FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

A Knockin Tail Beatdown

When I decided where I was going there was actually no question: The creek.  There are a few days a year when I know they are going to bite big time, and they sure did.  It was a perfect set of conditions that came together to make the trout cooperate, cold front, water temp dropping like a rock, and the tide going out all day.

Weather

41/54.  Cloudy and cool with a 25% chance of rain.  Wind   NNE 10 – 21 mph.

Tides

 High 2:03 pm +1.3 feet.

Bite Times

Minor   1:24 pm to 2:24 pm.   Major 6:34 am to 8:34 am.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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It was heavy clouds when I dropped in, and the air temp was 43 degrees.  Definitely a big boy pants day.  The water temp at the creek has gone down 20 degrees into the mid 50’s, perfect for creeks and rivers on the Texas Coast as long as the water is clear, which it is.  The wind was blowing a straight 15 mph right out of the north, which made it a little tough to fish, especially the lighter jig head, it put a big bow in the line.  But what it did was continue to blow the water out so it was falling all day, so the conditions made it a perfect storm just like I thought it would.  The Knockin Tail showed out today.  Fished on a jig head, the 4″ Honeydew and Mansfield Magic caught them.  And the 3 1/2″ Purple Lime on a 1/16th did the rest of the damage.  If it was not so windy it would have really shown out.

The best of 3 reds.

From the minute I dropped the trolling motor until I quit at 2:3o it was a catching fest.  There was 2 patterns, one points, but the rest of them came off the banks, most in a foot of water or less.  They were smoking the small Knockin Tail, most coming on the first drop or the second.  The trout bit all morning, mostly small but things are looking up for next year.  With the number of 13 – 15″ trout it should be good to go back to the old limit next summer.

It was trout after trout.

This is just a few of the trout.  I did not manage to catch a bigger one today, but you can bet that will change.  So here is the punch line:  It is all about the water temp, it has to drop like a rock to get the fish and the bait to move into tributaries on the coast.  They generally prefer a softer bottom, a direct result of the dropping water temp.  Lots of things have to work together and today it all came together.  I am not even going to guess how many trout I caught but my elbow is swollen and my shoulder is killing me.  A small price to pay.

One for 2 on the 3 1/2″ Purple Lime Knockin Tail was the ticket for all of them, it was just tough to fish with the wind.

And I bumped into a wad of small Black Drum.

It really is interesting that the fish were shallow, as most of them were in 2′ or less.  It would seem counter intuitive that with the water temp dropping 20 degrees and it being colder than hell with a north wind that they would be shallow, but that is where they go.  So light line and light jig heads is the way to go.  As I have repeatedly said this is my favorite time of year to fish.  Often the set of conditions leading to great fishing is fleeting so it is a go when the time is right.  It is just a question of how bad you want it.

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And I wanted to pass along this comment from Steve about my floundering around when trying to hook a flounder.

Good evening Doug. I would bet that the flounder are never getting the Hook only biting the lure with their teeth and holding on, then they open their mouth and gone. I read a post years ago from the gentleman who created chicken boy Lurers, his advice was when you feel the flounder bit put your rod down smoke a cigarette then set the hook. His advice was to wait five seconds before you set the hook. Thank you very much for all your years of stories. Steve from Seadrift formerly from Waco.

You are so right about what is happening and now that I think about it I have realized part of my problem.  Since I am trout fishing and flounder have always been a bi-catch for me.  Since I am trout fishing, I am setting the hook the second I feel the bite, which explains why so many come off.  Guess if I was actively targeting flounder my catch rate would go up.

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I will be giving the weather a serious look/see.  The lake is calling, and the conditions look right, and the bay fishing should be heating up.  It will be later tonight before I make up my mind on where I headed tomorrow.  Just have to play the weather and max out the winter opportunities.  But the boat is still hooked up so that decision is made.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Off Topic – Politics

The majority of the races have been called.  So here is my suggestion:  Win or lose, never seen a bigger bunch of sore ass losers on both sides, shut up and move on.  (There is even a candidate who says their own party screwed them.  If that is the case and they hate you that much guess the rest of us should too.) How about our government get back to the job of governing?  Try working together.  I know they could really give a rat’s ass about us, but that is what the rest of us do at work – we work together to solve problems.  So, try it.  I thought that is what we pay the whole bunch of you for.

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