Fish Catching Travel

Put your little mouse over the Strike King logo and check out the 2016 catalog!

Just like yesterday when I went to POC to check it out post rain, today I went to Coleto to see what affect it had on the lake.  And in my opinion it is all good.  First it was way up lake to see if it turned the water to mud, and it did not.  In fact the color was good and it looks like the lake is up around 2 feet.  So out came the plastic and to the wood I went.

The first good one of the morning.

It was a little tougher finding the wood as the water had come up, but once you found a good piece there was fish on it.  I started fishing about 8, fished until 3, and caught fish most of the morning.

Good one number 2.

I did try spinnerbait and Red Eye Shad, but no takers.  It was just keep pounding the wood and hope you get a hook in them when they bite.  It seemed they were actually eating it better today, and out of the 15 or 20 I caught today half of them swam with it.  Unfortunately there is no picture of the biggest one of the day.  Hey I don’t need to use that net right next to me, right?  She hopped off at boatside while I was thinking picture.  It was the only one that was in the new water.  Other than that none came off the bank.  I am sure that is about to change.

This one was hung in the tree for quite a while.

One thing I wanted to tell you is what to do if the fish is all hung up in the brush.  After you set the hook you can feel the fish on there, but can not pull it out.  So here is how to get most of them out.  Pull up, not real tight, until you can feel the fish, and then wait.  It will swim and when it pulls on the line pull back real easy, keeping tension.  Often, like the one above, it will swim out the way it came if you lead it real steady.  You may have to play a game of see saw back and forth but patience usually wins out.

I fished both arms today and caught fish in most places.  Good isolated timber on channel banks have fish on it, and any deep point with timber usually has one or two on it.  The pattern did not change with the new water, but it will.  There is new cover in the water and it will not take long for the fish to adjust.  They want to bite and it looks like we are just a little ways off from our good fall bass fishing.

And the rain only helped the lake.  No real muddy stuff, new cover, and a raise, it can only get better.  This is a great time of year and it is really tough to decide where to fish.  But that is a problem I can live with.

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It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.

When CCA and all the other authorities announced they were going to open Cedar Bayou by dredging it everyone was all over it.  They raised the funds, did the work, and last year it opened and the fish followed.   We fished it last year, and then early this month, and caught fish both trips.  But this trip I took one look at it and said this thing will not be open in a year.  Now I am no scientist, why I went to law school, but it was clear to me after not seeing it for a year that is was silting in fast.  Well folks, apparently it did not even take a month.

Cut to nowhere.

My buddy Chris, who I fished Cedar with this month, sent me these.  This is the aftermath of the super high tides we had the last couple of weeks.

This really sucks.

Maybe these pictures were taken at really low tide yesterday.  No matter what, it is not looking all that good.  Then Chris sent me this one that apparently was taken by airplane today.

It looks open, but it may not last to long.

So as usual, everything on the Inter-web is real, or not.  Who knows.  But I do know one thing, it was a lot shallower and flatter from the first trip to the next, so we shall see.  If you have heard or seen anything let me know.  Now I am really curious.

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Deer hunters are starting to get excited.  Seasons opens in a couple of weeks for gun and the bow hunters have already been hard at it.  I even saw a nice 10 point in the back of a truck at the restaurant the other night.

A little scraping and rubbin”.

A small one with Shoedog’s blind in the background. 

Shoedog is all set up and the deer are moving on his hunting grounds.  The place he hunts is real proof it does not have to be massive plot of land.  As in all real estate, location, location, location.  I might even give it a go on the doe weekend this year.  I sure like me some backstrap!

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Gonna get a few things done today and then back on the water tomorrow.  We are supposed to get some pretty good rain and storms tomorrow evening so we will have to see how it goes.  I love fall and the opening of deer season is one of my favorite weeks of the year, the water all to my self.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

Put your little mouse over the Strike King logo and check out the 2016 catalog!

The only words that come to mind are it is like taking candy from a baby.  That is the best way I can describe the bay fishing right now.  The last month’s Gulf fishing has been the best of the year for me, and today was no different.

I was really intrigued by what effect the rain would have on the bay.  In the grander scheme of things it was not that much rain, and with no real rivers going in to the POC area, I suspected it you not have affected the fishing much, and that turned out to be true.  While water conditions were fine today, if you fish near a river or a couple of creeks it may be different for you.  So think about where you are heading before you go.

The tide was on the way out on arriving at the ramp at Froggie’s, and it was surprising how low it was compared to the last couple of weeks.  It looked no more off-color than usual, and to top it off the wind was not blowing to speak of.  Though the wading stuff was with me it was Big Bayou first, hopefully to catch a couple for the pan.

20″ of delicious.

The fish were on one of the deeper  banks in the Bayou, and the tide was really ripping out.  Still throwing the super light jig head and the paddle tails, they would eat it on the second hop.  It was matter of making the cast so the bait drifted with the tide after the hop, and it was the only way you could feel them.  Before I started the engine I had boated an easy limit, and even put a couple in the box for supper.

This guy was a fattie and it was his lucky day.

The tide was supposed to be low at 11:30, and while it was a little later than that it was the first real low tide I have seen or fished in the last month.  The water stayed clear, so instead of doing some wading I stayed in the boat and just kept fishing the plastics.  I am ok with a 10 minute run, a gallon of gas, and catching them right along.

A few bonus fish ate the plastic today but only 2 small reds.  A 3″ plastic wit ha chartreuse tail has been very consistent.

Once the tide stopped running and it was low, the fish really slacked off.  As usual, moving water was the ticket.  And instead of my usual cut or drain fishing, they were on a long bank, and once the first one hooked up it was game on until low tide.

There is one more picture of this guy coming.

Oh no, to bad for him.

There were a couple of break offs today, my fault.  Hard to lift a 20″ trout in the boat on 8lb test.  And you can set the hook to hard, better to reel them on, then a snap hookset.  A couple just came off, one felt like a big flounder, another like a black drum.  While the Redfish Magic and the topwater have both had their day, the most consistent bait the last month has been the 3 or 4″ plastic paddle tail on the lightest jig head I can find.  It is not always easy to fish with wind, but it catches bigger fish and they tend to eat it.  Nothing like the thump of a nice trout.

There was one cool experience, I had a pretty good shark come after the Redfish Magic and turn off of it right as he chased it down.  Not sure what he did not like, but it was probably for the best, hate losing a Redfish Magic.  And speaking of the spinnerbait, and the topwater, not a hit today, nothing.  Both of them got a good work out, but neither produced.  It was probably a little late in the tide when I started fishing the spinnerbait.

To make the day even better I saw a really big buck on the way to POC.  And then 10 minutes later there were about 6 – 8 gobblers with long beards walking along a field.  Finally, an Osprey with a mullet so big he could hardly fly off, but he was not letting go.  There is so much to see in the outdoors if you look, and today was one of those days.

So if you have been thinking about fishing the POC area, there is still time, fishing is great.  Talking to a couple of guys who have been some, the fishing is consistent where ever you fish, it is just keeping a bait in the water.  Probably the only thing that could have been done better was get there before 10:30, they were biting as I made my first cast.

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Here are a couple of comments I wanted to share with you.

Good afternoon!
I read your post often and must say they are very informing.  I fish Coleto a couple times a year and its been pretty hard for someone who doesn’t get there often.  Question: When you talk about up the lake and down the lake, is up the lake out of the launch and back to the left to the power plant.  Down the lake is toward the bridge and to the left in the river…is that right?  You probably haven’t been asked this and might be kinda silly but here I am asking.  Thanks….Fred

There is no such thing as a silly question, and this one reminds me that folks might not quite understand the way I refer to Coleto.  The way I refer to Coleto is if you head up the big arm and under the bridge and then in the river, that is up lake.  I do not usually refer to the other arm near the plant to be uplake, but it also is.  For me down lake is anything from either warm water outflows to the dam and park.  The water is a lot clearer down lake and the bass are a little bigger.  The lake has definitely been tougher from late spring on this year.  With the flood and the water never clearing we just did not get our grass this year.  If nothing more it keeps those fish up and accessible.  Hopefully things will get easier this next year.  Thanks for reading and keep in touch.

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I always like hearing from Evan, heck he should write some of this stuff.

Wow. Where to begin.  I feel like your posts here lately have been better than in the past.  Definitely bringing your A-game to the show!  Must be all that good  Razorback football.  They are looking better than the Aggies.  (Tough for me to say.)  Ya’ll should have an easy win this week, but then there are some tough games ahead.  At one time the Aggies would give up in the 4th quarter.  Now we just give up halfway thru the season.  We should have some spirit-building wins ahead of us…. just in time for the last game when we get embarrassed by LSU.  I’m not a fair weather Aggie fan…  Just realistic.  You really hit the nail on the head with them the last couple posts.  Who uses 2+ QBs in a game?  Really?! Classic dumb Aggie football.  Gig’Em anyway.  Haha.

Another wow – your fishing.  You’ve been straight up giving ‘em hell.  Nicely done.  I’d like to say I’m going to make it to the coast, but with duck season opening up Saturday… highly unlikely.  Dr. Jekyll is me when I fish.  Mr. Hyde is going to be in town for a while.  #QuackQuackBoom

Thanks for that list of tips.  Although I do not own a bass boat anymore, its a good reminder to always remember the basics.  Its amazing what we forget when we get caught up in the excitement of chasing Big Bertha.  Those are all really good things to remember.  Especially the tips about voting to protect our rights.  #BurnTheBirkenstocks  And please take someone fishing!  Or hunting!  I credit all my outdoor obsessions to my grandfather.  Had he not shared his love of the outdoors I don’t know what I would do with my time.  Something unproductive I’m sure!  Thanks Pa!  (RIP)

Can’t wait to hear how you do when you get back on the water.  The rain sure was nice.  Wish we got it more frequently though.  Still nice to have it when we do.

Tight Lines and Full Stringers!

-Evan

I actually hunt ducks maybe 2 days a fall, maybe 3, but just am not that great a shot.  And sometimes that getting up in the middle of the night is kinda tough too.  It sure sounds like Pa was a good guy.  Memories is the heart of hunting and fishing.  We love the bite, the puff of feathers, but it is always so much better later in the tellin’.  Feel free to keep us informed on the duck hunting, and maybe send a few pics.  Ducks are one beautiful creature.  Thanks for the kind words.

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Jeff was headed to Coleto for the club tourney but the weather fixed that.

Doug,

Well we were just south of Halletsville Friday when they cancelled our tourney. I believe it was the right decision considering the weather Saturday and Sunday.

Not a total loss though, with the boat hooked up we stopped at Fayette on the way home. Fished from 2-7 and that turned into a nice little trip, 12 and a cat all on shad type crankbaits around the rocks and dike by the intake. My wife managed 3 and they were her first crankbait fish, she is hooked now lol. A little good news is that there appears to be grass coming back as well. Pulled some green hydrilla up with that crankbait on occassion.

Jeff

Nice job turning around what could have been a long drive for nothing into a fishing trip.  Your catching them on shad crankbaits reminds me of the first 4 or 5 times I fished it we used Rapala Shad Raps in the shallow runner and we smoked them.  Then we got on the jerkbait over the grass.  That deeper grass is key to most days on Fayette, and it usually has a lot less grass on it than Coleto so you can fish the jerkbait.  And as far as this weekend, it did get a little ugly down here and you did not miss anything, lots of rain Saturday and then 30mph+ wind on Sunday.  And congrats to your wife, you will have her on the trolling motor soon.  Appreciate the report.

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That catches things up for today.  If it sounds like I am gushing over the fishing, I am.  it is so consistent right now and I don’t know if I am imagining it, but the fish are just a little bigger on average.  Hard to tell if it is the lighter jig head, or the effects of just one year of the reduced limits.  Whatever it is I am looking forward to cold weather and some big trout.  Tomorrow who knows.  I think it may be the lake and then back to the Gulf.  And  thanks to the comments, keep them coming.  We all love what you have to say, plus I get tired of listening to myself.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

Buy more baits, you can never have enough!

The weather has kept me in the house the last 3 days.  Can you say bored stiff?  We did not get the total amount of rain they have been talking about, but we did get around 5 inches.  It is cool this Sunday morning, around 60, and the wind is blowing out of the NNE at around 35mph.  It really is feeling like fall around here.  Hope those of you on the Texas coast did not get flooded out, but with all the rain on the coast and the super high tides some places did get wet.

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The only good thing about the weather was there was some good football on yesterday.  My Hogs played a really good game and when the chips were down they came through in a 4 overtime game.  It gets us closer to .500 and who knows, we might even squeak out enough wins to make a bowl.  Only time will tell.

Texas A&M on the other hand is heading back down to earth, or should I say crashing.  It was almost hard to watch as they could do nothing on offense.  And again they put in another quarterback late in the game.  Not sure where they are headed, but as I said last week there has never been a real successful 2 quarterback system.  They better figure it out quick or it may be the big collapse.

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Just some stuff I have been thinking about since I am stuck in the house.

1.  When you head to the bank with the trolling motor to get a bait untangled, as soon as you get it free turn the nose of the boat around towards the direction you came.  It will keep you from burning up the bank in the direction you are headed.

2.  Next time you head out take a minute and walk around the whole boat and trailer and look things over.  In the last year I have found a bleb on a  trailer tire, a bearing going out on the trailer, the bottom of the bolt in the swing away tongue sheared off, and braid trailing from the prop.  A minute of checking could save hours of hassle and big $$$.

3.  As the braid on your reel starts to lose it’s color and get a little rough just reel it on another reel, which puts the unused section out, and you are good as new.

4.  Switch your trailer lights to LEDs, since I did that on both trailers last year I have not had a light burn out.

5.  Take a second and put your finger in all the guides on your rods.  You will be surprised what you will feel and what needs to be replaced.  Nothing like losing a big fish to a bad guide.

6.  Make a plan to take at least one person fishing you have never fished with.

7.  Don’t waste fish or game.  I know things get lost in the freezer, but keeping fish or game and letting them freezer burn and then throwing it out is wasteful.  It is part of being a responsible outdoorsman.

8.  Sit down and actually read the yearly TPWD fish and game regulations, lots of interesting stuff in there you are actually responsible for knowing.

9.  Got a gripe or suggestion?  Let TPWD know about it.  We have a responsibility to protect our rights, and while the bureaucrats would like to think otherwise, they work for us.  A perfect example is the giving of our Share A Lunker fry to a rich guy for a private lake which was only brought to light by someone who was watching.  If you are not informed and willing to comment you have no complaint.

10.  If you fish the salt go out and check the expiration date on your flares which now seem to be required on anything that floats on saltwater.  And do not be surprised if you are stopped by the Coast Guard and ticketed for not having your throwable cushion out and readily available.  Actually makes sense doesn’t it?

11.  No matter where you are vote for any constitutional amendment protecting our rights to hunt and fish that is on the ballot in your state.  Nothing chaps my ass more than seeing anti-hunting and fishing nut cases trying to restrict our rights.  There is only one reason that we have fish and game coming out our ears – sportsman and their license fees, along with the taxes on equipment.  We are responsible for the plentiful fish and game in this country, not some panty waist, Birkenstock wearing, tree hugger.

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I got this comment, and while there was no name on it, I wanted to share it with you.

For the swim jig, you can steady reel it to boat or shore, or lift and drop along the way, or try some of both until the fish tell you what they want for that day. Flippin’ is another way to fish it if you come across heavy cover. Just drop into cover and work up and down.

The most important part of this comment is what I harp on all the time – Let the fish tell you how they want it.  Fast, slow, with shakes, hops, you can use it any way you can use a jig.  And that my friends is why it is so important to concentrate on each and every cast.  What you just did to catch a fish when you were retrieving your bait may be the ticket to the best day of your life.  We all get to talking, looking around, daydreaming on the boat.  But if you make each cast intentional, ie:  going to reel it slow, fast, hop it, whatever, it makes it so much easier to duplicate.  So thanks for the comment whoever you are.  Feel free to comment anytime..

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Fall is really here and it is cast and blast time for lots of folks.  My buddy Clyde in Arkansas called me the other morning when he was on the way to the deer woods to be followed by some fishing on Bull Shoals Lake.

1/2 of my cast and blast ;missed a real nice buck with my muzzle loader !

That will do all day long!

Nice bass dude, to bad about the buck but you never could hit anything anyway.  Reminds me of a shooting story.  Many years ago, back when Clyde and I ran the old tackle store, he decided to go to a turkey shoot.  He had bought a really old shotgun and of all things he won.  He gets back to the store and somebody looks down the barrel of that old shotgun and it is bent, and I mean a 1/4″ or more.  Heck I could probably hit more with that gun than I do now with my Remington.  So nice job on the bass and better luck with the deer.  It is a long season.

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It is Monday morning as I post this.  The wind is really supposed to die later today and tomorrow looks good in that department.  So it will be up early and off to POC Tuesday.  It will be real interesting to see what all this crazy weather has done.  Not sure how the freshwater will affect the bay, but Calhoun County is still under the flood watch, so we will just have to see how it goes.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

Buy more baits, you can never have enough!

I really do not know what to think about our weather forecast.  The big rain was supposed to come in Tuesday night, then Wednesday, then Thursday.  When I got up Thursday morning it had rained a little and was cloudy with the wind was blowing pretty good.   I would have made plans with my buddy Bobby to fish Coleto today but the weather forecast said it was going to be ugly with possible thunderstorms.

So I decided to hit the lake for a few hours and see if the wind would get them biting on spinnerbait.  When I got there the wind was howling out of the SE and it was raining lightly off and on.  With storms in the forecast, which still have not gotten here, I stayed within close range of the ramp.

My first bite on the first bank.

For a couple of hours I stayed with the spinnerbait and only put a couple in the boat.  It was really surprising that it was not working any better.  But as I moved along I kept tossing the plastic next to wood and it kept working.

Find some brush, catch a fish.

So the punch line is the fishing did not improve with the front.  The wind was howling and tossing the plastic was a real hassle.  But it you positioned the boat right and made a good first cast they would jump it.

While I was happy with the average there were no big fish in the boat today.

Finally about 2 a really big fish jumped the spinnerbait in one of those super flush bites.  I got the hook in her and when I got her to boat side and started to flip her in the boat the spinnerbait wire broke and she was gone.  That is one thing that happens when you use braid.  It is nice to be able to flip bigger fish in the boat, but it tends to straighten the wire and the repeated bending and straightening does weaken the wire.  And the one I was using got used in Canada, so it was already weak.

The plastics are still the way to go.

One place I had not caught fish was back in a cove.  I did catch 4 out of the back end of a cove that had some scattered brush, and they were positioned right on it.  That is what is making it a little tough right now, there is a pattern for catching fish, but no real locational pattern.  Find good wood and find fish, but not all wood is good.  Catch some on the main lake, then back in a cove.  Just makes it tougher right now.  So for a midday trip it was ok.  I caught 10 or so, evenly split between the spinnerbait and plastics, and with the wind, and not leaving the ramp area, not a bad result.

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The real problem is the wind, which is keeping me off the Gulf.  The wind was howling with 3 foot rollers hitting the beach in Rockport, including sending water over the road in Fulton along the bay side.  Then I got this picture today from my buddy Chris.

Froggie’s.  Now that is some high tide!

Just like I said about the tide the other day when I went to Indianola, the tides are super high right now, and with the wind blowing like a banshee off the ocean they will stay high until we get out of this weather pattern.  And then the local TV station had a report and the road at Magnolia Beach was covered in water at high tide and the Indianola Fishing Marina was closed for 2 days.  It has been a different fall this year, and what is next we will just have to wait and  see.  I am still waiting for the big rains and storms that are supposed to be here, we need the rain.

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I also got this comment from Jeff.

Doug,

I will be taking my wife down to Coleto this coming weekend for what could be our very last club tourney due to lack participation from members, we are a very small club. Quite upsetting since my wife now loves to fish with me…..Though hard to get her away from beetlespins.

On to my questions, I fish Coleto 2 maybe 3 times a year and have done so for about 5 years I follow almost all of your posts and see that your on the water there a lot. What are the water temps there like right now?  How is the swim jig bite? I am assuming the water might be a little cooler up lake(river)? Any info you could offer would be much appreciated.

We went to Fayette for a few hours last weekend and the water was still pretty hot 85 degrees, could not really get anything figured out though one in 3′ one in 6′ and one in about 10′ the one in 3′ of water was a little over 4lb’s off a swimbait.

Nice to have a wife who likes to fish with you.  Lots of guys would be thrilled if their wife would spend the day in the boat with them.  And as far as the beetle spins go, try getting her to use a smaller spinnerbait like a 1/8th ounce.  Still small enough to be easy to fish but a little bigger to temp some bigger bass.  And your report on Fayette is similar to some I have read, seems to be a hit or miss deal right now.  And I dropped you an email on some suggestions for Coleto and will be waiting to hear how it goes.  Thanks for the comments.

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I got this question from George after he read the post on how to fish the Strike King Swimming Jig.

I have  used them a  couple of times and got   fish , my prob is WHAT trailer to use.  i  mean how long because some of the  craws  are  long.

That is one complicated question, so let me try to put in terms of seasonal changes, that might be the easiest way to answer your question.  Now on using the Swimming Caffeine Shad or Swimming Shiner paddle tail, it is often a fall and winter bait when the fish are feeding more on shad.  I generally use a 4″ white swimming jig and a pearl tail.  As far as craw style trailers I never use anything longer than 4″.

In the spring, and the rest of the year, I almost exclusively use the Rage Craw in one of 3 sizes.  One trick is to be sure to cut the skirt on the jig back just past the bend of the hook.  It allows more of the craw to show and does not inhibit the flapping action of the craw trailer.  The Rage Craw is my usual choice, but in real clear water and no wind I might downsize to the Baby Rage Craw.  When the water is cooler and the fish are lethargic I might switch to the Rage Chunk.  And if I want a real big bait in the spring when the big girls are up and feeding I use the Rage Lobster.  Be sure to push the craw all the way to the head of the jig and put the wire keeper in the body.  And you can always tear some of the craw off so the claws start right past the edge of the skirt.  It just takes experimentation.

Last thing I feel is most important is I have used many different companies swimming jigs and there is no question the Strike King Swimming Jig works the best.  The head is balanced just right to get the right swimming action.  When combined with the Rage Craw it is a vibrating fish catching machine.  To really get an idea of the trailers available click on the Strike King logo at the top of the page and download the catalog.  It will put a face on this explanation.  So thanks for the question and for reading my stuff.  Feel free to comment or drop a question anytime.

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We finally have cooler weather coming around the corner.  Of course I would feel better about that if the weatherman had gotten much right lately, but that has not happened.  So it will be hard to make any particular fishing plans with this unstable weather pattern.  The Gulf is calling me and as soon as this wind dies it will be back on the salt.  And if you have any reports, comments, or questions, send them this way.  I read every one of them and try to answer them the best I can.  So keep those cards and letters coming and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

Buy more baits, you can never have enough!

Today was a little of this, and a little of that.  The fishing was good, as long as you like just catching fish.  The problem was they were small, both the reds and the trout.

When I got to Magnolia Beach the wind was blowing straight out of the NE at around 20mph, about twice as hard as forecast.  There were 3 foot rollers hitting the shoreline and the tide was just about as high as I have ever seen it besides hurricanes.  Unfortunately the wind was blowing right down the Powderhorn.  But no matter, you make what you can out of it when things are tough, so I put the boat in the water and set off to spinnerbait some reds.  Here is just a sample of the fish I caught today, and other than 1 good red I dropped back in trying to get a picture, it was all rats today.

This is how it went all day until I quit at 2.

The numbers were there today, but I just could not find the bigger fish.  With the wind blowing right over the point into the lake I started on the East side at the cove near the mouth.  Ended up fishing that whole side all the way to the small pond about half way back called Mailbox.  First it was spinnerbait and a couple ate it, including the only keeper which I dropped back in.  I saw a couple make a pass at it but not eat so I switched to the paddle tail.

Just letting the wind blow me down lake, I was tossing the 1/16th ounce jig head and a paddle tail in electric chicken to the grass and the fish were positioned right on the edge of it in a foot of water.  They were quite willing but with the bow in my line I felt none eat, they were just there when I lifted up.  Why the Redfish Magic did not produce the better I do not know, it should have been a good day for it.  I did catch 6 or so trout, and you can see what size they were.

Though there was never a spot, there were fish scattered all the way down the shoreline.  I alternated between the Redfish Magic and the paddle tail, and the paddle tail was clearly the better bait.  I did see one bunch of about 10 right along the edge of the grass and was able to catch up to them with the trolling motor, and then proceed to miss 2 of them.  It was that kind of day.  The wind blowing did not help at all.

The Powderhorn is nothing more than a dish pan with some isolated structure.  There is some grass, oyster beds, and a good marsh.  It can be tough to be precise enough on some of the good places when the wind is blowing as straight line as it was today.  In spite of that I still caught enough fish to keep me happy.  I have now fished the Powderhorn, Matagorda Island, POC, Cedar Bayou, and Keller Bay in the last month, and have been catching them right along.  Hopefully that trend will continue.

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What a place!

 I got this post from Evan right before we went to Alabama vs. Texas A&M, so I guess I will share a few comments on the game.

Gig’Em Aggies!! WHOOP!! Beat the hell outta Alabama. That’s pretty much my comment this time. Ha! SEC – best conference and the best football teams.

Man I gotta get to POC.

Very nice update on the fishing.

It was a weird game all the way around.  So here are some quick thoughts.  The Aggies were the 82cnd ranked defense in the country for division 1, and their defense did not let them down.  Kyle Allen was the 4th ranked quarterback in downfield throws, to bad he kept it up by throwing to Alabama.  He  also made a really horrible choice after the blocked punt at the start of the second half by getting sacked and not throwing it away.  Not only did it take them out of field goal range, it was a defining moment in the game.  It was one of those moments where they really could have gotten back in it but let it slip away.  A&M was in the game the whole time, but they were never in it, weird.  Shoedog and I both thought that at the game.

I have watched football my whole life and I can not think of any team that has ever been successful using 2 quarterbacks, and it did not work for A&M.  Additionally, Aggies fans may be all gaga over their freshman quarterback but he is no more ready for Alabama than the man in the moon, not sure what they were thinking.  It was the first time I saw somebody kick 2 field goals over 50 yards in one game.  Cool but field goals will not get it done vs. Alabama.  The 3 pick 6’s and a 200 yards rusher were also firsts for me.

I really wanted them to beat Alabama, but A&M was highly overrated.  Once you are in the SEC West you think you are all that, but remember Aggie fans, you have to get by both Alabama and LSU every year.  Believe me, we Arkansas fans feel your pain.  But in the words of Dennis Green in one of the all time football rants -“WE ARE NOT WHO WE THOUGHT WE WERE!”  I so hoped that the Aggies were going to step up and take care of business, but Alabama is all that, and until the Aggies or the Hogs can play error free football second or third place is in our future.  But all is not lost, the Aggies are still in this thing and the next game will let Aggies fans know whether they are contenders or pretenders.

My baby flies her Razorback colors.

And one final word.  We have seen most of the SEC teams over the years and there are no fans any more respectful or well behaved than Aggie fans.  It is a real pleasure to see a game at Kyle Field and it will not be our last.

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And as long as we are talking sports here is a picture my mom sent me.

Hope springs eternal.

Dad is a lifelong Cub fan like the rest of us, and even though the Cubbies have lost the first 2, we still believe.  So go Cubs, you can come back and win it all, probably.

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Things may be about to change.  The forecast is for what looks like a week of rain.  We sure need it, but I hope it does not muddy up the creeks and rivers.  Some of them are about to come on and it would set that back.  And I have had lots of success catching trout by drifting bays and coves on the Gulf as fall really sets in.  It will be tough to decide just where to go next.  I do know the Shoedog and I are sure going to try to do about 4 days in Baffin as soon as the weather starts to cooperate.  So lots of fishing to be done, and I am just the guy to do it.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

The KVD topwater caught them today!

When Chris texted asking if I wanted to fish today I was all about it, I was going somewhere so I met him at his house and off we went to the Gulf.  I did not even ask where we were going and when he turned at Seadrift I thought Cedar Bayou.  That was right.  He actually looked back on the blog last year, and this is when we caught them last year, same day I think.

So we made the hour plus run and headed to the back to anchor and wade.  When we got there it looked like a parking lot, there were 6 or 7 boats there.  So we dropped the power pole at the no boat sign and headed down the bank.  The first place we stopped I caught a limit of keepers on topwater before I took my next step.

It has been topwater last few trips.

They were so aggressive they were charging up out of the channel and coming down on top of it, like a bass.  We both put several in the boat before they quit the topwater.  Mine came on the KVD topwater, and I think Chris was using the pink Skitterwalk.

Open wide!

They kept it up for about a half hour, and then like a switch was thrown they stopped.  So out came the plastic.  They basically hit about anything, by throwing across the cut you could drop the plastic over the edge of the drop and that is when they would get it.

Chris was getting in on the act.

We ended up staying there a couple of hours.  During that period we would catch a couple and then move, then catch a couple.  Neither of us kept any kind of track of how many, but it was an easy limit not counting the little ones.

Lined up from the morning wade.

So  next we hit the road and headed for Ayers Point.  We had to stay on the downwind side due to the wind, which of course blew harder than it was supposed to.  Chris headed out into 2 – 3 foot of water and I went for the bank.  The bottom was ok for wading but had a little mud on top and it was coloring the water.  Nothing was happening for me near the bank but I saw him catch a trout so I started moving out a little.  Chris was still catching on plastics but for me it was topwater.

I love catching them on topwater.  The one on the left brought 3 of his buddies with him on the strike and it looked like a monster.  Then they followed him around.

There was one little area there that was not as off-color, and that was where they were.  We both saw the occasional fish and both caught one of the ones we saw.  I think I caught 4 there and he caught a limit of both, so it was another good stop.  From there we moved down to the mouth of Cottonwood Bayou and did a drift.  It really is like I said a couple of weeks ago, I think you can take off down a shoreline, with clear water, and catch fish almost anywhere.  They really are on the chew right now.  I did have a pretty good red break my line on the drift, but that is the occasional price you pay throwing plastics on 8lb. test.  Should have checked my line more often.  we both caught a trout here and there as we drifted down towards Ayers.

Chris with a nice 25″ red.  And by the way  –  Happy Birthday.

Here is the major things I have learned the last month.  When the fish are this shallow it really helps to throw the lightest jig head you can, and boy do they eat it.  Color has not been that important but the paddle tail is far superior.  And if you want to stay with the topwater, you can catch fish most places right now, even some of the windy spots.  Chrome has been the best, but I threw a KVD in the Sexy Shad today and they liked it just fine.  And last, if you are not catching fish, move, right now.

So a good day on Chris’s birthday. As it has been for me the last month, plenty of fish were caught.  It was cool to hit Cedar Bayou again, and one of these trips I am going to spinnerbait that area, it looks to good.  I consider myself extremely lucky to have good salt and freshwater to fish close to home, and most of the time one or the other is on, and right now it is the saltwater.  If you can swing it, go, it won’t last forever.

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 I got this comment from Joe after my Cubs rant of the other day.

I have to kid you some. Maybe the CUBS are winning because you haven’t been watching them !!!!

I’m from Chicago, its been hard the many years watching them lose but sure feels great they have come this far. Even better when they beat the Pirates and I was in Chicago.

Joe

Maybe I will listen to the TV with my eyes closed and fake out the curse.  It is not over till the fat lady sings, but we are Cub fans.  What could go wrong?  And a shout out to my father-in-law, one of the most loyal Cub fans alive, really.  92 years old, he has been a Cub fan his whole life.  He has remained loyal with a flag flying off his porch.  I know how excited we all are, I can’t imagine how excited he was.  I hope they win it for Jack and all the other long suffering fans.  Go Cubbies!

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While I was gone Rusty sent me a barb about A&M eating some pork barbeque when they got done whipping the Hogs.  Well they got it done.  But there is a saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” My wife and I are both big college football fans, we love the excitement.  Guess what Rusty?  Tomorrow the little woman and I will be off to College Station to cheer on my enemy, the Aggies, who are facing my bigger enemy, Alabama.  Not only is this a big game nationally, but for the Aggies it is a chance to make a statement and get in the hunt.  It is going to be crazy.  So go Aggies!  (It almost hurt to say that.)

So there you have it for today.  I know I keep saying it but the fishing on the Gulf is so good, I have really enjoyed the last bunch of trips and will keep after it for the rest of the winter.  Some of our best trout fishing of the year is coming over the next 2 months.  Keep stopping in, it gives me a good excuse to keep fishing, and I really appreciate you reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

There is no such thing as to many baits!

We decided to hit Coleto Creek  today and do some bass fishing.  Part of that decision was based on getting home in time to watch the Cubs.  A fan since I was a little boy, I drifted away after years of plain old frustration, especially when the curse reached out and bit us in the rear end in 2003.  Sinking into what can be described as mediocrity at best for years, this is a team full of youngsters and boy are they something.  Shoedog has been following them this year and telling me how good they are.  This afternoon for the first time in the over 100 years of Wrigley Field they clinched a playoff series on their home field.

CUBS WIN!  CUBS WIN!

(We miss you Harry!)

Did that really happen?  End times are near, Hell may be freezing over, Pandora’s Box is open, and who knows what will come next.  World peace?  Lions lying down with lambs?  Lower taxes?  The Crapdashians being kidnapped by aliens and they take that no talent knucklehead ConyeeeeK West with them?  Who knows what is in store, but the Cubs are in the NLCS championship series and only a few games from the World Series.  Who woulda’ thunk it?  But back to the fishing.

We were on the water at daylight and it was dead calm, a sign of things to come.  Of course it was just the opposite of the day before when the winds were to be light on the Gulf and it blew all day.  Today we were begging for some wind to get those fish positioned for spinnerbait fishing, but it did not happen.  So instead of hitting them with the 1 – 2 punch of spinnerbait and senkos, we were left fishing plastic.

The average size for today.

So with no wind our plan to double up on them did not happen.  The goal for the day was to boat 25 bass, and in spite of the conditions we managed to catch 18.  The fish were in a couple of places, on wood and in the last of the grass that is in the water on the deeper banks.  To catch the fish on the wood you had to toss that senko right on it and in it.  And we did lose several in the brush but it was really a fun way to catch them.  The fish on the bank were right on the cover and it was important to toss it tight to cover.

We had a couple bigger than this, but this was the run of the litter.

I was using braid with a 20lb Big Game leader, and a 1/4 slip sinker rigged Texas style.  Shoedog was using a little lighter line.  He lost a couple, and I managed to break my line on one, but at least it was not the rod this time.  One thing that seemed clear was the dead stick style bait was the fish’s preference.  I was using a 5″ ribbed bait, which is nice for hiding the barb but letting you set the hook a little easier.  And with no wind it was easy to get good position on the cover and make a good cast.  It seemed like you got one shot at them and if you missed you were done.  We did take 3 out of one tree, but otherwise it was one here and there all day.

Finally we quit at 3 to see the Cubs win the series.  If you have been a long-suffering fan like me it was almost to much to believe.  So we did not boat our goal, but we made do with the conditions.  You can make all the plans you want when you leave the house, but being flexible and adaptable will put more fish in the boat.  Next it will be back to the Gulf.  It is so good right now and it looks like this weather pattern will hold at least for the week.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

There is no such thing as to many baits!

The Shoedog came down Sunday night and we made a plan to hit Poc at daylight.  Last trip it was topwater until about noon, and I had high hopes.  Then I ran into Frank, the Store Director of the Victoria Academy and he had just fished the Speedy Stop Guide’s Cup and did ok.  Though they did not win, he fished topwater all day and caught fish.  So just like my last trip to Coleto I took a report and added it to the day’s plan, it worked out just fine.

We launched at the crack of dawn and headed for quick stop in Big Bayou to see if the reds were moving.  We tossed topwater, Redfish Magic, and plastics at them, but other than Shoedog losing at 20″+ trout at the boat, he caught a rat red.  So it was time for a move and some serious wading.  The wind was blowing hard enough that the trip across the bay was not pleasant.

I have to take a minute to say -“I hate. the weatherman!”  Either 5 – 10, or 6 – 13, neither was even close.  So we headed over the to the island to fish the flat right past the Army Hole, and thank goodness they were there.  Shoedog headed into the cut and I stayed on the bank.  We both caught fish.

For me it was a topwater day, but not the big fish producer.

I still had the Skitter Walk on from the other day so I kept at it.  Over the next 4 hours I did not kill them, but I caught them.  Of the 17 I caught there, most were on topwater, most in a couple of feet of water.  That topwater was a chrome Skitter Walk, but they chewed the chrome off it.   I never did boat a big red there, though several made a pass at the topwater.  Occasionally I would pick up the paddle tail on a super light jig head and throw it.

I don’t know about you, but this is a big trout.

Before I show you the next cast I want to harp on using the lighter jig heads.  It really does work.  The ones I am currently using I found at Academy on the discontinued board, and they are almost a bigger, but light, 1/16th crappie jig, but the hook is large enough and is a fine wire hook.  You have to adjust for the wind, but with it at your back you can throw it a mile on light line, 8lb test currently, and it seems the bigger fish eat it.  You can fish it aggressively because it sinks so slow, and it really helps in 2 foot of water with grass where many of the fish came to day. And one other cool thing about it, by fishing it fast and aggressively you actually see one once in a while roll over right in front of you and eat if.  Very cool.

 Releasing a couple of this size is a good thing.

These two were in 2 foot of water in a pothole.  The fish were generally scattered but when you got a bite there were a couple of more there.  The wind did complicate things, and several made their escape before I got a hook in them.  Meanwhile Shoedog had worked the drain systematically and was catching them right along.  We both caught a few rat reds and for one reason or another did not hook up with a good red.  Oh yea, I forgot, I let one break my line trying to keep him out of a dock, but that was later.  But back to Shoedog, he figures he caught about 25, I kept count and landed 17 there.

We moved down to the farther drain on the Pringle Shoreline and waded another stretch, and I caught 3 and he caught 1.  Mine were on topwater and so was his.  We were headed further down the island but the wind was blowing on a cut we call Bikini Cut, so it was back to Big Bayou to see if we could catch a bigger red on spinnerbait.  That is when I got my line broke.  I did boat a flounder, and a trout on top, so did Shoedog.  Oh if the wind had not blown, it would have been a real killing

But who is complaining, when they hit topwater all day it is a good thing, and we caught over 50 on the day.  They hit topwater off and on all day.  I managed to CPR a couple of real trout.  So all in all, a good day.  The fishing is still as good as it has been in quite a while.  Today it was potholes in the grass, and of course the water was moving.  It was a high low, then a high tide, so the water never really dropped much.  And that is why we caught them real shallow.  And of course there was bait, a prerequisite.  And once the tide came back in about 5 the bite shut down, or we did.

Tomorrow is still up in the air, but it will involve water and fish.  And like I said before, I love this not getting daylight until after 7.  So we will be up and at them in the morning.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines