FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors
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Coleto Monday
Weather
70/81. Cloudy. Periods of light rain early. Winds SE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Lake Level
A week ago, 98.11. Today 98.01. (On a slow steady decline.)
Bite Times
Major 12:26 pm t0 2:46 pm. Minor 6:27 am to 7:27 am.
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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.
For all your wading needs.
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This is how it looked in Oklahoma City but not here. I was really surprised that while I was fishing you could not tell it happened. Weird.
I was hoping it was going to be good today, but it is becoming ground hog day. I continue to catch a dozen give or take a few and just cannot get over the hump. It was really cloudy, it drizzled off and on, and the wind was not near as high as they forecast. The water temp was up to 72 – 74 degrees in most places but dang it will not clear and I am sure the falling water level is not helping any.
Swim jig.
First up was a bank in the plant arm, and only 2 jumped on. But one thing that was apparent today, they were pounding the swim jig. There was none of that nipping or taking a swipe at it, when they bit, they committed. This bank should be way better than it was, but that seems to be the case all over the lake. It is still hit or miss, and it seems when they are not there it is barren.
As it has been the swim jig continues to be the bait of choice.
This morning I tried to expand my presentations some, including the buzzbait and I added a frog. Normally this time of year the buzzbait is primo but for some reason it is not working and the frog was worthless. The best I can tell it must have something to do with the off-color water. (It could not possibly be my fishing abilities!) It would seem logical to expect the lake to be clearing but it just is not really happening. And in some places the color has seemed to return.
The rest of the best.
And I continue to try other places, which maybe would produce 1 or 2 bites, but it seems there is tons of places that just do not have fish. I put 9 in the boat in the first and third place, with a channel bank in a big cove producing 5 all on swim jig. From there on it was one here or there, often nothing in some places. With the weather projected to get rough I limited where I went until it became clear it was not really going to storm.
The Boss had requested a fish fry, so I went way up lake to troll up some supper when a weird thing happened. Coleto is full of blue cats and over the years I have caught hundreds trolling. While it is a rare occurrence in many lakes it seems to work fairly consistently on Coleto. I chose way up hoping to maybe intercept a few whites on the way back from their spawn but that did not happen. But on the first pass 2 small keeper blue cats jumped on so good start. 1 1/2 hours later not another bite. I even went down lake and trolled the summertime areas without a bite.
I can honestly say that I can not figure out if it is me. Though I try different places and techniques it is tough to figure it out. With the amount of cover in the lake it just might be time to start flipping the tress and bushes up lake that have plenty of water on them. If they are unwilling to chase it just might require putting it right on their nose. But I am not giving up and it will be back at it in the morning.
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What a year for big bass in Texas. This from TPWD.
ATHENS – O.H. Ivie added another Legacy Class ShareLunker during the final week of the 2024 Toyota ShareLunker collection season. Angler Tery Lewis of Lubbock reeled in 13.99-pound ShareLunker 669 Thursday to push O.H. Ivie’s season total to 12 and the statewide tally to 19. It proved to be the final Legacy Class entry for the 2024 collection season.
That is insane. O.H.Ivie is on a run, and it appears that the chance of catching a 13lb plus is real. Congrats to TPWD for introducing the stocking program that has produced these monsters. And nothing gets nutty bass fisherman in a bigger frenzy to hitch the boat and travel than big bass. So get it while it is hot as it will go the way of many lakes like Falcon and Amistad where the lots and ramps have gone from jammed full to empty.
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But the day would not be perfect without then ragging on TPWD. I am so against exotics being introduced into the state in any form, of course basically speaking of high fence hunting. So do not get your panties in a wad before reading this, I have no complaint with the owners of high fence. They are following the law and deserve no criticism for importing exotics as long as the law is followed. Same with the hunters if it is done legally it is none of our business. There are plenty of folks who have disparate opinions on high fence hunting but as long as it is legal have at it.
My complaint is TPWD not ending the practice of exotic introduction. A perfect example would be the Audad. Introduced in Texas years ago for hunting they are now all over the place. TPWD now actually flies over Big Bend and shoots them, and of course anytime they do the Bighorn sheep count on state lands some also get smoked. If you have to fly over and shoot them then the introduction was a mistake, end of story. You never know what the true consequences of any introduction of an exotic species might bring whether it runs, flies or swims. We do not need any other exotics introduced into the state.
Now I am waiting to see if there will be any consequences to anyone who bought and imported the genetic freak rams that the guy in Montana sold here. He is going to prison and getting fined a pile. My contention is if you violate federal law like he did and use the results of that violation to produce the very thing the statute is designed to address then why is the state not hunting down each and every buyer? Or at least the rams. What next, they get loose and interbreed with our resident herd. And don’t give me that bullshit nonsense it can’t happen and then in the same sentence tell me we have to shoot Audads. The Audads just take up great sheep habitat, the genetics freaks could irreparably harm the Big Horn sheep herd in Texas forever. I know this might not be clearly stated but I hope you get the point. What next TPWD – rhinoceros?
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I had an interesting chat with a local guy who has lived with 10 miles of Victoria his whole life. While talking about the new trout regs he immediately brought up croaker. He could not have been anymore against fishing with them if he tried. He said when he was a kid there were plenty of big ones they actually targeted for supper. While part of his argument was that it is to “easy” to fish that way his real complaint was the use of them as bait has decimated the adult population. I have heard that off and on for a while and often it is accompanied by the proposal to make them a game fish. Interesting to see if that ever comes to anything. And he also was not all that happy with the flounder rules. For me anything that increases stocks and access is great.
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Razorbacks
There is a lot of things that I might have seen when I read the news before heading out this morning, but this was a shocker. After the Arkansas coach headed to USC in a surprise move the Hogs announced that John Calipari would be leaving Kentucky for Arkansas. His run was over and while Kentucky announced he would be back it was not working so him leaving saved them the $33 million buyout. So what will happen how knows but with Arkansas not having any players on the roster only time will tell. But it sure will be intersting.
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Today I have the pleasure of dealing with the Texas bureaucracy, time to renew the DL. I have to prove I am me, though my DL is current and they were happy to give it to me 15 years ago. First up is the lock box to get my passport and I already submitted my SSI number so that is done. I have no hope it will go easy, nothing worse than the DL lady with an attitude. So please surprise me and restore my faith in the bureaucracy but I am not holding my breath. Sad when I have little faith in the people we pay to help us.
Other than that things are fine around here. Love the new little boat, the $3-4 for all day gas is wonderful. The Chandeliers are looming, and then back to Colorado and a completely new way to fish for me. I am excited for the change, goes along with my what appears to be a 10 year attention span. From the great Barrier Reef to the creek behind Grannie’s I have been there done that and am really looking forward to a new adventure. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
