FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

One of the reasons I hump it all the way to an hour north of the Colorado border is that is about as far as I can make it by myself in one sitting.  But the real reason is by getting an hour north of the line and staying at the same cheesy motel I get an “extra” day waiting to check in.  The back road around La Veta has a ton of animals and if you are lucky some really cool stuff.  Get up and get out, that is when they are on the move and if you want to really see the wildlife you have to be there.

This was a nice mule deer.  As usual plenty in the La Veta area.

For some reason he wasn’t willing to sit and pose so off he went.  Cleared the fence no problem.

Love that long lens.  It get pictures that I could never reach.

This guy was a long way off, but with the built in 600mm lens you can reach out and touch them.  (Thanks for the advice Ro.  The Sony rep I met in Houston said it was their best outdoor camera, and I think it is.)  It is never easy getting wildlife to cooperate, and it takes effort to get pictures, but the more we do it the more we love chasing them.  A little tougher without the Boss and another set of eyes, and somebody to take the pics no matter which side of the truck they are on.

I saw more antelope today and yesterday than I have ever seen.  They were out and about.

Plenty of turkeys but they might be as hard to photo as any.  They do not like the truck no matter how far away.  But there are tons of them in Colorado.

I think there is some kind of saying about herding turkeys and getting them to stand still is never easy.  They are plenty spooky, ask any turkey hunter.  But between them and the grouse we usually see them every morning.

With an hour to kill until I could get in my cabin stopped at one of my favorite spots and caught 2 browns on my hand tied marabou jig and one on a Rooster Tail.  The fly fishing begins tomorrow.

After the morning drive in the mountains, I headed to the store to stock up.  Then with a couple of hours to kill stopped by my favorite trout hole to check the water level and color and both are perfect.  You never know when traveling here for sure what you will face but this time looks to good to be true.  And with 4 miles of state access on the Rio Grande there is plenty of water.  I have  barely touched it but with plenty of access roads to the river I will be giving it the old college try for a couple of days.  Then I intend to fish a really small creek in the mountains that has small trout and it will be interesting to do that in one great area.  Can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

***************

Day 2

It almost turned into buy a new truck day.  It was still dark when I headed out and 2 mule deer does darted out on the road.  Somehow, someway I missed them.  How close was it? They jumped out together and I actually went between them.  If I had braked at least one of them would have gotten smoked, same with the truck.  That is the second really close call I have had, might be time for a cow catcher.  But no harm no foul.

I could not resist the lure of heading to the mountains at daylight, hoping to see some animals, mainly Bighorn Sheep.  Unfortunately, I forgot the first rule this time of year in this area, hunters.  Pool Table road is about halfway between South Fork and Creede.  It is where I have seen not only the biggest Ram ever, but a nice herd on another trip.  As I headed up and up the scenery was stunning as the Aspen were turning big time.

Nothing fall and the Aspen turn, breathtaking.  Pool Table road at 10,000 feet.

One thing that happens in the heavy groves is the ground also gets littered with bright yellow leaves, and when combined with the trees it turns the forest a golden color.  We always hope to catch the turn and this trip it should be magnificent when we get to the high mountains that is the San Juans.  And as the Boss’s sister is coming, she is a retired photographer maybe she can do it justice.

I struggled with the buggy whip today.

The area I was in is a elk draw area and when getting near the top there started to be elk camps.  It is open until the 1st so the easy viewing will take a week to settle down when they all leave until later in the month.  So, after a long drive time to go fishing.  It was 34 degrees way up and 39 on the river when I got there.  Unfortunately, I was a little late.  And the wind was out of the north making casting a little bit of a hassle, but I ended up fishing 3 areas, and will fish another different 3 tomorrow.

But I did land a nice one.

The 3.25 Watermelon Red Knockin Tail put the best one in the net.

It was easy to see how rusty I was with the flyrod.  Only 2 made the net, and I missed several.  It was more a mechanical thing than anything else.  But it is still cool to catch them that way, it just isn’t easy.  While I was fishing my favorite spot, I wanted to catch one on the 3.25 Knockin Tail and it worked.  The best one slammed it and I should have caught another one.  But by that time I had worked that hole over so I moved and on the last hole I lost a nice rainbow on the Knockin Tail.

You can’t see me.  The praire dog village near the river.

Best I can remember it was 3 for 10, a result I expect to improve on tomorrow.  I will forgo the woods and head right to the water.  From there who knows but whatever it will be a good time.

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Day 3

Today was interesting.  Caught a bunch and lost what I assume is a real big brown trout for the Rio Grande.  But there was a problem, I could not catch one on a flyrod to save my soul.  Not sure what is up, but as soon as I got done, I headed to the fly shop for a little help, and tomorrow we will find out of their suggestions do the trick.  But otherwise, the fishing was a lot better today.

.They are one beautiful fish in the water.  On a hand tied 1/16oz white marabou jig.

It was a good day with this size.

I tried my flyrod off and on all day and just could not hookup.  Not sure but if I were guessing it was maybe 2 bites.  So out came the lures and catching began.

They cannot take much handling so lure out in the net, quick pic and back in they go.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, they were smoking cranked minnow baits.  So I took what I could get.  They are hard to get off when they are all wrapped up, but it was hard to not throw it.  And then minnie disaster struck.  One just slammed a Yozuri minnow bait, jumped and I could not believe my eyes, it was really big.  As in did not know there were any in the Rio Grande that big.  Unfortunately, it got cross in a heavy current and down river she went.  It was in a place I could not chase and the 4lb line parted and she was gone.  But what a great bite and one cool jump.

Brown trout are one aggressive fish, and it was a good bite today.

So as far as location I know where they are, time to implement the strategy the dude at the fly shop gave me.  There is no giving up on the fly rod and I just need to keep after it, but after a slow day yesterday it was time to catch a few. Tomorrow it is time to stick with the fly rod, part of the reason I am here.

About 3:00 a really cold wind came up and it started raining.  I stuck it out for a while then headed to the cabin.  Plenty of days left, no need to get burned out.  Tomorrow after giving the buggy whip a solid go will probably head to one of the many lakes I have fished close by, they can be good and offer some of the best scenery around.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

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Are you freakin’ kidding me?  I stopped in at Tackle Town the other day because who knows what you might need.  Well, there is one thing I definitely DO NOT need.  It was Mercury Opti oil.  Hey, I know prices are up, but while oil is coming down apparently some folks did not get the memo.  A gallon – $78!!!  There are no words.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Get them at the Waterloo Rod store in Victoria.

This would be my last time on the water in Texas.  My heart and mind is on Colorado, bugling elk. trout eating a hopper, and the Rockies.  Plus I am freaking tired of our heat.  I will break soon but I can get do it by heading to the mountains.  But I was out at daylight and before it was over I was kicking my own ass.

Weather

74/98.  Hot with plenty of sun; caution advised if outside for extended periods of time with no chance of rain.  Wind  NE  6 – 18 mph.

Lake Level

Today   96.78 msl.    Monday   96.84 msl.

Bite Times

Major   10:15 am   to   12:15 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

***************

Fish or not there is no better way to start the day!

As you can see it was just cracking daylight on the first cast.  The plan today was to not fish my areas that I know are holding fish but to fish some new places and see what happened.  On my third cast this one jumped on.  Little did I know only 3 more smalls would come over the side before I called it a day.

It was stunning when this one smoked it.

From this point on it was hunt and peck.  The swim jig and frog were a complete disappointment, as apparently was my bank selection.  But I soldiered on and the only bites I could get were smalls on the buzzbait.  It was frustrating and surprising that some of the places had no fish.  With a mile high sky and no wind, it was not surprising that the bite as slow.  So with it getting hot it was time for one more spot.

I decided to switch up completely and tie on the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail on a 1/4oz swim bait hook.  It wallows through the trash just fine and actually produced a bite which I missed.  Then disaster struck.  A shad flipped in a slot in the trash and I made the perfect cast and a big one smoked it, and I mean a hoss.  Set the hook and she was on.  As I was fighting her my phone rang, which I rarely answer but with the Boss headed to work about then I stuck my head up my rear and walked back to the console while the fish was carrying on.  It was a spam call, and she jumped off.  What an idiot.  Could I do anything anymore stupid?

There was a time in my life many decades ago that I used to get mad when I lost a real one.  For the first time in a long time, I did get mad but at myself.  After struggling all morning that was just plain ignorant.  Anytime you throw a 5″ Knockin Tail you have a chance to catch a big fish, and I have caught my share this year since it came out.  So on that note I called it a morning at 11:00.  Guess my mind was not on my business so time to head home and start with the serious packing.

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A charter boat captain had a huge Blue Fin tuna confiscated from his boat for fishing in state waters where he was not licensed.  I have a suggestion – if you are a captain and intentionally break the law your license should be at a minimum suspended or completely permanently revoked depending on the level of offense.  Time to start cleaning up these scofflaws who are stealing our recourses.  And the same should apply to commercial fishermen.   You know better – you lose.

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And speaking of this type of behavior a Louisiana commercial fishing boat had over 900.000 (Yes 900K!) menhaden in their net and when they were not able to get the weight on board, they just cut the net and left the whole thing floating on the ocean.  You know how I continually rag on game and fish departments who seem to side with commercial interests?  Well, this is a perfect example.

 One fisheries manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries pointed out that just 2% of the menhaden in the Gulf of Mexico are harvested each year and that such an event is “insignificant.”

OMG!  Ok dude, what in the world does the % of harvest have a thing to do with this behavior?  So a commercial boat in state waters can wantonly waste 900.000 fish, then leave the net and rotting fish floating and the event is “insignificant”?  Good thing I am not his Boss, he would be job hunting the next day.  The problem with ghost nets is real, and if you or I wasted a bass or trout and were caught what would happen to us?  His response should be that we categorically reject this behavior and waste of wildlife and will get to the bottom of it and take appropriate action whatever that might be.  Maybe there is nothing they can do but a serious response is required at a minimum.  So another commercial interest gets a break from a fish and game department.  I just do not get it.

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But on the opposite extreme is Wyoming, which does it right.  2 different hunters were accused of hunting elk out of season, including one knucklehead who just chopped the heads off of 2 and left them to rot.  Both had their hunting and fishing rights taken away for 5 years, one was fined $2000, the other $10,000.  Time to make game and fish violaions painful like this.  Long term suspension of the priviledge to hunt and fish is a tool that should be used and improved on.

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I definitely did not have my mind on my business this morning.  I feel just like a kid as 2 weeks in the mountains loom.  With that said the packing piles begin.  Planning and executing these trips is the fun part, and it only gets better in the doing.  It will now be Alaska, the Everglades, Colorado, and now back to Colorado in the last few months.  I was speaking with someone and when they learned I had driven over 6,000 miles already their response:  To much driving for me.  As I have repeatedly said about lots of things – How bad do you want it?  We all make our choices and this is my choice.  There is a great big world out there, and it is farther than 20 miles from home.  So stay tuned, it is going to be fun.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Off Topic.  It Is About to Get Interesting

It is about to get ugly on the legal front.  Nothing worse than real indisputable facts, they are not “alternative facts”.  (How have we gotten to the point of alternative facts?  A fact is a fact.)  It is going to get uglier if that is possible, but for a legal lurker like me it sure is entertaining.  And on the comment by one of the attorneys:  But, but, but…… the other guys.  That is not a defense, in fact it borders on stupid.  Guess I missed “the other guys do it defense” in law school.  And since taking the 5th over 400 times can be used against you in a civil trial as evidence unlike a criminal trial that could leave a mark.  Wonder if that possibility was even discussed?  Hope the hourly rate is not too high, but you get what you pay for.  So, get out the popcorn it is going to be something.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

I have a real dilemma, where to start in the morning.  Not a bad problem to have.  My milk run is a long way from the other couple of places I have caught them.  There is more places closer together, but the lure of “new” water is strong.  And when you add to the choices will it be frog or buzzbait?  It sure would be nice if the clouds would hang around some in the morning to go along with the major period, it could be something.  I will be at the ramp before daylight ready to lay the smack down on them.

One beautiful morning!

Weather

74/94.  Partly sunny and humid; with a 40% chance of a shower in the area in the afternoon.  E   8 – 24 mph.

Lake Level

Today    96.84 msl.   Friday     96.87 msl.  (Holding our own but a little more rain would not hurt.)

Bite Times

Major     8:36 am to 10:36 am.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

***************

Conditions on the lake remain the same.  Temp in the mid to high 80’s with a little to a lot off color depending on where you are.  The wind was light and it was partly cloudy but when the clouds did come over they did not stay long.  I was expecting a good morning but it ended up being far from that.  Part of it turned out to be my fault.

The best I could manage this morning.  White swim jig and Bone Knockin Tail.

The plan was to quick fish a couple of the good spots with buzz bait and then spend time with the white swim jig with a Knockin Tail and the frog.  Too bad it did not exactly work out that way.  First up the bank that has been producing regularly only one jumped on.  Then another “good” spot just a couple of shorts.  So, at this point guess you would call it spun out.  I fished one more place up lake and caught the one above on swim jig along with a short.  I cranked it up and ran all the way up the plant arm to try a couple of new spots.  That did not go nearly as well as planned.

The rest looked like this.

3 made the most half hearted pass at the frog, I probably should have caught one of those but it was a swing and miss.  As I was moving, I saw a small flat point on the inside of a cove with nice cover, which has been part of the pattern.  The perfect cast and a real one absolutely smoked it.  Set the hook, a huge jump, and off she went.  Probably the biggest fish I have had on in a while.  Just did not get the rod down quick enough.  Too bad, it was a big fish.

Before I quit, I ended up catching 3 more all on buzzbait.  I just could not get the other baits to work.  Not sure what that was about.  But the pattern still holds.  The “sure” thing continues to be flatter points with cover, especially if you can find one on the inside edge of a big cove not that far back in.  There is rarely more than one but they are there.

I fished several places I have not fished in a while, one of them where the big girl was.  But most of the places I added did not produce a fish.  So give me the credit for that, they just did not either have any or I fished the wrong bait.  Probably should have stayed with the buzzbait all day.  And where I caught the bigger fish last trip not a bite.  But it is what makes fishing what it is.  Just about the time you get to thinking sure thing they remind you, we are fish, we have tails, and some days we just are not having it.

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There was a couple of other things that made the morning, at least on shore.  When I parked the truck after dropping in it was still dark and someone called my name.  It was Colton who was meeting a friend, who showed up while we were chatting.  Sorry I do not remember his name, my bad, but sure do like the baits he gave me.  They will get a workout.  And I had been meaning to ask Colton his preference on the soft jerk plug he throws on the bay which he filled me in on.  Thanks to both of you, appreciate the info and the baits.

And when I took out saw Johnnie one of the Coleto regulars in the bass club.  He reports he struggled the last 2 times out; it happens to the best of us.  But a big thanks for the venison jerk sausage, good stuff.  So between the baits and jerky I came home with more than I left with.  Love talking to folks at the ramp.  You never know what you might learn.

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The early 70’s was a period of change in fishing.  Bassmaster, boat and engines, progressing at a breakneck speed.  Shot gun madness starts at our tournaments.  New lures coming every day.  We thought we were all that when we got our reels to 5:1 by changing the bearings.  So, when I saw a picture of Lenny on the original Mercury Black Max ad from the early 70’s it brought back tons of old memories.  Our buddy Lenny, who the Boss and I later worked with on the ambulance, became the Black Max and thus the name of the iconic Mercury Motor.  Lenny owned a boat dock on Bull Shoals and was an excellent fisherman who would tear the smallmouth a new one every spring.  Those were the days.

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Today they were just off, but who knows I might have zigged when I should have zagged.  Until we have a big change in the weather or lake level it should stay like it has been.  With stuff to do tomorrow will start prepping to head to Colorado in a few days but will be back on the water somewhere.  Who knows, might even head to POC.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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The lake has dropped just a little but there is plenty of cover still in the water with a nice color to it.  It was dead calm and would stay that way until I got rained out at 11:30. Like it has been get out early, but today they continued to bite as the front rolled in.  And the good thing, plenty of patterns will catch them and I specifically tried to add to what they will bite, and I found a couple.

Weather

76/91.  Humid with times of sun and clouds with a 40% chance of thunderstorm around in the afternoon.  SE   9 – 21 mph.

Lake Level

8 days ago    97.05 msl.   Today     96.87 msl.

Bite Times

Major     6:05 am to 8:05 am.

***************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

***************

I do mean early.  But there is another reason this one made the grade.

Of course I started with the buzzbait and will continue with that at daylight until they quit eating it.  The one above blasted it, I mean absolutely exploded on it and then jumped like crazy.  Great bite and fight, what bass fishing is all about.  As she came close I committed a major brain fart.  Went to boat flip her and broke one of my favorite rods.  Dang it!  What makes that doubly interesting, I just scored a brand new $180 casting reel yesterday for $30, best deal ever.  But as in all things fishing, get out your wallet.  But that was the last of that this morning.

Choking on the buzzbait.

Early they are shallow, and I mean in inches of water.  Like I noticed last week they are not really specifically related to a type of cover.  They are in that stuff on the chew.  But you still need the cover, and of course not all cover is good.  Points and inside bends near the mouth of coves seem to be the best.  After catching 6 or 7 up lake time to try out some other baits.  So I headed to the plant arm to fish some new cover, first with a white swim jig.  Seems to me if they are chasing bait shallow it should work.

White swim jig with a 4″ Pearl Knockin Tail Trailer.

Ended up boating 3 or so and had a bigger fish break my line.  The one above ended up being crazy fish #2 for the morning.  It went absolutely nuts but like a good boy I lipped her instead of boat flipping!  The water in the plant arm is clearer than the Coleto arm.  But like way up lake they were in the cover, but on the outside edge of the cover, which may have been more of a function of the later time in the morning.  A white swim jig with a Pearl Knockin Tail will catch fish from one end of the lake to the other.  There was one more bait I have been meaning to try which I should have been fishing all along.  The frog.

She just sucked it under.

This one came exactly like it should have, right on the edge of really heavy cover.  I fished it way back over stuff, but the bites came near the edge of the cover.  I managed to catch 2 and ended up missing a couple.  It takes just a little bit to remember, let them eat it and do not strike the minute they bite.  But once that worked, I cannot wait for next week.  Unfortunatey, it started to drizzle, and I could see it coming over the hill and at 11:30 I was sopping wet by time I got it on the trailer.

But another good morning on Coleto.  In my younger days I would have stayed but I did exactly what I wanted to this morning.  Nothing like adding a couple of more ways to catch them.  The only question now is the order they need to be fished.  But that is a problem I will gladly work on.

Last, the fishing on the lake has been on the upswing since this spring.  Not only is there plenty of shorts, but there is a year class or two that are represented by the ones above.  The future bodes well for bass fishing on the lake.  And do not forget the crappie.  The majority of folks I see during the week are crappie fishing and from what I see when I check the trash can at the cleaning table they are beating them up pretty good.  Things are really looking up.

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And got a good report on a couple of fronts from Rusty.

Well, the Skiff made it to its new home with Retired Larry yesterday. Today it was on the water “stretching some lips”. Ran like a charm. Bastrop bass have been schooling and lots of fun catching. Between the two boats easily 100+ bass. Small rattletraps, rubber Shad, even top water . Biggest probably 3lbs but on light tackle so much fun. Several caught on the fly rod. Safe trip to Colorado
Tight lines,
Rusty

Love the report on several fronts.  Your schooling bite continues on Bastrop and sounds like you whipped em pretty good.  And happy the skiff ran like it should.  Glad Larry got it and when he fixes all those little things it should last him.  Always make me nervous selling cars and boats as you never know.  Thanks for the report and I am working on the Colorado list as we speak.

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This is beyond a bad idea.  If you care one little bit for Texas deer read this.  As usual rich landowners are getting special consideration.  I just do not get it.

Texas Officials Are Taking A Big Risk To Fight A Devastating Deer Disease | HuffPost Impact

When I commented on this article the other day to a retired TPWD person he told me there was no way they would ever agree to the release of deer positive for CWD.  That is correct but what they are doing is releasing deer from a breeding population that had positive tests for CWD to see how it goes.  (Who cares if it is big high fence, just look at how that has worked out with everything from warthogs to Nigal.)  So maybe I am reading this incorrectly but looks like to me they made a deal with a rich guy instead of shutting them down the minute CWD was detected.  As far as I am concerned there is NO study or research that justifies the release of any deer from a high fence commercial hunt facility just to SEE if they become positive.

Reminds me when they gave our Share A Lunker fry to a rich guy until they got caught.  Don’t get me wrong, I only rag on TPWD when they just might need it.  But on a daily basis the wardens are great and without TPWD it would be a complete free for all.  Their response to the freeze on the bay was spot on.  So will just sit back and see how it works out.  They are the authorities not me.  But read the link and see what you think.

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A good week for sure.  Did not get to fish as much as I wanted to.  Tuesday was the doctor, with a clean bill of health.  (In spite of my best efforts.)  Then Wednesday was sell the boat day, the Boss was off Thursday and we did stuff, but today I rounded out the week.  Started with good reds and finished with good bass.  I love fall fishing and will keep after it.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Few Of Us Really Stand Up

For years I have been saying that guides and folks in the fishing industry do not do nearly enough for the outdoors.  (Trust me I was just as guilty as the next guy when I was guiding.)  Theirs (our) living is made from the waters and the land, and from the creatures that reside in it, but few actually return ANY real resources to the very earth that gives them a living.  But now a great man, one of the best to ever live who I have always respected has done something that others have not, he put his money where his mouth is.

Sept 14 (Reuters) – Yvon Chouinard, the billionaire founder of the outdoor apparel brand Patagonia, said on Wednesday he is giving away the company to a trust that will use its profit to fight the climate crisis.

Instead of selling the company or taking it public, Chouinard, who became famous for alpine climbs in Yosemite National Park and has a net worth of $1.2 billion, is transferring his family’s ownership of the company to a trust and a non-profit organization.

“Each year, the money we make after reinvesting in the business will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the crisis,” he wrote in an open letter on the company’s website on Wednesday. (https://www.patagonia.com/ownership/)

“Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth.”

I stand in complete awe!  He is putting his money where his mouth is.  As more and more companies are gobbled up by holding companies (Example: Pure Fishing.) it is all about profit.  But here is the bottom line, money is and will be made, but when things start to fall apart, (Example: Colorado River, California firers to mention just a couple.) those who made the money will be sitting back enjoying their short-term gains at the expense of those to come.  I am not a scientist, and unless you are, your and my opinion on climate change is worth what we paid for it.  But Yvon is willing to step up and put many of us to shame.

This gesture is epic.  I have always respected him for so many reasons and now it has gone beyond that.  For any man to lay it on the line for our sport speaks volumes about his character and his dedication.  I am not saying the rest of the industry has to give it away, but when they are spending those bucks earned off the back of the environment it might serve them, us, and the planet to remember who gave us all this – The fish and the places they live.  God Bless Yvon Chouinard.

Here is the complete story.

Patagonia founder gives away company to help fight climate crisis (yahoo.com)

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

***************

The Carolina Skiff has gone to a new home.  It was a wistful moment as it headed out the driveway.  Other than the Boss and my daughter it is one of the longest consistencies in my life.  It was always there ready to go.  But the gentleman who bought it is the kind of guy who will, and can, fix the small stuff I ignored.  It served my purposes and hopefully the new owner will get years of enjoyment out of it like I did.  I keep telling myself it will be fine as long as the Mako holds together!

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I hate to rag on Texas A&M but after the fiasco Saturday the online sports writers have been giving them hell.  First the yell leaders trashing their opponent for being uneducated hillbillies saying they were unable to even read their own jersey.  At least they executed the game plan, who is the uneducated now.  Nothing like using a bad stereotypes that folks from the mountains do not appreciate, maybe a case of the pot calling the kettle black according to A&M’s reputation outside of Texas.  But the real biggie, remember when they rode Kevin Sumlin out of town on a rail for his record?  Well guess what?  $90 million dollars and their record under Jimbo is exactly the same as Sumlin.  Karma is a biotch and a little reflection is warranted.

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Not sure what is next, but I was compelled to put this out there today.  There are so many folks in this country who have money way beyond their needs, but they never do anything worth a hoot with it.  Easy to talk, hard to do.  It will be back to the fishing, if we have the rain/clouds coming like they say we do those bass are getting a whipping.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

I got the skiff back from the shop and all is good.  Good compression, new plugs, and the only reason it was not circulating water was the seals and impellor had dried out from non-use.  So I did learn one thing from that, if it going to sit you need to seriously run it on the hose at least monthly.

Since it is hooked up think I will head to Keller Bay tomorrow.  It has been a while, a couple of years, and with the poor trout reports out of POC will actually be doing a little red fishing.  Slow rolling the Knockin Tail spinnerbait should do the trick.  The only way to know is go.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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Weather

71/94.  Mostly sunny and very warm with a 10% chance of rain.  Wind NNE 8 – 13mph.

Tides

High   4:27 am 0.86.   Low   11:26 am 0.4.   High   5:33 pm 1.02.

Bite Time

Minor   9:19 am to 10:19 am.  (Only applicable time and it was roughly correct.)

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There were 2 reasons it was Keller time.  The way the reports are coming it seemed the redfish were on the bite.  The second reason was it was my last voyage on the Carolina Skiff.  It is time for it to have a new owner and I wanted to make one more run just to be sure things were working.  Both of the reasons for Keller worked out just fine.

The water temp was 84 with a light northeast wind when I put in at 9:15, trying to just time the tide.  The color back in the bay was almost dirty.  If I was guessing it was fairly fresh to boot.  I have lots of history in Keller and had 2 places I wanted to fish, and both had fish.  The first place is shallow, so shallow that a long cast from the bank is necessary.  Basically fishing dirt, which you can do in the skiff.

A real hoss.  Fell for the 3 1/2″ Nuked Glow Knockin Tail.

With the color thought the Purple Demon was a good choice.  It was on a heavy 1/8th jig head on spinnerbait wire with a gold blade, my go to standard and it turned out to be the right choice.  The water was moving just a little and with the light wind it was easy to fish.  It probably took about an hour to catch the first one.  Then there was a definite flurry, a couple of rats, a flounder, and the 2 below.  Both of them knocked a bunch of slack when they ate, the cool classic spinnerbait bite.  There is plenty of mullet and bait in the back bay, it is about mullet run time.  After that flurry wanted to head across the bay to the other place on the schedule.

They were eating the spinnerbait with a 4″ Purple Demon Knockin Tail trailer.

The wind was just right to fish the next bank which is really a main bay high bank.  When the tide falls it can be a good spot and while I only got one bite it was big fish of the day.  It too was off color with the wind blowing on it.  After fishing about half of it with the spinnerbait time to move out and fish the drop and it was not long before the one above jumped on.  What made it interesting was the little jig on 8lb line made it a real battle.  The picture above does not do this girl justice, she was heavy, and it was all I could do to hold her up for the pic.  After that I wanted to fish my trout place and see if they were there, and they so were not there.  I gave it an hour without a bite and with a slack tide time to quit.  As it was starting to get hot, I called the day a success.

It has been a couple of years since I fished Keller.  Redfish are so easy in some respects.  Once you find them, they are usually easy to catch, and rarely is it just one when the bite is on.  Combine that with they like certain places at certain times, and those places rarely change.  Now ordering some up by size is another story, but in the end for me I could give a rat’s rear end how big or small they are, they are just fun to catch.  And it brought back tons of memories of the skiff.

From South Padre to Key West, Lake of the Ozarks, Bull Shoals, the Arkansas River, Pine Island, Boca Grande, Grand Isle La, Falcon, so many places.  And boy have some big fish come over the side.  Tarpon, stripers, blue cats, reds, trout, bass, snook, crappie, white bass, paddle fish, it is hard to remember them all, but I do.  Each one made a great memory, and the skiff got me there and back every single time.  It is on its third motor, who could guess how many trolling motors and locators.  Every dollar was worth it, great boat.  Like breaking up with a girlfriend.

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Now there are reports that warthogs are spreading throughout Texas.  WTH!  The place we stayed when on safari in Africa was big time fenced with electricity and they could not keep them out.  A real nuisance they could not get rid of.  According to this article TPWD has no say so in the importation of exotic wildlife that game operations import to sell for hunts on private land.  I call BS on TPWD having no say so, if they are hurting native wildlife, it seems ridiculous that they have no dog in that hunt.  But hey, we have a spreading CWD problem so might as well just have warthogs running wild and impacting native wildlife.  Ahh…… Texas.

It would seem if a casual observer like me knows the importation of non-native species has and does not always work out for the best then others smarter than me should know it.  It is time to stop all of it, there is no way to monitor or control what happens, so it does not take a rocket scientist to know it is a bad idea.

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Thanks Guys and Gals

And speaking of TPWD here is a condensed version of the holiday weekend results.  Click on the link for the whole story.

In addition to issuing 305 citations and 433 warnings for various boating safety law violations, wardens arrested three individuals for Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) and filed four other charges for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Additionally, they arrested 22 people for various other charges.

Texas Game Wardens also conducted multiple search and rescues over the holiday weekend and assisted with three reportable boating accidents on Texas lakes and rivers.

They helped one woman back onto her pontoon boat after she had been trying to pull herself out of the water for nearly an hour. Game wardens performed a search and rescue for a five-year-old boy who was found within 10 minutes.

In addition, game wardens recovered a stolen personal watercraft and vehicle reported stolen in April 2020. Game wardens also seized a rifle connected to a deadly conduct and tampering with evidence case in El Paso County.

So, a busy weekend for the wardens but at least nobody died.  Thanks for keeping us safe out there.  Plenty of folks just can’t act right, or at least get their stuff together.  Why I stay in the house and leave it to the rest of the folks during the holidays.  Our holiday weekends are the most dangerous time to be on the water.

News Release: Sept. 9, 2022: Texas Game Wardens Conclude Busy Labor Day Weekend on the Water – TPWD

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Great start to the week.  It will be a couple of days before I am back on the water but that is exactly where I will be.  With hunting season headed to full speed my favorite time on the water is now.  Can’t wait for our temps to drop and fall to come.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Off Topic Comments

We are sending tons of immigrants by bus to sanctuary cities to try to relieve that problem, or at least make a point.  They better look out, New York just might turn it around and help us by sending their homeless to Austin, which cannot even begin to solve their own homeless problem.  When you have a couple of knuckleheads like Abbott and Adams anything is possible.  The world is going insane

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

No real change in conditions other than it is slowly clearing.  It was dead calm at daylight and basically stayed that way all morning.  The water temp was down maybe a degree but basically the lake has remained stable on a very slow rise.  Though I am not a big fan of getting up early a boat ride as the sun starts to come up is always on my happy list.  Makes you appreciate the day, and today did not disappoint.

As long as this keeps happening, I will keep getting up.

I am fishing shallow; it is what I like to do and as long as this keeps happening it is a no brainer.  I am sure there are plenty of other patterns and ways to catch them but when they are eating the buzzbait it is hard to beat.   It is not fast by any means, in fact I only caught 13 this morning, 4 were ok.  Just a steady medium retrieve is doing the trick.

This one came fairly far off the bank.

Other than a good one the other day who smashed it, these are more eating it.  Often barely pulling it under so you had to be on your toes.  It is interesting that they are not right on cover and getting a bite with the buzzbait on wood or bushes themselves is rare.  I think what they are doing up there is actively feeding at daylight, so they are in there chasing bluegill and shad.  Once the sun comes out they flat desert those places.

A buzzbait fish.  A good one swimming the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail in the cover.

I continue to try new places but have not really added any to my current milk run.  Of course, part of the problem is by time I get done with those places and try new spots the bite has seriously slowed down.  And that was the result today.  Before it completely stopped, I wanted to wallow the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail through a couple of shallow places and the one on the right smoked it.  I caught one more on it and missed a couple.  No doubt starting with that at daylight in the good spots would produce.  As it got closer to noon tossed the stick worm and 4″ Honeydew Knockin Tail on a jig head and both caught a small, but it was go home slow at that point.

They really slowed as it completely went flat and the sun came out.  With the water noticeably clearing it makes sense that they would desert the shallows once the sun really comes out.  Just means you have to be up early and gone if you want that good morning bite.  But all in all, a good morning.  Cool to see a couple of baby gators, no wonder I have been seeing one in the same place the last couple of weeks, probably momma.

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I spoke with one of the real young guns who is a great bay and tournament fisherman the other day and it just confirmed what I am constantly hearing, the trout are tough at POC.  In his words: “There is just no trout.” He did confirm the fishing in Baffin is better right now, which we sure found.  One way to tell is the occasional online dead fish picture that has 5 or 6 trout.  Tough when you are proud of 3.  Only time will tell next year if the new limits help.  It is slim pickings right now on the trout but there are plenty of reds.

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And speaking of Baffin looks like Michael and the film crew got enough fish for a good show.  Multiple overs on the reds and one good trout will definitely make the show.  It will probably not be out this year, not sure, but will let you know when it is on.  At this point I am watching the motel where I stay on N. Padre waiting for the rate to get back to reasonable.  Planning on fishing it a lot more than in years past.

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It is great to watch gas prices fall.  But it leaves me with a question:  Why has engine oil not gone down?  It is a little tough to swallow that Opti oil has hit almost $60 a gallon.  Can’t imagine what it is costing folks running the 250 hp and up or the guides who are fishing 20+ days a month.  At least my mechanic has the last of a 50-gallon drum and is still charging $45 when you bring your own jug. Guess that is why Chevron is doing so well on the stock market.

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No real plan going forward so unsure if will fish another day before the weekend.  But I know one thing for sure, the Hogs 11:00 Saturday then the Cowboys Sunday night so football is getting going big time.  And I am 11 days from Colorado, and when I get back it is off to the Chandelier Islands for our annual trip.  Nothing like fall.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

How about this weather in South Texas?  After a long period of drought, we got more rain in a couple of days than all spring.  Though we are still down I just looked at the forecast and it includes rain at least 14 days out.  Not sure how they arrived at that but keep it up.  It may not be the best weather for fishing when it includes lightning, but we need the rain so keep it coming.  And it sure is nice to see all the “green” this time of year when it is usually a dirty summer brown.

And I hope you all had a good weekend in spite of the weather.  Since I worked on this yesterday, they are slowly taking the rain out of the forecast which is fine by me at this point.  I am ready to do some fishing and the cloudy thing with low chance of rain fits the bill.  So let the fall fishing begin.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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It was barely daylight when I made my first cast.  I stuck with the pattern today, and while it was not quite as good as last trip, it was still one good morning.  The bait was definitely not up lake it was last week, and much of what I saw was off the bank.  So I stayed shallow and the bite was on.

The lake has some color to it, at least in the Coleto arm. The water temp came down a couple of degrees and it was dead calm at the ramp.  And the lake is noticeably up.  At least they got the light fixed at the ramp, it has never been that bright.  Now if they would do something about the roads, but I digress.

The last fish of the morning, a real solid.  Many of the fish are skinny right now but this girl has not missed many meals.

There was a real difference in the way they hit the buzzbait, few were aggressive with most just pulling it under.  You had to stay diligent because as soon as you took your eye off it one would hit, and it would be a clean miss.  None of that toilet flushing strikes today.  But they cooperated until the sun came completely out.  So, I switched to the swim jig with a Knockin Tail trailer, and they liked that.

Obviously started with the buzzbait.

I also added in the spoon and Knockin Tail, which produced 3 smalls, but since it did not get fished until after 10:00 by then I wasn’t surprised with the results.  Several did swirl at it in bushes and if I were guessing starting with that first thing would also be productive.  But definitely switch to the swim jig when the sun comes out.  Still using the pumpkin color swim jig with a Greenback Knockin Tail trailer.  Still do not know why if you fish a swim jig you would not want the Knockin Tail, it can only help.

The swim jig finished out the morning.

Later in the morning I headed up the plant arm to fish 2 spots before I quit and it was no bueno.  I tossed the works at them in cover and could not buy a bite.  At 11:30 I called it a morning.  Not sure how many I boated but it was another consistent morning.  There is so much cover in the lake right now.  Time to fish the good spots but keep checking other areas where there is good green cover.  And finding the bait close by sure helps.  But the end result, fish what and how you like but just keep your bait in the water.  The bass and crappie are biting on Coleto.  And I ran into a guy who was tearing up the blue cats up the creek.  If we are lucky the fall bite will keep on rolling.

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Yes you can do this.

Do not get me wrong, I respect Bill Dance.  Thanks to him I discovered the Bang O Lure and it has given me decades of pleasure and results.  But I do have a problem with his labeling on the saltwater show.  He fishes with Peter Deeks who is a guide in Florida, and they just smash the huge trout and snook.  So, I figured even I can do this, so I looked him up as I really wanted to fish with him.  Well not so fast Grasshopper.  You can do this, for $900 a day!  Sorry but $900 a day inshore does not qualify as anyone can do this.  I love fishing but man is the cost of our sport going up.  So not anyone can do this, a growing problem with our sport.

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Huh?

The barn light at the Coleto ramp has been out over a week, which makes it a little sketchy offloading in the dark.  (It was fixed this morning.)  So I let the dude at the gate know and when I was heading out he stopped me and said it is not theirs.  He told me that the light is directly connected to the power company, whoever that is, and they reported it over a week ago.  As a guy at the ramp said at least they raised my rates!

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Remember………..

I have repeatedly comment on the chronic wasting disease issue in captive deer breeding facilities in Texas.  Well guess what?  It has been found at another facility in a county that has had no prior cases.  I do not know what it is going to take but neither you, nor anyone else, can tell me that we are not going to have a big outbreak as a result of the spread from these facilities.  It continues to be a slow steady spread and is a real threat to our wild deer.  You see it so often, and in other states, forgetting that the first and only responsibility is to WILDLIFE!  Captive deer, while great to eat and genetically improved for some folks who want to shoot a giant without the effort, are a threat to the native population and TPWD needs to take extreme measures to protect them.  Study all you want but it is time for real action before it is to late.

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One thing I forgot to mention about our trip to the Laguna was that Michael fished the 3.25 (I should quit calling it a 3 1/2.) Glass Minnow Knockin Tail some and it caught fish, probably the number 1 producer that day.  Of all the colors this is probably the most universal and effective color for fresh or salt no matter the quarry.  If there is a complaint, and think about it, all sizes like it so you have to wade through more smalls.  When was the last time you heard someone complain about catching to many fish?  It really does the job and will put some in the boat when I am in Colorado.

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That is all for today.  The fishing will continue, where and what remains to be seen.  And with Colorado just 2 weeks away I am starting to get excited.  A little fly fishing, some house looking, along with animal chasing it will be the usual big time.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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It seems like folks I know are getting some serious TV time and exposure.  Joshua, owner of Marker 54 that makes the best fake shrimp in the business, announced he has been invited to fish a redfish series that will be broadcast on Discovery Channel.

I have been invited to the Discovery Channel elite series sponsored by frogtoggs. 25 professional anglers from across the country compete in a 4 stop, multi state, redfish tournament series with a live championship. Each event is a 3 day format with top 5 from day 1+2 competing on day 3 for winner take all. This is gonna be fun.

His shrimp products flat work.

Wow!  Congratulations on your selection.  Seeing your magic shrimp smash big reds in the Chandeliers you should be in business.  So good luck.

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And then I get a message from Michael that he will be the “guide” for a kayak fishing film crew that will be shooting out of North Padre and the Upper Laguana using the Knockin Tail.  He will be working with a film maker that shoots some of the fishing shows that fishing nuts like me watch.  He wanted to know if I wanted to head to Padre to do some exploring and mapping in preparation, of course my response was yes.  He cautioned it would not be that big of a “fishing” trip which was also fine be me.

One of the reasons I was excited to go was to get a ride on that 25′ JH Outlaw, and it did not disappoint.   To call it a fishing platform does not do it justice.  Of all the boats I have fished this was the first boat that you could actually fish 4 out of without any problem.  It was nothing short of a beast, rode like a dream, and we were able to get back in some areas that was kayak water.  He wanted to have multiple places to fish with the kayaks, and since he could easily transport a couple and the film crew we were just mapping and checking areas that fit that bill depending on the wind.

Now of course we fished some, and while we only landed one 18+ trout, the 13 – 15″ were on the chew and we probably boated around 15 plus anyway.  We tossed the full complement of Knockin Tails with all sizes catching a fish or two.  Michael threw the 3 1/2″ a bunch and it probably caught the most fish but since we were not keeping or counting who knows.  The point was to quick check each place to see if we could get a few bites, and then to see how to get in and out.  My take on the trout fishing down there was things will be just fine, the number of fish right under the new slot was good and the future looks bright.

I will never make fun of that DOA weedless topwater.

Since we were looking for the most different bites in different places, I decided to throw a bait that I have carried around in my tackle box forever and have never caught a fish on, the DOA  PT-7.  It is that little fat soft topwater that has an embedded hook and you fish it in a walk the dog pattern.  I just threw it for the heck of it, mainly because there was lots of floating grass in some of the places, though I did not have a clue they might hit a topwater in the middle of the day.

PT-7 (doalures.com)

First time I ever really used it and it worked.

The interesting thing was of the 5 or 6 I caught on it most just barely sucked it under.  In fact, with it being a little rough you would just see it disappear, weird.  Several blew up on it but those did not stay hooked up.  I really gained a new appreciation for what it can do.  It has a place in any saltwater angler’s arsenal, and it came through the floating grass like nothing.  (Can you say Port Mansfield?) As a side note it looks like it will be perfect for some freshwater mats.  Once I let them eat it just a second longer like you would do with a frog the hookups went up.

And the other thing I really liked about our day was the mapping card he had in the big Simrad.  Sorry I don’t remember what brand it was; I will get back to you on that but it was the bomb.  The overview closely resembled looking at the area on Goggle Earth.  The end result was we were able to pinpoint the “good” spots and drive right to them.  And getting in and out of shallow areas was a breeze.  It was a game changer in mapping.

So we found several spots with fish, and good places to kayak depending on the wind.  As far as bait we caught on the works, with the 3″ catching the numbers. the 4″ catching the better fish, and I caught a couple slow rolling the 5″.  You will hear this from me for the next few months, I cannot wait for our winter fishing.  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if you get around big trout the 5″ will bring on the THUMP.  It could be scary good and I cannot wait for winter.

Thanks to Michael for the invite.  Any time you want someone to make the trek on short notice just let me know.  Plus, congrats on the sweet ride and the great progress your company is making in the lure industry.  And I love your new idea, it will be a winner.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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It has been several years since I fished the Upper Laguna and this trip added much to my knowledge.  I forgot just how much fun it is, and how big it really is.  I will not ignore it this fall and winter; we are lucky to have a fishing hole like the Baffin area.  Additionally, it has re-invigorated my saltwater fishing desire.  I have neglected it all summer but time to change that.

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Football is back!

Fall is my favorite time of year.  Fishing gets better, folks head to the woods giving the water a rest, and football returns.

A&M – The only thing I knew about Sam Houston State was they were 11 – 1 last year, but they were definitely outgunned by A&M.  Hard to really see how good A&M will be this year but they won, so good start for them.  But it was one of those supposed to win.

HOGS – We looked ok against the 23rd ranked team in the country.  It was a struggle at times, but we held on.  Good start to the season.and KJ looked pretty good at quarterback.  The only area I really noticed was we did not have a pass rush, something that will need to be addressed.

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Looks like the real rain is moving this way.  The forecast is for a week of it with possible flooding in the next 48 hours.  It will probably mess up the outdoor weekend activities but if you do get out be careful.  I will be watching the weather from Tuesday on and will be on the water somewhere.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Sometimes you get up on the right side of the bed and this morning was a perfect example.  When I got to the ramp it was still dark and the conditions were almost perfect.  It is so interesting how real confidence can make a difference when you have a rod in your hand.  The plan was to fish the swim jig and Knockin Tail in the grass, but when it did not feel right I made the right change.

For an hour it was crazy good!  If you like good fish smashing a buzzbait.

Weather

76/93.  More clouds than sun; humid with a 40 55 chance of thunderstorm in spots.  Wind E 8 -17mph.

Lake Level

Tuesday   96.39 msl.   Today   96.41 msl.

Bite Time

Major   5;15 am to 7:15 am.  (Looks like the fish read the forecast.)    Minor   11:59 am to 12:59 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

***************

Starting with the swim jig it just did not feel right.  Not only was there nice green grass with water on it, there was bait, and that turned out to be the real ticket.  So I picked up a white Lunker Lure Buzzbait, the best ever made, and went to work.

The solunar tables got it dead on right.

From barely daylight until around 8:00 they were up and biting.  A couple of important observations:  First you had to put it right on the bank and have it moving.  Of the 9 caught that hour 6 or 7 came in the first couple of cranks.  The one big fish that came way off the bank came out of an isolated bush to smoke it at boatside.  I love catching them this way and that, but when a real one smashes a buzzbait it is still my favorite strike.

The best bite of the morning, 5 feet from my rod tip.  Absolutely smoked it.

But most important this morning, grass with bait.  Reminded me of the bay, if there was grass you might get a bite or two, same with an area that has bait.  But today when you combined them and added a steady rise it was one of those set of conditions that happens, and as long as you recognize it you are in business.

And these 2 made a nice tourney 5 fish limit!

I did hit a couple of my better wood places and only caught a couple of smalls, so I ditched that and stayed with the buzzbait.  As the sun came out the baitfish activity steadily decreased, and the bite was over.  After they quit the big bite, I tossed the silver minnow with a pearl Knockin Tail trailer and managed to catch a small and miss a couple.  It was definitely a case where once the sun came out, they called it a morning.

I woke up before the alarm this morning, there was no question it was going to be good.  The great days are often easy to forecast and this was one of them.  Thank goodness it looks like the fish have decided to come up with the raise, which might turn out to be a really good thing later.  Having seen them do the exact opposite at times it gives me hope when combined with the forecast.  They are talking some crazy shit like possibly 4 – 5 inches of rain this weekend.  If we get that the lake will take a big jump, and as long as they come along with it the fall fishing is shaping up to be as good as it has been in a while.

With the bite slow and the grass needing mowing I called it a morning at 10:00.  I did not want to call it to close and not get it mowed before the big rain this weekend. When it is all said and done it was the kind of morning that makes getting up all those other days’ worth it.

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Though the weather might depress the holiday weekend everybody needs to be careful out there.  Before you head to the water time to check your paperwork, life jackets, fire extinguisher, and flare dates if headed to the bay.  Then take a minute and walk around the trailer and check out your lights and tires.  It only takes 5 minutes to do all of that, it might save you a ticket, or even save your life.  Be the bigger guy at the ramp and on the water, assume other folks do not have a clue, which on any holiday weekend is quite possible.  And if you are not at idle put on the kill switch, it is not only the law, but it might also be the most important piece of safety equipment on the boat.  Last, do not drink if you are driving and responsible for everyone in your boat.  Save it for later.   Have a great weekend with family and friends as most of us mark the end of summer.

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I will be close to the house all weekend as I leave it to the rest if the folks.  It is possible, depending on the weather I might be off to Baffin with a friend to lay some tracks and mark some way points.  Fall is coming and with it some better trout fishing.  I am really looking forward to slow rolling the 5″ Knockin Tail in front of some big trout this winter and the Upper Laguana is the place to get it done.  So, time for all of you to break out the guns and go to shooting stuff.  My favorite time of the year weather fresh or salt is on the way, and it cannot get here soon enough.  So keeps stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines