I got to do a little traveling this week, to bad it was not for fish catching. We had a little emergency that required a trip to Oklahoma City, so we took off Wednesday and returned Sunday night. I was lucky enough to catch a horrible cold which lasted until Monday. But all that aside, I thought I would head to Coleto for a few hours, I still was not feeling good enough for an all day trip.
I got there about 11:30 and quit about 4:30. In that time I ended up catching 7. 2 of those came on a floating minnow, and 5 came on buzzbait. I missed several on the top water as they were coming up underneath it and just rolling on it. And the ones I did catch on buzzbait just pulled it under. The biggest was about 3 pounds, the rest nothing to get excited about.
I guess the cold front hit them a little harder than I thought. Looking over last years reports I was catching them pretty good right now. So what is the problem? The lake is still dropping. Now I do not have a ton of experience there, but this is by far the lowest I have seen it. So that would account for the following: All the fish came on a point. You could get a bite on each point, and that was basically it. Maybe I should have fished plastics on the points.
I met Brian at the ramp who is camping there for the month. He has been catching them from the bank on a greenish fluke style bait. He told me he caught 15 out of one place on it the other evening. And that just goes to my other observation lately, and many other falls, where there are is where they are. Now that may sound stupid, but basically they are still bunched up, and if you find a couple you need to fish them hard. Probably a better plan than covering miles of banks right now.
So hopefully the water will stabilize and the fish will settle down some. We are not the far away from pre-spawn and the better fishing. And one last point about this time of year. Wind is usually our friend, but right now that is not always the case. Remember when you are out this winter that if it has been cold and the sky is high, that some of the best places are on the sunny banks with no wind. The water is often 4 or 5 degress warmer. It seems to attract the baitfish, and you can often see them splashing around on those flat calm banks. So if you are having a tough day this winter remember this pattern. It is one of my favorites this time of year.
Here is a picture of the ducks we killed last week. Since I left my camera in Chris’s truck I did not have them the day I posted. Hopefully I will get to kill a couple more before the season closes.
Now that was a successful hunt!
There were quite a few of these guys. Wanna play tug of war with him over your duck?
So back on the water Friday. My friend tmart from the Austin Bass Fishing website will be down at POC so I will be fishing with him on Friday. Hope to have a good day wading. And Monday I am taking Brian to Coleto. It looks like clouds and a chance of rain for Monday, and I have high hopes for the trip. So keep stopping by, and thanks for reading my stuff.
My brother Jeff, our friend Clyde from Arkansas, and I headed to Falcon for 4 days of fishing. Now the reports we had been reading were not promising by Falcon’s standards. In fact, some of the help I got prior to going from folks at the 2Cool and Austin Bass Fishing sites pretty much confirmed those reports. I would like to thank all of you who gave us a heads up, it helped us in our game plan. So with high hopes we checked in to Beacon Lodge, unloaded our stuff, and were in the water by 9:30 Wednesday.
What else can you say about Falcon. 8lbs. 5ozs.
My first view of Falcon, I have not been there in a while, put the 36 foot drop in perspective. It would definitely be like fishing a whole new lake, and it was. Now instead of giving you a blow by blow, day by day story, lets just get to the point. What on and how did we catch them?
First, we did not ever managed to catch more than 20 fish in one day. It averaged about 15 a day. But our good fish strike percentage was high, 20% of the fish we caught were good ones. Reviewing the notes on the better fish, and those would be the ones from 5 up on the scale, 2 came on a Strike King jig with a Rage Tail Craw in the watermelon red and black, 1 came on a pink fluke, 3 came on a small blue and silver Rapala Husky Jerk (more on that one later), and 6 came on crankbait. The best crankbait was a Strike King XD5 in the Gizzard Shad, but Jeff caught one of his good ones on a Rapala DT20 in a chartreuse color.
The jig fish were on heavy cover, and we just were tossing it in the mess. I think if we had stayed with the jig more we would still have caught good fish just fishing that. The lighter jig was clearly better and the Rage Craw helped it fall nice and slow. With my superior skill I did manage to lose one on the jig, and that does not happen all that often so it was obviously operator error. The crankbait was best used at a medium retrieve with the rod held down at the water’s edge. We caught a few sticking the rod in the water to get that little bit of extra depth. And the good run Jeff had on the jerk bait was with a jerk/jerk/ stop, jerk/stop retrieve. Those fish came in about 1 foot of water in the middle of the day with no wind and high sky, go figure. And we also caught a few on spinnerbait, but they were just fish.
We caught fish in the following places, in School Bus, in the bank just above it on the main lake where there are a series of points, the main lake stretch below School Bus a mile or two down lake where the bank was clear with good rock and gravel, and Pierce’s Cove on the left hand side from the point until about half way back on the left side. But the real jackpot where we took 2 over 6, 1 over 7, and 1 over 8 was the rocky points on the right on the main point at the mouth of the Arroyo Del Tigre.
So before I go on with how, how about a few pictures? As we go along these are close to the order we caught them over the 4 days. Of course we CPR’d everyone of them.
My first bite! Love that Rage Craw.
Shoedog’s first good one on a pink fluke.
Shoedog’s birthday 6’4″ on a crankbait.
Clyde gets with the program. A nice one on the Strike King XD5.
This one was 7’6″ and came on the same XD5 in the Gizzard Shad.
So how did we actually catch them, lets just take it by area. First, the 3 or 4 points above School bus on the main lake always gave up a couple of fish the 2 or 3 times we fished it. In fact, I caught my last good one the last hour of the trip. All of the fish there came on crankbait in 6 to 10 feet of water just cranking from the brush line to the deepest point our crankbait did not hit the bottom. The best place of course were the points, and though we caught fish in that area, only 1 made the good one list.
School Bus itself was an interesting story. It had a lot of traffic the first day, but after that not to bad. obviously deer season affected the pressure, and that week will probably become an annual trip for us. Of our good fish, several came in there. You could catch fish in there, but we never got a real pattern on which bait they preferred. And though we caught fish scattered in most of the front half of the cove, the best bank was the second point on the right. They were in the brush line in about 1 – 3 foot of water related to the wood. That is where I caught my first good one on a jig, where Clyde caught his beautiful one on the same jig, and just down from that point on the right Jeff caught one of his good ones on the pink Fluke. We caught a few on spinnerbait in there, but they were not much, though we did see a guy catch a big one on it.
Let me stop to make a couple of points. First, the best bite for big fish came in the middle of the day. In fact, though we managed a couple of the ones you see early or late, most came in the middle of the day. Second, it was definitely one of those “they were where they were”, and we fished plenty of places that were barren. Third, find some rock associated with a point near the mouth of about anything and there were some fish. And finally, if you caught a good fish it paid to either re-fish the spot, or stay on that place and fish it carefully and slow. Here is what can happen if found the right spot, and then threw the right bait, and had some patience. We just kept looking for rock, and most of the time it held at least one. You just had to stick with it.
Shoedog with fish number one off one place on the blue and silver Rapala Husky Jerk.
And he does it again.
And he finishes off his run on that bank. All these were caught on that jerk bait and weighed a total of 21lbs. 14 ounces on the digital scale. Not a bad three fish average and a heck of string on your birthday weekend. Congratulations!
Next was the area below School Bus on the main lake where the channel marker is closest to the bank where there are a series of points with rock on them. As you run down the main lake you can see the area where there is little standing timber with points and rock. That is the place. Let me say this right now, if the bottom had mud it just was not right. So if you see the ducks milling around an area, forget it. They were on soft bottom and you could save some time by not fishing it. We caught several there and I caught my biggest of the trip, 7’6″ on a XD5. Most of the fish on that crankbait came by cranking it down fast to hit bottom, and then slowing down just enough to tick the bottom. And one tip, be sure to bring a lure retriever. We only lost one crankbait and saved at least 10 with it, it is a valuable tool.
Next was Pierce’s Cove. The fish were on the points on the left going in until about half way back on the left. Clyde lost a big fish on a umbrella rig, the only real bite we had on one. We caught several on spinnerbait, and Jeff caught a 6’4″ on a crankbait. We never had a great run in there, but there were fish, and like all the places we have talked about, there seemed to be a good one in most places, we just never caught the “big one.” Oh well, when catching the size we were catching it is hard to complain.
And the last place we found them was the mouth of the Tiger. It was the afternoon of the third day when we stopped on the point going in on the right. There is a series of small rocky points with great deep water. As we headed down the bank we noticed occasional fish working right on the bank. Jeff pulled out the jerk bait, and of course we gave him some crap, and then he reeled off 3 fish that weighed 21′ 14″, shows what we know. They were right on the bank on the flat rocks right on those points. And to go along with it there were some really big crappie there chasing shad also. We just stayed way off and worked it over good. That afternoon the jerk bait was the way to go.
We refished it the next day and though it was not as hot for big fish, Jeff caught a 6′ 13″ on a crankbait, we did catch a lot more fish. But as it was our last day we started there, and the fishing got better as the day went along. And one word to the idiots in the white Triton that moved right in on us. You guys are clueless. Sitting right on top of those shallow small points not only had you literally right on top of those big fish, which was the reason you only caught one there, you messed us up. So you classless fools, if you see someone on a bank, do not move in on them and f’ it up for both us and you. This was clearly a case of I have a fancy bass boat and therefore I have the right of way in front of you because I am a big bad bass fisherman. We did not say anything, there is no fixing stupid.
Both times we fished it there were fish right on the bank chasing small 2″ shad. Jeff’s choice of the jerk bait was a wise one. And the 3 crappie we caught on it were not that bad either.
Jeff’s 6’13” on a DT20, cranking with his rod stuck in the water. This fish came out of 15 foot plus and was his last good one of the trip.
And the crappie on that bank weren’t bad either. Wanted you to see the size of the jerk bait. That is the same one he caught the 3 that went 21+ on the day before.
I had actually brought 3 spinning rods in case we wanted to crappie fish. And of course where were they? In the room. Here are a few more random pictures to finish off this report.
It really surprised us that Clyde’s best fish of the trip only weighed 5+. This was the best looking fish of the trip, and if she makes it this is the kind that will easily top 10 when she grows up. She came out of 1 foot of water in School Bus on a jig and frog.
Clyde with another good fish. I so wanted him to catch a “big one” but it was not to be. He just had to suffer with a few like this one. And there is that XD5 that worked so well for us.
This was my last bite of the trip. Nothing like starting and ending your trip with a good fish. He also came on the XD5. When I got him out of the net you could just see the very tip of the bill on that crankbait, this one literally ate it and was a great way to finish.
It is hard to really classify our trip. As you can see it really had it moments. There has been alot of chatter on the net on whether Falcon is in decline. Our trip did not really answer that question. The fishing was slow, but the average was great. Though we did not catch a monster, we were happy. Maybe it is not up to Falcon standards, but when you combine a 36 foot drop with heavy pressure it is sure to have an affect. And having guided on highland lakes that had that kind of fluctuations, I can tell you that it messes them up. Until Falcon has stabilized for a long period, combined with some real winter weather, it will be hard to tell. Of course if an area is promoted like Falcon is by those with a vested interest then they should not be surprised if it is affected. Put the best bass fisherman from all over this country on the lake and it is going to hurt. And who knows how many of those double digit fish have been removed to either be mounted, or god forbid, eaten.
But no matter what, Falcon is sure a great fishing hole. And for those of us not hot shot bass fisherman, catching nice fish like those above is a treat. So our results will have no affect on me. I plan on being back down there soon. And one thing we did not do, that I promise I will do before the water comes back up, is waypoint all the rock piles out of the water right now. If you are going to fish Falcon in the future there may never be a better time to mark your map and GPS. And if the water comes back up, you will have a gold mine of spots. Think about it.
So a good trip for Shoedog on his birthday weekend. He really toted the note down there, and he caught as many good ones as Clyde and I together. It was Clyde’s first trip, but it will not be his last.
We stayed at Beacon Lodge. I have made multiple trips to Falcon but had not stayed there. Beacon will be it from now on. If you have read my reports in the past you know I have not said where I stayed, and there is a reason for that. The other “resorts” I have stayed at on Falcon were in a word, dirty. Beacon was clean, the rooms got maid service everyday, and the ramp was great with plenty of parking. They were accommodating, and I would recommend them to anyone compared to those other places that shall remain nameless. It is ok to be old and worn, but there is no excuse for dirty. So if you head down that way check them out. Tell them fishcatchingtravel.com sent you.
So combined with the POC report below you have our 5 day fishing trip with Clyde. A good time was had by all and it will not be Clyde’s last trip to Falcon with us. So whether Falcon is in decline, or just slow, it is still one great lake.
If you stopped in expecting the Falcon story, sorry, this ain’t it. I got a call last night from my friend Chris who has been kind enough to teach me the duck hunting ropes. His only comment was this is an opportunity not to be missed. How right he was. Now I was tired from the last 5 days of fishing, and even though I had a day to recover, I could have easily hung around the house another day to catch up on things. But when Chris said it the way he did, it reminded me of when I call a few friends in this world and say come fishing right now.
So the next thing I know the alarm is going off at 3:30 am and I feel like 10 miles of bad road. Interesting how as I get a little long in the tooth it takes a lot longer to recover from 12 hours a day of fishing, plus 11 hours in the truck, in 5 days. But off I went. We headed out at 4:30 and met Clay at his farm. This place was approximately 4oo acres of duck hotel. Well maybe not a hotel, more like a small duck city. Our chosen spot was a small shallow pond in a marshy area. The decoys were already in place so it was simply a matter of climbing in the blind.
Before it was even legal shooting light the ducks began to land in the spread. And at exactly legal shooting a group came blasting in. Of course my shooting initially left something to be desired. And as this was my 5th or 6th duck hunting trip I would class myself as less than a novice. Fishing has taken up my spare time and with 3 moves in 7 years, I basically had nowhere to hunt. Consequently, I had not even fired a shot in 10 years before last fall.
But it did not matter. There were plenty of chances as ducks came in singles, small flights, and a few large groups. Some came in quick, and some set their wings, but no matter how they came, it was awesome. There is just something about daylight breaking a beautiful red as a group of ducks works the spread and then commit. Really something.
And it was nice to share the morning with a duck hunting pro. The way Clay would identify them simply by the way they flew still amazes me. I simply shot when he said, and did not manage to shoot anything I should not have. As you know the first time I went I was scared to death I might shoot an eagle or something. And I was really surprised at how little he called. And when he did, it was usually really soft, rarely did he really blow. So it is clear I have a lot to learn about this duck hunting thing.
Here is our limit. I took this with my phone, to bad I have no idea what happened to my camera or there would have been a different one. Hopefully it is in one of the trucks!
One thing that surprised me was when a duck landed in the spread, joined shortly after by another, then stayed on the pond through about 3 volleys. And if my memory is correct, one even stayed until the bitter end. Interesting considering his cohorts were falling from the sky deader than a hammer. We had widgeons, pin-tails, red heads, teal, and god knows what other kinds working the spread. There were several geese in the area, a hawk was working the marsh, and the gators were out sunning. A real outdoor moment.
Before I sat down to write this I checked my email and found this from my friend Aaron. He is a bass catching, Tilapia shooting, duck killing fool. Funny how hanging out with folks who are damn good at what they do ends up making you better at those things.
I got this from my friend Aaron Fite today. Nice bunch of ducks and one happy dog.
So what a day. I always enjoy time in the field with Chris, and getting to spend some of it in a duck blind with Clay only made it better. Clay is a real gentleman, and I appreciated it that he did not give me the appropriate amount of crap for my poor shooting. Thank god I finally got in the game and did my part. So a big thank you to both of them. There is nothing better than the outdoors!
Stop in tomorrow. I promise I will have the Falcon stuff up. Tough life when you can’t tell your fishing story because your duck hunting gets in the way. And one last thing, thanks to my wife wonderful wife Nancy for putting up with me. Nothing but gas bills, tackle bills, smelly fisherman sleeping all over the house, me gone for days, and she still loves me. Go figure.
After 4 days of fishing on Falcon Lake we got back Saturday night. My friend Clyde, down from Arkansas to fish Falcon with us, wanted to fish the Gulf one day before he left. I will be posting in the next couple of days on my Falcon trip so stop in and read about that one when I get it posted in a day or two. It was a really good time, just like we always have there. But I wanted to post about yesterday first.
We started on my favorite grass banks on the first island in Big Bayou, as he wanted to catch a red on top. That happened almost immediately. It sucked in a Super Spook Jr. like a bluegill taking a bug off the top. Things were looking up, except for the big storm coming our way. It looked ugly, so back to Froggie’s for an hour making sure we did not get killed.
One of the 7 reds that ended up in the box.
We got back out and headed for a deep bank in Big Bayou, and my brother Jeff caught a good trout on the Spook Jr.
Love that Spook Jr. with the feather tail. Thanks to my friend Aaron, who is sponsored by Strike King, for putting me on that one. The feathers seem to help at times.
We caught a couple of fish everywhere we fished in that area, and ended up not leaving it. We fished most of the points on the islands, and also the bank behind the barge canal in Barroom Bay. On that bank the reds and trout were on the edge where the flat falls out into over 3 foot of water.
At this point Clyde was fishing a popping cork with a Strike King Rage Tail Shrimp. And for the rest of the day he whacked them, both trout and reds. He had a 1/16 jig head 2 feet below the popping cork. We used the scent that came with it, and he had a great time. The reds were absolutely eating it, and there was no doubt when you got a bite.
Another victim of the popping cork.
And he also added a flounder for the inshore slam with the trout he caught. A good day for an Arkansas perch jerker.
Let me say something about the Rage Shrimp. I have used a lot of plastics but it is the best bait on a popping cork I have ever used. I prefer the white with the chartuese tail. It is strong and last beyond belief as I have said before. I put a new one on for Clyde and he used it all day, and it is still better than good. He caught at least 10 reds and 10 trout, not to mention pinfish and lizard fish. There is no other plastic shrimp that I know of that will last like that. Try it once and you will see, it catches fish.
Heck, even I got in on the act.
It was actually pretty easy to catch fish most of the day. It was nice after a few bad trips to actually put some good trout and reds in the boat. And it was nice to send Clyde home with a nice bag of fish. I can not tell you how many we caught, but it was steady all day. And I sure hope that the average size of the trout we caught will continue.
As to where, other than the long flat in Barroom it was simple. The reds were on grassy shorelines in Big Bayou in about 2 foot of water. The tide started falling as soon as we got out there, and the water moved all day. It was a good high tide and it clearly had the fish biting. The trout were on points with water moving by, and we had a good bite on the point where you head left into Mitchells’s Cut and Big Bayou, where we caught several trout. I managed a nice red who we saw tailing when I flipped the Redfish Magic in front of him and he ate it. But there was no contest, the popping cork was hot and I hope to get back there in a couple of days.
An Arkansas hillbilly who actually knows how to clean fish. And when you have 12 kids to feed and live in a shack it is tough to feed them all!
So a great way to end our 5 days of fishing. It was great to get him some good salt time with some filets to go home with. This was one of my favorite trips simply because we had a great time, my brother and I have been friends with Clyde since we were 16, and have fished with him in lots of cool places since we were kids. If you read my stuff you know he took us to Canada this year, and it was nice to return the favor. We topped the things off with a trip to Bubba’s. A really great time.
So thanks for reading my stuff. Here is just one of the good ones we caught at Falcon. So if you like nice fish, stop in the next couple of days and I will fill you in on the 4 days we spent on Falcon.
If you like big fish, here is one of the good ones we caught on Falcon. This one came on the Strike King XD5 in the shad color.
Headed home after 5 days of it, a beautiful sunset to a great trip!
Well after weeks of waiting we are headed to Falcon tomorrow. I expect an interesting trip if nothing else.
There has been a lot of chatter on the web, most of it concerning whether Falcon is in decline, or is it just a seasonal affect when combined with the low level. Opinions and rear ends everyone seems to have one, and who knows which is right. But I think everyone is in agreement, the pressure has affected the fishing. And I would tend to agree.
When I look back at my first trip there it was a 24 hour dream of a lifetime when I caught the 3 biggest bass of my life. And that was after over 30 years of hitting it hard. The next couple of trips were a little sketchier, but other than one, I still managed to break 7 pounds more than not. But over the years I have seen the daily numbers decline some, and with that was an increase in one number, pressure.
Our first trip there we fished an area north, and never saw more than 2 or 3 boats in any one place, and often had the area we fished to ourselves. The pressure has gradually increased, though I am sure if you live there it seems to have materialized overnight. And as we all know, pressure affects big fish.
And when you add in the fact that a lot of that pressure is from pretty good fisherman, there has to be some consequences. Also, when you start factoring in all the big fish that are caught, or broke off, it can not help but add to things. Though I rarely keep bass, other than a couple to eat occasionally, I can only assume that many of the DD’s have ended up on someones wall in some far off state. Now I am not dissing anyone who keeps a wall hanger, but you can not put the best fisherman from all over the country on any lake and not have it hurt somehow. But there was a time in my life when I would have mounted a big one, and I do not fault anyone who does it within the law.
So what will happen the next 4 days? Who knows? Are lots of those really big fish gone? Or is it just intelligent pressure “wising” them up? We shall see. I do know that I have one of my best friends from my hometown coming with my brother and I. I have had my day on Falcon, and for me this trip will be successful if he catches the biggest fish of his life. Is that a reasonable expectation considering the alleged “decline” at Falcon? My opinion still remains this: Slower or not it is still one of the best places on the face of the earth to whack a big one. And seeing the pic of the 14lber on the Falcon Lake Tackle website gives me hope. That is why we fish, the expectations. I can’t wait, and according to the lodges website they have wireless. If they do I will post something every night after we get back. I can not wait!
POC last Thursday
There are times where I must confess I just can not put words to paper, something I guess happens to everyone who tries to write a lot. In my case it wasn’t a loss for words, I just could not analyze my last trip to the Gulf, to painful.
I should have known I was doomed from the start. The first clue was I was awakened at 1 a.m. with a serious abdominal disruption, and ended up in the bathroom for an hour, and ended up with no more good sleep the rest of the night. Nothing like starting your day with about 2 hours of sleep.
Then I made another mistake that I have made before, and should know better. If the wind is this absolutely perfect SE direction, it screws up both the Powderhorn and Keller. So I did not check, and of course it blew perfectly out of the worst direction.
Chris and I launched at Indianola and headed up the Powderhorn Ranch shoreline to the series of marshes towards POC. It was daylight as we started throwing topwaters. He caught one or two on top, and maybe one on plastic. I on the other hand had 3 miss a topwater, and I broke off a good red on plastics. The wind was picking up and we headed to Keller, stopping on the bank entering the bay on the right. The only bite was another good red, and I lost him.
The wind was blowing completely the wrong way for Keller, and we fished another couple of banks without success, if you don’t count some undersized trout and a few sand trout. And then the locator started beeping and acting crazy until we finally turned it off. And then as we headed back to Indianola across Lavaca Bay the bolt came out of the trolling motor head and the head came off. Nice. We jury rigged that and starting fishing in the Powderhorn. I did manage a nice 19″ trout on plastics near the mouth. We picked up a few small reds and trout here and there, but just could not get anything going. We decided to move back in the Powderhorn for reds and as we motored the trolling motor head came off again, and I gave up and we called it a day.
Between me, the boat, and the wind, it was just not my day. To bad Chris had to be along for the ride. We may have caught a dozen or so, but I did not fish worth a darn. It is hard to do all those things that help make a day successful, but it is also necessary. In this case I should have known the wind would not be right, and even though I wanted to fish some places I had not been in a while, POC would have been a far better place due to the prevailing wind direction.
Oh well, live and learn and try not to make the same mistake twice. That will not be the plan for Falcon the next 4 days. Hopefully the right decisions will be made at the right time, and it will all come together. So wish us luck.
Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine
By far my favorite fishing magazine is Texas Saltwater Fishing. The writers do try to give you useful information, some of it real stuff you can use to catch more fish. And with writers from all areas of the coast there is great information no matter where you live on the coast.
If you have not read the October 12′ magazine, pick it up. The story on the tagging operation which was done by Texas A&M is very interesting. It gives you real data on trout movements and is something if you are a trout fisherman you need to read. What does the data mean? I let you decide. But it was nice to see real data and not the anecdotal information that is our usual source of information in the fishing world.
I do have one other comment on something that pops up in the magazine often, the “5 Alive” concept. I have mixed emotions about that concept. For me it would be much better if the state would make the speckled trout limit 5 and be done with it. But I have no problem with someone who does not fish a lot taking his 10, it is legal, and like most folks he does not fish that often. I do remember when they began talking about doing it on the southern coast there was an outcry from the guides that they would not make a living with that limit. And apparently the first couple of years it did affect business. But from all indications now the fishing is gang busters with more big trout than folks have seen in a long time.
Unless the price of gas goes to $10 a gallon, there is little that will reduce fishing pressure on the coast. And if the growth of saltwater fishing over the last 10 years is any kind of a barometer, pressure will just keep increasing. And then comes the basic debate: Do you want to load the boat, or do you want a quality fishing experience? It is coming down to that simple and we can not have it both ways. And I guess when it is all said and done I come down on the side of a 5 fish limit. So if you are reading this where do you come down? Let me know, I really am interested in where folks come down on that issue.
So thanks for reading my stuff today. I know it was not much more than a ramble but that will be changing. We finally got our first real cold front of the year and it is game on. So check back in a day or two, lets see how the Falcon trip goes.
You know, Falcon is a great lake. And so is Amistad, Bull Shoals, Coleto, and many more that I have fished in the last 40 years. But one that is fast becoming my favorite is Fayette County. Being a slot lake of course helps, but I guess my favorite thing about Fayette County is the fact that you can fish almost any technique you want or like and catch fish. Now I hope I do not jinx myself, but I have never had a bad trip there, and in fact most have been great trips. Nothing like catching fish, and yesterday was no different.
I met my brother at daylight and we headed to the flat point inside the hazard buoys were we started last trip, and just like last time they were there. Jeff of course was using his jerk bait, I started with a Strike King 2.5 in the red shad. I got him down 5 to 1 in about 10 minutes. Jeff got it going on the jerk bait and from then on we caught them nice and steady, most in about 5 foot of water. We tried to stay in about 8 foot throwing to grass patches. Over the next couple of hours we put well over 20 in the boat, most on the square bill. Jeff switched to a Sexy Shad color and before long he caught up with me.
So early the fish were on those flat points chasing shad. It was interesting to watch his HD graph. We could see the fish over the top of submerged grass about 2 feet over the grass. They continued to show until about 10 am, then they disappeared, probably getting in the grass as the sun came up and they began to back off.
Here is Jeff with a good one, it is the first picture I took today. By time I took this one we had put lots of fish in the boat, including several nice ones.
From 10 until about 1:00 we just hunted and pecked. The wind was blowing pretty hard so we kept cranking shallow windy places, picking up one or two every once in awhile, but it was not fast by any stretch of the imagination. So with the wind we decided to keep with crankbait, though I did catch one good one on a jig, so we switched, me to a Strike King 6D in the chartreuse shad, and Jeff to a Rapala DT16 in a kind of bluegill color.
Then a couple of things happened that surprised me. We fished a few more places, and decided to hit a grass bed on the back side of a windy point. There was no wind on it at all, and the sun was high. We stayed out in 10 foot of water and started catching them. You could see them on the bottom with occasional shad schools. As usual on Fayette, find the shad and there will be some fish. And then the final touch. We had been reeling it right along, and catching a couple when I slowed it way down, and wham. From the on it was game on.
The first of many on this bank.
If I have learned on thing this fall it is that when you find them, stick with them. On Coleto it has almost been a little boring as my great spot is exactly that, and though I keep trying new places and new things, the results are the same. Where they are right now is where they are and it pays to work them over. It was certainly the case here as we re-fished that bank over and over catching 4 or 5 each pass.
One thing I think made a difference was the fact that Jeff was using 15pd test, and I was using 20. Not only did his bait get just a tiny bit deeper, I think the thinner line made a difference. And when I say slow, we used it slow. I fish crankbaits on a 5:1, and I was still cranking it super slow. And when they hit, they knocked the stuffing out of it.
Jeff with a good one.
Just like in the morning, we could see them on the graph. We ended up staying on that bank for several hours, and then went off to try some different places. And our results were the same as the middle of the day, one here or there. We were still catching them but not bunched up like those were.
The swim jig also did it’s part.
So how many did we catch total, we did not have a clue, but it was a lot. Except on the shallow point chasing shad early, all were caught in grass in about 5 to 7 foot of water, with us sitting in 10. And who does not like that bite when your crankbait hits the grass and one smokes it. When they were really going some of them would knock a bunch of slack in it, a cool bite.
This may have been the biggest one of the day. That was one good bank.
There is just nothing like fishing Fayette County. With a little bit of work, and thought, it can be figured out in a day. And once you do, there is nothing like finding a school of good fish, figuring out how to catch them, and then doing it. Now we did not catch a “big” one, but I will settle for this size all day long. Also, I tried to keep the picture total down some, but when the day was done we caught a bunch of nice fish.
Me in the back of the boat. After running the show for years, it is nice to not have to run the trolling motor. I am content to sit in the back and put them in the boat.
So what a fun day. I only get to Fayette about 4 times a year, and she never lets me down. If you have not fished it, give it a try. Of course the weekdays are the best, not near the traffic, and when the fish are biting there can be a lot of traffic. So tomorrow it is off to the Gulf. I haven’t been in a while and am anxious to put a few in the boat, and who knows, maybe in the fry pan. So stop in Friday for a salt report. And Falcon is only a week away! Thanks for reading my stuff.
This is how our day ended. I am sure there is some explanation of this phenomenon, but no matter what it was, this was beautiful.
After being out of town a couple of days I was looking forward to getting back on the water. So with the wind supposed to be up today, and it was, I headed for Coleto. Which worked out perfect as I will be going to Fayette tomorrow and the to the Gulf on Thursday, so it will be a great week here at Fish Catching Travel. And if today was any indication it should be a fish catching good time.
When I got to the ramp it was just starting to sprinkle, and luckily I had my camo rain jacket in the truck. By time I got up lake it had started to rain fairly steady. Nothing I could not live with, as long as you do not mind wet pants, and that I got.
I got a great rod at Academy the other day, they have marked down a bunch of them so if you need one get over there, if it is not already to late. But anyway, I started with the buzzbait so I could use my new rod. And for the next 4 hours I got a chance to break it in.
Here is a nice one. Of the 20 I caught this morning, 16 were on the chartreuse buzzbait.
It started off steady, and until about 11:00 it stayed that way. Now unlike last trip, the fish were just scattered, and I simply just headed down the bank, running it steady but not fast. And it was interesting, as most of them seemed to just suck it under as oppossed to blowing up on it. There did not seem to be any place any better than any other, it was a matter of covering water.
A little better one. But you get the idea.
The rain, and the fact I loaded the last post with pictures, kept me from taking any other pics. Of the 16 I caught on buzzbait, easily 8 or so were keepers, and I probably had maybe 5 like the one above.
As it got later in the morning, and the clouds began to clear, the wind really began to blow, so I decided to head down lake and try a few spots with wind right on them. With the wind blowing out came the spinnerbait. I hit several points, and the ones around the first big coves in the right hand arm had fish on them. I managed 4 more buzzing the spinnerbait, and when they wanted it they smoked it. It was nice to catch a few farther down lake. If we can just get the weather break it will get better and better by the day.
I quit about 1:30 and actually caught 20 even. Not a bad morning. You can tell they want to bite, and I can not wait for a real weather change. And every day we get one day closer to pre-spawn.
And of course it is not all about the fishing. It is also about the sunrise, the wildlife, and all that comes with it. And today there were giant flights of geese for the first couple of hours as they road the cloud cover. Sometimes you could hear them, but not spot them. Other times there were huge v’s, honking like mad. Later as I fished along here came a bald eagle. Now I was accustomed in Arkansas to seeing them pretty regular, but this was the first up close one I have seen down here.
Later there were several alligators cruising for something to eat. And the second one I saw was eyeing about 4 or 5 ducks. But right behind him about 5 foot off his tail was a duck just swimming right behind him. I have seen that quite a few times on Coleto, and it is an interesting behavior. I can only assume it is a great way to keep track of a hungry alligator, and a great way to keep your buddies from being lunch. Not matter what is happening, it sure is cool to watch.
So a great morning to be alive. Now I have to get ready to hit Fayette in the morning. We are going to do a little deep cranking, so we will see how that works out. Then the Gulf on Thursday. And with Falcon only 10 days off, it is going to be a good couple of weeks. So keep stopping in, and the reports will keep on coming. Thanks for reading my stuff.
Sorry for the late report, I got caught up in doing stuff this week. I had the good fortune to be able to fish with a 2Cooler Monday at POC. POC Lance was down to his house for a couple of days and our schedule worked out so we were able to fish together.
I decided to bring my boat as he was interested in doing something different from his usual, and I was happy to oblige. We had a long 2 tide day, and though the chart showed it would be a fairly high day, we were both surprised at how low it was, and continued to be all day. With the low at 11:45 I hoped we could catch both a morning drop, and an afternoon rise. The morning drop worked out, but by time we quit about 4:30 the water had still not started to rise, and was basically flat all afternoon.
We started in Big Bayou, and he started with a Zara Super Spook and I started with a Redfish Magic spinnerbait. Fishing the grass edges over fairly shallow stuff he put a nice 18″ trout in the box, and I managed a 23″ redfish. We alternated the rest of the day with assorted plastics as it seemed they just got off the other stuff. I wish I could be a little more helpful with colors on the plastics, but we caught on about every size style and color we threw, they just did not seem to have a consistent preference. It was one of those days where you wonder if you just did not stick with one bait long enough. I think it is still more a matter of location, and as soon as the trout move to a more stable fall pattern the fishing will improve.
So since I was the captain for day, I took him around to my go to spots, and it was one of those day where you would catch a keeper here and there, and of course adding short ones to the mix. We also caught a lot of “bait”. Now for some reason I did not take any pictures of fish but one, but since I rarely catch one of these on lures, I wanted to show you what good bait looks like.
One crazy looking fish!
I have only caught a couple of ribbon fish in my life, and this was the first one in a long time. And while he did not go in the box, I loved catching this bizarre fish. They are just plain cool.
We ended up fishing Big Bayou, Barroom, Oil Cut #1, Army Cut, and a couple of places in the Saluria. It was definitely a hunt and peck day. I have no clue how many we actually caught, but I know we kept 2 reds, 22″ and 23″, and 5 trout, 18″, 17″, and 3 15 – 16″. Not gang busters by any stretch of the imagination, but enough for a fry. His Zara Spook accounted for the bigger trout and one of the reds, the rest came on plastics. It seemed the lighter colors were best, but like my last trip, I just can not find that one bait that they wanted more than any other.
It looks like the trout are doggedly staying in their summer time pattern as our air temps got back in the 90’s again. So even though it was spotty, we did catch fish everywhere we fished. The couple of times we either put down the power pole, or fished in a spot a little longer than just moving down the bank, we just could not catch more than a couple in a place.
But the good part of the day was my fishing partner. What a good guy to spend the day with in the boat. We had a good time telling stories and talking fishing. This may have been our first trip together, but it won’t be our last. In fact, he gets to captain next time, and I am sure there will be plenty for me to learn. He is very experienced on the coast, and he only got hung up one time all day, now what more could you want in a fishing partner.
So sorry there are not any more pics. We had a good time, and I just never got into the documentation mode, we just fished. As our water temp keeps slowly dropping, combined with the days getting shorter, our fishing on the coast will improve. And judging from what we caught, the fish are ready for the big topwater, and it should only improve. This is still a great time for bull reds at the jetties, and he has been taking his son there and whacking them. And there are still reports of tarpon at the jetties. So if they are on your list better get there quick, fall is here.
And as always, thanks for reading my stuff. I am so ready for “real” fall. For me, both the lake and the coast seem to be stuck between summer and fall, and consequently the fish are not in a stable pattern. And right around the corner is my trip to Falcon. The reports there are also seem to not have a real pattern to them, more of a matter of catching them on this and that. So maybe the weather will cool off before we head that way in 2 weeks. So keep those cards and letters coming, I enjoy reading your comments and try to keep up with answering them the best I can.
Well for some reason I went ahead and fished Coleto today, for the third time this week. And as usual, and I mean usual for any fishing trip, it did not work out the way I planned. I made up my mind to stick with slow rolling the Anaconda worm this morning as soon as the sun got up, and it worked fairly well except for one small problem.
But as the sun came up I basically fished the box, and caught one on spinnerbait, 1 on swim jig, one on a topwater, and 1 on a buzzbait. The fish just seem to be flaky right now, they will bite, but everyday it is something different. As usual the question was what do they want. So it was time to swim the Anaconda.
Have you ever heard the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”? I managed to catch a couple of nice ones pretty quickly, and missed one more, when I reached in the box for a new worm, but there was only a similar color in that spot. Then I remembered, I met a nice guy at the ramp and gave him 2 or 3, and they were the last I had in the boat. So much for that plan.
A nice start.
Things were looking up until I lost that worm a couple of minutes later – and it was the last one.
Now I am not happy, I caught those 2 on the first bank I fished with it, and with the sun out and no wind, it should have been perfect. I went ahead and threw a worm some, but my heart was not in it. So here it is 11:00, and I have caught 6, but it just seems like I am close but not quite on them. I am catching fish, but can not seem to find the mother load, or maybe the “mother bait.” So as per my usual fall back position, out came the buzzbait.
I was up lake in an area with lots of grass patched in 3 to 5 feet of water when I had the first bite.
That’s One.
There’s another . . .
… and another…..
….. and another (This one just absolutely exploded on it!)….
….oh well, you get the point.
From 11:00 until 1:30 I just plain whacked them. They were scattered over shallow grass for about 50 yards, and it was simply a matter of tossing it to the thick edge and buzzing it out. I knew I had taken a couple of pictures, but after a while I quit even doing that, they were just biting to good.
So what a morning. After hunting and pecking over the last 2 trips, it finally worked the way we all want it to. I caught several more like the ones above, and a bunch of small ones. Most of them were hitting it so hard there was no missing them. And the one thing it really proves, besides I am the best buzzbait fisherman on this block, it that nothing beats going. Every once in a while we make the right call, and it works. And since I am fortunate enough to be on the water quite a bit, the odds just improve. And for all the runs like this one, there are hours of casting with just hope on the end of the line.
Looks like we may have a little more weather in the next couple of days, and the nights will be cooling off again, so look for the fishing to really pick up. They want to bite, and one thing that will help Coleto is for it to stop dropping, and maybe even a little rise, to go with the cooler weather. And one additional thing I have learned the last 3 trips is that the fish down lake are starting to bite. It will not be long. Oh, and there are people catching crappie, some of them quite shallow. In fact, I caught a nice one a few trips ago on a jerk bait. So if that is your thing, time to hit Coleto for crappie.
So thanks for reading my stuff. I have enjoyed the lake this week, but it is back to the salt next week. And with Falcon in 3 weeks, and then Lake Fork at the end of November, I have a lot to be thankful for. Even more than the fishing I am thankful for my wife, daughter, and my little granddaughter Mia. They are the most important things in this world. Got to keep it in perspective. You can always catch another fish.
I really appreciate all the comments I receive here at Fish Catching Travel. Many of you have asked about the comments section, and why I do not have any on my blog. First, when you go ahead and hit the comment button it comes to my email. When you add comments, and the spam I get, there are lots of messages each day. I decided that I was not going to add comments, though occasionally I do put some of them on the web page. So if you want to comment, please do. Though they do not appear on the page they come directly to me. And believe me, I read every one and answer those that ask questions. So keep commenting, it is the only way for me to know how you feel about my blog, and what you would like to see more of. And listen, if you have a story, some pictures, or something else you would like to share with everyone send it to me. If we can use it we will. So keep it up.
I also get quite a few questions concerning the mechanics of the blog. I use WordPress as my basic page. My host is Host Gator, and they are great. In the beginning I made quite a few mistakes, but with the available help through Host Gator most problems are easily solved. I am not computer illiterate, but a 10 year old kid knows more about this than me. But through trial and error this is what is left. So if you have ever thought about blogging, see what they have to offer. It makes what I thought might be impossible, possible.
And finally, through Fish Catching Travel I have met lots of new folks. I really appreciate it when people come up to me at the ramp or the dock and introduce themselves, and let me know they read my stuff. I met a great guy at Froggie’s the other day, and I just wanted to say thanks to Chester for his kind comments. And the nice gentleman I met at the ramp yesterday at Coleto, drop me a comment, would love to take you fishing some time.
Coleto Creek 10/11/12.
One of the great things about yesterday was it was a wildlife kinda day. The alligators are really out right now, and I saw everything from 8 foot monsters to 3 foot younguns. And there were 2 highlights to the morning. First a big group of hogs came to the bank to root in the soft stuff left from the water continuing to come down. Not only were they rooting, there was a small pig scuffle, and boy were they mad. They are very scittish, but as I was quietly easing down the bank I got real close before they spooked. I really want to shoot one some day, you would think with all the hogs in Texas I would not have a problem finding a place to shoot one, maybe some day.
Then I went to a long flat and there was a dozen turkeys and 2 bucks, one of them a good one. As I eased towards them the turkeys flushed and crossed the lake, and then both bucks jumped in the water and swam the lake going the same way. Maybe the grass is greener on the other side of the lake. But lets get to the fishing.
Fishing is picking up slowly but surely every time I go. And yesterday was no different. So lets get to the numbers. I caught 3 on spinnerbait right off the bat, then 7 on a topwater minnow, 6 on the Strike King Anaconda, 4 on buzzbait, and 3 on a Texas rig worm. Most of them were caught up lake, but the pattern is still right on the grass edges.
I started with the spinnerbait right against the grass, and caught a good one right off the bat, I tried to take a picture but it was still to dark and it turned out blurry. But anyway, he hit it like the next couple, tight against the grass edge flipping the blades out when it hit. So I figured if they wanted it tight to the edge, and flipping, it was time for a topwater.
Nothing to big, but did put a dozen on the day like this in the boat. Notice the topwater, it is a light Rapala balsa minnow.
When they hit the topwater, most of them hit it when I jerked it and it would go under the water. They rarely took it off the top, so you had to be ready as you would not hear anything, just see a boil, there was no big smashing strikes. So just basically twitch it under and let it float to the top. That was one of my best baits for nice fish last year, and hopefully we will have a repeat this fall.
After they slowed down some I threw the buzzbait, and though I caught 4, it was just to slow. By now the sun was out, and it was fairly calm, so I switched to the Zoom flapping tail worm rigged Texas style and caught 3. But with the heavy grass in some areas it was work getting the worm through some of those places, so I switched to the Strike King Anaconda.
Wanted to show you the Anaconda.
The Anaconda is just one big ass worm. As you can see in the photo above, it has a ripple tail which gives it an awesome swimming motion at almost any speed. I started using it last spring, and I think it may actually be a better bait right now with all the grass. Use a 1/8 ounce slip sinker and peg it to head of the worm so it does not slip. Also, I think a 6/0 hook is best, with the worm being 10″, you need a big hook. Of course you need heavy line, I am using 20, so when you do catch one you can horse them out of the grass.
From then on it is simple, just throw it out and reel it back. You can work it over, and through, big grass patches. With the sinker pegged it doesn’t collect a lot of grass, and you can throw it almost anywhere. Speed it totally dependent on depth, and I tend to crank it slower as it gets off the bank. Throw it right to the grass edge and reel it out. You may feel a tick or a bump, the classic worm bite, or your line may begin to move in a direction you are not reeling it, or it may even go slack. But no matter what, if you think it is a bite set the hook hard. What the heck, it’s free, and if it is not a fish no big deal.
The nice thing about using a worm that big is that while there is no guarantee you will catch a whooper, it does catch better fish. And if you have been reading my stuff a while you saw the video where I caught a big one on it this spring. Swimming a worm seems to come in to style, and then fade. And then a few years later it is popular again. But when you are faced with grass like we are right now, combined with a falling lake, it is an easy way to fish some of the mess we have. Once you whack a couple of good ones it will become part of your arsenal.
So it was a pretty good day. I caught fish from 7 until I quit at 1:30. The only “big” fish I had on was on the Anaconda, but I did not get a good hook set. Other than that the numbers are picking up. But I find it interesting right now that while I can catch on most any bait I try, there just does not seem to be one thing they are most interested in. They are flaky right now. Though the numbers are picking up, I just have not put a really big fish in the boat in a while. The conditions are still working some what against us. With the water falling, and it getting hot again, I do not expect the big fish bite for a while yet. Thankfully fall is really coming, and with it we should see those big fish. But anytime I can catch 20+ bass I am happy with the result.
So thanks for stopping in and reading my stuff. Keep those cards and letters coming. Tomorrow will be one more day on Coleto before heading to the Gulf for a few days next week. Hopefully the trout will be a little easier to pattern than they have been. It is time for a fish fry.
