Fish Catching Travel

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Fish Catching Travel

The holidays are over and things are slowly getting back to normal.  Sorry I have not been fishing lately, but the weather has not been the best and I had a couple of other things to work on.  What has been occupying my time lately is getting the planning done on a 2 week Florida fishing trip.  The Boss has a conference in Orlando, so she will fly down and ride back with me after the conference is over.

I will drive down with the Shoedog and it will be 2 weeks of hardcore fishing.  The first problem is where?  When you have 2 weeks the decision is actually tougher to decide.  Everywhere from Cedar Key, the Everglades, the Keys, Pine Island, are all the top choices, it just is hard to make up my mind where.  One thing we are looking for is a lift and dock, which sure helps on a 2 week trip.  Just pull the boat on when you are done for the day, rinse and flush, and done.  Then in the morning off and gone in 5 minutes.  And of course, whether we decide to stay in one place for the week or move once and fish a couple places during the 2 weeks.

And the dock is not a deal killer as far as where we stay, the real issue is the fishing, each area offers its own unique situation.  The Keys will be experiencing the beginning of the tarpon run, and the bridges around Islamorada will be happening.  But then no snook to speak of.  The Everglades will have it all, but is a different kind of trip, and having not been there for years I am not sure what to expect.  Pine Island of course is the safe call, and I have a working knowledge of the sound.  It is where I first develop my saltwater habit, and it is one big place. Stretching from the tip of Sanibel Island to Boca Grande Pass, there are countless mangrove islands, bays and passes.  But Cedar Key, which I have driven through, is a cool looking place with good redfishing.  But of course the problem there is no exotics, at least what I would call tarpon and snook.  I hate to put the kind of time and money in a trip like this and then not have a serious shot at a good snook, much less jump a tarpon.

So what a dilemma, but a great one to have.  I have looked at hundreds of places and  the Shoedog and I will thrash it over and make a decision in the next week at the latest.  Whenever I head that way the jumping tarpon vision gets in my head and I can not get it out.  I love to fish that part of the world and am already excited about getting back to Florida.

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The other thing that has been occupying my time has been the new vehicle thing.  I have vacillated back and forth the last year about a new truck and yesterday I took the plunge.  25 years ago we were one of the first folks around to have a Toyota 4Runner.  It had a removable top and came with a manual 5 speed.  In fact  at that time lots of them, it was the second year they were available, were more like panel trucks with no second row of seats.  We drove it over 12 years and finally traded it on another one.

We drove that one over 10 years and then traded it in a couple of years ago, and of course have missed it every day since then.  Don’t get me wrong, the Tundra has done the job, but it is not as multi-functional as the 4Runner.  And the one thing I really missed is the 4 wheel drive.  When you put in as many different places as I do, over a period of years something will come up, it always does.  And of course with family up north we visit in winter we really miss it then.  So after an exhaustive search and research my truck will be here Monday or Tuesday.  Funny how a new truck can make you feel old, but 4Runners are famous for easily getting in the 200,000 plus mile range, and since I do not plan on trailering near as much 10 years from now, this will most likely be the last truck I buy.  The shortest we ever kept one was over 10 years, and both of them are still on the road today. Heck that thing will probably out last me.

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So waiting for the truck will have a direct effect on when I fish the next couple of days.  At least there is some football to keep me occupied until either Monday or Tuesday.  And speaking of football how about those Cowboys?  If you would have bet on them in Vegas this summer before the season started you would have a pocket full of cash right now.  They are peaking at the perfect time so it could be something.

And boy did my beloved Razorbacks get their stuff together by the end of the year.  And they just absolutely kicked some Longhorn butt, when they could get the Longhorns to move over as they were doing a fine job of kicking their own butt.  The Longhorns have a long way to go, but the Hogs may be the best 7 – 6 team in college football.  The Aggies also held up their end of the bowl matchups, but what in the world was that Graduate Assistant thinking?  Nothing like potentially killing off any chance you ever had to have a football career.  That is one thing I really like about Charlie Strong at Texas, it is his way or the highway, and he is not kidding.  It may hurt for a little while but if Texas fans are smart enough, debatable, to give him the 5 years that it will take to turn it around they could just get something going in Austin.

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On the fishing front I should have a couple of reports for you soon as several folks are out catching them as I write this.  And before I finished my buddy Chris let me know he shot 5 ducks yesterday, but when he fished the Lavaca they did no good.  And neither did 2 other boats he talked to.  Funny how as winter goes on the deeper holes and rivers get slower and slower.  I always wondered if it has to do with fishing pressure or natural movements.

I need to replace line on my spinning reels.  Catching a whole bunch of fish on spinning gear and plastics, combined with the occasional drag slippage, sooner or later you will start to get some line twist.  This will give me a chance to try something I have been thinking about for a while.  With my terrible vision a clear line, my favorite, can get hard to see on bright sunny days, so I am going to spool one rod with the old blue fluorescent line that I should be able to see.  We will just have to see if it reduces the bites compared to the clear line.

I heard from Mac today and wanted to share his comment with you:

Doug-The new year is upon us and the weather has been ugly and is still forecast to be cold for another week. At least the sun came out today.

During this cold spell, go check out the movie ” A river runs through it”.  I saw it 20 years ago, but did not grasp what  it was all about.  I know you have probably seen it before, but see it again in a quiet room by yourself.

Laying about this Saturday, I stumbled upon it and got locked into it.  Fishing is Life itself and boy howdy did I get so much out of seeing this work again.  Tears happened as I became wrapped up in this cinema.   The last line in the movie hit home and I won’t reveal the line, because I want others to experience the movie.

P.S.    If you can’t fish today, dream about it       Mac

I actually have not seen it, but on your recommendation will.  Thanks for the comment and you sure are right about the weather.

I also ran into my buddy Jeffish and Tom at Academy this morning.  They picked up some Down South in the watermelon red with the Chartreuse tail and 1/8th ounce jig heads.  They were headed to the Mission Lake area.  So as soon as I hear from them I will get their report posted.

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Tomorrow I pick up the new 4Runner and then it will be back to some serious fishing.  Our weather looks sketchy, but it is time for some drifting in some of our back lakes as we settle in to a more winter like pattern.  I really appreciate your patience with me not fishing this week, but a little break is good for the soul, and of course I am starting to get wound back up.  So off we go in to 2015.  It is shaping up to be a big fishing year, so keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Well another year has come and gone for fishcatchingtravel.com.  I took the last few days off, a couple of jobs to do, and the weather is in the process of acting like winter.  The wind started blowing last week, and other than Monday, it has blown and the weather has been pretty marginal around here.  So I have given it a little rest, all in anticipation of the weather straightening up and Shoedog shaking loose from his remodel job and getting a little time to fish.

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It gives me great pleasure to announce that Down South Lures of Austin has come aboard.  As you all know I have been using their plastics, and singing their praises, since I bought my first pack.  They flat out work.  In fact, the one on my spinning rod has been on there 2 trips to the river, no small feat.  It is the perfect combination of tough and supple.  And I firmly believe that the smaller paddle gives out a different vibration, one that they just can not resist.  So next time you are at the store buy a couple of packs, you will not be disappointed.  And if they don’t carry them send them that way.

http://downsouthlures.com/

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Looking back on this year when I posted the picture review brought back lots of great memories.  It is nice to have a pictorial history of the year.  One thing I noticed is last year was that we caught some nice trout, but I did not boat one over 25″ this year.  I plan on working on that in February.

The Numbers

Here are the numbers, and I have to say I can not thank you enough.  We ended 2013 with 103,000 visits to fishcatchingtravel.com.  This year we had 165,000 visits thanks to you! Never in my wildest dreams did I think it the site would grow like it has.  Of course with that comes some hassle, but it is all a part of the show.  Kind of a you wanted it, you got it deal.  But I have loved every minute of it.

Best Fish of the Year:  Aaron Fite and the huge redfish.  Every time I look at that picture I amazed.  Aaron is 6’3″!

Best Trip of the Year:  Costa Rica and my first sailfish.  And walking across the bridge in the rainforest from Costa Rica to Panama.  I still can not get over how cool that was.

Best Baits of the Year:  (This is a shameless plug for my 2 sponsors but this stuff works.)

Freshwater – Strike King Swimming Jig and a Rage Craw Trailer

Saltwater – Down South Lures Watermelon Red Paddle Tail

Best Moment of the Year:  The battle between Shoedog and the Beaver will go down as one of the great moments in fishing.    The whole Canada trip, good friends, good fishing, and good times.

Best Comment of the Year:  “You used to be interesting.”  (I get that one every so often, don’t know whether it hurts my feelings or makes me laugh more.)  I try to be interesting, but no one is interesting all the time.

Best Save of the Year:  Freeing that Blue Heron.  Kind of got me to thinking more about keeping our waterways clean.  It is so important to our children and grandchildren, and our sport.

Best New Addition of the Year:  My newest grand baby Little Wren.  Lets not forget what is really important.

Best Save of the Year:  My buddy Chris having Sea Tow when the airboat broke down in the middle of nowhere on the Lower Laguna Madre.

Best Fishing Day of the Year:  Tough to call.  It would probably be the day we portaged to a small lake off Crow Lake in Canada and caught big smallmouth until our arms ached.

Biggest F’ Up of the Year:  It was a tough decision so I settled on 2.  First, hitting that pipe in the Powderhorn and messing up the boat.  Real smooth move.  And of course when they changed the old tires and rims off Clyde’s boat trailer in Canada and did not tighten the lug nuts so it wallowed out his new chrome rim.  But as with my buddy Clyde, no harm no foul, and nobody died.

Best Thing I Heard This Year:  After hitting the pipe, Shoedog checked with our insurance company and we had $0 deductible.  How lucky can you get.

Best Warm and Fuzzy Moment of the Year:  Hearing from folks who I helped in some way catch a bunch of fish.  It feels good to pass it on, you should try it some time.

Biggest Pull It Out of the Year:  The day Chris and I went to Cedar Bayou and fished most of they day in that area with a few bites.  Then we drifted the Ayers Point area and had one of the best topwater bites of the year.   Nothing like an hour of non stop explosions.

Best Fishing Buddy of the Year:  Hands down it was my lovely wife Nancy.  She indulges my fishing obsession and only fished one day with me this year.  And of course like she always does she caught the biggest sailfish of the trip.  Guess she is good at optimizing her fishing time.  Though it is probably the fact that she can’t stand me in the boat for 10 hours.

Best Fishing Decision of the Year:  Using braid more.  I have been hearing it from you all and I finally listened.  But I still can not use it on spinning rods.

Best New Toy of the Year:  Hands down the custom rod that my buddy Chris wrapped for me.  I was afraid to use it at first, now I can’t put it down.  Having that fancy tip on it designed for braid stopped the line from wrapping on the tip, my biggest complaint.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year:  This was not even close – our trip to Falcon this March.  I caught my 3 biggest bass of my life the first time we made the trip several years ago.  If memory serves me correct I only caught 3 small fish the whole trip this year.  Hard to believe how quickly a lake can decline.

Best News of the Year:  Strike King and Down South Lures helping out with a lure sponsorship.  I love their stuff and the results are the proof.  Keeping up with the blog and the fishing is expensive, every little bit helps.  So a big thanks guys.

Best Lure Change of the Year:  After a tough day in Canada Shoedog puts on a crankbait and proceeds to catch a big muskie, one of the biggest pike of the trip, and a beaver.  Boy they loved that crankbait.

Best Whacky Thing of the Year:  Catfish blasting stuff on top.  Aaron found those catfish hitting on top at night on Coleto.  They were feeding on a mayfly hatch and we boated a few.  If it happens this year I am going to get the fly rod out.

Best Reader of the Year:  Though this is the first year for this award, one person wins this hands down – Faye.  I am not sure how long she has been reading me, but it has been a while and I appreciate her loyalty and her reports.  Thanks Faye.  But Rick, Evan, Mac, and the rest of you are appreciated, so keep those comments coming.

Best Decision of the Year:  Deciding to keep it up.  After 3 years it was time to renew my hosting and I thought about it and decided to keep on plugging away.  No matter how I looked at it we must be doing something right so on we go.

Total Fish for the Year:  I was going to go back over all my posts for the year and total up what I had posted for the catch each day.  After doing it for January I gave up.  Way to much work.  But we boated over a 150 fish in January, and it kept on going all year.

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Goals for the 2015: 

1. Catching my first trout over 30″.  I have come close a couple of times and I am taking a positive step towards that in February.  We have hired the best big trout guide on the coast for a couple of days and I intend to suck up as much knowledge as I can.  When you hire a guide listen and learn.
2. Post at least 3 days a week.
3. Try more new stuff on the Gulf.  There are lots of techniques out there that work.  Spoon on a popping cork, drop shot for flounder, double plastics for trout, and anything else I hear or read about.  There are always new techniques out there waiting to be discovered.
4. Catch a really big muskie.  Once you catch one you just want to catch another.
5. To continue to practice and improve at being fair on the water.  A perfect example was the other day when a jon boat cut between me and the fish.  He apologized and my response was not to get mad but to cut him some slack.  None of us are perfect.
6. To get you all more involved.  People love your comments and we can all learn something from each other.  Plus I am not always as interesting as I used to be.
7. To get the Shoedog working on his friend Terry to come down here from Nebraska and fish with us.  There is nothing like watching someone catch their first redfish.  Plus he is a great guy and a good fishing partner.
8. To win the lottery, buy the 6 different boats I need, buy that place up north, down south, out west, and a couple over the big pond.  Since I don’t buy any tickets that one probably won’t happen.
9. To always keep in focus one simple fact – It is in the doing.  Whether it is a 50 trout day, the biggest muskie in the world, or bass until you drop, remembering that is just the result.  It is the love of ripping across the lake at daylight, dropping over the side on the Gulf as the gulls are diving, seeing bucks fighting, that is what it is about.  I have to keep reminding myself that every day out there is a blessing no matter how it comes out.

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I heard from a few readers and wanted to share their comments with you.

Great report!!! A very merry Christmas you had there. Here’s wishing you and yours a safe and prosperous new year and the continued success for Fish Catching Travel!
Thanks for all your efforts,
Rick

Thanks for that Rick.  My Christmas day trip is always a favorite, it never seems to let me down.  I appreciate your continued loyalty and wish you and yours a great new year.

And I wanted to post this comment from Voe.  A new transplant to our area, he is wanting to learn to fish the salt and I was glad to point him the way.

Well, I made it out finally on Wednesday and the weather was perfect, cloudy with a nice light wind.  I launched the kayak and headed down river in the morning and had two undersized sea trout within 5 minutes of launching.  After traveling 30 minutes down river I started throwing plastics to the bank and working them back.  Worked like a charm with over a dozen sea trout caught and released that were all legal size.  3 nice redfish fell victim off another bank and will be dinner tonight the largest being a 5 pounder. 

Fish Catching Travel

Happy New Year  –  The Year in Pictures

January

The Swim Jig bite was on.  This was one thin fish for a big one.

And this one was a real hoss.

It was a good month for trout and reds at both POC and Keller.

February

Coleto continued to produce big fish.

I caught my first wad of crappies on Coleto.

Best buds.  One cool pic and one cool animal.

March

I got to fish with the Austin boys a couple of days.  Always a good time with them.

And Keller Bay continued to produce redfish.  Thanks to Keller Bay RV park for the picture.

April

We had a great trip to Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes in Arkansas.  I busted 2 of these critters on grub on consequtive days.  You just never know.

This is the brown fish we were after.  We caught walleye, smallmouth, largemouth, white bass, stripers, and a few other odd balls.  The Twin Lakes Area is a great place to make an April trip.

The trout fishing remained good at POC.

May

It was a good month for trout.

And of course the buzzbait bite was in full swing on Coleto.

June

June was our Canada trip.  What more can you say about a world class fishing destination.  Big smallmouth, walleye, and muskie.  We had another fabulous trip which was highlighted by the Shoedog and the beaver in a life or death struggle.  What more could you want from a fishing trip?  We are headed back there during the full moon in August, one of the great times to troll for big muskies at night, should be awesome.

That is one huge smallmouth.

The Shoedog put the serious hurt on them this trip.

We also put the hurt on some Lake Trout.  Nice fish Clyde.

When I say the Shoedog put the hurt on them I am not kidding.

No, seriously folks, he laid the smack down on them.  Some trips it is just your turn and Shoedog got the most out of this one.

This is what your thumb will look like after 2 weeks in Canada.

July

The Powderhorn Ranch shoreline produced come big trout.

The Strike King Swimming Jig produced for me from January to January.

What more can you say about the Powderhorn.  One of the great redfish spots in our area.

And do hot hesitate to throw a buzzbait on Coleto when it is hot summertime.

And my buddy Chris and I had a pretty good day on Panther Reef.

August

And a friend sent me a cool picture of the 3 they had on that day at POC.  Summertime is tarpon time in our area.  I should put that on next years list.

Frog time on Coleto.  When the grass mats are up toss that thing right in amongst them.

The fish of the year.  Aaron with a monster out of Keller Bay.  In less than a foot of water that thing exploded on the Strike King Redfish Magic.  What a fish.

September

We got into these at night during a mayfly hatch.  A cool deal, hope it happens this year.

And the buzzbait bite continued.

Teal Season was on!

And the fishing at POC continued to be good.

And we lost our bestest friend ever after 14 years.  Gabby was a great dog and as they say all good dogs go to heaven.  We miss her.

October

We went to Arroyo City and fished the lower Laguna Madre with the airboat.  A great trip and a good time.

My buddy Jeffish with his biggest POC redfish yet.

Keller Bay keeps on producing great redfish.

Chris and I whacked them near Ayers point with one of the great topwater bites of the year.

November

I actually killed a few ducks that day.

And the spinnerbait fishing on Coleto was good.

I got to fish with some of the Austin boys, and Pete caught the first Sea Robin I had ever seen.

November?  Time for the Lavaca River.

The rut is on.  Run for you life girl!

We saved this guy from a limb line left in by some lazy fisherman.  Please respect the outdoors and pick up your stuff.

We had some super river days in November.

There are no words to describe how good a fishing trip I had in Costa Rica.  The pictures tell it best.

My first sailfish.

The boss gets in on the act.

Just like on TV.

No words to describe the melee.

My big bull Mahi Mahi.

My best friend in this world and fresh Mahi Mahi.

Walking across the old bridge on the river between Costa Rica and Panama in the rain forest.  One of the cooler things I have ever done.  Crazy stuff.

Just hanging around.  Sloths are just plain weird.

December

I always look forward to the topwater bite starting in December on Coleto.

Ed gets his first redfish.  The start of a new love affair?

Like I said, the Swim Jig from January to December.

My last redfish of the year. (Maybe!)

There you have it.  There are so many more pictures I could have used, but these are so representative of my year.  Of course there were highs and lows in the fishing department, and the weather sure did not help out to much.  But through it all I kept after them and I am so thankful that you came along with me for the ride.  I am already looking forward to this year.  I will be on the Gulf tomorrow and will get a report as soon as possible.  And then I will wrap up the year and start looking forward to 2015.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

My annual Christmas day fishing trip got off to a late start.  When I got up the wind was blowing pretty good and I seriously thought about heading to the river, it is much easier to fish when the wind is blowing.  But I stayed with the plan and headed to POC.  It has been well over a month since I have fished there so I was happy to get back.

When the wind blows out of the south it can be a pain in the butt right around POC.  But luckily I have a couple of tried and true places to fish no matter what the wind, and both have some deeper water.

Since I have caught a bunch of trout lately redfish was on the agenda.  First off it was the Oil Cut.  It is fairly protected from the wind and has a couple of similar places that I have found redfish in the past, including Louisiana.  That is the back-end of deep cuts.  When they are done schooling in the fall they seem to gang up there.  When I finally got a bait in the water the tide was dead low and flat.

The first of 10 for the day.

I started in the back-end of one of the fingers and put this one in the boat on a Strike King Redfish Magic.  Over the next hour I put 1 more in the boat on the Redfish Magic, but it just seemed like they were not all in on it, so I switched to the Down South plastic and stayed with it the rest of the day.

Black Drum baby.

I worked the fingers and main channel tossing the Down South to the bank and hopping it down.  With the wind blowing a good 20mph today I used a heavier 1/8th ounce jig head to help with the feel.  They were not aggressive by any means for the first couple of hours, but they did bite right along.

I even caught a Sheepshead on the Down South.

I fished in there a couple of hours and then the water started to move.  I did lose a real nice one in the Cut when it got caught in the trolling motor while I was trying to net it.  Don’t count your pictures before they are taken .   Before I left there it was 4 reds (3 rats), the Black and the Sheepshead.  So with 6 over the side it was time to hit Big Bayou.  Once that water started to move it was time for some deeper channels.

Once starting there is was over an hour before I caught my first fish.  It would not be the last.  I stayed on one stretch of bank about 3 yards long and put 15 in the boat, 9 trout and 6 reds.

Talk about fun!  On 8lb line and a spinning rod this size can really pull.

Today was one of those days that only happens once or twice a year.  The tide really started moving through Big Bayou and the wind was blowing in the exact opposite direction, and they offset each other perfect, making boat control a dream.  After putting a couple of reds in the boat the trout started biting.

I can’t stop throwing that Down South.

That one stretch of bank near the end of the bayou had trout and reds on it, but the wind was blowing like a mother right down the bayou, making it tough.  I think I might have felt 2 or 3 of the trout bites but that was it.  When you lifted up you had a split second to commit before they let go of it.

Out of the nine on that bank there was an easy limit.

So for an hour or so I worked back and forth catching one or two and missing a couple, but they stayed put until I got to the one more cast phase.  Then it was one more fish and I finally called it a successful day.

It was deja vu all over again.  We have pulled many a bad weather day out at POC since we first fished it 10 years ago.  When the weather is marginal those 2 places can be a milk run, you just have to narrow down the location and then work them over.  They tend to be ganged up this time of year, so once you catch a couple be sure to give it a good go before you quit on them.

Another annual Christmas Day fishing trip is in the books.  It was a great day to be alive, and on the way home I saw a ton of Sanbar deer, whitetails, and pigs.  I caught fish all day, and did it in spite of the wind.  Catching a good redfish always reminds me why I like to fish for them so much.  I hope your Christmas Day turned out just like you wanted it to, mine did.  Not sure what the weather is bringing but I aim to keep after them this week.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

The weather Gods conspired to keep me from fishing yesterday, so I went anyway.  The forecast was for 20mph+ winds out of the north with clearing skies and falling temperatures, boy did they get it right.  It finally blew me off the lake at 2:00 when there was no place to get away from it.  In fact, the 6:00pm weather said there were gusts to 40mph on the Coast if that tells you anything.

When I got to the lake around 9:30 it was cloudy and the wind was blowing.  It wasn’t howling yet, but it was close.  It  took me all of 2 minutes to catch my first fish.

The Swim Jig strikes again.

Getting to the point, all things were the same as they have been on Coleto except for one little thing.  Of the 8 I caught before it got to ugly, 4 were in the back end of coves.  In fact, when I tossed the topwater all the way in the back end of one I could see the occasional bass roll under the topwater and just not get it.  So I stayed with the Strike King Swim Jig and every so often one would jump it.  The pattern has been fairly consistent, and as long as we are in this weather pattern it shouldn’t change much.

It was tough today but keeping it in the water got a bite or two.

For a day with a cold north wind, clearing sky, and dropping temperature it was ok, not comfortable, but tolerable.  Not going to the Gulf was the best decision I made all day.

A run of the mill keeper right now.

There really isn’t much new to say about the fishing on the lake.  I put 8 in boat, 6 on Swim Jig and 2 on topwater.  Fishing is ok, consistent, but no really big fish are showing up right now.  But that is about to change.  We still have some winter to go, the question is how much and how long?  Today was one of those days I put my camo pants on over my jeans and boy was I glad I did.  The water temperature has dropped a little again, and combined with the cold front, it finished the bite off.  After the sky cleared I had one bite in 2 hours so I pulled the plug and headed to the house.

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My buddy Clyde dropped me a note along with the following picture –

“Merry Christmas you pork rind! We all be pork rinds!”

Pike soup and Venison Loin.

This is Clyde and Maria’s anniversary supper.  The family who hunts and fishes together stays together.  Congratulations and Merry Christmas.  Nothing  but the best for you guys, have a great New Year and I look forward to our fishing adventures coming this year.

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My sister-in-law got me a great Christmas present, a Bubba Blade.  I can not wait to use it on a slot red.  Let us see if you can slide through their ribs like the TV ad.  Thanks Suzie, that is a great present that should last me forever.

I have a few things to get done today before the stores close.  It will be up at daylight and off to fish some saltwater somewhere, where will be determined by the wind.  I have really enjoyed my Christmas day fishing trips and I have always thought of it as a present to myself.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

To all of you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  May you and your family have a great holiday and a profitable and happy new year. 

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It is always good to be back after being gone for 5 days,  And it was good to see my folks and lots of other relatives, including my new Grandbaby Wren.  Mother and daughter are doing fine as is the rest of the family.  So with that taken care of it was time for a quick afternoon trip.  I had several things to do before I could hit the lake, and it was around 1  when I hit the water.

The lake is still on the decline, we need more rain.  It did not help matters that the clouds had cleared out and the sun was shinning.  First thing I noticed was it had dropped 7 degrees near the ramp and 4 degrees up lake.  Since I had not fished there in about 8 days I figured what could have changed much?  Well some things have changed

The water up lake was slightly off colored but I started with a topwater anyway, and that turned out to be a bust, as did spinnerbait.  In fact I only had one bite up lake and that was on the white Strike King Swimming Jig, and I missed it.  So back down lake in search of clearer water, but it had a slight haze to it.  Guess we had a little rain while we were gone, and it didn’t help the topwater bite.

Finally at 4 one ate the Swim Jig.  I took a picture in case it was the only one for the day.

I moved to a deeper main lake bank near the dam with some grass on it and finally caught one.  Then another, and for the next hour and a half I kept the trolling motor down and kept swimming that jig.

A little better.

Even though I kept alternating with the topwater they were just not having it.  I had been catching 10 or so in a morning or afternoon on it, but it was not working.  So once I caught the second one on the Swim Jig I just kept it in the water.  Most were about 10 foot off the bank in 3 – 5 feet of water.  It was harder to feel them today as they just were not real active when they hit it.

Not as big an average has they have been.

The only thing that was similar with the fishing compared with before I left was they still wanted it medium/slow tipping grass and cover.  Other that it was a tough bite.

The last good one for the day.

All in all not a bad trip for a short one.  The fish have definitely changed some, and with this cold front right around the corner it may get a little tougher.  One thing I will say for that Swim Jig, it is one good bait when the bite is tough.  But when it is tough they can be so hard to feel.  So it takes lots of concentration.  You have to watch your line and be ready to set the hook when you feel anything.  I think I actually felt 2 bites of the 7 I caught, the rest just swam with it.

So with Coleto kinda figured out it is time for the bay.  With all the river visits it has been awhile since I fished the Gulf.  The weather may affect tomorrow, we will have to see, but it will be the start of some pretty serious fishing.  I plan on hitting POC, Indianola, Keller, and Shoalwater.  That will take some doing but I have the time this week, so let the fishing begin.

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It was good to hear from Bobby –

Just a note Doug my friend. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas. And a big thank you for showing me how to fish on coleto. I have learned a lot from you. I wish we could fish more together as you know my job takes most of my time.Anyway thanks for the blog I read it all the time..

Merry Christmas  my friend..Bobby

Thanks for dropping me a line.  I hope you guys have a great Christmas too, and I will see you on the lake.

I also heard from Evan, who has a case of the hunting fever right now –

It has been way too long since I’ve commented on one of your posts.  Rest assured tho – I have been reading every last one!  Still enjoy the stories and the lessons.
I figured you’ve been getting into duck hunting a little more that I should comment on this post.
Any day you can kill a duck is a good day in my book!  I cannot wait for the season to open back up.
I have been doing quite a bit of deer hunting too, so it keeps me calm until I can get after some waterfowl.
I’m headed back to Kansas next week to chase ducks, geese and some whitetail.
What I need to do is bust out the kayak and hit the bay for some trout and redfish.  Lord knows its been warm enough!
I’ll keep reading so long as you keep writing.  Thanks for taking the time to share!
-Evan

Thanks for the kind comments Evan.  Hope to see a picture of one of those big Kansas bucks down.  And it is still warm enough for a little kayak fishing.  Have a good Christmas and New Year, I appreciate you reading this drivel.

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That will do it for now.  I am ready for a stretch of serious fishing and I hope you come along for the ride.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It is almost here, Christmas.  As I wrap up a couple of days visiting my mother and father, brother, and sister and her husband, I have a lot to be thankful for.  Our families made it through another year without any disasters or the loss of any loved one.  Today we head over to OK City for a couple of days to see our daughter and her husband, grandchild number 1 Miss Mia, and our newest grand baby, little Wren.  They are all doing well, minus a couple of cases of flu, but all in all have had a good year.  So it was so interesting and telling when I got the following comment from Mac, one of my loyal readers and most thoughtful commenters.  There is a story here, one that is touching and should lead you to pause and think about how good your life is, and how it can change for all of us in a moment.

“Baa-Humbug–planned to go fishing  in the back bays around Cedar Bayou the next couple of days, but the rain and cold prediction may keep me by the fireplace.   A neighbor of  mine just returned today with some nice slot reds still in shallow water.

All were caught sight casting with a Mann’s Wobbler  near Fence Lake.  It seems the large schools of fall have dispersed. All were singles just snoozing in the warm sun yesterday.   Water condition were pristine.  This time of year I can head down and fish in water that resembles chocolate milk. One often finds it difficult to get ideal weather conditions 1n late fall and winter.   Wish I was in Costa Rica!!!!!! Thanks for your story on your whole time there.    Others enjoyed it also

Now a Christmas story—and it is how life can change in an instant.  25 years ago I met a professor, Dr. Jim Harwell from the University of Kansas. His wife had just died and he bought a Volkswagen van , and moved to Port Aransas.  For about 4 years he lived in his van and fished the South Jetty often.   He said he really missed his wife and fishing was his love since her life ended.  Often he and I would just sit on the rocks and just talk fishing and life itself.  I lost track of professor Harwell and thought I would never see him again.   In November,while walking around Town Lake , in Austin, I passed an elderly man, who looked down on his luck but somewhat familiar.  I went on by and heard a very weak “Mac”.   I continued on my way, but then I looked back and saw my old friend , the professor.   We embraced and told each of our lives.  My life has been blessed with family and friends while Dr. Jim’s went the opposite direction.   After teaching many years and fishing, Dr. Jim is now homeless. 

I gave him my phone number, but he tore it up and said that his life was near over and he did not want to burden my family by hanging around us.  He then said during good weather, we can find him at the same spot on Sundays.  I said goodbye and walked away troubled that I left him.  His words on my departure–”Mac , what you are now, I once was, and what I am now, someday you could be in my situation.    A month has passed and I have not seen him there.  Maybe  even though I may never see him again, he has taught me a valuable lesson.   “Always value and keep in touch with loved ones and friends.”    Doug. by your writing your friends are many,  Mac”

I really am touched by your story and your comments.  As we live our lives, consumed with our own problems and trials, we do forget what is important, old friends slip away, and we don’t say those things that should be said.  Though we have never met I truly appreciate your friendship.  Nothing is more satisfying to me than to hear it when someone says you helped me catch some fish, I read your blog regularly, or thanks for something I wrote.  This has gone from a simple diary with no destination, to a fishing first blog, to what I now hope is an ongoing story.  My greatest hope is that you all are along for the ride.  My goal is nothing more complicated than to share it with you.  So thanks Mac, your comment puts what is important into words.  Have a great Christmas with your family.

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As melancholy as Mac’s comment is, the following comment from Al is as important for another completely different reason.  The fishing world has changed so much in the over 40 years I have been hitting it hard.  More folks, bigger boats, fancy stuff and big money have changed the face of fishing.  But those of us who have pursued our sport with a passion unrelated to metal flake and fancy shirts have some great memories, memories that should not be lost or forgotten.

“My two brothers and I FISHED the back end of powderhorn back in the early 60,ies before horricane Carla.We fished out of Ed Bells fish camp @ the opening to Lavaca bay.A quart of shrimp live was .50 cents we would buy 2 quarts and as a general rule catch one or two trout on each bait.My brother Adam had a 14 ‘ yellowjacket hull with 25 johnson.Every time it failed to start or we sheered a pin guess who pulled the boat back to the dock,I was the youngest.I have not been back in powderhorn since Horricane Carla,have fun Al”

Love it Al,  I bet Adam thought he was the bomb with that fine boat.  A gallon of gas, $2 worth of bait, and you were living large.  Think about if folks, the boat breaks down and you just pull it back to the dock.  How things have changed.  It has come to adding a 2 to all those numbers.  Now it is $22 worth of bait, in a 24 foot boat with a 225hp on the back end.  Progress, yes.  Improvement?  Debatable.  It is what it is, and I don’t want to belabor “the good old days”, but fishing has changed dramatically.  It is so important to not lose sight of what drives those of us with the passion.  It is not the metal flake, it is the electricity that shoots up our arm when we feel that bite.  It is not the 60mph as we blast across the bay, it is the blood red sunrise coming up over the trees.  I love it when I get this kind of comment, it helps me remember why I pick up the rod.  So thanks Al, I really do appreciate it.

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Come on the rest of you, I know you have some stories, some memories, things you share with family and friends as you get together over the holidays.  Your stories are important to all of us.  Doesn’t matter if it is happy or sad, or some complete BS fisherman tale, we all love to hear them as much as we love to tell them.  So send me some more, make all of our holidays fuller, and when we retell them your story will live forever.

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I will be heading home in a couple of days and for me it is the fishing season.  As a former paramedic, and with a wife who was a paramedic for 25 years, and is now a PA in the ER, she has historically worked on most of the days around Christmas.  With only one grown child my wife has worked over Christmas so those with children can have the time off to be with their family.  We just take ours before and after, and it works for us.  So my Christmas present to myself has been to fish Christmas day, which I have probably done the last 20 years.  It really is a great day to fish.  I have it to myself, but not for the selfish reasons you might think, but for the solitude.  No motor sounds, no one at the ramp, just a day for myself enjoying the sport I love.

And of course there is a story, always a story.  As an attorney I am a notorious rule follower.  (I know attorney and rule follower in the same sentence is an oxymoron, but I really do follow rules.)  I can’t help it, I just follow rules.  One I never break is the No Wake rule, right?  So Christmas day several years ago I am headed up lake on Coleto when I get to the bridge where the No Wake buoy is and I think, what the heck, not a soul out here, so I buzz under the bridge without slowing down.  As I come out the other side I hear Whoop Whoop.  There, crossing the bridge at 8:00 on Christmas morning, with not another person out, is the Game Warden in his truck.  So I turn around and wave as I head up lake.  Lesson learned.  Who would’a thunk it?  And I promise Warden, it won’t happen again!

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Hope you holidays are going well and your friends and family are all doing well.  And maybe if you are lucky you will get to slip away a couple of hours and wet a line.  But remember there will be other days, but not other friends and family.  So enjoy your time with them, and don’t worry, I will handle the fishing part.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

After our morning duck hunt we got back to town around 11:30 and I immediately breasted the ducks, put the gun and hunting stuff up, hooked up the boat and headed to Coleto.  I was real interested in the water temperature and if the lake was dropping.

First the water.  Last time I was there, a week ago it was 67 degrees at the ramp, it is now in the 77 degrees range from the ramp most of the way up lake.  When you round the big bend up lake it does  drops to 71 degrees, and that is the coolest I found it.   It does make me wonder that with the water temperature rising in the bay that maybe that has drawn some of those bigger trout back out of the rivers and creeks.  It will be interesting to see on our next real cold front, and we will have one, if the fishing won’t really heat back up in the rivers.  Stay tuned for that one.

As far as the lake’s water level it seems to have come down just a little.  We need rain and the weather man is sorta promising several days over the next week.  You know being the weather man must be a difficult job.  It is your fault when things don’t go as expected, but you never get credit for the good stuff.

The fishing on the other hand remains exactly as I found it last trip.  I just keep throwing the Strike King Swimming Jig in the Sexy Shad with a pearl Caffine Shad paddle tail trailer and the Bagley Bang O Lure.

I just can’t put that Swim Jig down!

My whole plan for the afternoon, besides catching fish of course, was to head up lake and see if things had changed.  My last outing the water way up lake was 12 degree colder and they would not bite worth a crap.  But my first stop, I couldn’t resist, was a main lake bank that still has some green grass in that 3 – 6 foot range.  Those fish have been there for several months, and with the disappearing grass in the rest of the lake I don’t expect them to move, and from the one above you can see they haven’t,  As it has been, tip the grass with a steady retrieve, and the speed it up or hop it, and they will eat.  I am using a 1/4 ounce but am somewhat remiss for not throwing the 3/8th, it might just give that little additional depth and lead to some bigger fish.  Have to check that one out.

Now I know that conventional wisdom is that the Swim Jig is not a winter bait, and true enough, it is best in the spring with new emerging grass.  While that is true as I have learned the last couple of years, as long as you have bass in cover it will work.  I ended up putting 3 in the boat there on a quick pass, but not wanting to wear them out, I headed up lake.

Once I saw the 71 degrees I knew it would be good, and it was.  A couple of more fell to the Swim Jig but it was time for the topwater minnow.  And first cast one blasted it next to the boat, and over the rest of the afternoon another dozen plus fell for it.

Today some of them like this guy were really blowing up on it.

Just like the last few trips, and the winter and early spring on Coleto, they wanted it right on top, twitching it right along.  Often the eat it close, but the better ones seem to come off the bank some, so don’t give up on it.  And as it will be until we approach true pre-spawn, most were near points.  In fact right now point hopping would probably be the most efficient way to fish.  And if you would combine that with any deeper live grass beds, you could probably boat a ton of fish in a day.

While not real giants, I will take a limit of these all day long!  And not to worry, those big girls will be up soon.

I fished until about 5 but was starting to wear down a little.  So after having a successful duck hunt and a short fishing trip I headed to the ramp.  After I put the boat on the trailer I did some investigating.  You never know where you will find useful information, and one of those places on Coleto is the trash can at the cleaning table.  So I popped the lid and there was a nice string of crappie.  Aaron was there a couple of days ago and a couple of guys were cleaning a string of nice ones.  So if you like crappie they are out there to be caught and from what I hear they are not all that deep.

So our fishing remains good on many area of the coast.  Hunting season is in full swing and the weather is great.  So many options, so little time.  I love the not really knowing what is next, just that there will be a next.  Every day we can enjoy the outdoors is a gift that should never be taken for granted.  It is a bit beautiful world out there so get out enjoy your favorite activity with family and friends.  And last I want to thank several of you for sending me some great comments.  I will sit down and get them posted tomorrow.  And a particular thumbs up to Mac, I hope others love your comment as much as I did.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

I have always felt like they got it wrong, rarely do you cast and blast, it is almost always blast then cast.  And in my case it says it all about Monday.  Sunday night Chris texted me and asked if I wanted to hunt some ducks, and of course the answer was yes.  When it is this warm and we do not have to take a freezing boat ride I am all about duck hunting.  I actually wrote that comment about duck hunting yesterday, and one day later I am going hunting with a low of 68 degrees.  Crazy.

It was a 5:15 meet at his place, load up the stuff and Link, and off to the lease.  His lease has made some real progress this year with quite a few more ducks.  So I wasn’t to concerned we wouldn’t shoot any when we hit the blind.  The mosquitoes were out in full force and there was not a breath of wind.  It was about a half hour after shooting time before we shot the first one.  Then it was another half hour easy before we killed number 2.

Every once in while Link would look over at us like: “Where’s the ducks?

Finally about 8:30 or so it started clouding up and the wind started blowing, not much, but at least we had a ripple in the spread.  Around that time we saw several large bunches but they were not interested.  Finally they started coming in and before it was over we ended up killing 7.

Really nice to hunt with a dog, and Link will go get them.

This is Link’s first year and I am real impressed with his concentration, he watched it all and if he heard a safety click he was on high alert.  He sat on his platform and only got off when Chris sent him after a duck.  They should have a long and full career hunting ducks together.  I try to stay as excited about being in the outdoors as Link must be when it is up early and on with the hunting stuff.

So a little slow, but with my duck hunting luck 7 is a veritable haul.  I hope to get a couple of more days before the season is over, but the fishing remains good.  Choices, choices, so many choices.  So my choice was to go fishing as soon as we got back to the house.  I will get that posted in the next day or two.

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Speaking of fishing, I got this from Kevin.

“We fished the river on saturday ourselves, throwing Down South lures.  Almost the exact same results as y’all.  we had 7 keepers, 2 keeper flounder, zero reds though.  From what i could tell the fish were just spread out with that horrible tide we had but hey, fishin is fishin and we had a blast and just grinded it out.  Can’t wait till we get a little better tides and some colder weather, usually helps the fishing down there.  Tight Lines
–Kevin -“

I am telling you folks, the Down South plastics work.  We felt your pain with the tide, which did not help a thing Saturday.  And as far as the fish being spread out, the keepers sure were.  And I liked your description of the day as grinding it out, could not have said it any better.  Thanks for the report, we appreciate it.

It’s late and I have been going for a long time and it is time to call it a day.  Time to start thinking about the holidays.  And I will see my new grand baby in a couple of days, and drop off presents for the kids.  It sure does not seem like Christmas.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

The only thing I have noticed with the bite is the size of the trout are not quite as big as they have been.  But with that said, the fishing continues to be hot.  Who knows?  Maybe as we have this round of spring like weather some of the better fish are migrating from the deep holes and back into the open bay.  As I have not been in open water for a while I can not tell you whether the water temperature has risen significantly or not, but the fish are still biting.

Aaron and his buddy Ed planned on meeting at the ramp at daylight for one last day on the river.  Initially my plan was for Shoalwater but Ed has never really been saltwater fishing and has never caught a redfish.  So wanting to be sure to put some fish in the box for him we changed plans.

Aaron and Ed thrashing the water to a froth.

We started off throwing the Down South watermelon red with the Chartreuse tail and kept with that basically all day.  There was a little Redfish Magic and Corky thrown in, but it was definitely a Down South day.  One little word on their plastics, if we did not lose them or break them off you can catch a bunch of trout on one body.  We were in lots and lots of small trout and never had one tear up where we had to change it.  A good tip to help any plastic stay on the hook longer – If it is painted, and has a collar to hold the plastic on, just take a pair of cutters and remove the paint from the keeper.  It will not be near so slick and holds the plastic on much longer.

The keeper trout as usual were scattered here and there, again some on flatter banks and some on deeper stuff.  The tide was barely moving, there was no wind, and it was flat out beautiful.  As Ed had to be back by 2 we only fished until 1 but again caught fish all morning.

We caught 5 or 6 flounders but only 2 kept.

The flounder have been located on the flatter muddy banks.  Though we have not fished for them intentionally, they come here and there on the Down South.  We also put 5 or 6 redfish in the boat, but only one made the grade, and then the one Ed landed.

Nice first redfish Ed.  To bad she was an inch+ to long.

The tide was moving out slowly so we hit a point leading out of a small pond.  When the water is falling never pass up a point that sits at the mouth of a pond or bay.  Bait is pulling out and the fish, trout, reds, and flounder, all gang up there waiting for the bait to come by.  Aaron tossed his Down South out and knew it was a good red so he handed the rod to Ed and the fight was on.  After a good struggle we netted her and she was a little bigger than we thought, a nice 29″+.  So Ed got his red.

A little while later Aaron thought he had a big fish on, and here is the result.

The plastic off a 24 case of water bottles.

Just in the last few fishing trips we have removed a Blue Heron from a limb line, got mono in the prop twice, caught some plastic, and picked up 75 yards of braid with a bait on the end.  And that is just what I can think of off the top of my head.  Please folks be careful and get back anything you can.  Not only can it ruin your day, it is just plain ugly to have all this stuff in the water that will last for years.  There is only so much water so be as nice as you can to it.  Makes all our days on the water better.

The trout were mostly small, though we boxed 8.  One thing we have continued to do is when you are getting bites and having trouble hooking them we just reel it fast 5 or 6 cranks and let it fall.  It prompts them to eat.  So if you feel them nipping at it reel and let it fall, it works.

So after a morning where we boated a bunch of fish it was back to the ramp so Ed could go on call in the oilfields.  It took him a little while to get the hang of the finicky trout, but he got it soon enough and managed to boat some trout, a red, and a flounder.  Good start to his saltwater fishing experience.  Of course Aaron did his usual thing and I held up my end.  For the morning it was 8 trout, 2 flounders, and one slot red for the box.

The box has been getting a workout lately.

As those of you who read my stuff know I do not keep lots of fish, just a few every once in while.  For me it is fresh from the Gulf to my mouth.  But it is nice to fish with folks who do not get to keep these kinds of fish all that often, it feels good to know they will be smacking their lips at home with our great saltwater fish.  Sometimes the eating is as much fun as the catching.

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Our weather has been crazy this fall.  Below freezing, and then a run of spring weather.  That can only prolong our current fishing production whether you fish the salt or fresh.  But we sorely need rain.  We are down around 12″ now, and while we have been forecast to have rain here or there it just has not materialized.  Aaron lives in Longview and Shoedog in College Station and they have had plenty.  Their ponds and lakes are either full or on the way up.  The only bad side effect if we could get a frog strangler is it would dump lots of fresh in the rivers and creeks and might push the trout back out.  But that would be just fine, we really need to break out of this drought.

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I can not imagine the duck and goose hunters are not still having a good shooting season.  Area marshes are loaded with waterfowl if my observations on the water the last few weeks are anything to go by.  What effect the warm weather has on ducks I do not know.  But the affect on me is wonderful, sure is nicer to be hunting at daylight when it is 50 degrees and not 25.

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I saw a real interesting way to catch redfish on TV today and thought I would pass it on to you.  They were using a gold spoon on a popping cork.  Now that is pretty simple but the key was they do not use a swivel on the end of the popping cork, or the spoon.  You would think you would get a lot of line twist, and guess what?  That is the whole point.  As you pop it along it gets twist in it, and when you let it sit it starts to unwind and the spoon spins.  Cool idea.  They were catching bull reds but I think it may have some application for trout.  Use a smaller spoon and there is no reason they won’t hit it.  I hope I take the time to use it some, it could be killer, especially when they are feeding on baitfish like they are right now.

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How about sending me a few more reports.  I love to hear from you all and I read each and every comment I get.  Unfortunately I do not give out my email, keeps those spam a&&holes from swamping my email.  So if you have something to say just drop a comment, the link is at the bottom of each post.  I know you all have something to say and we learn from all of you.  And once I get a comment your email address is included and is how I can get back to you.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines