FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors Inc.

One beautiful morning out our front window!  2″ of fresh powder.

I wanted to lead with this from our buddy Chago.

The sense of freedom is yours. The world is vast and you are no longer confined to four walls.

You have interacted with the Earth’s gravitational pull, shared a moment with wildlife, and tipped your hat to mother nature.

May you never find your way back to the cage of life.

Congratulations! Life is made for living.

You have captured how it feels to be here and all that comes with it.  As far as the “cage” of life I could not have said it any better.  For me the move here has to with exactly that.  And to make that truly happen will take some personal soul searching and commitment.  I promise to really let the “small stuff” go, which is a big step for me.  We spend entirely too much of our lives stressing on things that in the end mean little.  To go along with that, just let the old stuff go, the small hurts and slights that happen to us along the way mean little and it is time to let them go.

I promise to go outside and let it fill me with the joy that lives there.  To treat it and the living things with the respect they deserve and remain humble to my place in it.  I promise to read more, watch less TV, reduce computer time and stay off the “devil” phone.  (It is just plain sad and depressing to see 4 folks at a table in a restaurant all looking at their phones.)  To really let it sink in that almost nothing can’t wait.

But most important:  Stop, shut up, (No small undetaking on my part.)  and just look around and take it in.  In our travels west we always asked folks: Do you ever get tired of the view?  It was driven home as we were fly fishing a small steam outside of Estes Park.  The guide continually said, quit casting and look around at just where you are.  Ok – Done. I promise to never take it for granted.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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A good one.  Sorry it is a little out of focus, but they won’t always do what you want, dang wild animals.

From Darryl.

Awesome and congrads on the purchase of your dream home. Always enjoy the blog. What part of Iowa are you from? I grew up mostly near Lake Mills, just south of Albert Lea, MN.

Appreciate it.  Both the Boss and I grew up 20 miles apart in southeast Iowa in small farming towns.  We met and married in Arkansas.  And funny you should mention you grew up in Minnesota.  It is definitely one of the great fishing destinations in this world and if the fishing season was just a hair longer I could have ended up there.  I was lucky enough to do the Boundry Waters a couple of times and fished in the Brainard area.  Winter actually played a big part in our decision.  The area of Colorado we are in has tons of winter days in the teens then up high 30’s to 40’s like it will be today.  Just the right amount of 4 seasons for us.  Thanks again for reading.

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And from SW Joe,

Doesnt look like that bike in the yard is gonna get used anytime soon !!!!  HAPPY NEW YEAR BUDDY !!!!

It sure won’t, it is hoofing time.  It will be in the low 40’s later and the snowshoes will be on and off I go into the woods.  Haven’t decided on a route yet but it is not without a wealth of choices.  Thanks for being a long-term supporter.  The blog will be a little different from here, but I will be back to fish a couple of months and then back here for ice out and the fly rod.  You would think I was spoiled or something.

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Matt had this to say about South Fork.

Wow, South Fork. We stayed there a few days last year and absolutely loved it. We’ve talking about going back in the summer to explore the wildness and fish the Rio Grande.

I expect you to send some fly fishing reports.

Before we took the plunge, we considered many places around the country.  Our travels in country were always “fishing” expeditions in both senses.  Then as I said before Africa and Yellowstone happened and we were hooked on wildlife.  Once we visited Pagosa Springs we were sold on the area as we spent countless hours driving the mountain roads and taking pictures.  One of my really big life complaints, Texas’s almost total lack of public grounds, for hunting, fishing, and exploring.  Here there are literally untold acres of public lands outside our door, as in millions.

On our snowshoe walk the other day we were surrounded by mountains with not a sound, stunning and we had it all to ourselves.  And this morning as I type this out my back window 25 trukeys are squabbling as they are want to do.  Out my front window, a couple of mule deer with one buck feeding across the street.  Now we have this giant area to explore, and we could not be any happier.  As soon as ice out on the river, March/April give or take the fly fishing reports will start as I explore the multitude of opportunity the area brings.  But it will be back soon to catch the spring Texas fishing.  Sorry for the long answer but I could go on and on, and of course I will!

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Snowshoeing at 9,000 feet.

No matter the weather I will be out daily enjoying the mountains.  Today I headed to the road leading to Big Meadow Lake only to find it was closed when you turned off the highway.  But they plowed a lot and then put up a berm to keep out cars and snowmobiles.  It was plowed a while ago but was perfect for the snowshoes.  I walked 35 minutes uphill and then 25 back down.  It takes a while to adjust to the altitude.  (All the hard work on the treadmill is paying off.)  Not quite like the 600 feet or so that is Victoria.  Other than a few random birds there was not a sound, and not a soul in sight, one of the very things that brought us here.  I turned around before I got to the lake not wanting to overdo it as I continue to acclimate.  Trust me we flatlanders can feel the altitude.

Thanks to these folks for providing opportunities for all on our public lands.

As I headed back down it started to cloud a little, a very light snow and wind chased me down the hill.  Looking back on my life who would have thought I would be hitting 70 y/o this year and hiking at 9,000 in the dead of winter and living to tell about it.  So, the adventure begins and who knows what is around the next corner?  No idea but I will keep chasing.

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It is a plain and simple joy being here.  Mountains out our front windows, forest in the back.  I am living the get up and get out and do something thing.  Movement is the key to life, and as I always say it is in the doing.  While the fishing reports will be a little slim, they will start up big time when I get home in February.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Crossing the Divide at 12,000 feet.  It was stunning today.

If you have read much of my stuff you know I love bighorn sheep.  And when looking for them this time of year, and the elk for that matter, you head to the valleys closets to the high mountains where you know the sheep reside.  On our first real morning expedition we headed north.  In this case I will shut up and show you what we found.  Some of the pics are not the best but they all tell the story.

Stunning.   So without further ado here we go.

 

Such a joy and privilege to observe them up close.

It was a great day.  We also found 2 big groups of wintering elk that were just to far out on private property to get pictures.  But after dropping the Boss off at the airport I will be stopping at a couple of different elk wintering grounds to see what is up.

As I type this the turkeys did their morning thing.  All of sudden they flew into the yard right by the window.  I will never get tired of that.  These actually landed on our side of the fence so they are only 15 feet from our back windows.  I was not familiar with these turkey and after reading they are Merriams.  The hens have no red on the head and neither do the long beards.

Boy are they fat!

Today is the last day here for the Boss.  So we are headed out for some snow shoeing.  The weather is so interesting here.  While cold when the sun comes out it is pleasant and we are loving it.  Much more to come.

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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 good to hear from my old buddy Voe who I had the pleasure of fishing with many times on Coleto until he moved.

Congratulations good Buddy,
Sounds like a wonderful time to be had.
Obviously life is going well and very happy for the two of you.
Still checking in on the reports from time to time and enjoying.
Have a great and prosperous New Year.
Your past Fishing Buddy
Voe

So good to hear from you and hope you and your wife are doing well.  As we are only 8 hours from Vegas will let you know when we are out there.  Thanks for keeping in touch.

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And from one of my long term regulars.

Happy new year to you and yours. Keep up the good work and continue the blog please!
Be watching for your posts next year!!
Thanks again.
Ed

Thanks so much and the same to you and yours.

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This is how it will roll around here the nest month before heading back to Texas to get in on the spring fishing.  All I have to say to the Boss – Thanks for this life.  So, all you guys who are going to marry choose wisely.  Even a knucklehead like me can get lucky.

I hope you like the pics, we loved taking them and being amongst them.  The search will go on.  And I am starting to do the research and exploration for tailwaters to fish the last few months of winter.  So off to the snow we go.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

 

A Dream Come True.

A life’s realization for us.  It seems our search for this house began after the Boss took a balloon ride across the Masi Mara in Africa.  So we went back and so began the search.  Yellowstone, the Rockies, Aransas Wildlife it has not mattered, it has been lets go chase wildlife.  But we always returned to Southwest Colorado to 4 wheel drive, chase elk and muleys, see a lion, the area was always special.  After a long search it happened and for some reason the house of our dreams that we could afford came back on the market in South Fork and it was a done deal.

It is in small subdivision with many folks part time residents.  In the winter South Fork has around 300 residents if that tells you anything.  Perfect.  What made it perfect is our back fence (20 feet from the house) borders the woods, as in a bazzillion acres of national forests and public lands.  We loved the fact that the critters were constant visitors.  Turkey, deer, coyote, bobcat, and bear this place has it all.  So after closing we were so excited to head to the house.  On the way in there were lots of mule deer, a couple of respectable bucks so it was off to a good start.

Enjoying her birthday present.  She earned it!

Of course, with the time change we woke up before daylight and when it came, it was amazing.  When I say the turkeys came streaming off the hillside I am not kidding,  40 – 50 who knows but they were everywhere doing turkey stuff.  Meanwhile a big buck walked right in front of the house, and even the turkey and deer were fighting over some good stuff.  It was a National Geographic moment.  But watching them all I kept going where are the long beards, and then here they came right behind the house.  My count was 15 but the turkey just kept on coming.  As I write this a bunch are walking down the road.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

**************

They looked a little different from the turkey I am familiar with.  Not near the red areas on the head, the hens had none to speak of and the toms just a touch.  But the were a really big bodied bird and after reading up on them they are probably Merriams.  On our many visits to the mountains here we have seen lots.  So our first morning was a big success and as I write this it is playing out again.

On the house side I can not tell you how wonderful it was to move in, with just a suitcase.  Completely furnished, spotless and as we have learned these 2 days it is way beyond our expectations.  This is one quality built home, and with R50 in the ceiling it is energy efficient, and the gas fireplace is warming me as I watch the parade, including the rabbit that just hopped across the window.   And looking out the window there is a mountain in the front yard, and one in the back.  Way cool.

Here there is 4 or 5 inches of snow on the ground, they just got 59 inches in one day at Wolf Creek Pass, about 20 minutes down the road.  We are 8,000 feet and Wolf Creek is around 11,000 over the Continental Divide and gets the most snow in Colorado.  It snowed here last night and as folks have been telling me it went true to form.  As the sun came out the roads started to clear.  It tends to be in the low teens at night then above freezing and into the 40’s most days.  We needed a few supplies and since it was snowing on the mountains, clear at the house, I wanted to drive over the pass to Pagosa just to see what it was like with snow coming down and the roads far from clear.  While there was only mandatory chains for commercial vehicles it was definitely 4wheel mandatory.  And once we got to the top not only were we in the snow storm but in clouds and the visibility was about 30 feet,  It was one amazing drive.  Once you drop off the hill the weather was the same in Pagosa and South Fork, 40 and sunny.  On the mountain it was 20 and snowing like crazy.  And of course the ski area was jammed as apparently new powder is the deal for them.  Just the right amount of winter for us.

So where does it go from here?  First up today is some snow shoeing in an area I have seen the sheep and a stop at several spots on the river to see how that looks.  What little we have seen of it and a couple of lakes they are frozen over.  But it is so beautiful here right now who cares, this is everything we missed about not having the 4 seasons we both grew up with.  (Texas as we all know seems to have two, hot and then real freakin’ hot.)   From there it will be back and forth, me staying weeks at a time and the Boss will be out here when the schedule allows as there is an airport in Alamosa which is close.

Count me as one lucky guy.  Our lifetime of work has led us here, you know a couple of kids from the corn fields of Iowa who did not come from money, to owning a second house in Colorado.  Only other folks do that.  I have said it a hundred times on the blog; How bad do you want it?  You hear folks say “Living the dream.”  It can really happen and it happened to us.  It took hard work and a certain amount of luck all coming together at the same time.  And what can I say about the Boss but thanks, we did it.

Just wanted to fill you in as the posts may not flow at quite the rate they did for a while.  But who knows may want to share a picture when the lion comes to the back yard or a nice brown trout on the fly.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tigh Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

What is not to like about a morning like this.  Get up and get out!

I might fish one more day before I take off, just depends on how much progress we make the next couple of days.  Today was different in that I caught 10 but it was slow as snot.  Now don’t get me wrong after catching 1 last trip it was a major improvement.  The Boss put in her order for 2 bass for her fry and at least I got that done.  And as it has been I continue to catch them on everything with nothing doing any better than another.  But I am a shallow water guy, and it may not be the most efficient way to catch them but it sure is my way.  If faced with a have to catch them day as if guiding or tournament fishing I would stay with the swim jig all day, that is the one consistent bait this month.

Weather

Wednesday 95.54 msl.   Today 95.59 msl.  (The lake is 2.69 feet low from pool and it really is starting to show.)

Bite Time

Major.  6:22 am to 8:22 am.   Minor.  1:16 pm to 2:16 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

**************

The water temp is basically the same and is in the high 50’s over almost all the lake.  The color is clearing some but unfortunately the water is still on a steady decline.  It will be past the end of the piers at the ramp soon so pray for rain.

Swim jig and a 4″ Greenback Knockin Tail.

It was hard to decide which way to go, back to the place where I struck out or up lake to my usual haunts, so up lake I went.  The wind was light out of the north which made it easy to fish.  It was just one here then a half hour another.  Nothing where I have been catching them, though I did fish newer places.  5 jumped on but it was a couple on crankbait, 2 on swim jig, one on jerkbait until I decided to run all the way to the place where I struck out last trip and of course they were there and biting.

One condition to note they were on a secondary point on a channel bank that was out of the wind with the sun shining on it.  Another tell-tale sign, the first couple of gators I have seen in a month.  Of course I forgot to look at the water temp but I am sure it was higher.  A classic spring location.

A jerkbait fish who looks like a Heron took a stab at him.  One on the 4″ Honeydew Knockin Tail.

5 jumped on there in 2 passes.  Several followed the Honeydew and the jerkbait to the boat, so I was fishing just a hair to fast.  But in the end not a bad day, it is fall and the pattern is inconsistent.  It won’t be long spring is going to happen and there is one thing to watch that can happen when the water conditions are like they are on Coleto.  Get a big warm rain and they charge the backs of the big flat coves.  Just saying.

Looks like I will miss the white bass run which is going to happen really soon up lake.  Guess trading white bass for brown trout is not that bad a trade.  Life is about to change here but the blog will continue on.

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Blasts From the Past

Probably 1962.  My grandparents and my brothers and sisters.  Looks like we all just got a Tootsie Pop.

They raised a family on 80 acres of land.  Huge garden, milked cows by hand, picked corn by hand and until sometime in the 70′ did the farm work with Belgians horses.  I thought they were 10 foot tall.  And I will always cherish the times in the winter when he would hitch them up to the sleigh, collars and bells on, and we would take the milk to the cheese factory.  I would always hear him get up at 3:30 or 4:00 to head out to the back pasture to get the cows.  Grandpa never wore his teeth and I never understood a word he said. Grandma raised the kids and made the best buns ever.  And 4 or 5 courses for lunch were the standard meal for hard working farmers.  Times lost that I am glad I got to live.

Bar Tending

Mope’s

While in college I decided to try out bartending.  It was at Mope’s which is in downtown Freeport Illinois right across the street from the courthouse.  This ad predates that, when I worked there it was the classic shot and a beer joint.  Great food, the best real steak sandwich in the world, and cheap booze it was a landmark.  Every day the judge would come across the street, eat lunch, then buy a bottle of Bud, tuck it up his sleeve and stroll back to work.  Last call was 2:00 am and everybody out at 3:00.  I learned real quick about drunks, no you are not funny, and nothing good comes of being out at 3:00.  I lasted 6 months.

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Have a safe and Happy New Year.  Do not drink and drive and participate in amateur night.  And even if you do not drink assume the other guy has.  Drive defensive, assume the worst and be so careful.  Getting in an accident or cuffed and stuffed is no way to start the new year.

2022 is in the rear-view mirror.  Let the bad go and build on the new.  Most of us made it this year, and our thoughts and prayers to family and friends who are not with us anymore.  The Boss and I are off on another new adventure.  Dreams can come true, and we are so excited for the future.  And to you and yours success and hope for the new year.  I will keep on fishing and writing so keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

I considered a trip to the creek but with the wind forecasted for tomorrow I changed my mind and will go later this week.  But it was not just the wind speed, but the possible affect it will have on the lake.  As it continues to heat up, and today will help, there just might be a pretty good spinnerbait bite with winds like it is forecast to be.  So being the glutton for punishment like I am it will be up and gone in the morning,

Weather

Today 95.54 msl.   Monday 95.58 msl.  (The slow steady drop continues and it won’t be long before the piers will be out of the water.)

Bite Time

 Major 4:41 pm.    Minor 11:14 am.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

**************

The Did Not Go As Planned

Things just did not go as planned so I will keep the story short.  It goes like this:  2 bites and 1 over the side.  When I got to the ramp it was dead calm as forecast, but with the wind going to blow it seemed logical to start where I caught them on jerkbait Monday.  It looked perfect when I got to the bank and for the next 1 1/2 hours, I could not get them to touch the jerkbait, not even sure anyone even looked at it.   At that point the wind was starting to howl, and it never let up until I called no mas and headed to the house around 2:00.

When I first started the blog I always took a picture of the first one in case it was the last one.  Well there you go.  1/4 oz swim jig with a Knockin Tail trailer.

The plan at the point was drive all the way up lake and check water temp and hit a couple of spots before returning to the main lake area and spinnerbaiting the high wind.  The water temp was up from 44 to 52 way up lake so I made a white bass pass without success, and then did some fishing.  Looks like the white bass run will be while I am in Colorado dang it.  Then crankbait did not even get so much as a touch then out came the swim jig before heading back down.

I missed the first one, then stuck the little one above.  From that point on it was an absolute bust.  With the wind really howling out came the spinnerbait and for the next 2 hours it was zip.  Fishing super windy banks, points, high banks, I could not buy a bite.  It has been a while since I struck out like this.  Now I could have stayed and tried to wait them out, I am sure they bit somewhere or sometime later in the afternoon but I had important business.  First up was the Hogs bowl game, followed by the basketball game.  So I put it on the trailer and called it a butt whipping.

It happens to the best of us, it is just one of those inexplicable happenings.  One thing I have learned watching MLF is how easy it is to miss a pattern, while others are smoking them, that is what makes fishing what it is.  You never know.

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Now This Is Interesting

I have a friend who has what is probably the best indicator of bass mood, one in a tank at the house.  When discussing our current weather and bite, or lack of, he did an experiment, feed him.  Not that evening or into the next day did he eat anything.  He was basically not moving.  So lets think about the conditions when trying to figure out the really spotty lake bite this week.  First up we have a real cold front stunner, then it is immediately followed by mile high sky, high pressure, and several days of wind out of the north.  Even in a tank at the house he was still feeling it, and obviously so where his cousins.  At least that is my theory and I am sticking to it.

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 I really like this comment from Anonymous.

What a great year and a great recap! Thanks for sharing you knowledge and experiences with us. I read all of your blogs and never get tired of them. You are blessed to be able to do all you do, but dang you sure do work to make it happen.

Thanks for the kind words but your last sentence says it all.  It really is work at times, but as I often say how bad do you want it?  I have been hard at this fishing thing since I impulsively moved to Arkansas without a clue, bought a bait store in 1974 and then started guiding.  From that point on it has been all about the fishing no matter where I lived or what I was doing.  But behind that is the work to keep boats and tackle up to snuff, the cold mornings where you want to just stay in the sack, the $100 at the gas pump, and then getting home from a long day on the salt and cleaning the works.  And then pictures and posting.  But in the end this is a labor of love.  Thanks for reading.

And this from a reader who shall remain nameless.

Enjoy reading your blog. I see you often see you in the warmer months on the Coleto branch of the lake while I’m fishing for crappie. I run to Garcitas Creek and the Seadrift in the winter and like to see your reports. Please keep writing as there are few blogs to read that interest me…..

Again my thanks all.

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Rusty sent me a note that the day use/ramp fee on Fayette County is going to $4 a day for seniors and $7 a day for the rest of you suckers.  I know these places have upkeep and assorted costs but like all things fishing it seems to keep going up.  Our sport has gotten so expensive that I worry it will affect the number of young folks getting involved.  If it does some parts of the fishing future could be in jeopardy from the “anti” crowd.   And with coal slated to be a thing of the past the price of entry to power plants lakes will only keep going up.  In the long run just like my fishing license it is still a good deal.

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TPWD has reopened the areas closed following our freeze.  I have not heard any fish kill reports so we may have slid by.  On the lake I saw a couple of dead tilapia though is sure did not get cold enough to kill them.  But is sure would not hurt the lake any to have less of them.

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We are in the throes of preparations to take over the new house buy I will give it another go in the morning.  I may not be a lot of things but I am not a quitter and can take my whipping like a man.  You can count the number of times I have had that kind of day on Coleto on one hand.  But tomorrows forecast looks good so I will be out there taking it on the nose again, not.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Good Luck and Tight Lines

No Fishing

TPWD has closed lots of places on the salt to fishing until further notice.  Instead of me going through the list just click on this link to a TPWD new release to see if it covers anywhere you might be fishing.  Good for them as we sure do not want to lose the gains we made this year.

News Release: Dec. 22, 2022: TPWD Temporarily Closes Fishing on Parts of Texas Coastline Due to Widespread Freezing Temperatures – TPWD

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

**************

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.  Looks like we weathered the cold front fairly well here in Texas and it is about to warm up.  I am watching football Sunday afternoon as I get this ready for tomorrow.  Normally I fish Christmas day as the Boss was working but decided to wait until tomorrow and get it on the warming trend.  Hoping it will get the white bass moving and maybe some A Rig and jerkbait for bass.  No big hurry in the morning, except I will wake up early and probably go anyway.  Just have to see how the weather affected the lake.  And then maybe a little salt later in the week as it really warms up.

I put the boat starting battery on charge during the snap so it was good to go.  And then I checked my trolling motor batteries and the cold really sucked some of the juice out.  So take a minute before you head to the water and check your batteries, really sucks to get there and have no juice.  Just a thought.

Weather

Last Tuesday 95.72 msl.   Today 95.58 msl.  (The slow steady drop continues.)

Bite Time

 Major 2:00 pm.    Minor 9:58 am.

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I did not fish Christmas day for the first time in years.  But it was close as there was no one at the ramp when I got there and only 2 others when I took out.  The water temp was 56 at the dock and as low as 43 way up lake.  And the color is a B at best in most places.  It was 9:00 by time I dropped in and the lake is clearly on the fall right now.

First up was way up lake just to see and it took exactly a minute to see that it would be tough.  The water temp was 48 as soon as you made the big left above the bridge and it went downhill from there.  I went ahead and fished 3 places that normally hold fish no matter the time of year, and not a bite on plastics or swim jig.  Then to be sure the white bass were not there I made one pass trolling the crankbait and it was evident the shad were gone.  But hey, an over 15 degree temp drop combined with a steady decline in water level it was not surprising.  So I headed all the way back down to the lower end and went to jerkbait.

This one thumped it.

It was around noon when I caught the first small one, and ended up catching 3 smalls on main lake channel banks.  Fishing the medium diving suspending jerkbait by jerking a couple of times and then stopping for a second or two was the way they wanted it.   Pretty much a jerk, jerk, stop, jerk, being sure to not move it right after stopping it.  You want it to just hang there and let their little frozen brains compute what they are seeing.

The bite was on for exactly one hour, then I could not buy a bite.

Of course jerkbait was a logical choice today following this cold front.  And if this weather stayed cold it would be the bait of choice.  When fishing it in this type of weather it is easy to fish it too fast.  To fast when it is cold and you are out of luck.  But all that aside with the forecast the lake should warm quickly and so should the fish.

The best area turned out to be a channel bank in the plant arm.  The water in there is in the mid 50’s and the water was clearer.  On one stretch 3 jumped on, and then when I re-fished the area the best 4 jumped on.  I could barely feel most of them, but a couple of the better ones thumped it on a slack line.  And as happens using the jerkbait I felt a couple when I went to jerk it, and those often just do not stay on.  One of those little indicators that you are fishing to fast.  And most hit about 5 – 10 foot off the bank.

In Arkansas we had real winter, the water temp would drop, and at times the lakes even got ice.  I caught tons of fish on jerkbaits, some of our best strings of the year were really early pre-spawn.  But the ticket was 40 – 50 degree water.  And with it so clear we often had them jump it way off the bank and even right beside the boat.  It was cool to see them on the locater in 20 foot of water and they would come for it.  Patience is the key in cold water jerkbait fishing.  You have to give them time to make the big mistake.  And for at least an hour today they did.

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Bad News

And I want to thank Lacy for her comments, and this heads up.

Is this near you’re spot?

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/33f5893

Unfortunately, there has been an oil spill in the Corpus area near Ingleside according to the Coast Guard.  It is not near to my general stomping grounds, it is south of here, but of course have fished the area.  We can argue all we want on the issue of accidents like this that hurt our bay, but hopefully one thing we can all agree on is they should be financially responsible for all the cleanup, including what appears to be some oil onshore of barrier islands.  No matter what it is sad that this has happened, it is the last thing our coast needs.

And she added this comment.

Stay safe out there. Keep Smiling. It makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.

Do I look that guilty?  Hopefully it is just my happy face with fish in hand but you never know.  I don’t tell on myself. Thanks for reading.

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My buddy Clyde sent along this picture of one of the deer he killed in Iowa.

This is a mature Iowa whitetail from the area where we grew up.  Hard to get perspective but this is a huge bodied deer who has reached his rack potential.  They grow them big up there, corn and beans will do that.  I know when we moved and started seeing the deer in Texas the Boss’s first comment:  They look about the size of a German Shephard!  One of our classmates shot a typical whitetail that at the time was the biggest ever taken by a bowhunter and has shot many in that class since.  Google the Collora Buck to see a real one.  When you get used to big deer, and this one fit the bill, the rest are just pretenders.  Congrats.

If you want to see the kinds of bucks Sam Collora shoots just Google him.  He is world class.  As a side note when I was young deer were scarce, and then the explosion into some of the finest whitetail hunting in this country.  They have the numbers and the size.  The Iowa boys who fish the Chandeliers with us and their families harvested over 30 last year.  Iowa has the deer.

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And from Winfred.

Don’t pay any attention to the xxxxx’s.  (My edit.)  The majority of us will look forward to the posts and keep right reading and enjoying.

It means a lot to me when I hear that.  From the inception until this moment it has been a journey without a destination or an ending.  I will always be a multi-species guy.  For the time being I will soldier on as long as these old fingers can hold a rod and type.  Thanks so much it always humbles me to get a nice compliment.

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Merry Christmas! Long time reader and rare commenter. I kinda live vicariously through your blog. Thank you for the storytelling and adventures. I absolutely love Colorado and New Mexico and wish I could spend my summers there, maybe one day. I enjoy your blog so if you keep writing I’ll keep reading. Happy New Year and tight lines.

San Antonio reader.

Thanks for your kind words.  We finally got “old enough” to get to spend more time there and then in a couple of years make the move.  I will keep on posting it just may be a little different but we shall see.  Again, appreciate you reading this, it is what keeps me going.

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Hope the report is not to disjointed but there is so much to say about effective jerkbait fishing.  Since I have been here it has not really been cold enough most years for it to be a go to so I was looking forward to throwing it today.  Tomorrow I have some stuff to do, I thought when you were retired that you did not have anything to do.  But as soon as I get that cleared up it will be back on the water.  Looking at the weather this week there is a couple of days that look really promising.  Hope your holidays are going well just be careful the next week or so until the comotion dies down.  And keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Off Topic – All Respect

On the way back from Austin I listened to the remarks from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and was so impressed I tuned into his speech to the congress.  A former comedian he was elected as president of Ukraine not long before the war started.  He has turned out to be a beast.  We spent untold billions attempting to “fix” Mideast countries and the minute we left they collapsed, ran, and surrendered.  They were not willing to fight for their own freedom and we sure do not need to pour any more money into Mideast countries.  But in his case the people of Ukraine fight on against the Russians against massive odds.  They deserve our respect, and we must stand against this war and Russia.  In this case, the final outcome could/and will affect the future of the whole of the European continent.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

It is time to put the fishcatchingtravel.com year to bed.  Like all years it had both highs and lows, but this year sticks out for several reasons.  The mountain house, some big snook in the glades, big stripers at night, salmon and bears, catching browns on the fly, ICAST, what more could a fisherman want?  The Boss and I traveled the miles together and now we look forward to our new adventure.

January

It was a busy month at the lake when the fish started to bite.  While I only caught one big fish that month it was throw it and they will eat it.  And the A Rig with Knockin Tail trailer bite was on.  The only hitch in our git along was our trip to Panama did not happen thanks to Covid, which finally started to settle down as the year progressed.;

And the Kentuckies, which are not in Coleto started to show up.

February

It was simply a fish catching month.  The lake was on fire and I made it to the gulf and had a pretty good day.  Mix in a trip to Big Bend and it was one great month.

We saw a big herd of Audad on a 10 mile 4wheel drive through the desert.

What funny creatures the Javelinas are.

I absolutely hammered them on Coleto this month.

And when I did go to the Gulf some nice solids came over the side.

March

I went to Arkansas, and it was a beat down.  If you like big fish stripers on Lake Norfork in Arkansas at night are the ticket.  We toured the Smokies looking for bears but did not see a one.  But the elk sure cooperated.  And while the lake was a little slower, I still managed a few good ones.

I had 5 nice stripers in one evening trip.  If you fish stripers and hybrids and are not using Knockin Tails you are missing out.

If you are a bass fisherman slow roll the 5″ Pearl Knockin tail and hold on, it catches big spring largemouth.

No bears but 2hat is there not to like in the Smokies, fun trip.

April

Lets put it this way, I beat them up pretty good on the lake.  A trip to Travis resulted in some nice crappie.  And I had on great day on the bay.  All in all a great month of fishing.

How’s that for back to back!

Just a taste of the big bass this month, it was good.

Went to Lake Travis looking for whites and caught some really great crappie.

A great Knockin Tail slam.

May

This is the kind of month I live for.  Big bass smashing buzzbait, I will never get tired of that.  And swimming the Knockin Tail played a big part in my success.  All I can say is the pics speak for themselves.

And I slid out and caught a nice limit of trout on the Knockin Tail of course.  But the lake was where the action was.

Not sure how many big bass this month but it was plenty.  When big fish are literally smashing a buzzbait right in front of you it does not get any better than that for me.

June

Alaska and British Columbia were the easy highlights of our month.  The first morning we were fishing on the Keni a black bear with 3 cubs made 2 runs at our stringer.  Started the morning with a moose roadside and then a wolf riverside.  Alaska was a bucket list trip.

My best rainbow and Dolly Varden. 

The Boss getting it done.

She was wary even though we were across the river.  Cool watching her and her cub try to catch Sockeye.

The  Boss and her nice rainbow on the fly.  What more to say, a trip of a lifetime everyone should take at some point.

The float plane was another bucket list thing for us.  The Boss claimed shotgun.  BC was beautiful and there is just something about Grizzly bears that we love.

July

It was all about Florida this month other than one good day on Coleto.  ICAST with Michael and his family followed by a trip to the Glades.  I have made that trip in the past and this time caught my personal best snook.

These were some big snook.  My thanks to Michael for the fishing trip in the Glades, made my year.

ICAST – with Michael and his great family.

Mark Davis – Big Water Adventures.

Tom Roland – Saltwater Experiences.

ICAST in Orlando was a bucket list trip for me.  Every company and big time fisherman you could ever want to see.  If you are in the business and have never been, GO!  It is a fisherman’s extravaganza.  And a big thanks to Michael for letting me tag along as his company grows.  Knockin Tails catch fish.

And I did add a fatty before the month was out.

AUGUST

It was the lake this month but the highlight was our trip to Colorado or as we call it our “Happy Place.”  The more time we spend in the mountains the more we love it.  Hiking, fishing, photography it has it all.  More on our Happy Place later.

The lake had its moments, but Colorado was top on the line this month.

The Boss on our 3 mile hike to over 10,000 feet.

A nice mule deer buck.

A Rio Grande brown trout.

Marmot.  You never know what you will see in the Rockies.

All that is right about the outdoors!

Now that is an elk!  What a beautiful animal.  

And I could not be any luckier to share it with the Boss.  Love you buster.

September

This month the buzzbait bite on the lake was insane.  It only lasted an hour or two but when it was on it was on.  And I did slide to the bay to catch some redfish in one of my old haunts on Keller Bay.  Then back to Colorado.

 

A big fish month.  A sample of the daylight fishing on the lake.  Hard to quit on this kind of fishing. 

Here are a few from the first couple of days waiting to meet the Boss and her sister and bro-in-law.  It would end up being a defining moment in our life.

OCTOBER

The Colorado trip ended up being epic.  Then the Chandeliers with the boys where we sacked a couple of hundred and the bite on our coastal rivers and creeks began.  And we took the plunge.  Live bravely, it is the only life you get.

As I repeatedly say this is out happy place.  And after years of going there it happened.  You work hard to build a life, and like all couples you have dreams and one of ours has come true.  In just a few days we head back to Colorado to close on our dream house, and we could not be any more excited.  There is only one question to ask yourself; How bad do you want it?

The Boss has been looking at real estate for years and found this place but unfortunately it has just been sold.  She really loved it.  But life can be funny, their sale fell through, and it came back on the market while we were there.  She wanted to look at it up close so we made an appointment, it was love at first sight so we made an offer a couple of days later.  Finding a reasonably priced house out there is not easy but patience and a little luck was the key and we scored.

In South Fork our backyard is literally millions of acres of National Forest, and the house is 3 blocks from the Rio Grande River a brown trout factory and the San Juan one of Colorado’s gold medal rivers.  There are probably 30 lakes within a couple of hours of the house, and endless wilderness to explore.  A small town with maybe a couple of hundred folks there in the winter it has everything we love about Colorado.  From bears to turkeys, mule deer to coyotes the yard has lots of visitors every year.  As we toured it a flock of turkeys came down the hill to the back yard, definitely an omen.  With the Boss retiring in a couple of years the dream will come true.

The Wade Right Boys, a bunch of really good fishermen.  (Just ask them!)  A great bunch to fish with but keep a close watch on your women!

It never gets old!

And the creek gave up some good numbers on Knockin Tails.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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NOVEMBER

Had some good days on both lake and several trips to the bay and ended up fishing quite a few days.  This is my favorite time of year to fish no matter what or where I am.  I fished more this month than any time all year,

It was a Knockin Tail beatdown on the river every trip.  And it was nice to land several slams this month.

The lake slowed as the month went on but this is what I get up for.

DECEMBER

I can honestly say that I have basically checked out for the rest of this year.  We are getting ready for the house closing first of January when our new adventure begins.  The Boss will be out there a week or so, I on the other hand will stay a while.  How long that will be who knows but long enough to get things in order.  Buying a house which of all things comes furnished with great stuff that requires no real moving on our part is sweet.   (I promised after the move to Texas I would not move again, and this house meets that.  Should be a hell of a garages sale here when the Boss retires.)  So, while I fished both fresh and salt I have just been killing time.  The salt stayed fairly good and the lake was spotty.  And we made our annual trek to the Aransas Wildlife Area to see the whoopers.

Just did not stick a big one this month on the lake.  It was tough most days.

The salt remained consistent.  If you could throw a Knockin Tail you could catch fish.

Roseate Spoonbill.  One of the most beautiful birds on the coast.

Whooping Cranes.

Always worth the drive to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge.

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I am always amazed when I do these yearly reviews.  You forget things and having this written record allows me to relive those great experiences.  We were lucky enough to visit Alaska and spend some quality time in Colorado.  And I fished a little more than it seemed looking back on it.  Hard to say which is better, salmon on the Keni, giant snook thrashing, or big stripes eating Knockin Tails at night.  While I often complain the lake is slow, it produced plenty of big fish this year.  And though I did not fish the salt as much in the past when I did it produced.  So which experience was better is really a moot point because in the end none of it is any better than the other.  It is not the results; any jack wagon can catch fish.  It comes down to this – It is in the doing.  In the end the results will take care of themselves.

I could not be any luckier than getting to share much of it with the Boss.  Looking back 20 years ago and who would have thunk it?  Life has taken us on a wild ride that continues today and I am so thankful.  And a big thanks to those of you who read this, and to those of you who have been here since the beginning.  I often say I do this for you but I have come to realize that I also do it for me.  It is so awesome to look back, which as you get older you really appreciate.  So I will keep plodding on with the blog, but it will be different as I will be spending plenty of time in Colorado.  So thanks for coming along on our adventure.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

 

Weather

Lake Level

Today 95.72 msl.   Thursday 95.74 msl.  (The lake is about 2.5 feet low and really dropping.)

Bite Time

 Major 7:46 am.    Minor 2:46 pm.

 

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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No Wonder Nobody was at the Ramp

There was one truck in the lot when I got to the lake around 9:00 and they were running jug lines.  There was no one when I took out at 2:30. As a side note checking the cleaning table, they are smacking the catfish pretty good.  The other reports I am getting the crappie are tough and of course anytime you can win on the lake with barely 10lbs it is tough.  Besides talking to the “ramp watcher” who is there most evenings checking everyone else out, ran into a guy from Iowa, 50 miles from my hometown who is camping there and said he was having trouble catching keeper crappie.  But you know me.  Bad fishing, the temp at the ramp was 62, down 10 degrees and it was 58 way up lake, down 12, and to add to the conditions the wind was blowing a steady almost 20 straight out of the north and it was drizzling.  How could it get any better than that?

One of those Kentuckies that are not in Coleto Creek.

It was an interesting day; I did not miss a fish of the around 8 bites I got.  Really tough when you fish perfect when they are not biting worth a hoot.   Starting way up lake, it did not take long to tell it was going to be tough.  But today was the day I had to fish with Austin up tomorrow and then God knows what for weather starting Thursday, s0 you go when you can.  The first fish was the Kentucky and thinking back on it this is when I caught them last year, all were up the lake.  I did make a white bass pass but this up and down temp and falling lake has them backed off, but that should/will change soon.

Junebug swim jig with a 4″ Greenback Knockin Tail trailer.

3 jumped on the swim jig and the best one jumped off on the boat flip.  But as far as a what/where there is none.  From way up lake to within sight of the ramp it is literally one here and one there.  It seems like as soon as I changed baits one or two would get on, then nothing for long stretches.

Watermelon red stick worm off wood.

The shallow bite has slowed down significantly as the lake continues to drop.  Most of the brush is now out of the water, or at least does not have enough water on it to hold them that shallow.  It was just a tough day all around.  But I sure cannot blame the fish.  It does not matter, Lake of the Woods, Bull Shoals, or Falcon, the conditions today are not conducive to catching fish as a rule.

Spinnerbait.  Like I said last post I can catch on all of it but just cannot find “the bait.”

So the marginal lake fishing continues.  Hope to get back on the salt soon, but the weather will dictate all like it does this time of year.  But it does not matter to me, I am a fisherman.  Whether good fishing or bad, being out there is part of it.  We only get one run at this life and being outdoors is my happy place.  You cannot catch them or shoot them sitting on the couch watching the boob toob.  Get up and get out, it is good for the soul.

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I read the Game Warden Notes on the TPWD website every month and am occasionally amazed at the shear stupidity.  There is one interesting thing that happens every fall, folk’s road hunting, trespassing and other assorted dumbass moves.  Now obviously they are not all that smart or they would not be doing it.  Reminds me of New Years Eve and drinking and driving.  Breaking the law during the “season” when every game warden in the state is working is just plain stupid.  And when the judicial system starts meeting out stiffer penalties, by that I mean a loss of hunting or fishing privilege, it should help slow that kind of behavior down a little.  Very common these folks are repeat offenders and should be treated as such.

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Got this interesting comment from BJ.

I have been following these reports for a long time now and I want to say please keep them coming! It is very helpful when planning a trip to CC. I have a trip planned in late January.

At times I receive the occasional comment from folks who are not all that appreciative of my lake reports.  But just like meeting the 2 guys at the ramp the other day who read and appreciate my freshwater reports it is nice when I get a little lake feedback.  Anybody can be a one trick pony; I like to catch all fish in all places.   For me fishing variety is the spice of life, if you keep doing the same old thing you will get the same old results.   So thanks BJ, great to hear from you.

Mini Rant

And on that note I have always wondered why folks complain when there is not “enough” salt reports.  I realize that the majority of folks in this area fish the salt but as far as that goes I have one comment:  This site is free, I share information that others refuse to and try to tell it like it is.  Facebook is a perfect example of everything my reports are not.  Plenty of catch photos without any information and of course not a peep when fishing is poor.  I understand if you are a guide or tournament fisherman there might be a good reason to not share, but that is not the way I roll and never has been.  How fishing got to be some big secret is simply sad.

Counting a new laptop this month, I burned up the old one doing hundreds of reports, there are annual fees for hosting and domain registration, all at my expense.  The only ads you see on this site are free to the boys because I use and believe in their stuff, consequently I am not beholden to anyone.  (As a perfect example of everything this site is not would be an article in Saltwater Sportsman where the author touted all his sponsors with 53 mentions without really saying anything to help you catch a fish.  Sure………… you used all that stuff every time out.) This shit is not free to me so anytime anyone wants to pick up the tab we can talk about content.

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And this from my sister-in-law Vic in Florida.

These are some smart Sandhills.  We learned it in grade school:  Always cross with the light

Thanks.  That is just plain cool or weird, not sure which.

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Hope this was not to boring, but it won’t be long before the reports heat up.  And it will be interesting what may come of my time in Colorado.  Some snow shoeing, checking out new places, and looking for lion tracks when there is a new snow fall.  As we have not been there in January it will be interesting to see how the river is.  Southeast Colorado is being spared the big freeze out, and with the temps regularly hitting 40 plus in the daytime I might even boat a trout or two.  But no matter what there will be fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck nad Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Loving that fresh green grass.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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I intentionally did not get in a hurry this morning.  The forecast was for sun in the morning then clouding up and the wind was going to blow when the front started going through.  The plan was to fish but really just wait for the clouds and wind, and when it did after 1:00 it was good.  That is if you like watching your buzzed/waked tandem spinnerbait disappear!

It was good for about 2 hours when the wind blew.

Other than the water falling the color is good over most of the lake and the water temp was 68 when I dropped in.  With little wind antil after noon it was just one on this, one on that.  The list: pitching a creature bait to wood, swim jig including one that broke my line, crankbait, jerk bait and even spinnerbait. For a while I thought my results just might be me and I should settle on just one bait and stick with it.  But the one thing I wanted to do today was spinnerbait when conditions got right and it worked.

Spinnerbait and jerkbait.

Once the wind started blowing steady I headed down lake.  There was hardly anybody on the lake but there was a guy fishing my good bank.  As he was pitching he worked it over pretty good so I just hunted the windy banks.  It was 4 on the first bank, then 3 on the next and at one point they were blasting it.  I had 2 more like the ones above in one stretch and one the spinnerbait broke when I boat flipped him and the second one I just dropped in accidentally.  But for just a little bit it was good.  While most were small at least 4 or 5 were good fish.

I have been catching them this way for well over 40 years.  There is just something about one jumping all over a high speed waking spinnerbait.  I prefer a 1/4 ounce with silver blades and white skirt.  The pure fleeing shad. Then as soon as it hits the water on the cast getting it up and waking.  To fast and it pops out, to slow and not enough wake.  There is a sweet spot speed the fish like, it is a pure reaction bite.  Wind is required.  2 today hit it right by the boat in front of me when I stopped it.  Cool bite.  Other than that most came about 5 foot off the bank.

Since I picked up a sale jerkbait in anticipation of our real winter fishing I threw it some.  Other than the one above another one did not stay hooked up though I did not throw it a ton.  But looking at the weather to come it just might have it’s moments coming up in the next couple of weeks.  And the river and creek should stay good as long as we do not get to much rain.  So that will be next up on the fishing agenda.  But Colorado is looming and I will be hanging there for a while after the first of the year.

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When I got to the ramp there were a couple of guys getting their stuff ready.  They said they read the blog which is always nice to hear.  It is nice to meet folks at the ramp so say hey if you see me putting in or out.  There are plenty of folks who read this that I have never heard from or met, but you are out there and I appreciate each and every one of you. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

After a week on the salt time to head to the lake.  I absolutely do not know what to expect on the lake in the morning as the weather is going to be a little sketchy with the north wind.  But fall being like it is in fresh water you can never know for sure.  But after spending today doing some stuff on the boat, that never ends, looking forward to tomorrow.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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On arrival at the ramp the wind was blowing straight out of the north at 20 mph, and it was cloudy.  The water temp is now in the low 70’s over the whole lake but the color is better up lake than down.  It was just one of those mornings that ended up being colder than it looked with the cool wind.

To make a boring story a little shorter it was 9:42 before I had a bite.  Before that I let the wind take me and alternated between crankbait and spinnerbait, and even trolled my white bass area without so much as a bite.  Finally a short jumped on the crankbait.  It really did surprise me how slow it was but it is the proverbial cold front, and while you may not feel it the fish sure did.

Best I could manage of the 7 on spinnerbait.

They were definitely not liking the conditions but as the clouds disappeared around 10:00 it was clear and the wind was still blowing.  So moved to a bank with wind on it and started to catch a few.  Over the next 3 hours I caught 7 on spinnerbait and only missed a couple.  The bites I did get were on banks with wind and clear water.  Except for 1 all hit it really close to the bank.  I was running at white with nickle blades right below the surface and it would just disappear.

I just could not get on a big one today but at least they bit for a little bit.

The first 2 places I fished once it cleared produced a couple, then it went dead.  It seemed like they were really active that first hour after it cleared, then I only caught maybe 2 more in a couple of hours.  So I finally called it a morning about 1:30. I almost went back to where I started but decided that the run way back up was not going to be all that good.  But considering the conditions no real complaint.  Plus as you all know who read this I love watching them eat.  And there was no way plastics were on the menu this morning.  But with the weather change coming things are looking up for the lake.

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Here is a comment from Matt on the river.

There’s a slight rise in the river from Sunday morning’s rain, might be muddy for a little while.

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=crp&gage=ngct2

Appreciate your comment as usual.  And thanks for the link, it all depends on how much rain we get tonight.  Thanks for reading.

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And I got this bay report from Tony who was in POC with a few of the boys.

Well your report was accurate for us. Well over 100 undersized trout each day for the group in Pringle and Big Pocket. I think we got 7 keeper trout, 4 reds and a 27 inch black drum which was plenty for fish tacos. Never found concentrations of reds, just widely scattered. Trout were just hanging in 4 feet of water over grass. They were biting aggressively but all cleaned fish had empty bellies. Most fish looked healthy. Bodes well for next few years. Everyone was happy with the large numbers. A good fishmas for sure, just wish a few more were healthy enough to fish with us, ie Ro and Ken.

Your report mirrors what I have been hearing, and what I have found on the river and creek.  Lots of trout is a good thing and it could be off the chain next year.  As you say it really does bode well for the system.  This is one time I am all about the action TPWD has taken post freeze.  At times it gets a little frustrating when you keep catching shorts, but it sure beats striking out.  So glad you had a good time, when it is all said and done fishing is something stretching your line.  Thanks for the report.

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And on the Rigging the Knockin Tail post I got this kind comment from Mark.

Very good tutorial. Thanks, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Enjoy your blog very much.

Thanks for the compliment and for reading.  Sometimes I take things for granted that folks know what I am talking about.  (About half the time I don’t know what I am talking about.) I will try to remember to take a few more pics and be a little more descriptive so folks will know what I am talking about.  Your comment is why I do this, and don’t ever think I do not appreciate each and every one of you.

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The Boss has been out of town the last few days so will spend some time with her tomorrow.  She goes back to work Friday and I go back to fishing.  Will be looking at the weather and water conditions, the color in river or creek before I decide where next, but there will be a next.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines