview closely resembled looking at the area on Goggle Earth. The end result was we were able to pinpoint the “good” spots and drive right to them. And getting in and out of shallow areas was a breeze. It was a game changer in mapping.
So we found several spots with fish, and good places to kayak depending on the wind. As far as bait we caught on the works, with the 3″ catching the numbers. the 4″ catching the better fish, and I caught a couple slow rolling the 5″. You will hear this from me for the next few months, I cannot wait for our winter fishing. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if you get around big trout the 5″ will bring on the THUMP. It could be scary good and I cannot wait for winter.
Thanks to Michael for the invite. Any time you want someone to make the trek on short notice just let me know. Plus, congrats on the sweet ride and the great progress your company is making in the lure industry. And I love your new idea, it will be a winner.
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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.
For all your wading needs.
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It has been several years since I fished the Upper Laguna and this trip added much to my knowledge. I forgot just how much fun it is, and how big it really is. I will not ignore it this fall and winter; we are lucky to have a fishing hole like the Baffin area. Additionally, it has re-invigorated my saltwater fishing desire. I have neglected it all summer but time to change that.
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Football is back!
Fall is my favorite time of year. Fishing gets better, folks head to the woods giving the water a rest, and football returns.
A&M – The only thing I knew about Sam Houston State was they were 11 – 1 last year, but they were definitely outgunned by A&M. Hard to really see how good A&M will be this year but they won, so good start for them. But it was one of those supposed to win.
HOGS – We looked ok against the 23rd ranked team in the country. It was a struggle at times, but we held on. Good start to the season.and KJ looked pretty good at quarterback. The only area I really noticed was we did not have a pass rush, something that will need to be addressed.
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Looks like the real rain is moving this way. The forecast is for a week of it with possible flooding in the next 48 hours. It will probably mess up the outdoor weekend activities but if you do get out be careful. I will be watching the weather from Tuesday on and will be on the water somewhere. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
