FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
I often say you never know until you go. And with that thought in mind time to maybe jump the season a little and head to the creek. There should be a few reds if nothing else, and the trout who knows. It was a slow season on creeks and rivers last year probably due to the winter kill. One thing that should be on the plus side is there should not be to much fresh water as you get close to the bay. The weather looks good, and my anticipation is high. This is my favorite time of the year, and I am ready for winter saltwater fishing.
This one put up an epic fight. The Salt and Pepper KTL was definitely the ticket today.
Weather
80/47. Pleasant with plenty of sunshine with a 0% chance of rain. Wind E 8 – 15 mph.
Tides
High 2:10 am – 1.12ft Low 10:19 am – 0.17ft High 9:21 pm – 1.24ft
(I generally take the tides from the Matagorda entrance and noticed last year that the rivers are generally the exact opposite so will try to take notice and see if that is the norm. Looking at the water the low was really about 2:30.)
Bite Times
Minor 8:44 am to 9:44 am. Major 2:16 pm to 4:16 pm.
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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.
For all your wading needs.
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The water color is good but the temp seems to be in the low 70’s so the time is not quite right. That does not mean I did not catch some but we need more nights in the 40’s like last night. It will happen, I am jjust happy with the number of small trout. Last year it was tough but the number of small fish is definitely a good thing after the freeze.
This is what all 15 or so looked like except for 1, which I managed to delete. But they were not much.
There are 2 baits which worked great last year from now through real winter: the Mansfield Magic for the reds and the Salt and Pepper for the trout. So while I did fish some different colors they worked best. Nothing hit the topwater but I was a little late and it was dead calm with a mile high sky. The “problem” if you can call it that was, they were definitely not bunched up. Most of the bites came less than 10′ from the bank. There was a flurry with 5 or 6 sand trout, but that was the size of the trout bite. Once the bottom dropped out time to throw the spinnerbait.
A spinnerbait with the Mansfield Magic Knockin Tail trailer. A solid fall and winter bait.
It was dead low but I found some reds tailing on their bellies. I had 3 shots and trailers and only managed to make the perfect cast. Rolled it an inch of the bank and he blasted it. The other two, no bueno. Make a terrible cast and get a terrible result.
So not a bad day. Nice to be back in a boat with a trolling motor and locator. I fished shallow banks, deep channel banks, and points. While they all produced a fish, that literally is what would happen. Catch a fish or two or miss one and that would be the size of it. Then a mile later and it would happen again. But the future looks bright, it is time to get after it.
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Things I forgot yesterday.
The first day I literally threw everything in the box. I kept after it until it was clear the twitch bait was the ticket for us. Then the Clearwater KTL put them in the boat.
Tim the co-oner of Wade Right actually got a text from another captain on the islands wanting to know how we did it as they struggled. In fact, apparently all the other boats out there had a hard time. Our success was a tribute to having 11 good fishermen helping each other to get it done. Far to many fishermen do not share, like they are something. Try sharing information some time, it will not kill you.
And I definitely should have told you that the number 1 bait as far as numbers went was the 4″ Knockin Tail in Blue Ice. Tim had a bag and shared them with everyone. It caught pompano, blue fish, jumped a tarpon, caught big reds and jacks in the surf, and was the number 1 trout producer. Guess I need to add some to my arsenal.
We are set for May 2024 as the few dates the Backdraft had available did not line up with everyone. So, it might be a little wait but as usual it is worth the wait. In fact, that is the same time as our best trip when we smashed big trout in the surf so it can’t come soon enough.
As far as us talking to other fishermen and ruining their day none of this group is like that. None of us would want to make their trip worse and in fact would have helped anyone who asked. These guys are good fishermen and a credit to our sport. Why I like them, not a horse’s butt in the group.
And I hope I made it clear, with 6 boats the post yesterday was just a sample of what was caught. We only kept 7 slot reds, and it was probably 3 times that at least as far as bull reds went.
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And here is a couple of comments from regulars.
Hurry up and get the house in Colorado. We all need a place to crash while skiing !!!!! 6 months is crazy !!!!!! You planning on moving or is that a summer house?
Joe In San Antonio
The Boss has a couple of years till she retires but we will use it all 4 seasons. We have looked off and on for a couple of years for just this house. When it came up we jumped on it as it checked all our boxes and would not be around long. She has worked hard, and this is her reward, I am just lucky enough to have her for a wife. And as far as visitors we are taking reservations starting in 2030 so be sure to sign up! Good to hear from you.
And this from Ed.
Man, sounds like a great trip. One that I’m trying to convince my fishing buddy to take with me. The limits in Louisiana are just unbelievable. But if they can grow em that quickly then I guess it’s every man for themselves!! Thanks for sharing this it just makes me want it that much more! I didn’t see the info on the outfit that you use so if possible send it out there again please! Glad you’re safe and had such a great time. Time for you to get back to the salt here in POC so I can see what the pattern is around there.
Our annual trip is one of the few times I participate in the meat haul and it sure is fun. And as not everyone is from the area we are happy to send them on with a bag full. And I am getting a few good local reports from the salt and will be back at it soon. My buddies Todd and David had a nice string out of POC the other day and Rusty shared a good report.
As nighttime temps are headed to the 40’s and the good fall fishing will kick off. I actually spent the day getting my saltwater stuff organized and cleaned because it will be on soon.
We did meet some guys on another boat who got screwed by their boat. When they got there the captain upped the price by $200 a head and added a $200 fuel charged that he never mentioned when they booked. Be sure to get it in writing and if there is a problem complain to everyone from the BBB to fish and game. So going with the old hands is the way to go as there are some sketchy guides working the islands. Here is their links, and trust me they book fast with very few open dates for next year. Thanks for the comment.
https://fishsouthernbelle.com/
Captain Howie, a really good trip for 6 guys and the food is off the chart.
This is the Backdraft with Captain Denny. Great big boat with plenty of room for 12. But book early because he fills up fast. He only had a few dates left for next year so we reserved time in 2024.
This trip is really a bucket list trip. The fishing can be great, or tough, fishing is fishing no matter where you are. But if you work together to establish a pattern like we did this year there will be fish in the boat. So good luck on organizing a trip. It is just plain fun.
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For a guy who is allegedly winding down I am still pretty windy. But I have really had a good year the last few months and it has only gotten better. So I will keep it up. I have meet so many good folks and like today shared a brew and a couple of stories at the ramp. If you see me stop and say hi. Keep on stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
