FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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The lake has dropped just a little but there is plenty of cover still in the water with a nice color to it.  It was dead calm and would stay that way until I got rained out at 11:30. Like it has been get out early, but today they continued to bite as the front rolled in.  And the good thing, plenty of patterns will catch them and I specifically tried to add to what they will bite, and I found a couple.

Weather

76/91.  Humid with times of sun and clouds with a 40% chance of thunderstorm around in the afternoon.  SE   9 – 21 mph.

Lake Level

8 days ago    97.05 msl.   Today     96.87 msl.

Bite Times

Major     6:05 am to 8:05 am.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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I do mean early.  But there is another reason this one made the grade.

Of course I started with the buzzbait and will continue with that at daylight until they quit eating it.  The one above blasted it, I mean absolutely exploded on it and then jumped like crazy.  Great bite and fight, what bass fishing is all about.  As she came close I committed a major brain fart.  Went to boat flip her and broke one of my favorite rods.  Dang it!  What makes that doubly interesting, I just scored a brand new $180 casting reel yesterday for $30, best deal ever.  But as in all things fishing, get out your wallet.  But that was the last of that this morning.

Choking on the buzzbait.

Early they are shallow, and I mean in inches of water.  Like I noticed last week they are not really specifically related to a type of cover.  They are in that stuff on the chew.  But you still need the cover, and of course not all cover is good.  Points and inside bends near the mouth of coves seem to be the best.  After catching 6 or 7 up lake time to try out some other baits.  So I headed to the plant arm to fish some new cover, first with a white swim jig.  Seems to me if they are chasing bait shallow it should work.

White swim jig with a 4″ Pearl Knockin Tail Trailer.

Ended up boating 3 or so and had a bigger fish break my line.  The one above ended up being crazy fish #2 for the morning.  It went absolutely nuts but like a good boy I lipped her instead of boat flipping!  The water in the plant arm is clearer than the Coleto arm.  But like way up lake they were in the cover, but on the outside edge of the cover, which may have been more of a function of the later time in the morning.  A white swim jig with a Pearl Knockin Tail will catch fish from one end of the lake to the other.  There was one more bait I have been meaning to try which I should have been fishing all along.  The frog.

She just sucked it under.

This one came exactly like it should have, right on the edge of really heavy cover.  I fished it way back over stuff, but the bites came near the edge of the cover.  I managed to catch 2 and ended up missing a couple.  It takes just a little bit to remember, let them eat it and do not strike the minute they bite.  But once that worked, I cannot wait for next week.  Unfortunatey, it started to drizzle, and I could see it coming over the hill and at 11:30 I was sopping wet by time I got it on the trailer.

But another good morning on Coleto.  In my younger days I would have stayed but I did exactly what I wanted to this morning.  Nothing like adding a couple of more ways to catch them.  The only question now is the order they need to be fished.  But that is a problem I will gladly work on.

Last, the fishing on the lake has been on the upswing since this spring.  Not only is there plenty of shorts, but there is a year class or two that are represented by the ones above.  The future bodes well for bass fishing on the lake.  And do not forget the crappie.  The majority of folks I see during the week are crappie fishing and from what I see when I check the trash can at the cleaning table they are beating them up pretty good.  Things are really looking up.

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And got a good report on a couple of fronts from Rusty.

Well, the Skiff made it to its new home with Retired Larry yesterday. Today it was on the water “stretching some lips”. Ran like a charm. Bastrop bass have been schooling and lots of fun catching. Between the two boats easily 100+ bass. Small rattletraps, rubber Shad, even top water . Biggest probably 3lbs but on light tackle so much fun. Several caught on the fly rod. Safe trip to Colorado
Tight lines,
Rusty

Love the report on several fronts.  Your schooling bite continues on Bastrop and sounds like you whipped em pretty good.  And happy the skiff ran like it should.  Glad Larry got it and when he fixes all those little things it should last him.  Always make me nervous selling cars and boats as you never know.  Thanks for the report and I am working on the Colorado list as we speak.

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This is beyond a bad idea.  If you care one little bit for Texas deer read this.  As usual rich landowners are getting special consideration.  I just do not get it.

Texas Officials Are Taking A Big Risk To Fight A Devastating Deer Disease | HuffPost Impact

When I commented on this article the other day to a retired TPWD person he told me there was no way they would ever agree to the release of deer positive for CWD.  That is correct but what they are doing is releasing deer from a breeding population that had positive tests for CWD to see how it goes.  (Who cares if it is big high fence, just look at how that has worked out with everything from warthogs to Nigal.)  So maybe I am reading this incorrectly but looks like to me they made a deal with a rich guy instead of shutting them down the minute CWD was detected.  As far as I am concerned there is NO study or research that justifies the release of any deer from a high fence commercial hunt facility just to SEE if they become positive.

Reminds me when they gave our Share A Lunker fry to a rich guy until they got caught.  Don’t get me wrong, I only rag on TPWD when they just might need it.  But on a daily basis the wardens are great and without TPWD it would be a complete free for all.  Their response to the freeze on the bay was spot on.  So will just sit back and see how it works out.  They are the authorities not me.  But read the link and see what you think.

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A good week for sure.  Did not get to fish as much as I wanted to.  Tuesday was the doctor, with a clean bill of health.  (In spite of my best efforts.)  Then Wednesday was sell the boat day, the Boss was off Thursday and we did stuff, but today I rounded out the week.  Started with good reds and finished with good bass.  I love fall fishing and will keep after it.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines