Fish Catching Travel

Fish Catching Travel

I want to take this time to go completely off topic.  But this is important.  One of the nurses my wife works with in the ER at Detar Hospital in Victoria has suffered a serious injury, but is facing it with the great strength and determination that we all know she has.  Susan  Pitsch Dorsett is a long distance runner, speed skater, likes to fish, and has even run the Tough Mudder.

 Susan with a nice Tarpon at the POC jetties.

 17 days ago she was run over by a car.  She suffered one of the most horrific leg injuries that my wife has seen in 30 years of emergency medical work.  This was a “alleged” criminal act for which the “alleged” perpetrator was arrested.  As an attorney I am forced to use the term “alleged” for what is nothing short of an “alleged” heinous act.

At this point she has already had 6 or 7 surgeries, with untold to come.  And so ironically for a runner and athlete, her lower leg was amputated below the knee on Monday.  She has suffered greatly, and so have her children and loved ones.  But she is a woman of strength and great will, and folks have rallied around her.   Folks I have never asked you for money for any reason, but I am asking you now.  Please click on this link, read a little more about Susan, and give.  There are times in this life when we all need to step up and help others, and this is one of those times.  Please help her out with a couple of bucks, it is the least you can do, and you will be a better person for it.

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/qp14/staying-susie-strong?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_stream.share&utm_campaign=mobile_receipt_T2&og_action=hug&t=3&fb_ref=1942318

And a final word to Susan.  You can do it girl.  I am so impressed with your inner strength and how you are handling this thing.  And I know you will be back running faster than any person on the face of this earth who has suffered as you have.  So keep pushing on, we are all rooting for you.  Get well soon!

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Before we get to the fishing.  It is my lovely wife Nancy’s birthday.  She is the Captain of Team Nancy, and of course she had to work today.  How can a fisherman like me ever thank her enough.  I mean I am fishing, she is working.  I count my blessings everyday that I have her in my life.  So Happy Birthday Nancy, you are the best.

It was nice to have things work out according to a plan.  Until Chris sent me a text saying he wanted to catch some crappie, the Gulf was the plan.  Well things sometimes just happen for a reason, and today worked out great.

I have been saying for several years I need to catch some of Coleto’s crappies, there were supposed to be lots of them.  So never having tried it I actually thought about the conditions before I even left the dock.  Pre-spawn to spawn and water temperature going from low 50’s to 68 in most places in the last 2 weeks.  That tells you all you need to know.  Fish shallow.

So we started out tossing at shallow wood with 1/16 jig heads and tube jigs, and Chris did catch a couple on road runners.  And it goes without saying it is a 4 or 6lb. line thing.  And we caught on several colors, with Chartreuse or white being the best, but it was location, location, location, as it always is with crappie. We just kept moving and while we would catch one here and there, we did manage to hit 2 good places.

Mmmm……Mmmm…..Good!

We did notice a couple of important things this morning.  Lots of small brush and branches in the water were best, but we caught some of the bigger ones as individuals on stumps.  And that the majority of the crappie were in about 4 foot of water.  They were shallow.  We just cast to the brush and reeled real slow, hopping it along.  They were not smacking it by any means,  most of the time they were just there.

Before it was over we caught 24 keepers and one catfish.  It was funny though, we did not catch even one small one.  They were all keepers, nice and fat.  Of course we also caught a bunch of small bass.  Keep moving, and if you catch a couple of small bass off a piece of cover, move on.  The crappie are either on it, or they are not.

If I did not have the rest of the week planned out I would go to Academy and buy one of those cheap long crappie rods.  I would put a couple of jigs on about 5 feet of line and then start dipping.  Just moving and dipping, being able to drop the lure right down the side of the wood from 10 foot away would be killer.  Another method to get them right now would be using a slip bobber.  Jigs work fine, and are a lot cheaper than minnows.

While we were fishing a couple of turkeys were gobbling up a storm.  After a little bit first one, and then another, came out and flew over the back of the cove we were fishing.  Nothing says spring like turkey gobbling.

About 11 the wind came up, and was actually blowing pretty good, and the crappie had definitely slowed way down.  I am not sure where the weatherman came up with the 5 – 10 mph thing, it blew a lot harder than that.   Interestingly when we got back to the truck Chris used his phone and looked up the major fishing time for the morning, and it was in the 9 am range, just when we were having the best action.  I have always said just because you have a major feeding time does not mean you will catch fish, but it is funny how often when we do have a good run it is during the major feeding period.

It was great to go out with a plan and make it work, and nothing like a crappie filet sizzling in the pan.  After catching tons in Arkansas over the years it was like falling off a log.  Crappie act the same way seasonally anywhere they live, it is up to us to figure it out.  But paying attention to seasonal conditions, no matter what the fish, or where you are, is the starting point every time we hit the water.  It was just interesting to apply it to a fish I have not caught in a while and see it work.

So there you have it.  For the rest of the week I am going to fish with Johnathon for bass and then wade POC with the Austin bunch.  So keep stopping in, looks like my week is shaping up just fine.  And Jim, how does this crappie report work for you?  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Sometimes I can not win no matter what decision I make.  But like always, it was the outside forces at work today. I only watch a couple of car races a year, and the one I like the best was on today, The Daytona 500.  I love that race.

So with the race starting after lunch I decided to get in a few hours of fishing.  The fog was pretty thick when I headed out, so I did not go very far.  It was dead calm and perfect for topwater.  Funny thing was, they did not seem to want it to  badly.  I caught 3 in the first hour but was not getting the kind of bites I wanted, so I switched to the bubble gum trick worm

I headed to the back end of a big cove, and caught 6 out of it.  There was only one problem, they were small.  That turned out to be the order of the day.  I cove hopped, working the channels back in them catching a couple here and there, all on the trick worm, using it weightless.

Stuck on this size all day.  But I am not complaining when you can boat over 20 in a long morning.

There were fish on the beds in all the coves.  And as it really heated up so did the wildlife.  I tried to get a shot of a hawk that had a squirrel, but just could not get close enough.  But the gators, and one of it’s favorite foods, the Nutria, were all out today.

This guy was a fattie.

Probably from eating this guy’s family.

It was one of those days when I caught them right along, I just did not get that big bite.  Some of those fish were in a foot of water in the grass.  It can be a hassle to fish but when they do eat, they usually smash it.  Off and on all day I mixed it up as far as baits went, and did manage to catch another one topwater, a dozen on trick worm, and 5 on Strike King Swim Jig.

They will hit the Swim Jig from now until in June.

Really as far as catching goes, it was an easy 20 over the side by time I called it a day.  So now the outside forces thing.  I quit at 1:30 so I could see the majority of the race.  That was also the reason I did not go to the Gulf, that would be on tomorrow’s schedule.  So I rush home, and it all went downhill from there.

First the race was postponed due to weather, why I went to Coleto and not the Gulf.  And the weather today was as good as one could hope for on the Gulf.  Then when I got home Chris sent me text, wanting to try crappie on Coleto.  We had talked about it a while back, and I have wanted to try it, so there is no time like the present.  See, the forces are conspiring to keep me off the salt.  I know I will make it back to the Gulf at least on Friday to wade with the boys from Austin.

Random Thoughts

I was flat out amazed when I got back to the ramp, there was the same Game Warden who checked me the other day.  Wow.  I have only seen one warden in all the time I have been fishing on Coleto.  Remember he got transferred here, and if this is how he works, we are lucky to have him.  So if you use Coleto be warned.  It looks like this guy is going to do his job.  And the only piece of advice I would give you as a retired attorney – Don’t Break the Law!  Get your license, tag your boat and trailer, use your running lights, have lots of life jackets, obey the limits.  If you do all this, and more, you will love the Game Wardens.  Most are great guys and this guy is no exception.  To bad I did not get his name, but it looks like I will be seeing him again.

I did pause to think about fishing for bedded fish.  For me, it is not something I do.  But of course over the last 40 years I have caught lots of fish that were bedding.  But in all that time I have never purposely set up on one and tried to take her off the bed.  Now I do not have a problem with folks who do, I just hope they put them back in as soon as they catch them.  I have always wondered if fishing for bedding fish in these huge tournaments was hard on the spawn.  It must not be to bad, Okeechobee in Florida is a perfect example.  It takes massive pressure and keeps producing.

And speaking of not breaking the law.  It is time to check your trailer nose to tail.  Just walk around it and make sure everything works.  And if it has been awhile, as in years, and you have no idea  the condition of your wheel bearings, fix them yourself or take it to the dealer.  From now until June I see trailers with axle troubles from here to Key West.  It won’t be the law that is breaking, it will be your trailer.  Think about it.

I promise I will make the Gulf shortly, of course it looks like it will be post front on Friday.  That has been my luck lately.  I do know one thing, if you like to fish shallow for bass, Coleto is the place to be.  I think they can be caught on about anything you are good at.

I appreciate your continued support.  So a big wade trip, maybe some Tilapia bow hunting, and some crappie.  Should be a good week.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

I had a busy week this week, and finally after 3 days of doing stuff, I was able to get on the water.  The forecast was for winds of 5 – 10 mph out of the NE switching to the SE during the day.  With that forecast in mind the Powderhorn should have been a good option, to bad it did not work out.

It was immediately apparent when I headed down Magnolia Beach that the wind was blowing somewhere around 15 – 20 straight out of the North.  When I got to the ramp I knew I, or someone, had made a mistake.  The tide was really low, the water was muddy, and the wind was blowing right down the Powderhorn.

The wall at the marina.  They love to toss rods and reels into the  channel.  I just wanted to prove I actually was there.

The whole goal for the day was to put a couple of redfish in the boat.  It has been awhile since I whacked them, but today was not that day.  I fished for 4 1/2 hours without a bite as the wind howled right down the lake.  The only bite I got was a tentative pull on the spinnerbait, and not another bite the rest of the afternoon.

One of the things I love about the Powderhorn is when the water color is right you can see reds and cast to them.  And I did see one, unfortunately one was it.  And he was not even interested in the slightest.   And that was it – period.  What a waste of an afternoon.  Of course any day on the water is a good day, it’s just that lately my Gulf fishing results have been less than stellar.  But I will be doing something about that this week.

Why I would hate to be the weatherman.

I know it is bad form to blame the weatherman for my failures, but this wind thing sure does get old when it blows out of the wrong direction, or a lot harder than they forecast.  One thing I usually do is check the marine forecast but this time I didn’t, and it cost me.  There were plenty of other areas that would have been fine with that wind, so it is tough to blame the weatherman.  But somebody has to take the fall, and the poor weatherman is the logical choice.

Why I did not fish much this week.

After a fun trip to Coleto Monday it was time for a little catch up.  After getting back from the trip out West the car had a small oil leak.  The car had just been serviced in Austin before we left so I called them and took it in on Tuesday.  It was just a little bit of O ring stuck on the drain plug, a 1 minute fix, but a waste of the whole day up and back.

Wednesday I had an appointment with the eye doctor.  I have never been able to see worth a crap, and have worn glasses since the 2nd grade.  Of course my vision is not getting any better, that just comes with age.  So because I noticed a real decrease in the vision in the right eye it was time for a checkup.  So great, I have a cataract in my right eye.  And they want big bucks to fix it.  Let’s see, more tackle and more trips, or surgery?  I think you only need one eye to see your bait.  It is hell getting old.

Thursday I wanted to catch up on the house, yard, and a few other things that needed doing.  Now the reason I am telling you all this is Thursday looked absolutely fabulous for fishing, but I was being responsible. I was committed to catching up so I could hit the water free and clear.   So instead of a great day to be fishing I waited to go after getting a few things done.  And of course no good deed goes unpunished.

So there you have my week.  No great fishing stories, no cool pics.  It is amazing how times just keeps on ticking.  So with that in mind it is time to get after it.

I did forget to post this pic the other day.

A big fat Nutria.

This guy was sitting on a nice warm rock, and did not move when we went by.  For the first year I fished Coleto I never saw a Nutria.  In the last couple of years I see them more frequently.  You can only assume the alligators love them.  So who knows if there are more of them, but they sure are showing up a lot more.

The plan to get right with the fishing world starts tomorrow.  My good buddy Jeffish and I are fishing tomorrow.  I plan on hitting Coleto Thursday with Jonathon, the young fisherman I met at Dick’s in Corpus, and then a day or two wading with the bunch from Austin.  That still leaves an extra day or two this week, and I will fill that on the water somewhere.

You make your choices and live with the consequences, and I made a couple of questionable calls late in the week.  This time of year the weather plays such a key role in the decisions we make.  A little more research concerning the weather and the tide would have led to a much better outcome.  We live and learn.

I appreciate each and every one of you.  So keep stopping in, I promise there will be some saltwater reports this week.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Line

Fish Catching Travel

A Cool Way to Catch Them.

When I got to the lake the first thing I noticed was the lake had continued to warm.   In fact, where the water temp was only 50 way up lake, it was 63 above the bridge.  Great news but back to the fishing.

Of course it was time to start on the point separating the 2 arms where we whacked them Saturday, with crankbait being the obvious lure of choice.  And you can all ready guess how it went – not even a bite on crankbait.  Not one.  So what was the missing factor?  There was no wind.  Simple enough.  So with that start I actually used my head and things turned around real quick.

It was cloudy and calm, and even though we fished topwater off and on occasionally over 2 days without a bite, out it came.  I started catching fish immediately.  Just the typical twitch and rest pattern brought some really awesome hits.  For the rest of the morning I caught fish everywhere I tried.  The bite is so on right now.

Several this size came over the side.  Love how far down that bass has that Bang-O-Lure.

As I decided to call it a day early to take my lovely wife out to dinner, I had one more thing that has been bugging me lately.  When I was guiding in the 70’s and 80’s one of the periods I really looked forward to was spring fishing and the pink wacky worm.  In the clear water of the Ozarks it was a great bait for my customers as you could often see the fish hit it.  Though I had not tried it here, there was no doubt it would work.

So about noon I finally decided to hit one more spot and give that worm a try.  Of course it worked, to bad I did not fish it earlier.  In about an hour I caught 5 and missed a couple of more.  Though no big ones came over the side, believe me it will catch big fish.

No giant, but there is that bubble gum wacky worm in his greedy little mouth.

The reason it will be really effective on Coleto right now, besides it is spring, is that they have been tight to the grass.  And that is when it works like a charm.  To use it you simply need a 2 or 3/0 weedless hook on line in the 15lb range.  Most of the wacky worms have the bulge in the middle like a nightcrawler, so just put the hook through the middle of it, close the weedgaurd, and toss it without a weight.  Most brands are soft, and if you want to make them last buy a bag and then stop at the hardware store for some O rings.  Find some that fit tight and use them as a hook holder so you do not have to put the hook through the worm.  They do not tear so often and last a whole lot longer.  Plus you can use the same rings on Senko type baits to rig them wacky.

Next toss it right on top of the grass clumps, or around stumps or logs, and start to twitch it.  You may see them hit it, but you do want to shake the grass, letting it fall down the edges.  Now you can either twitch the rod, or I like to just do a quick half turn on the reel handle.  It makes the worm collapse and then straighten back out.  A quick crank, and then a 3 – 5 count, then another crank.  Just making that worm u shape back and forth.

It is good to be a line watcher, you can often see your line jump, or move to the side.  If you feel one, or see you line move, reel up the slack and let them have it.  This is one time when a softer rod tip helps, it gives you that extra second before the fish feel resistance.  The good thing about using it on such a slack line, they eat it and by time you get around to setting the hook, they have it in their mouth.

If you really want a fun way to catch them give this method a try.  While throwing a pink worm may not be considered manly, as far as I am concerned anything that catches a fish is manly enough for me.  Bass fishermen often get caught up in the latest and greatest, forgetting that some of the old ways will catch fish just like they used to.  And one good thing about it, a pink wacky worm is something that the fish do not see on a regular basis.

A Few Random Thoughts

I am still catching up with folks, and I know I have some more of you, and I will get to it as soon as I can.

Shoedog and I had been hoping to make it to my friend Aaron’s camp on Lake Fork last month for some crappie fishing, but the weather was just to crappy to make the trip.  Well I heard from Aaron and he is suffering.  A land man, he is currently working in PA, where there is 14″ of snow and they have not seen 30 degrees all week.  And worst of all, he has only fished 2 days since the first of the year.  Suck it up big boy, better days are ahead.   And I will be happy to keep catching them for you.  See you when you get back.

 I get blogging questions fairly regularly.  The most common is how do I do it.  Simple, commit yourself to learning an easy foundation like Word Press, then sit down and write about anything you want.  But you have to write.  A blog does not require a lot of intensive work after you get started, but it does requires daily attention.  The rest of it, the basic site work, is just a learning process, and if I can do it anyone can.

Another is can I share your site, or put it on twitter.  Twit away.  Share away.  If you know someone, or some site that this works with, be my guest.  I love networking with anyone if it fishing related.

I heard from Chuck who also likes to fish the Swim Jig.  The interesting thing was I read his comment the day I came home from Coleto after we whacked them on crankbait.  In his comment he caught a bunch there, in the grass, on a X50 Excalibur.  I assume that is a crankbait.  He said they were hammering it.  I love it when that happens.  It just took me a little longer than Chuck to figure it out.  Thanks for your report.

And Dave, sure I would love to trade links with you.  I am actually working on that very thing, so when you read this holler when you are ready and lets see if we can get it done.  And Keller Bay is in my near future, so if you see me fishing close, and I will be, say hi.

That is it for today.  I am finally getting caught up, but there is still some work to do.  But the weather report is great, and of course that means I will fish instead of doing what I should be doing.  Oh well, guess I will just struggle along on this fishing adventure.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

(Sorry for the late post – life keeps getting in the way.)

After a few days out West it was time to get back to the business at hand.  I thought it would be the Gulf but the Shoedog sent me a text saying he wanted to catch some bass.  I guess catching a  few big ones lately has him wanting more.  So with hope in our hearts we hit the ramp early on Friday.

Day 1

It was pretty cold, though the forecast was for a nice day.  Of course the wind was blowing pretty hard, what’s new with that one, so I headed to one of my favorite coves in hopes of fishing it before the wind began to blow right in it.  We wasted about an hour before I finally caught one on a Swim Jig.  It was on the point leading out of the cove.  Shoedog threw spinnerbait and topwater, but they were just not having it.

The water temp up lake initially was 50 degrees, though it was 60 degrees in the main arm below the discharge.  To make a long story short, we hunted and pecked the rest of the day.  We never did get on them like we should have.

It was flat cold and the wind was blowing when we started Friday morning.

It was one here and there, but we just could not get a solid pattern going.  We threw topwater, which they did not touch, spinnerbait, and the swim jig.  The water temp really did not seem to rise much over most of the lake until late in the day.

The reason I keep throwing the Swim Jig.  But it can be a curse.

Looking back on it I really did not fish that well.  Sometimes you are catching just enough fish that you get tunnel vision, and I had it today.  It should have been clear to me that the fish were doing something else.  You know I keep saying listen to the fish, to bad I did not take my own advice.

For the day we ended up with 16 fish, 4 on spinnerbait and 12 on Swim Jig.  Now that is not a bad day, but it could have been much better.  Something had changed, and it was the next day before I removed my head from my rear end and it was game on.

Day 2

When we got to the lake the water temp had risen about 5 – 7 degrees over the whole lake.  We started down lake, throwing the Swim Jig, but I could tell after a while that while they would still eat it, it was time for a change.  It was almost 10 and we had only boated one fish.

We decided to change tactics all together, and boy was that the right choice.  Sometimes you have a gut feeling, and you need to listen to it.  We had talked about fishing crankbait, the Strike King Red Eye Shad, a rattle bait, so we headed to the windiest bank we could find.  One quick point on the Red Eye Shad.  What separates it from other baits like it is that it vibrates on the fall, unlike other baits like the Rattle Trap and Hot Spot.

The wind was blowing right on the flat point separating the 2 arms of Coleto so we started on the point and let the wind blow us down the bank headed to the Coleto arm.  I stayed with the Swim  Jig and Shoedog threw a shad colored Red Eye Shad.  We immediately started catching fish, but when he had me down 4 to 1 I switched to a KVD 2.5 square bill in a funny red color.  From that point on it was game on.

In the next hour we fished from that point to past the last of the 3 coves on the left in the main arm.  We went from 1 fish in the boat to 19.  We caught 18 without picking up the trolling motor.  A nice steady retrieve had them just knocking the crap out of it.  If there was grass we ran it right over the top, if the bank was bare we threw it right on the bank and bumped bottom.  As usual with a crankbait, the wind made all the difference.

After that run we hunted and pecked as we moved up lake, catching one here and one there.  As we got to one of the big coves above the bridge we decided to fish it all the way to the back even though it was shallow.  That turned out to be a great decision.  The water temp in that cove was 50 degrees on Friday, when we got to the back end it was 68!  And guess what, the fish were there. 

This fish was special.  Finally moving to the real back ends of the coves.

Not only were the bass there looking to bed, but there were Tilapia, a sure sign of things to come.  In that shallow water we caught on both swim jig and spinnerbait.  As it was getting late we quickly hoped over to the back end of another big cove, and they were there too.  Even though our lake is still down, the fish were back in the last couple of feet of water.

So folks it is time, the spawn is on, and the water in the back ends is significantly warmer than the main lake.  So just making a couple of changes, throwing the crankbait down lake and checking out the very back ends of the pockets, led to a much better day.  Where we only boated 16 Friday, we easily boated 35 or more on Saturday.  On thing to remember when fishing that far  back, nice and easy and quiet.  We were seeing fish in the holes in the grass, and there was the occasional bed, so any real shallow water tactic should work right now.

I have one more report from Monday, and then I will be caught up.  I did find a new way to catch them, not really new, just new here.  It will be the subject of some of the next report, it is a cool and fun way to catch them.  So if you like to catch fish, Coleto is the place to be.  For me though it is just about enough bass fishing for a little bit.  I am dying to get to the Gulf, especially with the warm weather we are having.  Looking back at last year I caught some good trout on topwater with conditions like this.

Thanks for all your comments, I will try to respond to some of them with the next post, which I promise I will start on right now.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Those of you looking for a fishing report stop in later.  I just finished 2 days of hard fishing with the Shoedog on Coleto.  He has a bad case of bass fever right now and so we scratched that itch.  But first I wanted to let you see a couple of pictures from a little trip my wife and I took this week.

My wife Nancy, who is a PA, had to do her rectification exam for her license a couple of weeks ago.  It was very stressful for her, and she studied hard for a month.  After she took the test, which she passed, she wanted a couple of days off so we headed out west for a short trip.

We first went to New Mexico to the Inn of the Mountain Gods, and then to the Big Bend area.   New Mexico was beautiful, the resort was nice, and we had a nice couple of days in the mountains.  The Inn also offers a casino, golf, skiing, big game hunting, and even has a lake stocked with trout.  The area has tons of stuff for the whole family and would be a good place for a vacation.

The cool sculpture at the Inn.

The resort with the ski mountain in the background.

View from an overlook on the 12 mile ride up the mountain to the ski lodge.

We had never been to Ruidoso, and we had a good time.  Eating, drinking, and just generally making merry, Ruidoso is a cool vacation area with lots of cabins scattered throughout the mountains.  After a couple of days we took off for what was my favorite part of the trip.

We had been to the Big Bend area once before and I was excited to go back.  I really love the desert and the park, not to mention the quirky town of Terlingua.  We stayed in Marathon, which is perfectly positioned to see all the great things  in the area.

The famous Prada Store, (art I guess) out in the middle of nowhere near Marfa.

We stayed at the Gage Hotel, which was built in the 1800’s and then remodeled.  The owner bought a museum and the cowboy and western decor is awesome, a true tribute to the west.  The restaurant is first class, and the Gage is in a great location to see the area.  And how cool is it that there are no TV’s in the rooms.

My lovely wife in the Courtyard at the Gage Hotel.

The cool room.

For me though the whole trip is about seeing the wildlife.  I love seeing all the stuff you can see just driving the roads.  No matter which route you take in the Terlingua and Big Bend Park area you are sure to see some cool stuff.  It may be hard to get some good pictures, but as long as you have the camera ready you can shoot them out of the car.  This time we were lucky enough to see some great stuff.

Audads.  These are really cool critters.

Look at the big boy in the center, big beard and feathers on his legs, a real wall hanger.

The park area is beautiful in a stark sort of way.  Big mountains, deep draws and gulleys, it is a monument to time.  It is an experience that is not to be missed.

The Rio Grande River in the Big Bend looking out to Mexico.

A few Mule Deer.

A nice Antelope.

If you go be sure to make a stop in Terlingua.  An old mining town, it is now home to a bunch of real characters.  Stop at the store, the porch is a gathering place to watch the sunset, have a cold one, and shoot the breeze.  It is a town of some real interesting characters.

Making music at the Terlingua Store.

What a good trip.  I really enjoy how different the high desert is.  It gives you a real appreciation for just how diverse and great my adopted state of Texas is.  And as usual the trip was to short and we were not ready to come home.

Thanks for stopping in.  I know this is a little off topic, but if you have never visited the area you need to put it on your travel list, it is worth the drive.  I hope to have the fishing report up either this afternoon or first thing in the morning.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Shoedog is finally getting to really enjoy his retirement.  One advantage of where he lives is the 4 acre lake in the subdivision, it has a healthy population of fish.  Large enough to put the boat in, and a minute from his house, the lake has it’s moments, and his last trip was one of these.  I got this a few days ago, and with the weather finally straightening up it is time to lay the smack down on them!

So there you have it, the kind of day we all love to have.  We are going to really hit it hard for 3 days, mixing bass and the Gulf.  So keep stopping in and we will keep up the hard work of catching them.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Here are a couple of random comments I have received from my readers the last week or so, and a few other thoughts.

I got a quick comment from Joe – “I hate them damn coots also!!!”  Nice to know someone else has a problem with them too.  It really affects things if you want to throw a spinnerbait or topwater.  It will be nice when most of them move on to wherever they hang out all summer.

I was at the new Dick’s in Corpus the other day and met Johnathan, a really nice young man.  He is a diehard fisherman who got to fish the college circuit last year.  I extended an offer to fish on Coleto, and hopefully we will get to fish together sometime.  So if you are in Dick’s stop in the fishing section and say hi.  I also was actually impressed with their fishing department, it was quite a bit bigger than other Dick’s I have been in and well stocked.

Koolwater, the administrator and owner of 4reelfishing.com, sent me a nice note after I posted a big fish picture on his site.  They have ice a mile deep up north, and I sent a couple of pics to those “Yankees” just to give them the business.  It was all in fun and they take it well.  If you have never been to his site the link will be at the bottom of the page.  It is a great site to see lots of big fish and cool videos.  So stop in his site and post a couple of pics of your big fish.

I read the Falcon Lake Tackle site regularly just to keep tabs on the fishing.  It has been a tough winter there, and though they are still catching big fish, the numbers just don’t seem to be there.  The owner attributes it to the huge population of Alligator Gar, and is fighting a small war with TPWD in an effort to increase the take and reduce the population.  No matter what the problem, the fishing is not what it has been in the past.  In spite of that, it is still one of the great places to catch a DD, maybe the biggest fish of you life.  Stay tuned to see how that plays out.

Rusty is one of my readers who fishes Fayette regularly.  One day last week when the wind was really tough, to tough for Fayette, he came down and fished Coleto.  He was kind enough to drop me note that he was able to put 10 in the boat in an afternoon on spinnerbait and swim jig.  Thanks for the note Rusty, and I love hearing it when someone catches a few from what they read on the blog.

 You know you have a fishing problem when you watch fishing show when you are not fishing.  My favorite is the Major League Fishing, I love the format.  It is a go fishing and catch as many and as fast as you can.  My style of fishing.  And this time with it in Michigan KVD proved he is the best smallmouth fisherman alive.  I am definitely not one for a man crush, but when he is whacking them on that spinnerbait it is a wonderful thing.  He freakin’ caught 80lbs of smallmouth in one day!

My thought is we should do a partner draw tourney on Coleto with a similar format.  The teams draw another team, and one partner goes with the other.  Then it would be done on a pure inches format, rounded of to the even inch.  It would be recorded, initialed by the partner, and then team tallied.  Sounds like fun to me.

Jim has sent me the occasional note, and his latest was asking me if I do any crappie fishing.  In my guiding days I used to fish the snot out of them  In Arkansas, but have not really done any on Coleto, though I have intended to.  Well I promise I am going to get that done this spring.  There are lots of nice crappie on Coleto, and thinking about a livewell full makes my mouth water.

Muzzy dropped me a note telling me he was headed on a do-it yourself trip in March to Apalachicola in the Florida bend.  He said he had lots of the baits we use on the coast in his box, and he is ready to go.  I have actually fished there and caught some reds and trout.  It is a cool bay, and a neat little town that I am sure has changed a lot since I was there 20 years ago.  And I am not sure if you are taking your boat, but there is a place close, it is either St. Joe of St. Joseph Island park, it is on the map.  It is beautiful, and though I did not fish it what a good looking bay.  So if you want to take a drive it is worth it even if you just look like we did. So Muzzy, thanks for reading my stuff, and I can not wait to hear how it goes so drop me line and share your adventure with my readers.

And all you trout fisherman the Lavaca River is still turning out some good trout.  I was filling up at the gas station and I met a guy and we talked fishing.  He said he is still getting them there.  With all the cold weather we have had they should still be in there.  So if you want to get some better do it fast before it warms up.

I also heard from Chris, who’s brother-in-law turned him on to the blog.  His brother-in-law owns the RV park at Keller Bay, what a cool place to have your RV, so if you are thinking about doing something like that in future take a look at his place.  Chris thanked me for the kind of information I try to give, simple how-to information to help people catch a couple of more fish.  Somehow fishing has evolved into some kind of a big secret.  I like it just the opposite, help someone catch fish, or better yet take them.  It will make you a better person and fisherman.  Thanks for the comment Chris.

Sean a kayaker from Austin who fishes the Powderhorn also sent me a note letting me know that he has caught a few on the Redfish Magic (A complete how-to coming this week) and is waiting on his Mann’s Waker.  Chris the time is coming, as soon as that water warms up it will be game on with the Waker.  It is one of my favorite bites in saltwater fishing.  Sean as soon as you catch your first one on it you have to be careful, it gets addictive.  He also commented on my sharing of information, that is what we are here for, and I can not thank you, and everyone else, for letting me know what I am doing is working.

The blog has finally come to the point where it is time to improve it.  My friend Jeffish, the web designer extraordinaire, swears he is going to sit down with me and take the couple of days it will take to get the job done.  I am holding you to it Bro!  And to go along with that I am finally going to seriously start trying to market to some advertisers.  Fishing 3 to 5 days a week is expensive, and any help I can get would be appreciate.  But no matter what, the character of the blog will not change, it is still about sharing real information with you.

Robert, one of the regulars on the Austin Bass Fishing Forum, has fished the Rockport area since 78′ and now fishes freshwater in central Texas offered to help me out if I ever take a trip to that area.  I have not forgotten Robert, and have saved your email and will definitely take you up on that some time.  And if I want to fish some freshwater in central Texas I will give you a call.

We finally got our Canada trip sorted out for this year.  We will be at Muskie Bay for 2 weeks, from June 7 – 21.  After our trip last year I was no where near ready to go home after a week.  With more time we plan on fishing some other lakes, and there are tons, including Rainy Lake, one of the great trophy walleye lakes in Canada.  And I am really looking forward to getting to a couple of the smallmouth lakes that dot the region.  My buddy Clyde has been telling me for years about 100 fish days, with many 3 – 5 lbs.  I am all about that one.  With the cold winter they have had Muskie Bay said the ice was as thick as it has been in years.  The benefit of that is the lake trout should up shallow, the pike should be in full spawn, and the bugs should be nonexistent.  I can not wait.

I am taking a few days off, but keep stopping in, there will be a couple of how-to posts in the next couple of days.  Then it will be back to some real fishing.  This weather has to break sooner or later, and starting late this week I am going to take all my weather frustration out on those bay fish.  I try to keep up with you all, and though I am still behind I promise I will catch up.  So keep those comments and suggestions coming.  Thanks for reading my stuff.

http://4reelfishing.com/videos/

http://www.tackleandrods.com/lake/flash.htm

http://www.austinbassfishing.com/forum/

http://www.kellerbayrvpark.us/

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

My love affair with largemouth bass began pond fishing in Iowa during the 60’s.  It grew during the 70’s – 90’s when I was guiding and tournament fishing on Norfork and Bull Shoals Lakes in Arkansas.  That love affair continues today.  Over the last 50 years I have learned many new techniques, but none have compared with fishing the Strike King Swimming Jig.

I was fortunate enough to meet Aaron Fite, a long time tournament fisherman and all around good guy, who as taught me a lot about bass fishing.  On a trip to Coleto Creek last year he introduced me to fishing the Swimming Jig, and it has been in my arsenal ever since.

The Swim Jig strikes again.  It works great on big pre-spawn bass.

Made by Strike King, the Swimming Jig was designed with input from their pro staff, which has some of the best bass fishermen on the planet.  When combined with the Strike King Rage Craw, it is one of the deadliest, most versatile, baits made.  Anytime the fish are shallow, and especially if related to grass or other vegetation, the Swim Jig should be on your list of baits to throw.

The Swimming Jig itself comes in 3 sizes, a 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8th ounces.  With a streamlined swimming head, they are painted to work perfectly with the color coordinated skirt.  They are available in 10 colors to meet any seasonal pattern or primary forage on any lake.  One of the best features is the wire keeper on the head that allows you to stab your trailer to keep it in position.

Strike King’s Rage series plastics have a specially designed flange on the tail of the Rage Craw that creates unbelievable action and vibration.  When combined with the Swim Jig it creates one irresistible bait.  They come in the Baby Craw, Craw, and big Rage Lobster in a wide range of colors.

So lets get to the basics.  This is not an attempt to turn you into KVD, it is to get you started throwing one of the most effective bass lures around.  To start simply get a 1/4 ounce black/blue and a 1/4 ounce bluegill.  Now that we have our jig, lets select our trailer.  For starters the 4″ Rage Craw is perfect.  Get a package in black/blue and then one in a more natural color to fish behind the 1/4 ounce bluegill.

Now that you have your baits you need some equipment to throw it on.  A medium heavy rod with a fast tip, a bait casting reel, and you are set.  Fish it on mono, fluro, or braid, in the 15lb range will do, it is your choice.  Again, we are not trying to make you a pro, just to get started fishing it.  You can refine your equipment as you learn, but this is a start.

The best thing about using it is how simple it is, just reel it.  It really is simple as that.  Probably the best advice I can give you is start out with a medium retrieve, and then work faster or slower from there.  One of the hardest things for many of us is duplicating a retrieve  right after we catch one.  Listen to the fish and they will let you know how fast to reel it.

For me the best way to hold the rod is by pointing it directly at the bait.  Now it is great when one knocks the crap out of it, but they can be a lot trickier than that.  Often times the fish swim right up to it and eat it, continuing on right at you.  The good thing about pointing the rod right at it is you can often feel one of two things, either it gets heavy, or the line goes slack.  So set the hook.  You have to constantly be alert, if you are lucky they will hit it with authority, but often you will actually see your line move sideways.  Actually that is the very thing I love about the Swim Jig, once you get the feel for it you will find yourself setting the hook before your mind even registers you have a bite.  It is a beautiful thing when you set the hook like that and there she is.  Remember, there is no additional penalty for setting the hook.

A short video on how to use it – it is that simple! 

Of course how fast you reel it is often dictated by the cover you are fishing.  The Swim Jig is most effective around vegetation, be it grass, reeds, or pads.  The real goal is to literally swim it through and around the cover.  The best case scenario is shallow vegetation leading into deeper water.  Swimming it down the face of the cover, letting it occasionally tick the tops of the cover results in some awesome bites.  And when the cover has a sharp deep edge, after hitting the edge slow it down, letting it fall down the face of the cover. Another successful way is to parallel the edge of the deeper cover if the fish are not shallow.  And of course when the water temperature is high and the fish are active you can reel it as fast as you need to.  But no matter how you use it, just think about how it is swimming along, tail vibrating, as it works the cover.

The master, Aaron Fite.  Aaron is a big guy, and this fish was a hoss.  Winter or summer, the Strike King Swimming Jig is effective anytime fish are in shallow cover.

As far as when you throw it, I throw it year round.  Sunny and warm, or cold and cloudy, all you need is cover and shallow fish.  The Swimming Jig is as versatile as you make it.  The color combinations and size variations are limited only by your imagination and the fishes preferences.  So grab a couple at your local tackle store, you will be glad you did.

Take a look at their catalog for the complete line of Strike King products:

http://www.strikeking.com/catalog/2014/SK_2014_catalog.pdf

Good Luck and Tight Lines