Fish Catching Travel

Fish Catching Travel

After 3 days of really cold weather I could not stand it any more so it was time to hit the water.  As I have been telling you this cold weather will drive those trout to deeper holes, the intercoastal, and rivers along the Texas coast, no matter where you are.  Just a couple of minutes of thought and preparation can put you on the good trout fishing right now.  So get out the map of your local area, really study it, and then hit those type of places.  You  just might find them stacked in there.

It was cold when I put the boat in the river, a balmy 38 degress..  So I bundled up with plenty of clothes and coffee and headed down river to a favorite stretch of bank where I have caught them the last few years.  It took all of 5 minutes to put the first good keeper over the side.

So it is going to be one of those days huh?

Over the next all of 20 minutes I caught a nice limit.  It was just plain good.  First was a 1/16th jig head with a 4″ Chicken on a Chain paddle tail.  They were absolutely eating it.  It was the Texas Two Step method of hopping it up off the bottom with a double jerk and letting it fall.  About half of them smacked the crap out of it, often making the line jump like it was hit with an electrical charge.  The rest were there when I picked up.  I kept catching them, I was not keeping fish today so it was just a catch and release day.

You can just see the chartreuse paddle tail sticking out of his mouth.

As this was my first trip there this fall, and they were biting to beat the band, it was time to do a little experimenting.  At the ramp there were dead shad everywhere.  The river must be full of them right now so it was time to throw a couple of different baits.  First up was a Corky, which got me nothing, not even a touch.  So I switched to a Catch 2000 in a shad pattern, but it fared no better.  As I had the skiff with no temp gauge on it I was unsure of the water temperature, but it looks like the water is still to warm for slow baits.

So out came the old trusty popping cork.  I don’t throw it like I used to, and today reminded me it has it’s place in trout fishing.   Today was the day and from then on it was truly game on.

They were flat out eating that Rage Shrimp.

A Rage Shrimp in white with a chartreuse tail on a 1/16th jig head, 20 inches below the cork, was the ticket.  From that point I just kept going down the river tossing it to the bank.  Unlike a lot of days with the popping cork, today the better fish were having it.  It was a matter of popping it real hard, then letting it sit for a count of 5, then popping it again.  Most of them came about 5 feet off the bank and I caught them right along.

About half were keeper size and up, half smaller.  Most were jerking it under but a couple of the better fish would just touch it, and then pull it under.  I really believe the juice that comes with each pack of the Rage Shrimp was the answer.  I have no clue how it tastes, but they sure liked it.  And I do want to remind you that trout are a pretty delicate fish, so be sure you get the hooks out with the least amount of trauma you can.

So about 11 I called it a morning.  At least 20 plus came over the side easy.  It was just a good day.  With our cold fronts this type of fishing will only get better for the next month or two.   I did not have any crankbaits or jerkbaits, but they might work like a charm right now, as would a spoon.  And for those of you lazy fishermen, trolling with plastics, rattletraps, of spoons will probably get you your share.

As usual I am not sure what or where is next, but this morning got my blood going.  The Shoedog is also headed this way and there are a couple of more places that I can not wait to try.  So it will be some serious trout fishing this next week, and Costa Rica is right around the corner.  Visions of sailfish, marlin, and mahi mahi are dancing in my head.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Wow!  That is all I have to say about our weather.  One thing that happens here in South Texas that is a little different from my old stomping grounds is the fantastic changes that come from what is known here as a Norther.

I got to the lake with high hopes of fishing on the front.  It was a beautiful 67 degrees, cloudy with a few sprinkles.  At exactly 10:00 you could hear it coming.  In about 2 minutes the wind started howling and the temp dropped 15 degrees.  Real wonderful!

I was really anticipating fishing before the front.  It started off slow, at least it felt like it.  The plan was to work on fishing the white swim jig with a paddle tail.  With the bass feeding on shad big time right now it seemed a logical choice.

This guy came on the first bank.  It wasn’t as dark as it looks, just real cloudy and right at daylight.

The wind was not blowing at all when I got out.  So it was off to those mid depth banks with grass in 3 – 6 foot of water.  It was just one here and one there.  While I caught a couple of fish on spinnerbait and a couple on topwater I kept working that swim jig.

Lately it has become somewhat of an addiction as I learn the best way to get them to eat it.  To generate the most bites you need to reel it so that it just tips the grass.  And every time it tics the grass speed it up just a little and they will eat.  One thing about the swim jig, you have to concentrate.  Occasionally they will smack it, but usually it is nothing more than a light tic.

Other times they just start swimming with it, and you have to be a line watcher.  Every once in a while they actually swim with it all the way to the boat, or move it sideways with little resistance.  I think the cat and mouse game of feeling them is what makes it such a cool way to catch fish.

Of the dozen or so this morning this was the size run.

One thing that surprised me was it remained calm until the front came.  It felt like I was not really catching them but when I got number 10 I looked at the time and it was only 9, so it was going pretty good.  That is until it felt like I had some grass on my line and it dawned on me one was swimming with it to the boat.  I set the hook, broke my line, and was so unhappy to have a big fish break the surface and try to throw that swim jig.  That is about the fourth one I have broke off the last week or so, operator error, and I am going to make some change to remedy that.  Maybe a light braid and a 20lb fluro leader will clear that up.

Then it came, and I mean it was roaring.  The lake started white capping in an instant, and the fish quit me like someone threw the switch.  Of course I fished another hour without a bite.  It reminded me of the old tournament days in the Arkansas winter where they were never cancelled no matter what.  After a while it was what are you doing out here, and I headed to the house.

One last note on Coleto, not only has there been some schooling at the out flow on the Coleto arm, there are fish being caught at both out flows.  So if it stays cool, and it sure looks like it is going to, add that to your list next time you go.  Fishing that way has never been my thing, but with winter upon us, it is a way to catch them at times when nothing else it happening.

You could sure tell the front was coming with the amount of geese that were flying over as they rode it down.  And the ducks were flying all morning at the lake.  And I am not sure if the following picture had anything to do with the front.

This is the biggest bunch of pelicans I have seen at the lake in a while.  First time I saw something like that in Arkansas I was astounded.  Not to many pelicans up there.

Our weather report is absolute crap.  It is blowing 25 and is 46 degrees, and that may actually be the high tomorrow as the high north wind continues.  Now I used to be that mad at them, and in the Arkansas winter it was either fish or stay home for 3 months.  Here fortunately it will break sooner or later, and no matter what the weather I will only stay in the house for so long.  So next it will be the Lavaca River, by Friday at the latest.  This is the cold snap that will drive those trout into rivers and deep holes near you.

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Shoedog has bucks running all over him on his hunting grounds.  He is still in search of Mister Big, but he sent me a couple of pictures from his game cam.  With this front those deer are charging around in the day time.  With visions of hot chicks on their mind this is the one time they throw caution to the wind, not in their best interest.

He isn’t sure if this is the same buck, but he isn’t Mr. Big.

Shoedog is on the hunt for the big one and is putting in the time.  It won’t be long and the rut will be in full swing and Mr. Big will make the fatal mistake.  Hopefully he can lay down the gun long enough to make it down here next week.  We have some trout to whack.

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As the traffic here at fishcatchingtravel.com continues to grow at a rapid rate I still get lots of questions on how to do a blog, spam, coding, and a host of others.  I am not going to answer them.  If you have truly read the blog there is a how to on running a blog.  So if you are asking most of these questions you have not read lots of my blog.  The answer to those questions is here, so try reading it.  And one last word, I really do not have a clue as to the technical side, I simply write, hit enter, and there you are.

The rest of you with fishing questions or comments keep them coming.  Send me stuff, I read it all.  I love getting pictures, stories, and comments.  This blog was started with you in mind, that is why I do it, and any participation is appreciated.

Thanks Booyah, they replaced the spinnerbaits that broke, that is how to run a tackle company.  I have appreciated the help from Strike King, I love their baits, and it helps defray the cost.  The site now is finally reaching the kinds of numbers that justify some advertising.  But don’t worry, if I add any it will only be a couple , and it will only be tackle.  No Viagra, lonely Russian women, or other such nonsense.  We here at fishcatchingtravel. com are all about the fishing, and nothing but the fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It is hell getting old.  Here it is 4 am, I am already awake an hour before I intended to get up.  Sometimes I feel like a kid trapped in an old man’s body.  After hundreds of trips to the lake I still get excited and wake up way to dang early.  But I guess that is what fishing means to me, everyday is a blessing and I don’t want to waste a minute of it.

The other part of that is making stupid mistakes like I did with the last post on POC.  Somehow I mixed up Pete and John when I labeled the pictures.  My sincerest apologies to both of you.  They are a couple of great guys and I really like fishing with them.  So don’t hold it against me boys, stuff just happens.  I look forward to fishing with you any time you are down.

The duck hunting is still somewhat spotty from the reports I have read and am getting from folks.  Chris sent me this picture of his lovely wife and a few ducks.

Half teal and half big ducks.

He reports they are seeing a few more big ducks at his lease, but they are still not showing in big numbers in spite of increasing populations at the bay.  But with this big front we have coming there should be huge flights riding the front so it should get dramatically better in the near future.

I did want to show you a picture I forgot to post the other day.  Tilapia are not known for hitting lures regularly, but I do catch a few on occasion.

What was he thinking?

Most I have caught have basically been foul hooked, this one knocked the crap out of the crankbait when I ripped it out of the grass.  Remember to not return them to the water alive.  This one is gator bait.

Speaking of Coleto, I saw a real nice string of 20 crappie the other day.  They were caught on minnows out of standing timber.  The guys reported to me that they had been catching them deep, but they had moved up to the 10 foot range.  So if you want some tasty fare now is the time.  The crappie fishing will stay good for the rest of the winter.  They told me they just kept moving around, catching a few here and there.

I also got a second report of schooling activity on Coleto.  They were in the big out flow cove in the Coleto arm and were getting after it.  Apparently they largemouth were mixed in with the white bass, and even some catfish.  I have heard it happened in both the morning and afternoon.  It can be a hit or miss thing, but it sure is fun when it happens.

Also, thanks for the various shout outs I have been getting from you Texas folks.  It is appreciated.  And speaking of that, fishcatchingtravel.com continues it growth.  November has been fantastic.  We have already had more visitors this month than any month last year, and it is only the 11th.  I had hope to top 125,000 this year, but we are way past that.  So thanks, it is humbling.

That is it for this morning.  Time to head to the lake and lay the smack down on them.  The big front is on the way and my hopes are high.  Then it will be off to the Lavaca River for my first trip there this fall.  The reports are the smaller trout are in there, and this cold front should bring the bigger fish.  They trout should start to gang up in the deeper places with this front no matter where you are.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines 

Fish Catching Travel

I met Pete, John, and Todd at the house they were renting in POC at 6:00 in the morning.  I was excited to fish with them as it is always a good time.  Today can only be described as a real grinder of a day, and like so many others in my fishing life it was a matter of sticking with it, understanding what was happening, and finally putting it together at the end of the day.  I love that side of it.

When we put in at Charlie’s the wind was blowing around 20 mph out of the north, it was cool and drizzling.  Todd wanted to make our first stop at the Army Hole, a good spot to fish as our winter progresses.  The wind was blowing in there and we made a short shore wade and did a small amount of drifting.  Pete put a nice keeper trout in the boat, and we might have had a couple of more that wouldn’t keep, so it was off to the Big Pocket area for a bigger wade.

I am not sure but I don’t think we put a keeper in the boat there, but boy did we whack the lizard fish.  I had a first, a lizard on a topwater.  We waded a drain out of the marsh but just did not find a concentration so it was time for another move.

Todd strike again.  His first trip to POC was with me and he has sure learned and improved a lot since then.  He, and the rest of the Austin guys are some of the more persistent fishermen I am lucky enough to fish with.

We then headed to Pringle for a little drifting.  With the rollers getting bigger as we headed down the bay his Shallow Sport made the ride a heck of a lot nicer than my smaller flats style boat.  We set up in the back end and let the wind carry us along.  I kept alternating with plastics and topwater though I knew topwater was going to be tough.  When we smoked them last week on topwater the water temperature was 80, our rain combined with the cold front had dropped the temp as low as 63 in some places.  That precipitous drop in water temperature is not the best for topwater.

It was another one or two fish on a couple of drifts, but we did put another keeper in the box.  Bascially we all caught a fish or two as we kept moving, but just were not finding any real concentration.  So time to move again.  We cruised down the island trying to determine what was next.  I told you yesterday I would let you know where they caught that limit the night before, it was in the barge canal, you know the spot I am talking about.

After some discussion we reached a concensus, they had a limit each of trout already and since they had another full day to fish we opted out of the long run and so we kept grinding it out.  So off to the First Chain to see how it looked.  It was really off colored there as the wind was pounding right on the reef.  Of course the 6 oyster boats tearing up the bottom didn’t help matters.  We headed through Steamboat Pass and found some nice clear water behind the islands so we stopped and fished.  There was bait there, Todd put the keeper above in the box, and again we caught just one or two small ones.  I finally suggested we head into Shoalwater for some drifting and our persistence paid off.

For the next couple of hours we caught a bunch of trout drifting, and Pete caught a fish that was flat out cool.

Pete with a Sea Robin.  First one I have seen caught.

As this was the first one I have ever seen I had to do some research.  Of course I went to the data base which is recognized as the definitive medical, scientific, and legal research site, Wikipedia.  Getting it’s name from it’s wings, it is found to depths of over 600 feet.  If you notice in the picture above there are 6 spiny legs, 3 below each wing,  As bottom feeders it was thought that they walked on them, but they are used to stir up the bottom.  They basically have a solid skull and are edible but  I am not sure if I have been that hungry.  So there is your great outdoors lesson for today so back to the fishing.

We made multiple drifts, driving in until we hit a foot of water and drifting out until it was around 4 feet deep.  The guys were fishing popping cork and gulp, I stuck with the plastics.  Now I had not had that great of day but once I got on them I put my share in the box.

As I slowly evolve into a better trout fisherman (I have a ways to go.) I am constantly learning my lesson on depth and trout.  For an old fisherman who fished highland lakes it was not uncommon to jig stripers from 60 feet, or catch bass and crappie in the 30 feet.  It has taken a while to sink into this old head that when speaking of trout a 1/2 foot depth change can make all the difference.  And today it did.

After a couple of drifts we figured out they were basically in the 2 – 2 1/2 foot range, and from that point on we caught them consistently.  Shoalwater is one of my favorite winter holes.  A little deeper water combined with a soft bottom with grass and potholes give the fish the security they need from cold fronts.  There were lots of small ones in there, and we released several right on the line.  But the better keepers were here and there, and the Gulp was getting them.  As we drifted we would catch several at a time, but no matter how we set up our drift to cover water, the 2 – 2 1/2 depth was the ticket.

We fished until dark, and when we quit we had 13 keepers in the box.  As the weather sucked it was a good result.  It was truly a grinder day, one of those days that keeps me fishing on so many others when I should hit the house.  But the more I fish the luckier I get.  Staying with it, and simply keeping the bait in the water, can be the answer on those cold front days no matter what fish you are pursuing.

13 more trout bite the dust.  If they only knew how cool it was to get to move to Austin.

After we cleaned fish and headed back to the house it was time for some of Todd’s cooking.  I am so sorry I did not take a picture of supper, but we all sucked it down so fast we did not think about taking a picture of what is one of the better meals I have eaten in a long time.  What was so fantastic?  Shrimp and grits!  Rich, creamy, delicious, and so lovely to look at.  A good adult beverage finished off a great day.  That Todd is just an all around rennascience man.  I got the reciepe from him so you boys headed to Canada with us next year get your mouth watering right now, cause it is coming your way.

They have one more day to fish, Saturday, and their plan is to do some serious damage to the redfish.  Needing only 2 more trout for their possession limit that will be easy enough to fix.  I hope to hear from them on how their last day goes, and though we did not wade as much as they usually do, they will be in the water all day.

They are a really good bunch of guys to not only fish with, but to just spend time with.  Dedicated fishermen, kayakers, and outdoorsmen, we share a common interest in love of the great outdoors.  They have set their big annual December trip when I will be in Costa Rica and I am disappointed that I will miss it.  With 18 of them coming this time, the group continues to grow, it should be a fish catching, food eating, and adult beverage consuming good time.  So thanks guys for including me in your adventures.  Sharing the outdoors with intelligent and knowledgeable good guys is what it is all about.

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From Jeramie’s report yesterday on his trip to Coleto you know he caught a good one.  I wanted to post the picture he sent.  This is the  kind of fish that keeps me going back to Coleto.

Jeramie whacks his share of these on Coleto.

Folks I keep telling you, cloud cover and a drizzle and it is time to hit the lake.  I am already looking at the weather and Tuesday looks like it will be warm and raining, heck I probably will have a tough time sleeping Monday night.  So maybe I will see you all on Coleto Tuesday.  Great report and nice bass Jeramie.

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On the hunting front the Shoedog is in pursuit of a real heavy horned buck, hope he ends up on the ground soon.  And Chris, hope you are whacking the ducks.  There should be more big ducks in your spread as we saw clouds of redheads on the bay this weekend.  So much good stuff out there and so little time.  What is a guy to do?

With so many good options on the water this coming week I am not sure where to start.  But this time of year the weather dictates where and when.  It looks like a chance of rain on Tuesday and then clouds and warm the rest of the week.  I will be real interested to see if the lake has come up, the couple of inches of rain we had last week should help matters.  Time to put on some new line, reorganize all the fishing crap, and watch a little football.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

First off to my buddy Clyde in Arkansas – HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  You don’t look a day over 60.  Hope you had a big time and good luck at deer camp.  And if you make it to the lake send me some pics.

And I did hear from Clyde and he wanted to add to the list of crazy things that happened.  We have fished together since the 60’s in high school and have had way to many strange things happen to us to remember them all.

“You forgot your fillet knife fell in and we had to clean fish and make our utensils out of wood with a pocket knife ; and you knocked a hole in the crankcase of your car on the way home!  a lot of memories on that trip!”

That was the same trip when the moose fed right next to us and the hot chicks stopped at our camp and exercising good sense, did not stay.   The filet knife was in my back pocket as I sat on the nose of the  canoe and it fell in while the moose was feeding.  We also found a mesh sack and made a minnow trap on that trip, it worked great.

We also saw some Native Americans harvesting wild rice.  They had 2 sticks the size of a billy club and as they moved the canoe through the rice they would pull the heads over the side of the canoe with one stick, and then smack the top with the other, knocking the rice in the canoe.  When they got back to the ramp they put the rice in a burlap bag, and then dunked it to add as much water weight as possible.  Of course when they got to the buyer he subtracted a certain amount of weight.  Made it a wash.  But it was cool to see how it was done, the same way it has been done for centuries.

The Boundary Waters Canoe area in Northern Minnesota is one of the great outdoor places in America and worth the trip.  And speaking of Clyde, I am already pumped about our August trip to Canada.  The thought of trolling for huge muskie at night has me excited.

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I was a proponent of the 5 fish limit for speckled trout on the Texas Coast.  Since I keep very few during the year for me it was simply a desire to catch bigger fish, and that will be coming in the years to come.  But there is another reason some folks love it, it is so much easier to catch your limit.  You know, when people ask how you did you can say nonchalantly, “We limited.”  Here is a nice 3 man limit caught by my buddies from Austin Thursday.  I will let you know where they were caught when they and a couple of other guys leave town in the next day or two.

 Can you say Austin fish fry?

These were all caught on plastics and it will be interesting to see how this cool rain affects the trout fishing Friday.  Last week Chris and I wore them out on topwater.  The difference was the water temp was around 80 degrees, but this rain will definitely change that.  I wish I could definitively tell you how it will change the fishing, but that will have to wait until I get you a report on Sunday.  But no matter what it will be a hardcore wading trip, always fun with those guys.

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Jeramie Puts the Smack Down on Them!

There is more than one way to skin a cat, and this from Jeramie about his Coleto trip proves exactly that.

“I read your post Wednesday , so I had to go yesterday . I’m glad I did I stoped counting at 50 fish , it was a great trip largest of the day easily goin 7lbs. I got there at 12:00 and left at dark. A crank bait fished in 5-10′ of water was the trick. I did manage a few on spinnerbait, & 1 keeper on buzz bait. I noticed at dark water boiling in the shallows and tied on a rattle trap and managed to round up a mess of white bass all pretty small but fun . Most of my fish were dinks but with numbers like I was catching it was a blast . I’ll keep reading and I’ll keep u posted with my catch. I’ll get a pic up of my fish.  Thanks again and keep up the good fishing.”

Nice job Jeramie!  As I was fishing Thursday I kept thinking about throwing a crankbait, but as you all know I am so into the visual, but it looks like crankbait was clearly the better choice.  So to all of you, if you see me out there stop and say hi.  I am usually in an old 17 foot Carolina Skiff with a 50 Mercury that looks like it has seen it’s better days, or a white Mako LTS with a 90 Opti and a power pole.  It is always nice to meet you all face to face.  I appreciate  you reading my stuff Jeramie and thanks for the report.  I just love it when guys are kind enough to share information we  can all use.

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Next on Coleto, as we move to pre-spawn, will be topwater, though after Jeramie’s report there will be some crankbait fishing for sure.  For an old Arkie like me pre-spawn is a March thing but it starts a heck of a lot earlier in Texas.  On Coleto you have another factor, it is a power plant lake and it just does not cool off like a big reservoir.  As I learned yesterday, they can be caught on topwater, and that will continue to get better over the next 3 months.  The biggest bass of my life, who pulled off at boatside, came during this time period on a topwater.  So next time you get out, give a topwater minnow bait a try.  You might be surprised.

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The Good Old Days

The Shoedog sent me some old pictures he found, and I thought I would share a couple with you.  Brings back lots of memories.

We put tons of smallmouth in the boat on our trip to Fancis Case in South Dakota.  The last day I quit fishing but the Shoedog did not want to quit, so I ran the trolling motor until he caught our 100th smallmouth for the day.  All were caught buzzing a spinnerbait.  They are beautiful.

We also caught some nice walleye that trip.  I managed to not only drop Shoedog’s biggest walleye ever back in the lake, but of course it had the scale attached to it.

A few Illinois pheasants.  We did a lot of pheasant and quail hunting back then.

Shoedog with some Lake Norfork stripers.  Over the years guiding and fishing hundreds this size came over the side.  They fought like the devil and tasted great.

The madness that is Boca Grande tarpon fishing.  That is Orlando Wilson in the yellow shirt who had a fishing show back in the 80’s.  Imagine what happens when several of these boats hook up with a 100lber at once, insanity.

George and Shoedog on their Canada trip many years ago.  Scope out the size of the pike George has.  That is what I am talking about.

We have had a great time chasing fish all over this country the last 40 years.  I often wonder how many fish we would have caught with the knowledge we have now.  But those early days were the foundation for today’s fishing, and what we learned has contributed to our success.  While I love to catch bass, fishing for multiple species makes you a better fisherman.

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So there you have it for today.  We had an interesting day on the gulf at POC yesterday and I will get the report up tomorrow.  It is a busy time here at fishcatchingtravel.com and I am trying to keep up as best as I can.  And as I so often say, send me your reports and pictures, or if you want to write an article drop a comment and I will get back to you.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

I just could not take it.  So even though it was raining I loaded up and headed to the lake for an afternoon of fishing.  While it was not as hot for the bigger fish, I still caught at least 20 during the afternoon.

I started out with spinnerbait, of course, but after a couple of banks I had only had one bite.  Since I was on a calm bank I pulled out the Bagley Bang O Lure, which is a 5″ balsa minnow, my favorite topwater.  And it was 2 casts before I caught the first one.

A sign of things to come the next 3 months.

They were on a long deep bank and you had to throw it right next to the bank.  Twitching it along on top, and an inch under with the twitch, when they came for it you could see the boil as they ate.  I did not bring my sunglasses, a real mistake when fishing a topwater minnow as they usually take it while it is under the water.  From there I alternated between spinnerbait, buzzbait, and topwater.  Though they were not as big, they were just as willing.

My first spinnerbait fish of the afternoon.

Again they were in the calmer waters near grass.  I think the cold front pushed them into the grass and they were not chasing like they were yesterday.

This one smoked it.

With the fish not as active I fished a little slower.  If it was calmer water, I threw the topwater, if it was a windier bank it was spinnerbait and buzzbait.  Today they were clearly not interested in chasing it off the bank and you had to make a precise cast.  They were definitely in the clumps of grass right on the bank.

As you can see the topwater fish were a little smaller, though I did lose one hoss in the grass.

I basically worked main lake banks down lake, and never did find any one that was particularly better than any other, but it was catch one, catch a couple.  Of the 10 or so on topwater only 2 smashed it, the rest hit it right after I gave it a twitch under.

The best one of the day it came out of a stump in 1 foot of water and absolutely crushed it.

I have had some great November’s on Coleto throwing buzzbait, so since I was tossing different stuff I threw it some.  I caught a couple of small ones, missed a couple, and caught the one below.

It was just a little to rough for the buzzbait.

The biggest bass ever over the side of my boat on Coleto came in November on buzzbait.  It has been a consistent producer for me in November, and there will be days ahead when it works for those big fish.  As it gets later in the month you will not catch lots of fish on it, but throwing it in the evening can put a real big fish in the boat.

So for a 5 hour trip not to bad.  It was clear that the cold front had knocked them back some compared to the day before.  That is why it is so critical to fish those fronts when they move in.  And if it has a little drizzle and light wind it can be awesome, like it was yesterday.

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I got this from Mac one of my dedicated readers.  Now folks I have been known to tell a tall tale or two, and I thought I had heard it all, but these are 2 of the best stories I have ever heard, bar none.

“Doug,  Laughter is the best medicine.  I guess I have been a court jester all my life.

I won’t bore you with a lot of word salad, but will tell you about 2 stories I regret but then again we all do stupid and crazy thinks during adolescence.

When I was 14   A busy highway 71 went by our farm and Mary’s creek ran through our property .   One summer my brothers and I caught a 6 lb bass in the creek.  It had rained hard the night before and it created a large mud puddle beside the highway.  A light bulb went off in my head on the way back home.  I took the bass, hooked a Lazy Ike to him and tossed him in the puddle.  As cars drove by  I pulled the fish out like there were fish in the puddle.  Motorists stopped and were amazed.  We told them there were lots of fish in the water.

The next day my dad saw our mailman fishing in the puddle!!!!!!!!!!

This next tale is an example of college students, including me , up to no good A couple of us had been fishing a farm pond during a very dry year. other than this pond the whole area was dry.  The couple of times we fished it we noticed a bobcat drinking and not even paying attention to us.  A week later my buddy, a vet student, said he needed to trap or sedate an animal for a class experiment . We went to the pond and waited for that cat.  He shot a dart that hit the cat and in a minute the animal was asleep.  We put him an old suitcase and drove back towards the vet barns.   On the way we got a change of heart and did not want to see this animal cut  up for study.    Stupidity followed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   We took the suitcase and set it out on the highway to Snook Texas .  We then sat and waited for cars to go by. The second auto stopped, threw the suitcase in and drove off.  we followed  and 5 minutes later all hell broke loose. The car started swerving and stopped and lo and behold, the occupants and the bobcat scattered in all directions.   I know that from then on, those in the car will never travel anywhere with a suitcase and the poor bobcat survived the ordeal but probably wishes he was used as the original plan called for.

I have grown up since then but, again, I really believe a good laugh is as good as medicine 

One last story–Better not tell it. My wife and children read your blogs.  Mac”

It is so cool when readers send me stories, and these are 2 of the best.  I can imagine the folks in that car thought they hit the jackpot, and in a way they did.  Nobody got hurt, and I am sure no one believed those folks.  And one final word Mac, you are showing your age if you were using a Lazy Ike, and I am right there with you cause I know what you are talking about.  So thanks for the share, these will be retold.

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If you live on Coleto I need your help.  The last 2 days there has been a kayak stuck on a stump in the middle of nowhere, and it has been filling with water.  So I drained it, put it on the boat, and brought it to the house.  So if you are missing a kayak, or know someone who is, drop me a comment and identify it, I will be sure it is returned to the rightful owner.

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I am off to POC this morning.  Todd put a nice trout and a keeper red in the boat according to the texts he sent me.  So it should be a good day, and even if the fishing is slow, I really like fishing with those guys.  On the weather front it looks like showers will be clearing out in the morning, and thank goodness we have received over 2 inches of rain.  And I can not help it, Costa Rica is less than 3 weeks away and counting.  I have visions of jumping Marlin, Roosterfish, and fresh Mahi Mahi for supper.  Yahoo!  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel  

A day that makes it all worth it! 

Like I said in my post yesterday it was scheduled to rain and I expected to be moping around the house.  But the report was for only around a 1/2″ during the day so I finally put on my big boy pants and headed to the lake.  As I have told you many times, give me a nice warm day with a drizzle and I can catch them.  So taking my own advice I went, and it was awesome.

The wind was out of the north and it was lightly raining when I got there at 11:00.  On fall days like this there is only one choice for me, spinnerbait.  And after Booyah was kind enough to stand by their baits I wanted to throw one of their spinnerbaits all day, and I did.  I wanted you all to be sure that those couple of baits were no reflection on their great stuff.  I was throwing a 3/8 ounce white tandem with nickel blades and as you can see, it freakin works.

Fish Number 1.

It started off slow and I only caught this one and another during the first hour, but that was before I figured it out.  From noon until 3 they were trying their best to jerk my arm out of the socket.  Unfortunately I broke off a big one, over 6, when the 20lb leader broke at the braid.  Hard to describe the force when a big fish stops a buzzed spinnerbait.  So I tied the next Booyah directly to the braid and it was game on.

Impossible to tell you how hard they were stopping it.

One reason I was able to tie directly to the braid is I was “buzzing” the spinnerbait.  It was a matter of tossing it right on the bank and pulling it right below the surface at a fairly high rate of speed using a 7 to 1 high speed reel.  Of course moving it that fast is purely a reaction strike and when they stop it, they stop it.

I love fishing a spinnerbait!

I did make one change to the Booyah, the rear blade was gold and I switched so both blades were silver.  In the fall they eat big shad, and I want maximum flash and vibration.  But other than that I fished it right out of the package, and before the afternoon was over I caught a ton of fish, I lost count.  Since the three that broke the other day came from the same rack at the store I really think it was just a run of bad wire.  The one today held up all afternoon, a real trick when they were wearing it out like they were.

It just went on and on and on.

The fish were on three types of banks.  Flats with grass, points, and somewhat unusual, calm spots.  Once I figured out they wanted the calmer water with it running right below the surface it was just plain ugly.  When you would catch one, you would catch another, or 2 or 3 more.  Watching that spinnerbait waking in the clear water and them smashing it was what this old hard core spinnerbait fisherman lives for.

It is hard describe how good the fishing really was.

The real windy banks had a fish or two on them, but it was those moderate depth, grass covered, calm banks that were the ticket.  I think with the cool rain and north wind blowing on the windy banks the water was a little bit cooler, and the calm banks were warmer.  But no matter where I was they wanted it bulging the surface, most of them getting it within 5 feet of the bank.

It was a Booyah kind of day!

These pictures are just a sample of how the day went.  By 3:30 my hands were getting cold, it was raining harder, and I called it a day.  If you like having fish literally trying to rip the rod from your hands then this was the day.  There are so few perfect days for any specific technique, and this was spinnerbait heaven.

So I made all the right choices today, rare when a fishing day goes so perfect.  I caught lots of fish on one Booyah, and it is still tied on my rod.  So the experiment went great, and I can not recommend their baits highly enough.  Today was a real test.  Tied directly to the braid when they stopped it it was an explosion of epic proportions.  What a day.

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A Reader’s Tale

I got this from Billy in response to my post What a Long Strange Trip its Been, and I have been lucky enough to never have this happen.

“I’ve got a really good one; at least I think so, but it will be a bit more lengthy to describe.

Years ago, a buddy and myself were launching way up the north fork of the Carancahua River, going down river, and fishing a sand flat right at the mouth. There were two ways to get onto this flat. As you are going down river, there are two islands. If the tide is high, you can cut through them and get on it. If not, you have to go around the tip of the last one and come back up.     The fishing on the day in question is irrelevant. Frankly, I couldn’t tell you how it was(as you said, the mind forgets things after so many years). The “interesting” part begins as we are leaving the flat to go home.     On this day, the tide was plenty high enough to go through the islands. So, my buddy fires up the tiller steered motor on the small aluminum boat and starts heading around the tip of the islands. Now the fun is about to begin. At this point, I tell him, “why are you going around the tip, just cut through the islands”. So, what does he do? Turns the motor to the right as hard as he can. Yep, you guessed it, threw us both out of the boat. I went over the right side and he over the left. Initial thought as I’m going over the side is, “holy crap, I’m getting ready to die by drowning”. After getting dunked and then coming to my senses, I…….stand up. Remember, we were fishing a flat. The water is maybe knee deep. My buddy does the same.     At this point, we are both laughing our back sides off because we realize we are going to live. However, there is still a small problem. The motor is still running and the boat is heading straight away from us…….towards the back end of the flat…….which turns from sand into…….something slightly firmer than quick sand. Now what to do? We stand there watching it motor away from us. Well, as luck may have it, a wave catches the boat just right and turns the motor. Now it is doing wide arcing donuts at about two thirds throttle. So, we head off, walking towards it. As we get up to it, we stand there watching it as it makes two donuts wondering what the heck we are going to do. On the third pass, my buddy reaches out and, miracle of all miracles, hits the throttle. The boat idles down, we get in to it, and head to the house.     Yes, I know, a very blase ending to a thrill packed ten minute ordeal. Which, by the way, is much shorter than the time it has taken me to formulate this into print. I have told this story many a times over the years, but never typed it out.     Two side notes. First off, my buddy and my self were the ONLY things thrown from the boat. Not one rod, tackle box, ice chest, nothing else went over the side. Second, we have always said to each other when recounting this, if someone would have filmed this and turned it into America’s Funniest Home videos, we would have been run away winners.

O.k., I’m done now. Sorry for the long drawn out story, but I couldn’t condense it any and get it across.

Thanks for reading(if you do so).

      Billy”

Course I read it and you could not have told it any shorter.  That is one cool story that could have turned out so wrong.  Sometimes things just happen, some good, some bad.  Instead you walked away from it no worse for the wear.  Wasn’t your turn.  Thanks for sharing it with us.

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I got this comment from Rick, and I am still laughing!

“What a long strange trip it’s been”…… Are you an old “deadhead” ? Greatful Dead that is.? Great story’s!”

I refuse to answer on the grounds it may tend to incriminate me.  But I was a teenager in the 60’s and that is all I have to say about that.

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What next?  No matter what I will be down in POC for some trout and reds with Todd and the boys Friday.  Unfortunately it looks like this front will linger with rain, and then Friday night it is expected to cool off considerably.  But that won’t stop the boys from Austin.  I am not sure they can even catch fish if the conditions don’t suck.  Who knows, I might even sneak out for a few hours today, when they are eating spinnerbait like that a little rain and wind is just an annoyance.  I love fall fishing!  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Here I sit, an off and on rain with a forecast which includes flash flooding – a great day to be bass fishing.  It is so hard to tell if it is worth the drive to the lake, not because the fish will not be biting, but because it might just rain like crazy and be way to ugly to fish.  So I will sit here and stew, and who knows, I may still load up the boat and head to the lake.

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It was off to College Station and the Shoedog’s house for a little deer hunting and maybe some fishing.  The deer hunting was good, but it ended up being strictly hunting, not killing.  The fishing on the other hand was pretty dang good.

We set up on Shoedog’s lease Sunday afternoon and did not have deer sighting one.  It is a great property with lots of deer.  It was plain to see as we drove out and there were deer all over the dang place.  Monday morning we were back in the blind at daylight, and before the morning was over we had 4 deer close, but none had horns.

So while it was my usual deer hunting luck, it had been 10 years since I last gave it a go so I was just happy to be there.  Not having a place to hunt has been hard since I have been in Texas, and sitting in that blind watching the world around me reminded me how much I liked it.  And congrats to Shoedog on his opening day buck – Nice birthday present.

And I want to say one final thing about the wording in the Game and Fish Hunting Regulations.  As I read the regulations for Brazos County deer hunting I realized that as an attorney I could decipher it after 2 readings, then a third for confirmation.  That is flat out ridiculous.  How about folks with reading issues?  The rules are way to complicated.  I know there can not be a be all, end all, rule for such a big state as Texas with its diverse landscape, but the rules can be written in a plain and simple format that lets everyone makes some sense of them.  So come on TPWD, remember you are serving everyone, not just the rich and smart.  Oh yea I forgot, that seems to be how it works in Texas.  Just check the fish stocking records.

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Fishing Shoedog’s Lake

When we got back to his house the front coming our way tomorrow had clouds moving in and the wind was blowing.  So we dropped his boat in the 40 acre lake in his subdivision, nice buy Shoedog, and went to fishing.  It is a great little lake and it takes about an hour or so to fish the whole thing.  Shoedog was buzzing a Booyah spinnerbait, and I was thowing a swim jig.

Good start to a good day.  They were crashing that Booyah.

We started catching a few and they kept biting and biting.  We made 2 rounds and before it was over we boated an easy 25 or more.  They were really active with the front and we had a couple of awesome bites.  One of them smashed his spinnerbait from the top down, and I mean completely out of the water and then down on it, crazy.  And I have seen a bass or two jump in my life, but I had a 2lber jump higher and farther than any I have ever seen.  It was amazing.

Most of this fish were this size and bigger, a great balance in his lake.

I think he was front ending me!

We caught on spinnerbait, buzzbait, crankbait, and swim jig.  As we finished our first pass around the lake Shoedog said usually when I catch this many I get at least one over 5.  And of course the minute he said that a big fish jumped his crankbait.  All the way to the boat no problem, then it pulled off at the boat.  Funny how they stay on single hook baits, but give them an inch on the crankbait off they come.

Of course I threw the buzzbait some!

The condition of the fish, and the lake, is a testament to what can happen when a small lake is well managed.  They paid for a professional study and then implemented the recommendations.  Killed much of the vegetation, but not all, and stocked some specific bream for balance and bass food.  The bass population was good at the time of the study, so by having a plan, and following through with it, the lake and fish are healthy and mean.  He is lucky to have a place he can drop the boat in, catch a bunch of nice ones, and be home in 1 minute.

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Booyah Lures

We had an interesting thing happen with the spinnerbaits that day, and it was something we rarely see.  I have been throwing spinnerbaits regularly since 1973, it has been my go to bait for years, and I have seen it all.

I picked up a bunch at Academy when they closed them out.  With fall here I threw it some last week and I had one break right at the tie bend, the hook stayed with the fish and the arm with the blades threw off.  Well it happened to us twice on Shoedog’s lake.  You would get a big bite and come back with the knot intact and no spinnerbait.

I am sure it was just a bad batch of wires, it happens.  So I contacted Booyah to let them know and within an hour I got a response from them.  That alone was amazing.  They are going to replace them.  Folks that is a great company who values their customers.  It is rare find in many lure companies today.  As you know I only recommend lures I use and believe in, and the Shoedog and I have used Booyah spinnerbaits from south Texas to Canada.

I love waking a spinnerbait at high speed, and the vibration on the Booyah definitely makes a difference.  So next time you are standing in the aisle looking over the spinnerbaits buy a couple.  The great customer service is important, but the most important thing is they catch fish.  So a special thanks Stephen Biggerstaff of Booyah.  Nice to find a tackle company that truly values their customers.  Here is the link to their company, take a minute and browse their catalog and site, they earned it and you might learn something.

http://www.booyahbaits.com/

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I have been getting a few comments on the last days post so thought I would share some of them with you.

From Joe  –

“I forgive you for losing my Coleto Creek fishing email. But you remember most of it. I have had alot of stuff happen to me also since 1993 when i took up Bass fishing. Never had a boat before that. Just a couple for me, Not really !!!! a shit load of stuff.

Caught 2 bass on a crank bait, a catfish on a rooster tail, a trout on spinner bait.

Cant tell how many ducks,loons, water birds i have caught with the line or bait.

Lost poles, glasses, scales etc… over board also.

Times i have launched the boat with no plug, or the tie-downs still holding the boat,

My worst was at Lake Okechobee. Going in after sun down and getting hit with millions of mosquitos. Next day caught a baby gator on a fluke. Then decided to go back into a cove on plane. Realized we were in 1-3 of water and stuck. Put down the motor and got completely covered in mud trying to push us out. Got out and started pushing the boat. Hit a hump and thought it was a gator. My friend in the boat saw me turn white and i thought i was a goner. Got into the boat fast–didnt care if i blew up the motor, buried it in the mud and gunned it. Finally got out. The boat looked like it was a 4×4 truck”

Thanks Joe, your adventures will trigger others in all of us.  One I would add to my list was the time the door of the small trailer we were staying in at Chokoloskee in the Evergaldes came open during the night.  We woke up with 10.000 mosquitos in the room that were the size of small birds. And your the stuck thing, I feel your pain.  So the rest of you, lets hear it.

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 And I heard from Mac, a long time reader –

“Doug,  thanks  for sharing your out door life with us.  We all have moments we remember and cherish.  I will sit down during the upcoming rainy period and share mine, but now a story not so attractive. 

Last week my son and I fished Cavasso creek on St Charles bay.  On putting on highway 35 we noticed a family bank fishing , eating,and drinking.   We said hello and moved out into the bay. We had a very good morning with topwaters in a drain.   We called it a day and headed back.    The family had departed, but left all their trash– dirty diapers, paper goods, beer cans etc.  

My own son said he felt like crying and it was then I mentioned an old commercial I had seen 30 years ago about a single tear from an Indian experiencing the same thing as us.   We cleaned up what we could and returned to our homes.  Matt called me later and said he found the commercial on the internet. I went back and looked it up–powerful.    The American Indians care for this great land.  America needs awakening!!!!!!!!!!  Mac”

It is so sad that we have not progressed any further in our respect for Mother Earth.  That people are so uncaring for the land that we will leave our children is sad.  And I remember that commercial, it was the year I graduated from high school, and for those of you who have not seen it here is the link.  Thanks Mac, it says it all.

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AtUE4MFYe_i..C_3Skm2eTubvZx4?fr=yfp-t-901-s&toggle=1&fp=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=american%20indian%20crying%20commercial Please do not litter!

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So thanks guys for your comments.  I have received a few more and will post them soon.  And come on the rest of you, we all would love to get your stories.  It can be whacky in the great outdoors and we all love a great story.  As they say all fisherman are liars except me an you, and I am not sure about you.  So lets hear it.

No matter what it will be off to the Gulf on Friday with the Austin boys.  Todd called yesterday and wanted to know why the last 3 or 4 times he has come down we have had a big front of some sort.  Well Todd I don’t know, maybe it is you?  I am excited about fishing with them and look forward to the shrimp and grits!  And one last word, the readership is growing here at an astounding rate and I have no one to thank except all of you.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

When I look back at 40 years (Hard to believe.) of serious hardcore fishing there are so many memories.  20 years of freshwater guiding, traveling to some beautiful places, and the lifelong love of fishing, has been good to me.  So it was time to sit back and write them down.  While this will take several days, it will be a labor of love.  And heck at my age the old memory could go at any minute.  So here they are, the craziest, and coolest, things I have ever seen or done on the water.

So where do you start on a list like that?  Best to worst, oldest to newest?  I think I will just write them down as they come to me.

Shoedog catches the Beaver  –  While on Lake of the Woods we saw a beaver swimming with a branch quite a ways from us, then he went down.  About 3 or 4 minutes later Shoedog had a huge bite.  He held on with all his might as a big muskie (he thought) came to the top.  The bait was hooked in the branch, the Shoedog was pulling, the beaver was pulling, and I am not sure who was freaking out more.

Shoedog and the Loon  –  He tossed his bait on this small point and a muskie came out of 2 foot of water and smoked it.  As the fight began, and is was a doozy, a loon appeared right on the tail of the muskie, mirroring every move.  With his wings spread he looked like a fighter jet.  It resembled a mid-air dog fight.  Flat cool.

Alligators  –  I have seen 2  ducks hit by alligators.  If you think you have seen a topwater bite, think again.  They just exploded on those ducks.  One night as I fished a small island there were a couple of ducks swimming in a shallow pool behind the grass near the bank.  A 6 foot alligator ran out of the cane on fully extended legs.  Hard to believe how fast an alligator can run.  No getting out on the bank to retrieve a lure on Coleto!

Moose  –  While canoeing in Minnesota we had a bull moose come out of the woods, wade into the wild rice, and sit their munching on it 25 feet from of us.  Those things are huge.

Opps  –  I came around a bend on Lake Norfork in Arkansas and there was the nose of a boat sticking out of the water and the guy was sitting on the bank, but he saved the cooler.  Think those two things might have been related?

More Oops  –  I saw my friend Clyde fall out of the boat twice in one month night fishing.  Good thing it was November.

A Little Windy  –  While towing a couple of honeymooners in when their boat quit I saw an ugly storm come up in one minute.  Next thing I knew a pontoon boat was on my head and I almost drowned.  A tornado hit me and the boat dock.  That was a close one.

More Oops  –  While living and working at the boat dock I saw all kinds of things, dropping boats off the trailer on to the ramp, even folks driving into, on, and over the dock.  I even ended up doing CPR on a guy who got so frustrated trying to back the trailer in he up and died.  That is crazy.

Not Full Yet  –  Last month I found a rubber grommet in the belly of a redfish.  Over the years there have been turtles, several mice, crappie, plastics worms, pop tops and I can not remember what else.  My favorite was a Kentucky bass with the clip of a chain stringer hanging from his lip.

Sailfish  –  My buddy Chris and I hand landed a sailfish in 2 foot of water off the North Padre Island coast.  Truly amazing.

Can I Hitch a Ride?  –  While fishing one morning a small fawn came out of the woods to get what I thought was a drink.  It walked in to the water, swam directly to the boat, and tried to get in.  One of the great outdoor moments of my life and no camera or phone with me.  Dang it.

A Dream  –  While this may not be crazy, when my blue marlin first broke the surface and started jumping as the big diesels roared and we backed down it was so surreal it seemed like it must be a dream.  I did it.  I caught a marlin.

Yikes  –  I was fishing with a partner in a winter bass tournament when he asked where is the water coming from in the boat?  It was freezing that night and I guess the plug popped out, so at 50 miles an hour, in 30 degree temps, I leaned over the transom and put the plug in.  Now that was crazy.

Shark!  –  As I headed in to the ramp at Coleto Creek I saw a big fish floating so I stopped to check it out.  It was a big blacktip shark.  It finally dawned on me I was downwind from the bridge and some wasteful fool had thrown it off the bridge.  But for a second there I did not know what to think.

More Shark  –  Boca Grande Pass is one of the craziest places to fish in the world.  Dozens of boat drifting feet apart, and when the bite is on there may be 10 boats fighting tarpon.  Fish rolling and jumping everywhere, people screaming, it is insanity.

I had just finished a 1 hour fight with a tarpon when my lovely wife said there goes a bill.  Now there are no sails or marlin in Boca Grande Pass so we motored over and there are 2 hammerheads, as long as my 17 foot skiff, eating a 100 lb tarpon.  That area is known for the big hammerheads that follow the tarpon, many of them are caught well over 1000lbs and those guys were easily in that category.  There are a couple of tarpon fisherman who visit that area every year and hire a plane to find the big concentrations of tarpon.  They said they would never get in the water around Sanibel and Boca Grande.  I love the ocean, kill or be killed and good luck to ya.

Nice Day for Getting a Tan  –  I was guiding my old buddies Albert and Tony and as we headed around a sharp little turn in the back of a cove on Lake Norfork there were a couple of topless girls sunbathing in lawn chairs who did not see us coming.  They were embarrassed, we were just enjoying the great outdoors and the fine creatures that inhabit it.

It Must Be Us – You Think?  –  Speaking of girls, Clyde, Max, and I were camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe area and were literally in the middle of nowhere when here comes 2 cute girls in a canoe.  We asked them to join us at our camp but for some inexplicable reason they went on their way.  So not only cute but smart.

Figure 8  –  The  very first muskie I saw follow my bait to boatside I caught using the figure 8 technique.  The figure 8 may not mean much to you, but try hooking a 15lb muskie with 2 foot of line out at the boat.  It is one spectacular bite.

Thanks for the Help  –  While fishing the coast I felt something hit me in the leg.  There on the floor of the boat was a nice pompano that jumped in the boat.  As hard as it is to catch fish sometimes any help I can get is appreciated.

Experience Saved Me  –  Mac and I were headed in after some serious night fishing when my Champion bass boat rocked just a little and I knew instantly it was a wake.  I pulled back on the throttle and we stopped 15 feet short of a pontoon boat.  Loaded with 8 or 10 people, they were idling with their lights off, and we almost hit them at 40mph.  The only time I have yelled at someone on the water.  It would have been a real disaster and people would have died!

Nice Cast  –  I had a guide customer throw his topwater in a tree and he was yanking like a madman to get it out.  It popped out, flying over our heads and the boat.  When it landed 30 feet behind us a 3lb bass promptly jumped it.  Nice cast dude.

Just the Bait –  While in law school I took Hastings Hanshaw fishing with me and he promptly threw my casting rod and reel in the water.  We got it out and I am not making fun of Hastings because over the years I have tossed several in the lake.  Heck I did it last year on the Lavaca River.  I even had a brand new one get caught on an overhanging branch and I noticed it was gone when I stopped at the gas station.  I headed back and found it hanging from a tree.  Lucky.

Those Crazy Swimming Squirrels  –  Old timers in the Ozarks talked about the rare occurrence where squirrels migrate due to nut shortages.  When I actually saw lots and lots of them swimming the lake one October I was a believer.  It was definitely weird.

It is only Money  –  As we cut across the bay the Shoedog yelled stop the boat!  As I turned the boat around there was a trail of paper money.  As we were running it was blowing out of his pocket.  I think we found most of it.

It Felt Like a Bite  –  As I drug my worm around for bass on Lake of the Ozarks it got heavy so I set the hook.  After a funny feeling struggle I managed to reel in, but definitely not land, a big pair of underwear.  Must have been a hell of a party.

Double Team  –  While fishing with a couple of little kids they managed to catch the same bluegill at the same time on both their rods.  Kid number one will never be a fisherman, feeling a bite eludes him.

Where is the Net?  –  While whacking and stacking redfish one day I leaned down to get the net and it was gone.  I happened to be filming and when I got home and looked at it as I unhooked the redfish I promptly threw the net in the lake.  It is hell getting old.

Where is My Rod?  –  The Shoedog and I were in a small cove in Canada and it was literally loaded with small pike.  We were killing them, probably catching 25 in there in nothing flat.  So the Shoedog unhooks the pike,laying his rod down with the spinnerbait in the water.  A second later, where is my rod?  We never heard it leave.  Good thing it was brand new.

Its Not Cold  –  As Clyde and I launched the boat in an ice storm the truck lost traction, screaming down the ramp as I pressed on the brakes for dear life, and then we promptly slammed to a stop at the waters edge.  The winch strap broke, the boat slid in, and a huge wave came over the motor and froze everything solid.  Later as we cut across Bull Shoals Lake Clyde pushed the throttle down and the handle broke off in his hand.  It was cold.  For once it wasn’t my boat.

His Eyes Were Almost Bigger Than His Stomach  –  Shoedog and I watched a blue heron spear a redfish at least 3 pounds.  He then walked over to the bar and worked like the devil to get it down.  For a while it looked like he wasn’t going to make it.

Eye to Eye  –  My first trip to the Everglades, the first cove, I had the bite of a lifetime.  As my spook came to the boat along a mangrove shoreline an easy 100lb tarpon came out of the grass like a freight train and absolutely smoked it at boat side.  I set the hook, he jumped eye level with me, what a moment.   Next jump he was gone.  Talk about getting your blood going on day 1 of your week long trip.

Whirling Dervish  –  Albert and I were fishing the North Fork river on a cool spring day when all of a sudden a whirlwind started up.  It grew to about 50 feet tall and was sucking water 3 feet up at the base as it passed thirty feet from us.  It is hard to describe the sound but it sure was impressive.

Probably Going to Leave a Mark  –  As Chris, Shoedog, and I flew across 6 inches of water in the air boat we saw an area with a bunch of reds.  Chris stopped the boat, a redfish lost his mind and charged right in to the side of the boat knocking himself plum out.  God that had to hurt.

A National Geographic Moment  –  As Clyde and I trolled off Lighthouse Point near Key West Florida here came a dolphin, and another, and then more and more as they cruised by us.  There were literally hundreds and hundreds of them.  It really was a tv moment.

Who Needs Shoes?  – Speaking of my buddy Clyde, over the years I have seen  him ice-fish, pheasant hunt, and boat fish, all in tennis shoes.  The only problem with that it was below freezing with snow everywhere.  He may not always be the most prepared, but that boy can take it.

Dark Shadows  –  Do you see a theme starting here?  Clyde and I were returning down lake from a night tournament.  As we cruised along we had to round a big shallow sand point.  It looked like a shadow so I asked Clyde, he promptly yelled it is the bank!  I slammed the throttle back, our wake lifted us up, and politely placed us on the bank.  We hurried and floated the boat before anyone of our buddies saw us.  Another one of those things that could have been worse.

It was Only a Mile Down to the River  –  As I headed down the big hill towing the boat we had to cross the White River Bridge.  The boat started bouncing and then the hitch came off the ball.  In a moment of clarity I sped up and towed it over the bridge and stopped with my nose pointing up hill.  The whole time the boat was chasing us but I managed to keep it from either ramming the rear end of the truck or hopping the guard rail and falling into the river.  Last time I went without remembering to put the pin in the coupler.

An Eye for an Eye  –  As I hoisted a 23″ trout out of the net a dolphin raised his head out of the water about 8 feet from me.  He stared at me, the fish, then me and fish some more.  We were in an aquatic stand-off.  He finally gave up and swan away.  When you have an encounter like it reminds you that there are some creatures in this world that are truly astounding.

That is clearly enough for now, I don’t want to bore you with the ramblings of an old man.  These are some of the memories that live in my fishing mind, and as time goes on I will add to the list.  How about you?  You all have to have seen and done some amazing things on the water, and we would love to hear from you.  So send me some, lets add to this list of those memories that make fishing what it is – the greatest sport in the world.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

(As I head out this morning, and in leu of anything better to say, it was important that I pass this warning on to you – do not ignore this or face the potential consequences!  This is for your own good!)

 FINAL WARNING.

Forward This Within 24 Hours!

Share this message of Good News.

Only you can make this world a better place.  It is imperative that you send my link to at least 10 other people or some serious stuff will happen.  A second nose will grow from your face, your could sister will turn out to be your brother, or space aliens will take you to their ship and probe you know where.  But worst of all, you will never get another bite, and I mean never.

But if you share this website with the clueless public great things will happen.  Money will start dropping out of the sky, your spouse will be prettier or incredibly handsome next time you wake up, or the government will actually give a damn about all of us  .  But best of all, you will catch fish like you only dreamed of.  They will all be big, they will come one after the other, and you might even win the Bassmaster classic and a new boat.

So don’t take a chance.  Share this message of joy and hope with the masses.  I mean it.  The world needs your help and only you can do it.  So help a brother out.  Share my site message of hope and good news!

(This is a shameless plug designed to  personally benefit selfish me.  Any resemblance to the truth is purely intentional.  This offer is not intended to cure any illness or disease and is banned in Utah, and several other states no one can identify on the map.)

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As I head out to load the truck it is amazing how much crap it takes to fish and hunt for a couple of days.  It is a tough life I lead, but I will somehow manage to soldier on.  When you next hear from me it should be deer down and fish beyond my wildest dreams.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines – Or Else!