Fish Catching Travel

Fish Catching Travel

The Powderhorn.

This is going to be a 2 story day.  First I am going to tell you about today at Indianola in the Powderhorn.  I have been whining about the wind for a couple of  weeks now, so it was time to put on my big boy pants and hit the Gulf anyway.  So even though the wind was supposed to blow 25 I loaded up.  Every so often I just have to get my spinnerbait redfish fix.  A redfish smacking a Strike King Redfish Magic is a thing of beauty.

The tide was to be high around 11, so I waited until 10 to hit the road.  One of the things that happens at the Powderhorn is when the tide is up, and then starts to fall, you can find reds on the grassy banks on both sides of the Powderhorn, you just have to let the wind tell you which side you can fish.  The north bank really muddies up on a south wind.  When I got there it was white capping in the Powderhorn over the whole lake.  Normally you can get out of the wind a little on the south high bank, but not today, it was flat blowing.

So I headed to the back pond on the left with the duck blind in it.  When the tide is up there is enough water, and the reds are usually there.  And today they were.  Of course since it was windy, I started with the Strike King Redfish Magic, which those of you who read my stuff know has been my go to bait.

    Always wear Polaroids, and keep a sharp eye.  This one came from                             mud where he was tearing up the bottom.

I was using an avocado color and reeling it at a medium speed.  I like to keep it about a foot off the bottom, but the pond is real shallow, so I just kept it up.  A few casts later a small one came over the side.  And then another nice keeper.

They were knocking the snot out of it.

I ended up catching 3 in the pond and missed one.  With the wind howling right out of the pond I just let it carry me down the bank all the way out on the left hand side.  That bank is real shallow, but with the tide up it is fish-able if you put the trolling motor just under the water and raise the engine.  It pushed me right down that bank, and I just went with it.

A little while later I missed one who had it when I set the hook, then somehow the line got caught on the seat.  Of well.  As the wind pushed me I would see occasional muds where they were feeding.  If you led them just right, no easy task with the wind, they would smack it.

                  This guy was the third keeper and he fought like the devil.

It was not fast fishing by any means, but they were up and biting.  I ended up catching 3 small ones and 4 nice ones.  I lost 2 when I got my line tangled setting the hook, and I flat missed 2.  I guess I like the Refish Magic so well because it works, and it is a spinnerbait.  It was simply a matter of letting the wind blow you along, using the trolling motor to keep a long cast from the bank, and reeling it at a steady pace.

       This was a fat slot fish, where are they when tournament day comes?

So after getting my redfish fix taken care of I headed back up to the front of the lake to make a couple of drifts for trout.  I wish I could tell you that went well, but it didn’t.  In fact I drifted the front a couple times and caught one short trout.  They did not like my plastic nor a popping cork.  Of course the wind was blowing me right along, but it just was not working.  I  did not even fish the end of the boat lane where I caught them several times over the last month or so because it was white capping, and just to rough.

So I ended up packing it in early.  The wind was just to much to mess with over a few trout.  So as far as trout went, I just was not able to fish effectively enough to be sure whether they were there or not.

From the reports I am hearing the reds are still good in the back lakes, channels, and cuts leading into the back areas.  Trout have been spotty.  Some boats whack them, some have it tough.  As it looks like we are about to really have some spring time weather the trout fishing should pick up soon.  Hopefully we will get some real calm days with good sun to get them going, and it will have the same affect on me.  So expect to see a lot more saltwater fishing on the blog in the days to come.

Lake Texana

Crossing the upper end of Lake Texana on highway 59 I always look out and wonder if it has some good fishing.  My friend Aaron has been after me to fish it, so I did some reading and headed out on Thursday.  I put in at a ramp at the mouth of one of the big creeks where I knew with the wind blowing I could get out of it somewhere.

There was lots of stuff blown up on the ramp when I got there, and putting the boat in the water was a sign of things to come.  I backed a little to far in and got on the weeds and almost did not make it back out.  But I finally got the boat in and off I went.  I headed up the creek and stopped in the first cove out of the wind.

On my second cast I felt one thump the snot out of that Swim Jig, and the fight was on.  To bad it was a big blue cat.  So of course I come up with a great plan, just get the camera out of the bag and turn it on before you net him.  By time I fooled around with that and got ready to land him he came off.  Nice job dude.  So no pictures.  In fact, there were to be no pictures at all.  I never had another bite, not one.

I fished it for 6 and half hours without a bite.  I swam jigs, cranked, spinnerbaited, jerked, reeled, hopped, dropped, and anything else I could think of doing.  If fished shallow coves, deeper banks, weed lines, timber, and anything else I saw.  No I am no Kevin VanDam, but I am not Ronald McDonald either.  But it just did not happen.  And I am not sure why.  I saw lots of cool gators, but I can not remember the last time I went bass fishing where I did not put one in the boat. When the TPW website says bass fishing is fair, they might be giving it a break.  All it succeeded in doing was making me determined to go back and try to figure it out.  So if you fish Texana some drop me a line, maybe I was missing something and any help I can get will be appreciated.

So this was a tale of 2 days.  One good, one bad.  The wind was a controlling factor both days but what can you do.  If you do not like to fish in the wind South Texas may not be the place for you.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  I have assorted plans this week coming up.  My real hope is we get a fairly calm day with lots of sun.  The Tilapia were everywhere on Coleto last week and I want to shoot a couple with the bow.  So keep stopping in, who knows, next week may just be it.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fish Catching Travel

I am sitting here now trying to decide if I am going to head to POC tomorrow.  While the fishing on the lake has been ok, a little redfish action would be just what the doctor ordered.  The winds are supposed to be 15 – 25, which is usually the 25 on the bay.  Of course it is early spring, and I remember last year it seemed to blow pretty hard all the way into summer.  So we will see where I go tomorrow.

Having been gone for a few days I was needing my fishing fix, but it was a really cold morning so I decided to go about 3.  When I got to Coleto it was blowing just right, but there was a mile high sky, and the wind was out of the north.  Another pretty abrupt front, the kind that usually affects the fish pretty strong on day 2.

I started across the lake on a big flat and figured if they were a little slow I would throw the jerk bait.  The one below was my first bite and he almost jerked the rod out of my hands.  And he was the last one who did that.

He was hooked up!  I had a heck of time getting that bait out of his mouth.

Now this was on the main lake, and it should have told me something, but I did not listen.  So of course I headed to a couple of coves to see if they were back there.  Bad choice.  The front knocked those fish out and they were not interested.  I think I caught 3 or four more on jerk bait, most of them I barely felt them hit it, and they did not amount to much.

                                          Notice how calm it was behind me?

I left the cove and put down the jerk bait.  I was beginning to see small shad popping on sunny calm banks out of the wind.  It might seem counter intuitive to throw a spinnerbait there, but with the shad I gave it a try.   They like that wake sometimes when the conditions are like it was today.  2 or 3 more rolled on it after I caught the one above, but never really got it.  By now it was pretty clear they were just not feeling it, and I had more short strikes than I normally have in a week.  But that is post cold front fishing.

Now it was getting a little late so I went to a big cove before the bridge and threw the Strike King Swim Jig some.  As it got later and later they started to bite a lot better, but I still had them nipping at it no matter what I threw.  From then on, the side of one point or another leading into a cove had fish on it.  I finished the day in the ramp cove and caught 4 headed to the swimming beach.

The best of 4 I caught on the Strike King Swim Jig. 

They really liked the 1/4 brown with the Hard Candy small Rage Craw.  One of the tricks that my friend Aaron showed me was trimming the skirt back right below the hook, so that the trailer action worked and they could see it better.  Using it at a medium speed is working well, but the problem is you have to work through some small ones to get to the good ones.  Of the 8 or so I caught in the last hour came on the jig,  most were undersized, but even then I stilled missed more than usual.

So all in all not a bad fishing trip considering the adverse conditions.  I ended up catching around 13.  It was simply a matter of down sizing to the small jig to get the most bites.  It should really pick up when it warms up this time.  I saw one fish on the bed, which surprised me, but it is time.  And of course the alligators were trying to warm up on sunny banks.

                            If I hide behind this bucket no one will see me.

Where in the morning?  I do not have a clue, but it will be somewhere.  My friend Aaron has been after me to fish Lake Texanna.  Now I have not even the slightest idea what that lake is all about.  With it so close it seems like maybe I should give it a go.  Guess I will have to do a little research.  But I am still having a redfish moment.

Thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Sorry I have not posted in a few days, but had some family business to attend to.  So off Nancy and I went to Dallas for the weekend.  We met my daughter, her husband, and my grand baby Mia.  My daughter was running in the Rock and Roll half marathon throughout downtown Dallas, so we went to spend some time with them.  We will get to that later, but as usual somehow fishing found a way to rear it’s ugly head in the middle of downtown Dallas.  I have a real fishing problem as you well know.  And luckily I did get to add a little “fishing” to my trip, and while it wasn’t fishing, I want to show you a place in Dallas where if you love fish, you need to stop in and have a drink and a little something to eat.

St. Pete’s Laughing Marlin is one of those places where my dreams reside.  It is on the edge of Deep Ellum on the 2700 block of Commerce, and we came across it when the place we were headed was closed.  And what a lucky stop it was for a couple of reasons.  Apparently Pete and his friends have chased big fish, and the whole bar is covered with mounts, and I mean lots of them.  Huge Marlin, yellowfin tuna, sailfish, wahoo and a host of others,  It is real impressive and speaks to a lifetime of fishing.  The food is great, the service down home, and if you go to Dallas stop in, you will love it.   http://dancingmarlin.com/

                         Sorry for the dark pics, best you can do with a phone.

This does not even show a little of what is there, it was awesome.

Visiting Pete’s reminded me that my fascination with big fish began when I was lucky enough to catch a marlin in Puerto Rico.  I have never caught another, but they, and others like them, live in my dreams.  And to further exacerbate my love of big fish stories were the books of Zane Grey.  While remembered for his western work, he loved big fish and was one of the most influential saltwater fisherman ever.

His love of catching big fish in cool places, combined with the money he made, allowed him to explore the world.  Few people know he built a big ship, then outfitted it with smaller launches.  He caught monster sharks, marlin, tuna, and a variety of others on hickory rods and basic reels.  Tahiti, Panama, New Zealand, and a host of others, were explored on his unbelievable adventures.  Giant swordfish, tarpon, and many others came over the side.  He often built whole camps, and would fish months at a time.  There were  periods when he would go without a fish for weeks in his search for giant swordfish.

Imagine fishing offshore without a GPS, weather report, sat phone, and the host of other stuff available to us.  He was a pioneer after my own heart.  And if my memory serves me he actually died basically broke.  But any man who goes where no one had ever gone before, to do battle with giant fish with the simple tackle, and ends up broke, can not be all bad.  So if you love of fishing is deep I would recommend reading his books.  They are the best high adventure fishing books ever written, and they will never be copied again.  He is one of my heros.

And while we were there we met Kyle Collins and his lovely wife and had a great time chatting with them.  Not only were they nice, but he is a beer importer, what more could you ask?  So we chatted about beer and other stuff, and the short time we spent with them was great.

He also bought me a beer, one of his imports, a Zeppelin, and it was delicious.  I have always had a taste for different beers, and this one got added to the list.  His company imports Leibinger beers and they are expanding throughout Texas.  So stop in the site and check them out, hopefully Zeppelin will be on a shelf near you soon.  And if it isn’t ask, they can probably get it.     www.rattlerbeers.com   Beer and big fish, what more could a guy want.  And Kyle, the fishing offer is on the table if you ever get this way.

The Race

Now that I am done waxing poetic about 2 of my top three loves, lets get to the real reason for the trip, my number one love.  I am so proud of my daughter.  Not only is she a smart educated woman, she also gets things done when she puts a mind to it.  I mean this is the girl who started a foundation, Vilakaze,  http://www.vilakazi.org/ to help South African children.  Sheand her husband have made several trips there to do mission work and our trip with them last year was one of the great trips of my life.  If you have not already seen the pics there on some on my site, so search Africa and you can see them.  And her running is like that, she decided to start and has stuck with it.  This was her fourth half marathon and it so impresses me when folks do that.

In this case it was 37 degrees and the wind was blowing 30 – 40 out of the north, a great way to start a run.  She said she did not warm up until mile 8, and I figure that is about the point I would be throwing up if I even had the guts to run that far.  But she kept on chugging and had a big smile on her face at the end of the race.   I am proud and lucky to call her my daughter.

And off she goes!

The Big Finish and still smiling!   And cut 5 minutes off her last time.

The welcoming committee.  I just put that in for you fishermen.

The kiss from hubby.  He is a great guy.

My lovely wife and Carrie celebrate.  And last but not least, my favorite girl in the world…..

Miss Mia running to Nancy.  What a joy!

So it was an awesome weekend.  Times like these help me keep things in perspective.  My fishing obsession consumes me at times, and I need a little back to reality check on occasion.  Fish come and go, but your family is all it really comes down to.  And watching Mia grow up has been a great reminder of how time does fly.  One day I was sitting by a creek in Iowa with a Zebco, and now here I sit 40 years later with all the stuff living out a fishing dream.  And that is all good, but life is short and there are some things so much more important than a big one.

Thanks for reading my stuff.  And thanks for letting me get a little off topic today.  As soon as I click save on this post it is off to the lake for a quick afternoon bass trip.  But the real plan is to start hitting the Gulf as it warms up the next couple of days.  So thanks again and keep stopping in.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Sorry there has been only one post this week.  It is hard sometimes to sit down and put the day into words when you fished almost all day.  In fact, I would have fished later today but I wanted to be home in time to get this done.

The day looked perfect for bass fishing.  Cloudy with rain in the forecast, and just enough breeze to keep it interesting.  So I went to one of the longer bigger coves in the left hand arm and started throwing a topwater.  It took me a little while to catch one, but that was that last of that all day.  It just kept getting better and better.

The first one of the morning.

Even though I knew at some point I was going to catch them on topwater, the early bite was slow so I switched to a Strike King swim jig.  I had the skirt mess up on the one on my rod so I put this brown and silver skirt on the jig head, added a Rage Craw, and boy did they like it.

They were eating that thing.

For the next few hours I caught them almost everywhere I tried.  It was as simple as throwing it out there and reeling it along at a nice steady pace.  I caught them on a couple of main lake places, and in every cove I fished.  Now it was not really fast, just real consistent.  And so at this point I decided to take a lot more pictures.  And the fish did not disappoint.

This was a nice one.

                                            This one wasn’t that bad either.

Now during the day I threw spinnerbait some, and caught a couple,but it became pretty clear they were not interested.  So I just kept alternating between the swim jig and the topwater.  I just knew they were going to get on that topwater at some point.

I caught this one right before it started to mist and the wind quit.

I dream about days like this.  They kept biting and it got better on the topwater.  As soon as the wind quit the fish moved to the bank.  My best bite was up the river, but that was not the point.  The point was they moved up and started biting, it would not have mattered where you were, it was one of those days.  I was using that Bagley Bang O Lure right on top, just twitching it along.  And every third twitch I would pull it under a couple of inches, and they would roll up and hit it.  These next two pics are the same fish.

She rolled out of log in 2 foot of water and smoked it.

                     Same fish but blurry, to bad, this was one nice fish.

When  they moved up, they were shallow, and if there was a nice log or bush, it had a fish on it.  They really started about 4:00 and bit like crazy till I quit at 6.  Just twitching it along and they would roll on it.  Polaroids were a mandatory, but sometimes all you see is a boil.  Now is the time on Coleto for that topwater.  Big ones and little ones, they were all on the move.

This one jumped and carried on like someone had a hook in his mouth and was about to winch him in.

I was getting tired by now as I really did fish all day.  But I knew with the weather like it was we do not get lots of perfect days like today.  A real piece of advice about Coleto.  If you can go when conditions are like they were today, do it.  Looking back on last year, these were the best days all year.    So I kept after it and got one more reward for sticking it out.

This was one big fish.  I got to go home on this one.  Who knows what would have happened if I had stayed until dark.

The most I caught in one places was in the back end of a big cove on the swim jig.  I think I caught 8 in there.  From that point on it was simply a matter of keeping a bait in the water.  Spring time bass fishing is still one of my great loves.  And being able to get to be there when the bite is on is a wonderful thing.  With the moon coming it should only get better as the fish go to the beds wholesale.   And I met someone I know at the ramp as we were taking out and he caught one 7’13” on a jig and plastic.  The bite is on.

But it is time to head back to the Gulf for a few days.  It will be simply a matter of the wind.  So thanks for reading my stuff.  I know how lucky I am, and I appreciate every day I get on the water.    Keep stopping in and I will keep putting it down on “paper”.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Normally I would have gone to the Gulf today as the winds were not to bad.  But last week a friend of mine who I have been trying to take to Coleto text-ed me and said he could go.  So Bobbie stopped by the house and off we went.

The forecast last night was for it to be clear and then clouds were to move in this afternoon.  The wind was supposed to be 8 -14 ENE, and they did get that part right.  It was exactly the opposite as the clouds moved in this morning, and were gone by 3:30.

One of the reasons I have wanted to take him is he does fish Coleto some, but never has really great luck with the bigger fish.   So the goal today was to try and catch some better fish, hopefully a big one.  The big one never came, but the fishing was good, and we had a good time.  And I did want him to catch one buzzing a spinnerbait and on a Swim Jig.

The first one on the Strike King Swim Jig.  Big head, no body.

Bobby started with a Strike King 1.5 in chartreuse, and I threw the swim jig.  There was no doubt after we put about 15 or so in the boat that the better fish wanted the jig.  Bobby stayed with the crankbait for a while longer, and then started throwing the jig.

His last fish on the crankbait.  I have told you all that the catfish are tearing it up on Coleto, this is the 6th or 7th on lures in the last few weeks.

As you can see the clouds moved in, and then the wind began to blow.  We headed to a really shallow bank in a cove with the wind on it.  I picked up a spinnerbait, and we put several in the boat over the next hour or so.

I love it when a fish like this smashes a spinnerbait buzzed right on the surface.

We were throwing a willow leaf #5 blade right on the surface leaving a big wake.  Now Bobby has never caught bass that way and he hung in there.  Running a spinnerbait that way is tricky, and you have to use it just right, but when you do it seems to attract fish like these.

On Coleto this time of year if you want to catch them on a spinnerbait, go to the real windy banks, run it fast, and hold on!

At this point I wanted Bobby to catch one so I moved to a point up lake with cane on it.  I will give him credit, he didn’t give up and go back to catching small ones on crankbait.  I image we caught at least 10 on it, and not a one of them was worth a hoot.

He finally caught a good one.  Notice how big the blade is on that spinnerbait.

We quit taking pictures at this point and got on with the fishing.  We tried some main lake places, a couple of coves, and a real deep bank.  Hands down right now they were in the shallow grass.  In some places you could not even reach the bank, and were sitting in 3 foot of water.  The next important thing today was wind.  Wind fish, no wind, no fish.  We fished way up lake and down by the dam.  And no matter what, it was the wind.  When we moved down lake, it began to clear and we fished the points and shallow bank across from the dock and behind the island.  I caught 3 or 4 keepers swimming that blue/black with a blue flake Rage Craw.  And finally after watching me whack several more on that Swim Jig, he got in the act.

Here was his first on that Swim Jig.

So all in all a good day.  We caught easily over 30, and on a whole bunch of stuff.  Crankbait, topwater, spinnerbait, swim bait, and swim jig.  But all day long the best fish came on spinnerbait and swim jig.  We could catch lots on crankbait, they were just small.  Heck, I even caught a crappie on a topwater today.  And Bobby was happy because he learned a few new tricks today that will help him catch more fish.  Hell, he will be an expert in a couple of weeks.  So if you get a chance, pass it on.

And more good news.  We went back in a small cove and it was full of small bass, there were several on the beds, and the tilapia were there making a mess.  So it is coming, and hopefully this little cool front coming in a few days will not mess them up to much.  And if you like to bowfish, it it time on Coleto.  It seemed like the tilapia were everywhere so a bowfishing trip is in order.  Hear me Jeffish?

And now for the obligatory alligator photos ……

I know, it is hard to get an action photo from these guys.  But I will keep trying.  They are just such an interesting creature.

Before I close, I did want to tell you about what happened the night we pulled the skiff out after we went catfishing.  As Jeffish pulled me out the whole winch broke off the trailer.  Now the boat was sitting fine, but it was not connected to the trailer.

Luckily we had extra straps and were able to tie the boat down for the trip home.  So if you read this, next time you head to the boat, walk around the trailer and take stock.  Bearings greased or oiled?  Tires got enough air?  Everything look ok with the lights and winch?  If I had looked the trailer over I probably would have notice the weld breaking.  So I will just add this to my other things I do before I leave the driveway.

So now I have a broken winch, but I think it can just be welded back on.  So I look in the phone book and find a couple of places on South Laurent St.  The first one I came to was Padilla Custom Welding.  I stopped, Paul came out, and I asked if he could do a little job and he said no, he had a big job with stuff coming in.  And then he took pity on me, looked at it, and said come on in and I will get you going.

Meanwhile the supplies for the job came, but he finished me first.  He did not have to do that, but he was kind enough to help me out.  I just wanted to publicly thank him for his consideration.  So he may be busy, but if you ever need any welding, and he does weld art also, stop in and see him.  He is a gentleman and an artist.

Padilla Custom Welding, 2805 S. Laurent, Victoria.    (361)935-5737.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  I try to tell you like it is.  Some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you.  Today we ate a little of the bear.  The only thing missing was a big fish.  But that is ok, gives me a reason to live for tomorrow.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Catfishing – Something a little different.

I have been telling you for a couple of weeks that the catfish are moving at Coleto.  I think we have put 5 or so in the boat on lures, and I had one each day the last 2 trips follow a lure to the boat.  Now that is active.  So practicing what I preach my friend Jeffish and I decided to head to the lake.

Armed with #4 + 6 trebles, slip corks, night crawlers, and punch bait, we headed for the outflow in the left hand arm near the little park and ramp.  We anchored the boat right on the bouys, without tying on to them so we could throw over them.  The channel coming out of the discharge is about 10 foot deep in the middle and there is a nice ledge running about 3 -4 foot where it drops into the 10.  So we set up where we could throw along that edge.

The best depth was about 4 1/2 feet on the sliding cork to a small treble.  The treble with the spring held the bait much better than a plain treble.  Then it was a simple matter of twisting the hook in the punch bait and tossing it out there.  Jeff had a couple of hits pretty quick, then caught the first one.  Then he broke 2 off in a row right at the hook, seemed like it was bad line.  Then I proceeded to catch 6 and lose one trying to lift him in the boat.

We ended up keeping 7, of which only 1 was small, the rest were nice 2+ pounders.  They all came from inside the buoys, right were the channel came up on the flat.  Clearly re-baiting often helped, and the ones who wanted it, ate it.   We only got one  bite on crawlers, all the fish came on the punch bait.

Right now I believe you can got to either out flow and catch them.  The ones we have caught bass fishing all came from or near points with grass and timber.  So if I was looking for somewhere other than the out flow, I would go to the mouth of a big cove, on a the point with timber and grass, and anchor or tie off in about 10 feet.  I would try to position the boat where I could make casts shallow and deep.  Then it would just be a matter of finding the depth, and then setting your cork to it.

We ended up quitting before dark with 7 nice ones.  Sorry about no pictures, but the ones I took at the cleaning table were to blurry to make you suffer through.  But it was nice to do something a little different.  If I was wanting to take a kid fishing that would be the first thing I would do, take them to the out flows and fish punch bait.  It is clearly not rocket science.

We took the dog for a walk in the park this morning, and I always take the camera so if a Whitetail presents itself I am ready, and as usual we saw a bunch.  So I leave you with a couple of deer as I say thanks for reading my stuff.  It is going to be a fun week so keep stopping in and I will have some new stuff.

                                                        Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

The weather report was looking great and I was anxious to get back to POC for a little fishing.  After my last trip to the Gulf I was hoping to redeem myself and put a few fish in the boat, and maybe even keep a couple of trout for a fry on Sunday when the Captain of Team Nancy would be home from work.

I wasn’t in any hurry so I got a late start, arriving in POC about 11:30.  Of course I forgot one real important thing, it was Spring Break.  The parking lot was completely full, there were boats and kids running everywhere, and it looked like any other holiday weekend at POC.

Of course I headed to Big Bayou to throw a Redfish Magic spinnerbait for reds.  It was one of those crappy 2 high tide days when there was no real water fluctuation.  The water was a real off colored brown, and the first grass bank did not produce even a bite.  In fact there was not really any bait.  So I keep going and fished the first exposed oyster bar on the left, and started catching them.

This was the first nice one I caught.  3 like this went in the fry pile, the rest had a better day.

Initially I was throwing an electric chicken paddle tail, and it was working ok.  But due to the water color I went to the old standby:  Clear water/Lighter colored baits.  Dark water/Darker colored baits.  That turned out to be a real good decision.  Also, the off colored comgined with the wind, I went to a little heavier jig head, from a 1/16 to a 1/8 Strike King jig head.  And on it I put a Gambler Flappin Shad in a dark pumpkin with a chartreuse tail.  For about the next 3 hours I caught trout and reds pretty consistently.  Probably a dozen reds, and a few more trout, came over the side.  Most of the reds were rats, but the trout were a nice average.  I also managed 1 flounder and also got my line broken once.

A nice red and another shot of that Gambler.  It has been a consistent bait for me this winter.

I was using a Texas Two Step retrieve, double hopping it off the bottom and then letting it sink all the way back to the bottom.  Most of them were just there when I lifted up, but a few knocked the snot out of it.  One great thing about snapping it up off the bottom is, if one is on there you are also setting the hook.

The pattern was exposed oyster bars with a little deeper water around them.   And though the exposed oyster was the best, there seemed to be trout here and there.  One thing that was important, it seemed like the clearer water that was a little better.  I did try a little drifting in Barroom without success, as the water was off colored.  I do not know if it was a lack of confidence on my part or what, but it did not work for me.

Also I tried the popping cork tied a new way, but did not get a hit on it.  That new method would have to wait for another day.  But as most of the fish I caught came out of 3 foot or more, it wasn’t surprising.  I did throw topwater just a minute, but the wind was blowing right down the Bayou so that did not produce, and surprisingly enough I did not catch a red on a spinnerbait.

So all in all a fun afternoon.  I quit about 4:30 so I could be home for the Razorback basketball game.   When I got back to the ramp it was the usual zoo, but everyone was playing nice.  There was a ton of kids at the dock, and everyone was having a great time.  Nice to see kids fortunate enough to have parents who take them to places like POC.  You get one chance to raise them, and if you can instill the love of fishing in them early, they will be hooked for life.

Now to another of my favorite topics as the fishing pressure increases in the spring and into the summer, it gets just plain crowded.  But as I have said before:  Be Nice!  I preach about it all the time, we have to play well with others.  Like it or not the 60’s are gone.  It is not your daddy’s bay or lake any more.  And I got a chance to be nice, and I did.

As I drifted down an exposed oyster bar a jon boat with a guy, his wife, and two kids, pulled up on the end of it.  They anchored in front of me as I moved down it with the tide.  Now folks I mean right in my way, and close.  So as I approached him I am thinking what an a$$, but I am determined to keep quiet.  As I get to him, he apologized and said he thought I was anchored and not using the trolling motor.  So it was a simple mistake.

I have repeatedly said you have to cut people slack, you do not know their motivations for what they do.  So since I had just caught 3 farther up the bank instead of being an a$$ about it myself, I told him how to catch a few.  He was anchored in the wrong place, so I helped him get it right.  So instead of having it upset me and ruin my day, I did a good thing that made me feel much better about things.  Time on the water is too short to waste.  The next time something like that happens to you, take a breath, and try to make chicken salad out of chicken s&%^%.

Tomorrow it is off to Coleto to catch a few catfish.  We have the punch bait, the small trebles, and the slip corks.  I have told you for some time that I have been catching cats while bass fishing.  They are up shallow and aggressive and now seems to be the time to catch them.  So stop in for that little story.  Thanks for reading my stuff, I appreciate it more than you know.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Originally I was going to do a little cat fishing with a friend today but he was not feeling up to it.  As we were not going to get in a hurry, I did not leave the house until about 11:00, and since it was that late it made a run to the Gulf not worth the effort, so it was off to do a little bass fishing.  To bad we did not catfish, I saw a couple of guys at the cleaning table with a sack full.  Folks the catfish on Coleto are shallow and they are biting.  I had one last trip, and one this trip, follow a lure all the way to the boat.  And like I have said before, when they are chasing lures, they are biting.

I started on a point across from the campground, and tossed a Strike King Swim Jig out and whack, first cast.

Not a bad one for the first cast.

And not all the bad for my third cast.

So I was happy with the way things started.  To bad it didn’t stay 2 bass on every 3 casts, but of course that was not the case.  Today I decided to stay down lake to see how the bite was in that clear water and try a couple of other presentations.  Over the next couple of hours I picked up about 5 or 6 more on a Swim Jig, so it was time for a change.  One thing I have been wanting to try was a wacky worm.  I generally like it in a little warmer water, with the fish in full spawn, but decided to throw it anyway.

Wanted to show you that pink Zoom Trick Worm.

I ended up catching 4 on this pink thing, and this was the biggest.  One of the things I like about it is the same thing I like about the Bagley Bang O Lure, you can often see them hit it.  This one actually came out of about 10 foot of water right beside the boat and smoked it.

Probably the easiest way to fish it in Coleto is with a weedless hook wacky style.  I like a 2/0 weedless hook, and just hook it right in the middle of the worm.  Toss it out to the grass, and twitch it back.  Pull it up with a couple of twitches and then let it sink just a little, and that is when they usually grab it.  Polaroids are a must, it helps if you can see it.  But even if you can’t, you will see the line jump or they will just swim off with it.  This is a really fun way to fish, and a good way to put a less than experienced fisherman on some bass.  I used it every spring guiding in Arkansas, and with a clear lake like Coleto it just makes it all the more fun.  So put that in the back of your mind, we are just weeks away from that being a real effective technique.

Now during the afternoon I also threw the topwater Bang O Lure and the crawdad crankbait.  I only caught one on topwater, but I threw it the least.  The crankbait is still catching me fish, and I love the way they whack it.  It is an interesting time on Coleto, they are biting lots of stuff, which I like.  But if you have a particular thing you like or are good at, then do it.  They are hitting lots of stuff, but nothing has really separated itself for me as the go to bait.  But what a dilemma to have  –  no complaint when you can catch them on lots of stuff, and it is stuff I like to fish.

Later in the day I decided to hit a windy point and throw a spinnerbait.  They have clearly slowed down on the spinnerbait, but with a nice warm day and a little wind, I thought I might catch one.  And I did.

Not a bad one on a Strike King Premier Plus Pro model spinnerbait in the blue shad.  Think that blade has some flash?

Those of you who have been reading my stuff for the last year and a half know that I love to buzz a spinnerbait.  There is nothing I like more than burning that thing as fast as I can run it making a big wake and having one this size smash it.  It is something I have done for the last 38 years.  I am pretty good at it, but for the love of God I should be.  In fact just looking at that number makes me feel old.  Hard to believe I caught my first bass waking a spinnerbait on Norfork Lake in Arkansas with Dick Lane in 1975.  He is gone now, but I often think of him as I did today.  He passed it on to me, and I hope to keep passing it on to others.

 Of course as I always say, it is not all about the fishing, you just have to make time to notice what is going on around you.  There  seems to be lots of different hawks around the lake right now, and the Monarch butterflies were on their annual move.  And of course there are lots of these guys.  I love them.

My interest in these critters is a combination of primal fear and facination.

About 5:30 I called it quits.  Considering I did not get out early, not a bad day.  Several fish came over the side, the wildlife was moving, and it was warm.  All in all a great day to be outdoors.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  Thursday it is off to POC.  I want to put a couple of trout in the box for supper, and I need to catch a few after that last trip when things did not go so well.  Keep stopping in and keep those comments coming, I read them all.  Thanks.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

One of the nice things about not only being able to pick my spot, Gulf or freshwater, is the ability to check the weather and add that to the equation.  Sunday night the weatherman predicted a north wind at up to 25mph, and he was right.  So off to Coleto for a little bass fishing.  Not being a guide, or fishing for food on the table, I have started a new rule  –  if the number 25 or higher is anywhere in the forecast, I am not fighting the Gulf.  There are lots of days to come, like others this week, and so off to the lake I went.

It was 41 degrees when I got to the ramp, and the wind was a steady 25 out of the north, and it was cold.  So after Friday I decided to go ahead and start with the same crankbait I used Friday.  Over the next couple of hours I caught a limit along with a few more.  While none were big, most of the ones I caught knocked the snot out of it, it wasn’t one of those bites you could not tell, they whacked it.

You can still catch a limit on that crawdad colored crankbait.

I am still finding them on shallow banks with grass.  The nice thing about a cranbait that only runs to 4 feet is you can run it right over that shallow grass and when it gets deep enough it is right on the edge.  A medium retrieve is still the best, but I wanted to see if I could catch a few bigger ones. So I threw the jerkbait some, while I caught 5 or 6 on it, it was not an improvement over the crankbait.

The wind was still blowing, so I decided to throw the Strike King Swim Jig, unfortunately I only caught a few small ones.  They seemed to nip at the tail of the Rage Craw, but I still managed to catch several.  The one below just ate it, and as soon as it warms just a hair they should be back on it with a vengeance.

He was little, but I love the way they eat that Strike King Swim Jig.

As a side note I met Eric at the lake.  He has read a few of my columns so he thought he recognized me, and we chatted on the water.  He had a pretty good morning considering the weather, catching a few a little bigger than I did on a rattle trap.  The Rattletrap, or Strike King Red Eye Shad which as you know I have thrown some in the last couple of weeks, is a good choice right now, if you can get it through the grass.  Eric is a man after my own fishing heart.  He is from Houston and was on his way back from a 2 day tournament on Falcon, and just stopped to get in a few hours at Coleto on his way home.  How can you not love a guy who just can not keep on driving home when he has the boat on the back and there is a lake between him and the house.  Can you say fishing nut?

I ended up fishing until about 1:30 and never did boat a real good one.  But when you have a big front with high skies, it tends to be tough.  But the reason I quit early was my friend Jeffish was going to do a taping job on a Gulf Coast for his friend David, and I wanted to see how it works.

Making an old boat look like new.

We started of with a mid 90’s Gulf coast which was plain grey.  David chose the color of his tape, and so we prepped the side and started to work.

Here is the way that Gulf Coast looked before  . . . .

Let me tell you folks, doing this job was no easy task.  There is not a staight line on the area we wanted to wrap, and it was tough.  We worked on it that afternoon late, and finished today.  And it came out really nice.  It is a great way to make an old boat new, and also to set it apart from others like it.   In fact, I am sure there is no other Gulf Coast that color.  It changed the whole look of that boat

and after.  I love how it came out, looks like a new boat.

Now I am not sure this experience made me want to run out and do another, but it was a learning experience.  And if you want to give your boat a make over that will set it apart without doing the full wrap, this is one way to go.  There will be a few other graphics laid on the console, and when it is done, it will be sharp.

So tomorrow I am off to the water somewhere.  Where I am not sure.  But it does not really matter, I will be fishing.  So thanks for reading my stuff.  I appreciate all of you, and I read all the comments I get.  And like Eric did the other day, if you see me out, stop and say hi.  I am in either the white Mako 18LTS or my old 17′ Carolina Skiff.  And remember to take someone fishing, it is a good thing for both of you.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Strike King Lure Company

Those of you who read my stuff know that I am a big Strike King fan.  Being in Northwest Arkansas for years I had always used their stuff, and over the last year I can contribute some of my better fishing success to their products.

I have put a ton of trout in the boat with the Rage Shrimp, and I love the way you can catch literally dozens of trout on one, it is one tough bait.  And there is no better spinnerbait than the Redfish Magic.  When it is time to put some reds in the boat there is no better bait.  And I have put big bass in the boat on Falcon, Fayette, and Coleto on their crankbaits.  Just this week I caught them on the Strike King Red Eye Shad.  And of course as you know, I love to throw that Strike King Swim Jig.  And yesterday it was driven home to me again how much it really makes a difference if you like to swim jigs.  But more on that later.

So it gives me great pleasure to let you know that I am now receiving a lure sponsorship from them.  And how easy is that for me.  I love their stuff and use it, it works plain and simple.  Of course I will keep telling it like it is, and whatever I catch them on is what I will post.  But by the same token I will tell you  to buy their stuff.  KVD, Shaw Grigsby, Greg Hackney, and all the rest have proven that it works.  Soon I will have a link on the page so when I use something you can slide over and check it out.

So I would like to thank Aaron Fite for helping me out with that, and Strike King for letting me come on board.  It gets expensive to keep fishing so I can keep posting, and every little bit helps.  It is going to be another great year and this is a fine start.

Coleto Creek

As you know Wednesday I had the worst day fishing I have had in a long time, and that was my fault.  Thursday it was the fishing show in Houston which just renewed my determination to catch some fish.  We again were projected to have high winds Friday, and surprise-surprise, and it did not disappoint.

I am just getting over a big cold, and also a couple of the crappier fishing days I have had in a long time.  I have been whining lately  because for some reason I do not control the weather, the fish have given me a hard time, and I was sick for over a week.  So it was time to put on my big boy pants and quit acting like a girl.  (No offense to any woman who picks up a rod and fishes.)  So Thursday I decided to fish Coleto like it was tournament day.  First I wanted a limit, and then the plan was to finish it off with a good kicker.  It worked like a charm, and reminded me that we often just head out and fish, but sometimes a little thought and planning can make all the difference.

The last few trips I have caught fish in shallow grass patches, and on flat banks with grass, on the Strike King Red Eye Shad and a Bomber Model A, both in a crawdad color.  Some of those places were real shallow, so I put my thinking cap on and went through the crankbait box.  I found a shallow running, to 4 feet, crawdad colored balsa crankbait.   With a heavier line, and a steady retrieve, it stayed right above the shallow grass.  So keeping the boat in 6 – 7 foot of water, and throwing to the bank, I caught a limit and a few more retrieving it at a medium speed.  It took me a little while to weed through the little ones, but I probably limited by about 10:30.

The average size of the limit on that crankbait.  Part 1 of the plan.

No do not get me wrong, of course I threw a spinnerbait some, the topwater Bang O Lure, and a swim jig some.  I probably caught a dozen on topwater and a dozen on crankbait, with the crankbait producing the better fish early.  This time of year the best bite is almost always late morning into the afternoon, and it was the same yesterday.  The fish bit really well from about 10 until I quit at 3.  So now that I caught a limit it was time to hunt for some bigger fish.

I headed to a deep channel bank with brush on it to throw  a swim jig around some lay downs.  I really like the 1/4oz. Bluegill with the Watermelon Red Rage Craw.  And I want to take a minute to say a little about the Strike King Tour Grade Swim Jig, it works.  You find the fish shallow, and they will eat it.   And it is so easy to fish compared to jerking and cranking.  Just toss it to the bank and reel it back, hopping it a time or two off the bank in case one is tracking it, or give it a little jerk when you hit the grass.   If you have not tried one yet, give it a go, it is fun.  Tossing it into a tree and reeling it out produced one of those slack line hits, and her she is.

Not a bad fish, it really would have helped with the weight if I was actually  fishing a tournament.

A little while later I broke one off on my last Swim Jig I had in the boat.  I threw another brand without success so it was time to change tactics.  My fake tournament life was looking up as  I went from about 11lbs to 15+ with that one fish.  So now it was time for my favorite pattern on Coleto in the spring, topwater minnow fishing.   Of course you have read how much I love to catch fish on that thing.  They were hitting it some about a month ago, but had slacked off with the continuous fronts we have been having.  But with the sun and warm temperatures Thursday I knew they would be moving.

Next it was a flat shallow cove up lake where I have caught spawners before.  The most important thing about fishing that topwater this time of year is that you need to be in a calm spot.  And it is not so much that they hit it better, that is just where it is usually the warmest.  I  caught some of my biggest bass last year fishing this pattern on Coleto.

I started in the mouth of the cove on the first secondary flat point with grass on it.  Right now that is the prime spot for early moving pre-spawn fish.  I made about 3 casts when this happened.

My first really big fish of the year.   One of those girls that the picture just not do her justice, she was a hoss.

She came out of 2 foot of water and smoked it.  I have fished that Bagley Bang O Lure for 25 or 30 years, and it is one of my favorite clear water baits.  There is nothing more awesome than seeing a pig like her roll up and take it while it is under water, a thing of beauty.  It often seems like a dream because you see it all – to cool!

As I have said before, the balsa minnows work better for me when jerking along the top.  And the thing about balsa minnows is they are lighter and “faster” in the flash, making for a finesse bait.  You have to trick them.  Right now it is just a matter of jerking it under about 6 inches and then letting it come up.  Just jerk it along and watch closely, especially this early as the majority of them take it under the water, and almost none of them hit it while it is sitting.  As the day warms they want it moving, so try to make a small pop like a real shad does on the surface.  And remember, if you get in an area where the shad are popping, grab the topwater quick, there will be fish there.  Post spawn, and as it warms up, they might want it the old fashioned way, twitched and then letting it rest, but not this early.  From now through the spawn, move it right along and keep your wits about you.

I went back and read some of my old posts and they were eating that Bang O Lure up this time last year.  We are just a little behind right now, but over the next month Coleto should be on fire.  And with Bagley bringing the foil black and silver Bang O Lure back, grab one, you will not be sorry.

It was a good day.  After weeks of high winds and so – so fishing I was determined as ever to get it right, and I did.  If you love to fish the time is now.  The bays will get hopping, the lake is turning on, and it is all good.

I have been putting off re-working my site to make it easier to read and navigate, so I intend to spend a little time working on it this weekend.  You will be able to find the fishing reports in the right place instead of having to read through all the post pages.  And with a little bit of effort properly tagging the posts you will be able to easily search if you want to read some of the old stuff.  This started off as nothing more than a little way to document my fishing, now I do it for you.  And maybe in some small way I can help you put more fish in the boat.  I want to thank you all for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines