Fish Catching Travel

Fish Catching Travel

Day 1

In spite of my best laid plans to do a little fishing the last week, several things got in the way.  And then Chris managed to get a hold of me asking me if I wanted to do some duck hunting this week.  As usual when I asked what time, he replied his house at 3:30.  Folks he is crazy about being on time, but with fog in the forecast, we knew it would take a little more time to get to the area he wanted to hunt.  But for me, it was the chance to take my first ride in an airboat.

So I was up at 2:30 heading to his house.  When I went to toss the gun in his back seat there was someone in full camo sleeping there.  I was surprised, but it was his wife Adriana who hunts with him regularly.  So off we went to Seadrift.  We put in at the ramp and headed off to Mission Bay.

The ride was not as bad as it could have been.  With the track in the GPS, and a little caution, we made it there in time to set up and wait on the ducks.  We saw lots of ducks in the first hour who were not even a little bit interested in our spread.   They were flying high and fast.  Occasionally a few would drop in, but they just were not acting right.  We managed to kill a couple, but it was slow.

Chris checks the weather, his wife catches a couple of z’s.

Chris decided we needed to change the spread some, so we positioned the decoys off to the sides of the blind, and they sstarted coming in a little better.  Now I wish I could blame it all on the ducks, but as an example of our shooting, when four Pintails come right in on us, cup their wings right in front of us, and begin to set on the decoys, and we miss them all, it sure is not the ducks fault.  So for the morning we ended up killing 5, and it should have been several more.  But hey, no problem for me.  Everyday I am thankful I get to live this life full of little adventures.

The lovely Adriana with the mornings ducks.  (Nice fingernail paint girl.)

But in spite of only killing 5, it was a great morning.  Having never taken a ride in an airboat, I was impressed and immediately realized the practical use of them on the coast.  But of course, I really liked the airboat because for a redneck like me it was cool.  When we stopped for lunch Chris said something about maybe hunting the next morning.  With his work schedule it looked like it would be the last chance for him with the season drawing to a close.  As this would be his 5th day in a row I was impressed he was ready to stay with it, and of course I was all for it.

Day 2

2:30 came a whole lot easier today.  It helped that I was so tired from yesterday that I hit the sack at 8:30 the night before, so got plenty of sleep.  I met Chris at his house and off to Charlie’s Bait Camp we went.  Today we were headed to a back lake in what I think was the Pat’s Bay area.  It was not near as foggy today and we made good time.  As we headed out the cut to the bay we scard the crap out of a deer standing in the water, which was cool.

Of course, as we headed through the shallow channels into the island I really got a good feel for what the airboat could do.  We stopped in a small lake where Chris had hunted a couple of days earlier and set up.  We had some good mangrove cover, and the set up was right for the wind. And in they came.

For the next couple of hours they came in perfect, right up wind into the opening in the J spread.  Now they did not come in big bunches, it was more one or two at a time.  So the shooting was good.  Our set up was perfect, the weather was great, and it was a good time to be outdoors.  It helped it was a nice hard bottom, that getting stuck in the mud is all it is cracked up to be.

Here I am, the mighty duck hunter.  Seriously, I am really beginning to like the sport, and intend to keep doing it.

As we were getting ready to call it a day, Chris shot a Wigeon that tried to make his escape.  He headed all the way across the lake and ended up finally killing him on the far bank hiding in a Mangrove bush.  I have always been impressed with his determination to get a wounded duck.  He is a real credit to responsible hunting, and I am glad I have learned what I know from him.  But back to the story.

He was across the lake when an airboat in another part of the marsh must have scared up a bunch of Redheads, because here they came.  I had several bunches, including one of maybe 50, come to the spread one after another.  It was way cool and my first experience duck hunting where lots and lots of ducks came barreling in.  As you know if you read my stuff I am still a newbie to the sport.  Consequently I am freaking out trying to decide if any of them were shooters.  So I never fired a shot, but it was awesome to see.

So a great couple of hunts.  Nothing like getting up at some obscene time, driving across the bay in the when it is dark and cold, and then laying on the wet bank in some bushes.  What more could an outdoorsman want!  Of course after a long day there is still cleaning the boat, the stuff, and then the gun.  But it all comes with it.

Random Thoughts

Now it is back to some serious fishing.  The weather has been great, the winds low, and it looks like the trend will continue for the next week.  The bass will be in serious pre-spawn, and it is so time to catch a big trout.  I hope to make it south for some serious trout action next week, and have all the good intentions to fish for a big one.  Hopefully I can keep my eyes on the prize and not settle for just catching fish.  To catch really big fish, you have to target big fish, and the methods for catching them is often different.

My phone.  I hate my phone.  I have been through 3 phones in a little over a year.  I always used the cheap flips because I am a known phone abuser, and they seem to get destroyed one way or the other.  So last time I bought the only thing they had that was close to what someone like me needs.  And for the last week it has been acting crazy.  Maybe some day some will make a phone that works for people like me and you, at least those of us who spend most of our life wet for one reason or another.

Every time I hit the water I have the best intentions to at least shoot a little video.  Of course I messed that up the last couple of times.  I guess they are not kidding when it says in the book the battery will lose power in the cold.  That is what I get for leaving it in the truck or boat for days when it is cold.  Time to make a new plan in that area so that I can share some of this stuff with you.

Logo

Here is my new logo.  After lots of revisions, and plenty of comments from family and friends, I decided on this one.  So of course that means one thing, it is time to revamp the site.  I have talked about it for a while, a I guess now is the time.  So the first time we get some really crappy weather I will start.  I want to make it more user friendly.  Just one of those things that I just have to put on my big boy pants and get it done.

And I would like to thank my friend Jeffish and his graphic art class.  They had a little contest to help me out with this project and I am very happy with the results.  Sorry I can not thank the young lady that won, as soon as I know her name I will let you know.  Thanks all.

Big Rant!  Eagle Electronics Sucks!

You have heard of planned obsolescence?  This is intentional obsolescence!

Talk about one big PO’d fisherman, I am it.  My Eagle graph, which is now a little over 3 1/2 years old has been acting up.  The pages screen comes on, then it beeps and flashes and carries on making it un-useable.  So I take it off the boat and pack it up, call Eagle/Lowrance to get the shipping information for repair, and get ready to send it off.

Well guess what folks, they now refuse to even repair their own product if it is over 3 years from the date of purchase.  WTF!  I have read repeated online rants from folks who have had trouble with their service, well now I know why.  What they are basically saying is that not only do they not stand behind their stuff, they won’t even touch it.  How can that be?

I have used their products with fairly good success for 35 years.  But this is ridiculous.  So if you intend to buy any of their products be sure to do the following, divide the purchase price by 3, and that will tell you the potential cost of using their product.  What a f’n rip.

So when I buy a new one, and I will soon, I will check with the manufacturer as to their current policy.  But either way I will NEVER buy a Lowrance/Eagle product again, and I would encourage you to do your research before you buy from a company like this.  Why would I purchase a fairly expensive item from a company that does not give one crap about me as a customer.  Just my .02 worth.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  Again I apologize for not posting for a week, it won’t happen again for a while.  Now is the time to fish.  So try to make time to go.  But remember, it is not a contest.  It is not about who catches the most, or has the best spot, but it is about sharing our love and knowledge with others.  Spending quality time in the outdoors is not time subtracted from your life.  So share it with a family member, or take someone you have not fished with yet.  The outdoors is a real treasure, and when you share it with good folks, everyone benefits.  So take someone fishing.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fish Catching Travel

Due to the continued high north winds, which have just been tough when combined with the cool temperatures, it was off to Coleto for a short trip.  With the weather turning around it will be Gulf time.  A good warming trend should really get the trout moving, and as soon as a friend of mine lets me know his plan, it is off to the Gulf.  And also on tap is some Tilapia netting, the time is right and I will let you know how it goes.

I got a late start on purpose yesterday.   The first thing I noticed was the water had cooled off almost 5 degrees in 3 days.  So I started with the jerk bait.  It was just like it has been the last 2 trips.  I ended up catching 11, of which 3 were “keepers”.  Of those 11, 7 came on the jerk bait, 1 on a spinnerbait, and 3 on crankbait.  All three of the keepers came on a Strike King 5XD in the shad color.  I should have taken a picture of the biggest, he was a nice one, but I was just to lazy.

I probably should have stuck with the crankbait, but I just can not resist that jerk bait.  Nothing like feeling one smack it while it is setting still.  But back to the crankbait.  Those fish came on deeper banks, main lake, sitting in 12 foot and throwing it almost parallel.  The ones I caught just got on, and it required a slower retrieve.   I use a slower retrieve reel for cranking, so if you have a high speed reel and want to catch them right now, slow down some, and then slow down some more.  I did miss one that knocked a foot of slack in the line.  I hate missing them as they are usually the better fish.

I am still catching them near the points leading into the coves.  And in the next few days as it warms they will be hitting those coves with a vengeance.  Hopefully the warm temps combined with little wind should warm the water significantly.  So now is the time to really start watching for those places with good sun and no wind.  It is about to be on.

So off we go.  I am just trying to get a couple of things done today.  You know, the things that if you get them done you can justify not doing anything but wetting a line for a few days.  And I finally got both boats back in action after service on one and a spun hub on another.

Thanks for reading my stuff.  It will be back to fishing and photographing with a vengeance.  And with my logo finally getting done, it is time for that revamp I have been meaning to do for quite a while.  The only problem is the outdoors keeps getting in the way.  So keep stopping in.  I do this for you.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Monday morning was definitely a “put on your big boy pants” kind of morning.  With the temp projected to be 42 at daylight, it was, dropping to 40 by 9 am, it did, it looked like it might be a little cool.  When you added a 25 mph north wind to the equation, it was definitely going to be ugly.  But since I had been a week without a boat, I was going to fish no matter what.  And with the winds projected to be blowing that hard, he lake was the rational choice over the bay.

The first thing I noticed was the lake had come up, almost a foot it looked like.  And the water temp was reading 73 degrees at the dam.  And just for your info, it dropped 8 degrees above the bridge.  The water up lake was not murky, just cooler, and the fishing bore that out.  I started with a jerk bait, and it was just one here and one there.  But at least there was usually one where ever I fished.  The one thing that I really liked, while I was freezing my butt off, is that there are fish in the mouths of some of the bigger coves, especially if there is a small secondary point near the mouth of the cove.

Though the fish cooperated fine on the jerk bait, I could just not seem to get a better bite.  I did throw a spinnerbait some, and had one nice boil which did not hook up.  A little later I caught this one.

 Not that big, but what makes this fish important is where she came from.  She was halfway back in a cove on a small secondary point.

I was actually buzzing this spinnerbait right on top like I love to do.  It seems counter intuitive to run a spinnerbait fast during a week long cold front with cold rain, but folks, the bass in Coleto are about to really get after it.  And the better fish came from down lake.  A little while later  I followed up with this one.

 Again not the biggest bass in the world, but considering the conditions, she will do.

So all in all a good morning.  I put 17 or 18 in the boat, a few like the ones above.  Most were caught on a 4″,  2 hook suspending Rogue in silver and black.  The rest came on a 3/8 ounce white spinnerbait.  One thing that is real apparent right now is that the best bite is in the middle of the day.  You can catch them early, but the last couple of trips the good run was mid-day.  And they have been shallow.  And here is the real tip of the day.  When that wind is blowing, be looking at the point where  the wind is blowing right on it, then pay special attention to the calm side of the point, I am just saying.  The urge to spawn is starting to take hold.  So get ready, one big warm front will have these fish really biting.  It looks like the bite will be a little later than last year, but no matter what, it is right around the corner.

Random Notes

I did want to thank Bob and the crew at Victoria Marine.  They got my service done quickly, and my prop for the other boat is back, so I am back in action.  While there I met Capt. Randy Brown.  He was a real gentleman, and hopefully we will share a boat together some time.  He and I agreed on one thing for sure, Monday’s are the day to fish.  So some time in the future I hope to get with him and catch a few fish on Monday.

I was in Houston today, and stopped at Bass Pro in Katy.  When I first moved to Arkansas in the early 70’s, I was about 2 hours from the first Bass Pro, it even had the old Brown Derby Liquor store attached.  It was the place to be in those days.  You could not find a better tackle store anywhere.  To bad it is not that way now.  Poor selection, high prices compared to almost anywhere,  she just ain’t what she used to be.  There are many other stores, large and small, that do a better job of catering to the fisherman.

I can not wait to get back to the Gulf.  This front is supposed to be out of here tomorrow, and I look forward to that calm warm day that will happen in the next few.  It will be a great time to do some serious wading for that big trout.  The trout are just like those bass, it is going to be lights out soon.

With that thought in mind I picked up 5 bags of plastics at Fishing Tackle Unlimited.  (I love that store.)  And of course 3 of them are in the electric chicken.  That color has been my go to bait all fall.  And I really have grown to like the Gambler Flappin Shad.  I have only used the 6″, so I picked up some in the 4″ and can not wait to give them a try.

So tomorrow it is off to Coleto.  It is nice not having to hit the water first thing, and with it expected to be close to freezing, I won’t hit the road until a little later.  So stop on by, I plan on hitting it pretty hard the next week, and really am going to spend a little time trying to catch that big trout.  The time is now.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  We are off to a big start this year.  My new logo should be done this week, and then I need to do some revamp on the web site.  The only problem is that dang fishing gets in the way.  Oh well, we all have our crosses to bear.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fish Catching Travel

2012 Review

What an interesting year Fish Catching Travel has had.  We have been lucky enough to catch quite a few fish this year.  It has seemed that when one place has not cooperated, another has.  Some good fishing memories were created, and I was glad I was there.

One thing I noticed this year is that some of the biggest fish of the year were caught by the fisherman in the back of the boat.  In Canada I caught not only the biggest muskie, but the most out of the back of the boat.  One of my nicer bass this year came from the back of the boat on Fayette County.

My brother Shoedog, not only caught the biggest bass of our recent trip to Falcon out of the back of the boat, he caught 3 over 7 in a row off one place fishing behind 2 people.  He also managed his biggest bull red while trout fishing with 8lb line, a real battle we caught on film.

And there were a couple of days this year when we whacked the trout.  Though I caught several good ones, I still have to catch the real monster.  Hopefully that will happen at Baffin in the next couple of weeks.  Several of those days we found them under the birds, which was great fun.

I also got introduced to duck hunting by my friend Chris.  And every trip, whether we killed a bunch or not, was a cool outdoor adventure.  As my love of the sport continues to grow I know that will be one of the few things that takes me away from the fishing.  And thanks to the coast, you can knock them both off in the same day!

And my readership has continued to grow.  I can not tell you all enough how thankful I am to have you stopping in.  What started out as more of a self journal has turned into a real website.  Though my initial writing was for myself, now I do it for you.  And it would not be possible without you.

I also would like to thank the following websites for letting me post my reports.  I would never try to steal their readers, I simple find that it best way to share real fishing information, the good and the bad.  So if you do not know any of these guys be sure to stop by their websites.  I promise if you are a reel fisherman you will find stuff on their sites you will love.

 2CoolFishing   http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/

Texas Fishing Forum    http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forum_summary

FishingTx.Com     http://www.fishingtx.com/forum/index.php

Strike King     http://www.strikeking.com/forums/index.php#1

Austin Bass Fishing      http://www.austinbassfishing.com/forum/

CYBER-LAKE.COM        http://www.cyber-lake.com/

4reelfishing.com       http://4reelfishing.com/videos/

The World Wide Fishing Club      http://www.theworldwidefishingclub.com/

I also appreciate your emails and comments.  Even though I do not post most of the comments to my site, I read each and every one of them.  And I do my best to answer any email and questions you might have.  So if I missed you for some reason this year, try me again.  And if you have something to say, say it.  I am a big boy.  If I do not know what you are thinking, how can I respond?  And if you have a picture you would like to have me post, send it to me.  Ever thought about writing about your fishing trips?  Contact me, I would love to have reader input.

And with that comes the only real complaints I have had this year.  Over the last year I have had 7 complaints in 45,629 visits.  Not a bad ratio as far as I am concerned.   All of those were from folks who did not like me writing about a specific place.  My discussions with those folks have been civil other than one particular gentleman.  He claims I am part of the reason it is so crowded in some places.  I am flattered that someone thinks I have that kind of influence, the truth is most places are only a secret in our mind.  In fact his suggestion was that I write about another area more crowded, and just make up a story.  Well the best way I knew to repond to that was by the next trip going to that crowded area, we only saw 6 boats all day, and catch some fish.  Well we whacked a limit in nothing flat in the “crowded” area.

I wish I would have handled that one differently, it kind pissed me off, so my revenge was to go there and get it done.  Definitely petty on my part.  Which leads me to the bigger point.  Folks it is not where you go, it is what you do when you get there.  Chasing the magic place is not the answer.  The answer is to keep learning and experimenting.  Find out how the fish you want to catch react, refine what you do best, and then apply it where you are.  I have alwasy believed that fishing is something to be shared with others.  There is nothing better than helping folks find a real appreciation of our sport.  That was my answer to those first 6 folks, and should have been my answer to number 7.

And looking back at my New Year’s resolutions I actually got most of them done.  The one I am most proud of my intent to fish with at least 5 people I have never fished with before, and I got that done.  My favorite was meeting a guy fishing on the pier at the ramp, and taking him several times.  So thanks to Todd, Aaron, Rick, Brian, TJ, and I am sure a few others.  You make my year special.  Also, I had 2 fish left on my bucket list, and I was lucky enough to cross the muskie off the list.  I did not manage a Tuna, as lions, elephants, and other cool Africa game got in the way.  Oh well, who knows, maybe it will happen this year.

And finally, as you know I have always told you what I was catching on, and I try to make it the very bait, by the specific company that makes them.  Lures are tools, nothing more.  I hope over the next year to attract a few sponsors to help with the cost of this project.  So if you know someone who would like to help an everyday fisherman who works hard at catching fish, and then telling you all where and how, let them know.

Duck Hunting Video

First I would like to apologize to one of our party that day.  In the original post I called him Ron.  His name is Russell.  It is hell getting old, and the memory isn’t what it used to be.  But he was a good guy to hunt with, and he can breast a duck like nobody’s business.

If you have ever thought about buying a GoPro to record your own adventures, watch the following video.  The reason it works so well for me is I wear it on my head, and record what is close to me.  In this case it clearly had it’s limitations.  Low light, steady rain, high flying ducks, there was lots of things to make it hard.  My friend Jeffish did the filming, and I was actually surprised we got what we did.

So as you can see they were flying and dying.

You can see at the end the camera shake.  We were cold and wet, so you can see how limited use they are. But for everyday filming of your fishing adventures they are the way to go.

And finally, this week something I hoped would never happen, did.  I have been boat less for the last 4 days.  I had already scheduled service on the flats boat, and then I spun the hub on the skiff.  One of the reasons I kept the skiff was to always be sure I had some way to get on the water, and then of course this happens.  I mean it is no big deal, but funny since I used the old “need a spare boat in case” as the justification for keeping both when my wife asked it I was going to sell the other boat when we got the new one.  Now that is funny right there.

So thanks for stopping in.  South Texas got some much needed rain, and I hope to be out on the water to see the results.  We have some warm days ahead, and it is time to catch not only a big bass, but a big trout.  So hop of the couch and find a way to get to your favorite water.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

A slow start, a great middle, and a ‘says it all” kind of finish.

I got together with my friend Chris for some cast and blast today.  Suffice to say it was an interesting day.  You have days like this, half was good, half was interesting.

We headed for the Cottonwood Bayou area to do a little duck hunting.  Now one thing I will say about Chris, when you do some outdoors kinda stuff with him you know one thing for sure, it will start early.  So when I spoke with him the night before, and he said meet him at his house at 5, I was a little surprised.  That was a little later than usual for him, he seems to like being on the water while most folks are still sleeping, but I am ok with that.

We put in at Charlie’s and headed down the barge canal, then across the bay towards the Cottonwood Bayou area.  He had a couple of spots he wanted to check out and see if he wanted to set up the decoys.  He decided on a spot, and it looked perfect.  A small pocket with an island for us to lay on.  We parked the boat, loaded up with decoys, guns, packs, and the stuff you have to have, and started across the pond.

He made it fine, I on the other hand did not.  I got off the straight line and found some mud, and I mean mud.  I was instantly in over both knees.  Of course I fell, getting everything wet.  It looked like I might need help, but ended up saving myself by crawling on my knees until I got to a little better ground near the island.  Of course I was huffing and puffing and about to have a heart attack, but whatever, I was hunting.

It was already about 15 minutes past shooting time, and several bunches of Red Heads cruised by as we set out the spread.  We laid up in the mangroves, and for the next hour we saw a few, but they were not coming to the spread.  Chris thought the boat might be to close, so he moved it.  And going back across the pond he sunk a time or two, but it he made it.

At this point in the morning we had not even had a looker.  Finally a couple peeled off and headed our way.  Chris whispered to me, “Here they come.”  I got ready, but did not see them, and then all of a sudden there was a duck coming right in my face.  He was so close that I missed.  Nothing like missing a 15 yard shot at eye level.  Chris missed his and then he popped the one I shot at. And that was it.  We never had another duck even so much as look at us.  This is so like the way things have gone for me lately, a good day then a slow day.

Just Saturday I killed my limit, today I could not hit the only one I shot at.  Now lately I have had the same thing happen fishing.  I whacked some real nice ones on Coleto, then things conspired against me the next trip, and I had a bad day.  So since I have been every other one lately, I hoped to catch a few fish.  So first we had to pick up the decoys and head back to the boat.  Sufficed to say we both found the worst mud we could find and it was ugly.  Just the thought of it makes me laugh out loud right now.  But finally we were in the boat and fishing.

Over the next couple of hours we concentrated on the drains leading out of the Cottonwood Bayou area and the other back lakes there.  Some had no fish, others had a few.  I started off with 4 small reds, and then tossed it to a little eddy behind an oyster bar where we had been getting the reds, slow rolled it when one thumped it, and in the boat she came.  At 23 1/2″ it is the best trout I have caught in a while.

This was one heck of a trout.  She was mixed in with some smaller reds.  of course a CPR fish anytime.

This was Chris’s best trout for the day.

We just drifted the drains and threw plastics.  I think Chris had a big redfish boil a Maniac Mullet, but other that most came on plastics.  I an not sure what he was throwing, but today I was throwing a MirrOlure in a 4″ soft  shad in the Chicken/Chartreuse tail on a 1/16th oounce lead head.  This winter the Electric Chicken color in 3/4/5″ has easily been the most consistent color for me.  I am sure there are other colors and styles that work, I just have not had to try anything else.

Chris lands one of the 6 or 8 reds we caught in one area.

We found the reds and trout together in one drain, and they were shallow.  Some took it on a Texas Two Step retrieve, some on a slow steady retrieve.  I think that paddle tail on the light jig head is perfect for a slow steady retrieve shallow in the winter, and the last couple of trips it has worked for me.  So if you have some fish located, be sure to vary your retrieve, it works.

My best red from the drain where we caught our best fish.

For the next couple of hours we drain hopped all the way back to South Pass.  We managed some trout in South Pass just fishing the drains.  Some of our fish were caught out of the boat, some wading.  There were several boats in there so my guess South Pass Lake is producing some good fish.  While about half would be keepers there, we of course caught some shorts.  As were we not keeping any fish, there was no way to tell how many keepers we would have ended up with, but it was probably in the 10 category.  Ok numbers for a cast and blast.  To bad we didn’t have success on the ducks like we did on the fish, but I wouldn’t want to get to greedy.

We finally called it a day about 2:30 and headed back to Charlie’s.  We were covered in mud, wet, a little cold, but happy.  What a place to live. You can hunt some ducks then catch some fish.  This is my favorite time of year.  With the lake starting to heat up, some good rain on the way, and the trout just eating it up in the bay, life is good.  So off we went and as we got close to Bloomington Chris started to pull over, and I knew right then what the problem was, and he said, “Where is my tire?”  Of course we had a flat, and by time he noticed there was not much tire left.  Being the prepared guy he is we got it changed in nothing flat and made it home.  And it was nice to see one of those drive on jacks that looks like a half a circle work.  A cool quick way to change a tire.

And this says it all.  The start to the day and the finish of the day.   Kind of says it all.

It was funny when I was telling my wife later about wallowing around in the mud like a big hog, how long it took to clean my gun, and the flat tire, she asked me, “Well did you have fun?”  Did I have fun, are you kidding.  This is the stuff that makes a trip.  It will be one of those trips I talk about in later days.  It was the kind of day that ends up being a story, a memory.  And every time I hitch up the boat that is all I can ask for, to make a memory!

So thanks for reading my stuff.  If there is one thing I have learned the last month is now is the time to whack not only lots of trout, but some good ones.  I have caught them in rivers, large bays, drains from back lakes, and just about everywhere I have fished.  The trout are biting, and if you do not mind a little weather, load up and go to your favorite area, they will bite.  And finally, as I sit here and finish this a nice steady rain is falling.  The lake needs it, the rivers and ranchers need it.  So lets hope we catch up.

Good Luck and Tight Lines. 

Fish Catching Travel

Every so often my wife and I take the dog for her walk at Riverside Park.  We like to walk there, and she loves it.  (The dog I mean, but the wife likes it too.)  In fact we had to buy a better harness for her to keep her from pulling so hard.  She gets so excited every time there she almost pees her pants, if she had some.  And here is why . . . . .

If you are fairly quiet and move slow they will let you get close.

Lots of these girls, usually see 30 or more when we walk.

You see a few of these guys, but they do not let you get nearly as close.

They are one beautiful animal.

Just thought you might like to see a few of these.  One of these days I am going to make that walk without the dog, and maybe in camo.  I should be able to get some great shots.

So until next time, thanks for reading my stuff.  Keep stopping in, and I should have a couple of new reports over the next few days.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fish Catching Travel

After a day at Coleto that I would rather forget, it was off to duck hunt with my friend Jeffish’s moms boyfriend John.  That was a mouthful.  John has a few ponds on family land, and he said there were lots of ducks coming first thing in the morning, and he was sure right.

Our party consisted of John, Patrick, I, and one of John’s good friends , sorry I forgot your name, who were the shooters.  Jeffish was going to film some with the GoPro, and Jeff’s mom and Patrick’s wife were along to watch.  After a short walk across the pasture, we were at the pond.  We set up on the pond bank where the cover was the best, and also the wind, as most of the ducks came from the side and the back.  The other folks were watching in some grass off to the side.

Even though it was raining, cloudy, and the wind was blowing, right at shooting time they started coming in.  Groups of a few, usually 4 or 5, would maybe make one pass, and then in they would come.  There was no need to call. And for once, I actually got in the game.  Might be the fact that I got the right choke in the gun, but maybe I am just getting a little better with the live practice.  But either way, every body got to do plenty of shooting.

Here is our limit.  See if I can get this right.  Patrick, John, Me and Ron.  Sorry if I got anyone wrong. 

I just got done eating gumbo from some of these guys.  Mmmmmm Good!

A nice shot of Patrick, a happy hunter, and a few ducks. 

So a good time was had by all.  We all got plenty of shots and everyone was a good guy to hunt with.  It was nice to meet everyone and share a great hunt.  And the weather could not have been better, especially if you like laying on a wet pond bank at 42 degress, but maybe the better  reason was, it was duck weather.

So a big thanks to my friend Jeffish for asking, and his mom’s boyfriend John for having me.  Not only was the company good, so was the hunting.  And I learned a few more things to add to my limited duck hunting knowledge.  We did shoot some video, and I had it almost loaded when there was technical problem.  So stop in soon, I should have that video up by tomorrow.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  Tomorrow it is off to the Gulf for a cast and blast.  In our case we will blast first, then cast, and if we get lucky who knows, we may even sack a few trout.  Folks it is the best time of year to get out, it is not crowded and the fish are biting.  So get off the couch and go pursue whatever it is you like to chase.  Time to get while the gettin’ is good!

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fish Catching Travel

You have your good days, and then you have your bad days.  Today at Coleto Creek I had one of those trips I would sooner forget.

After such a good day on jerk bait Wednesday, I was excited about getting back to the lake with hopes that I would stick a real one today.  That did not happen.  In fact, I had a total of 3 bites, 2 on a jerk bait, and one on a crankbait.  Of those I caught 2, one smaller than the jerk bait, and one about 2 pounds.  The only thing I really got a hook in today was my glove, and I had to cut that out.

Now part of that was my fault, and part was the boats fault, but we will get to that in a minute.  I decided to try only new places today, which did not work out so well.  I fished points, coves, long channel banks, and anything else that met my fancy.  This was one of those days that I believe occasionally happen, the fish did not bite.  And I mean not a little bit.  So about noon I moved to a point leading into a cove.

The wind was blowing in the cove, and when I got to the back I started the boat, threw it in to gear, and promptly spun the hub on the prop.   It would idle fine, good thing so I could get back to the ramp, but once you put it under load it would spin.  That is the first time that has ever happened to me.  If I counted, and I won’t because I do not want to think about what it costs over the years, I have had probably 15 motors from a 2hp Merc to a 150 Black Max, with a bunch in between.  And in all that time it never happened.  So at that point with the wind blowing and it being fairly cold, I idled back to the dock and called it a day.  I forgot how long it takes to idle a few miles.

So that was my day.   Started with high hopes, and ended on an idle.  But that’s what keeps us fishing.  The prop will get a new hub, the wind will quit blowing, it will warm up, and the fish will jump in the boat.  There is always next time.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  Sorry for the downer report, I mean not even one pic, but I try to tell it like it is, even when it sucks.  Not sure where I will hit next, but it won’t be long so keep stopping in.  And if you know somebody who likes to fish, send my link, the more the merrier.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

A New Year.

After a little time off for Christmas with family it was back to the important work of catching some fish.  The weather looked like it was going to be sketchy, and it was.  It was 40 degrees, the wind was blowing, and it was raining.  Perfect!

Seriously, this is the best time of the year to catch a really big bass.  Now I did not exactly get that done today, but it was close enough and turned out to be a good day.  With the front and the wind I decided that it was definitely a jerk bait kinda of day, and it was.  And the reason was the conditions, which is why I said it was perfect.  This is exactly the kind of day to catch a big one in the early pre-spawn.

The picture does not do this girl justice, she was a real pig.  A nice way to start the new year.

So as you can see, I did manage to put a good one in the boat.  All were caught on 10 pound line on a black back/silver side Rapala Husky Jerk in the 4″.  It was simply a jerk/jerk/ pause/then jerk/ pause and do it all over again.  Only moving the bait about a foot and then letting it set.  Some of them you feel whack it, others were just there when you jerked again.  Most came off points, and I caught them from the dam to up lake.  But the real pattern was some grass on a point with deep water close by.

Not quite as big as the other one, I can live with this.  Notice the jerk bait, they knocked the cover right off that thing.

Of course conditions were ugly, wet and cold, but it was a great day for early spring fishing.  In fact, the fingertips on my left hand are still tingling from palming the cold reel and jerking all day.  I mean my hands were so cold that this one actually jerked the rod out of my hands, luckily it fell in the bottom of the boat.

There really is something important about this catfish, other than I almost lost a rod. (My wife says I look like Kenny from Southpark.)

The thing that makes him important is, once they show up on that jerk bait, and they do early, you know the big bite is on the way.  Last spring I caught several until it got to warm.  But when I catch them on the jerk bait, it means the spring move is coming.  And one thing about catfish and lures, when one does decide to eat it they usually knock the crap out of it.

Over the day I caught 23 or 24, I can’t remember the exact number.  Most were small, 7 or 8 of them were nice fish.  And where I caught one, I caught another.  They were definitely bunched up, and I did catch 6 out of one bunch.  Soon it will be time to really concentrate on the points leading into the bigger coves.  Jerk bait will be the best bait for the next few degrees.  As the water temp rises topwater and spinnerbait will really come on.  But even today I caught 4 or 5 buzzing a spinnerbait.  It was just not as fast as the jerk bait.  All in all well worth sitting out in the weather.

So I finished the year off with a bang, and it is a good start to the new one.  On the plate, depending on the weather, is Baffin, Falcon, maybe Amistad, and Belize.  We made our reservations for Belize, and even though it is not until May, I am already excited.  So thanks for reading my stuff and we look forward to another great year at Fish Catching Travel.

Good Luck and Tight Lines. 

Fish Catching Travel

My friend Jeff, who is in my phone as Jeffish, was finally able to shake lose for a little fishing.  I always enjoy fishing with him, and we have had a few pretty good days.  Today turned out to be one of those days.

I gave him the choice as to where he wanted to fish, and since we had talked about Shoalwater a couple of weeks ago he decided that is where we should go.  I think the desire to get a few trout had something to do with his choice.  He needs to fry some fish for his family this Christmas, and apparently Grandpa can eat some serious fish.

We headed out of Charlie’s at about 8:30 with a low tide and moderate winds out of the southwest.  On the way down we stopped and fished one of the big cuts leading out of Shoalwater without success.  Since electric chicken DOA CAL’s had been working for me the last month we stayed with them on a 1/16 jig head.

The wind was blowing just right in the mouth of the bay so we just let the wind blow us into the bay, nice to have a perfect breeze, throwing long casts in front of the boat.  It started off with small trout, catching about 5 for everyone that went in the box.  It was actually a good thing to see so many 14″+ fish, a good sign.  Most of the ones we kept were  like the one below.

Jeff with a nice keeper.  This was the average size we put in the box.

It remained steady for the rest of the time we were there.  We made multiple drifts in the bay and then idling back to the mouth and doing it again.  The fish were from 3 to 1 foot deep.  In fact, I actually saw 4 of them eat it right in front of me in really clear shallow water.

They did not seem to be located any particular place, you would just hit a pod here and there.  Since the fish were running small I decided to make a change, one of two that would work like a charm.  First I put on a bigger bait, a 5″ electric chicken Gambler in the flapping tail.  The bigger fish definitely liked it.  The second thing that happened turned out to be lots of fun.

We had several fish hit the bait the minute it hit the water.  So I decided to just start reeling it as soon as it hit.  Boy they really like that.  Occasionally if you did not get a bite by reeling it half way back, then we just started jerking it a couple of times and letting it fall, and they smacked it that way.   But basically most of the fish were caught double jerking it off the bottom and letting it fall on a slack line.  I think this time of year the 1/16 ounce head makes it fall just right.  So if you have a few minutes and want to watch the video and see a few caught, here it is.

The trout are biting so good right now.  Folks it is NOT the specific place.  It is the way the trout are positioned right now, and they are definitely eating.  I have fished a river, the POC area, and now Shoalwater, and the fish are biting everywhere.  It is not what, it is how right now.  So if you have a favorite area, back lake or pass, it is time to go catch a few.  The electric chicken color on 10 lb. line and an 1/16 ounce jig head has worked everywhere I have tried it the last month.  Now do not get me wrong, that is not all I have thrown, it has just been the most consistent.  I did catch 3 on corky that day, but it was not as quick a bite obviously, and I had no bites on a topwater.  But with another cool front coming the corky should really come in to play.

Now I normally do not show you the dead trout in the cooler picture, but I took one this time for some reason.  So here is a nice limit headed to Jeff’s house to feed his family and friends this Christmas.

So that is how the day went.  Good company, cooperating fish, and a beautiful day.  So have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I am off to celebrate with my wife’s family, so will not hit the water for a week or so.  Hopefully I will survive without some fishing jones.  I think next will be Baffin Bay, and maybe a little Falcon.  I know now is the time to whack a big trout, and I would love to get that done.

So thanks for reading my stuff.  This has been our first full year and it has exceeded anything I would ever have dreamed.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.