FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

It was foggy, the kind of foggy you could not see your hand in front of your face.  Sitting in the truck I could not help thinking about all those days where it was early morning and I waited at the ramp.  Maybe wind, snow, or lightening, and of course fog, I have sat them out for over 50 years.  Sprinkled in were even a few where it just did not happen and back to the house.  It has been one long strange trip.  Freshwater, saltwater, inshore and off, waiting is part of it.  Patience is a virtue and in fishing a necessity.

Weather

74/96.  Sunny skies.  Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.  8% chance of rain.

Lake Level

Today 96.68 msl.  Friday 96.75 msl.  (The slow steady decline continues.)

Bite Times

Major 11:11 am to 1:11 pm.

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For all your wading needs.

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When I could finally at least ease around the corner to a close point with wood on it in about 15′ of water.  First, I tried spinnerbait around the point and did catch one but that was the only one.  When I eased out to locate the brush it was obvious there was fish on it.  Picked up the flippin stick with the watermelon trick worm and the bite was on.

The first cast as I lifted up it was soft, so I set the hook.  And the bites that came there were all the same, no tic, no thump, just a real soggy lift.  I know I did not catch all that but, but once I started setting the hook the minute it felt like that they started coming in the boat.  I managed to catch 5 more off the pile but once the sun started to peeking through, I decided to head out.  Bad move.

Best I could manage today.

From the brush I have been catching them out of, too trolling for an hour it was flat slow.  A couple more came on plastic, but it was slim pickings.  It kind of surprised me they weren’t in the heavy cover like they have been, usually where you find them when the sun is out and the wind dies.  Today there were a couple of little bites/pecks that just did not turn into fish in the boat.  The boss wanted some fish, she gets it because she is allergic to shrimp and I just not willing to give them up, so shrimp for me and fish fry for her.  Even trolling was slow today and at 11:00 I decided it was not going to happen.  But she got her fish and I got hot.

Conditions also played a big part in the poor fishing today.  You can visually see that the lake is dropping which never helps the fishing.  Today at about 9:00 it was flat dead calm and it stayed that way, and it was hot.  The water temp was 90 most places, having come up 7 degrees since Friday.  But there is a weather change coming at the end of the week so looking forward to that.  In the end no matter how tough I was fishing, I am thankful for every day.

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I am patiently waiting to head back to Colorado in a couple of weeks with the only “real” load.  Since we are furnished, we are keeping it to a dull roar.  Until then, and the rest of the year I will be taking advantage of Coleto Creek and the bass.  It is really a great adventure and we are so looking forward to it.  But until then keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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TPWD

On the news tonight they said that TPWD was trying to keep the deer breeders in business, duh.  The issue, CWD.  Apparently, the number of cases has gone well over 3oo at one place alone.  They seem so willing to bet the future of the whitetail in Texas to placate commercial interests instead of the everyday Texas hunter.  I really, really, hope I am wrong but as cases rise it seems inevitable it gets out in the wild population.  I know that is not a scientific statement, just common sense.  As with exotics, once the cat is out of the bag it is hard to put it back.  Good luck Texas, you just might need it.

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Hunting and Fishing Only for the Rich is the Future?

I could not have said it any better myself.  (Though the Mother mention is a little out there you get the point.)

I know I rant about public lands, who owns the rivers, high fence and a myriad of other things that restrict folks access to the land and the outdoors.  While I can honestly say that rarely has it been an issue for me, the lands are a finite resource that not all have easy access to.  What remains should be protected at all costs.  Usage in all areas is way up, but the real issue is they are not making any more.  Out west the billionaires are buying out the millionaires and more and more land is ending up in the hands of fewer and fewer people.  You can never convince me that is a good thing. The current access has to be preserved for the good of all.  Trust me all you rich guys, when you are dead and gone the shit you own will be meaningless!

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And one-off topic comment.  I have a problem with rich landowners now wanting the state to come in and fix what might be a real long-term problem with abandoned wells.  We need a long-term bond/insurance program for all wells and mines.  The argument that it will be too expensive for them makes no sense, especially when you realize it is costing us the taxpayers billions instead of the responsible parties.  Somebody is going to pay and as usual it is the taxpayers not the connected special interests.

When the landowners score (No criticism, good for them.) then the oil companies drill,  both reap the benefit I am not sure why the taxpayers are left footing the bill for the mess.  And there is definitely no reason to let the companies off the hook.  If we have not learned anything just look at the Super Fund sites, we are paying billions of dollars to clean them up all across this country.  Why folks get to harvest the resource and line their pockets without assuming one bit of responsibility for the mess puzzles me.  (Not really, it goes back to our politicians being bought and paid for.)

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