FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The weather was going to be nice, and it was.  I was really wanting to fish POC today before the hordes descend for the holiday weekend, so I  was up and gone early.  When I got to the ramp it was still dark, and there was 4 or 5 guides putting in plus the usual crowd.  It is going to be a busy weekend and going today was the right choice.

Weather

72/91.  Increasing cloudiness; breezy this afternoon with a 25% chance of rain.  Wind E  12 – 22mph.

Tides

Low 7:58 am   0.83 ft.      High   12:07 pm   1.06 ft.       Low    8:06 pm    0.05 ft.

Bite Times

Major     10:34 am to 12:34 pm.  

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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 a smooth ride all the way to a couple of drains by South Pass.  The sun was just coming up so on went the Wade Right and in the water I went.  The plan was to fish the bone Spook Jr. and the 5″ pearl Knockin Tail.  It was simply an attempt to catch a big trout.  Well I did catch a couple of nice ones, but could not for the life of me get a bite on either the 5″ or the Spook.  The only “action” was a big redfish pushing water behind the 5″ but he did not commit.  The first place was a bust so back to the boat and a short idle to the next drain, and they were there.

A solid 20″+ on the Honeydew Knockin Tail.  CPR and back in she went.  Not sure what it is about the Honeydew but they sure like that color.

So on wade number 2 downsized to the 3.25 Purple lime on 10lb test and 4″ Purple Demon Limetreuse on 12lb test, both rigged on 1/8 ounce KTL heads.  It finally soaked in, the bait was small, barely much over an inch so time to give them the right size bait.  That is what makes the Knockin Tail so effective, 3.25″, 4″, and 5″ covers most of the bases and got it done today.  And a quick word on the KTL jig head.  It is a screw lock and a real swim bait style head and once screwed on the Knockin Tails last an amazingly amount of fish.  The only one I lost today was on a ladyfish.

The water was not really moving but drain #2 had fish in it.  So not sure if it was the drain or just changing baits, but whatever 8 or so jumped on and I kept 2 for supper.  When the bite was on they were thumping it.  They were right in the middle of the drain with scattered shell in about 2″ of water and most smacked it.

A couple of 18″s who made the grade and in the cooler they went.

Nice thing about trout this size is the Boss and I only need 2 but I do have a comment on the new limit.  When I cleaned them one had eggs, the other was spawned out.  Not sure why they set that size limit but I would be a lot more comfortable if I could have kept a couple of smaller ones and let these 2 go, like I did the 20″.  But we can only assume, and hope, TPWD made the size decision based on science.

I hung around there until about 10:00 and the bite went away.  Now that was fine as the plan was to be in Big Bayou at 10:30 to end the day fishing the prime period on my favorite place.  The water color in there sucked, and for the next couple of hours before I quit only 2 trout jumped on, the 20″ and a small.  I gave my favorite redfish bank a go but struck out.  It was so off color in there that as I fished down that bank all of a sudden 10 tails popped up less than 3 feet in front of the boat, I never saw that coming as I drifted right in them.  When I reeled a KTL past them one went to eat and almost ran into the trolling motor.  Not as good as catching them but it was cool.

When I say the better ones eat the Honeydew Knockin Tail I am not kidding.  And several were this size and hopefully the limit will let lots of these guys make it, and not to the grease, this summer.

Even though it was slow once I left South Pass, it was good to be back on the water.  The clearer water was by far better than the off color stuff, but of course that is where the better one was.  But not having to fight the wind going and coming sure was nice.  And one thing I have always liked about wading is when you find some, and get the color and cast down, it is one of the more intimate way to fish.  It is you vs. them in close combat.  So the morning was a big success and gives me hope.   There will be a lot more salt coming, it is fun.

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E15 Gasoline.

Due to the current gas rip off the government has approved E15 gas to be sold at the pump.  Besides being illegal for boating use, it will damage your engine.  So if you are filling up be sure to look at the pump so you do not buy some by mistake.  According to what I read it might be labeled as “regular 88” or “regular unleaded”.  So stick with no ethanol if you can get it or the old E10.

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The White River in northwest Arkansas has historically given up some big trout and it has done so again.  A fisherman from Colorado landed a 25lb+ brown trout on the river, a true bucket list fish.  It was caught in awful weather, snowing and cold, which is no surprise.  In spite of the pressure it is still one of the greatest trout fisheries in this country.

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Some boater in Florida hit a concrete pole and all 7 on board were ejected from the boat with one killed and the rest hurt.  The boat then continued to circle until someone jumped on it and stopped it.  Obviously the operator was an idiot and a fool.  Sorry but no slack. Since the feds mandated kill switch’s to be worn he was not in compliance.  Over the last 50 years I have seen plenty of folks who have no business boating and he is one of them.  Having the money to buy a big fast boat has squat to do with having any business owning it.

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When I took out at about 1:30 the ramp at Froggie’s was headed to holiday weekend nuts.  For the life of me I cannot understand why folks do not get ready then back in and pull out.  But folks just have the uncontrollable urge to get their stuff in order on the ramp, even when it is busy.  Then on the way home there was a parade of boats on the way.  So summer is here and for God’s sake be careful this weekend.  Before you hit the water check trailer lights, paperwork, fire extinguisher, make sure hubs are greased and list goes on and on.  Be the bigger guy and never expect that someone will do the right thing, or even have a clue what that is.  And do not drink and drive the boat or truck, we professional call holidays amateur hour, law enforcement will be out in force.  So stay safe and have a great weekend.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Weather

72/91.  Increasing cloudiness; breezy this afternoon with a 25% chance of rain.  Wind E  12 – 22mph.

Lake Level

Today   96.00 msl.   11 days ago  96.22 msl.  (The lake is falling really  fast.  Nice while it lasted.)

Bite Times

Major     9:08 am to 11:08 am.   (It was slow early.)

It has been 11 days since I fished and I can’t say I missed it.  The wind has blown like crazy, there is no way to guess when it will crank up every day.  And not sure I am as mad at them as I was, it seems with 2 big trips  looming it is hard to get myself up and out.  Even this morning I slept in and it was 7:30 when I got to the lake.  But I did go and even caught a few though “times they are a changing.'”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

The lake has really dropped and with it the cover is slowly ending up high and dry.  The wind was out of the East about 15 mph when I dropped in and the water temp is still in the 84 degree range over most of the lake.  And with those big winds coming out of an easterly direction over the last couple of months some areas have sketchy water color.  First up was up lake.

Talk about a disappointment.

Since I was an hour late I only stayed with the buzzbait for 2 places and did not have a bite which was not really surprising.  Next up was the best stretch of cover that has been holding fish, and that did not produce a bite so time for a real tactic change.  Looking back on the blog once our spring bite is over they usually set up on some wood and it is pitching plastics or the bluegill swim jig with a Honeydew Knockin Tail trailer.  And from that point until  I quit at 1:00 both of them caught fish though most were small.

I won’t bore you with any more.  This is what they all looked like this morning.

The best bite was the tilapia above.  When I pitched the 5″ watermelon stick worm next to a stick the line jumped a mile.  Once I set the hook the battle was on, but once it got next to the boat it was a little disappointing when I saw it was a tilapia.  And I did have a really nice bass jump off on the stick worm when I made the perfect cast to a big stump.  You should not miss those, but I did.

One short stretch of green grass had bass all over it and 5 or 6 jumped on and I missed that many.  The bite this morning was funny, most I never felt the bait would just start moving ever so slow.  And if you set the hook on the bite you either missed them or they came off.  Once I started letting them move it a ways they started hooking up.

On the swim jig one did the complete slack line bite and by time I set the hook it was 5 feet away from where it was.  The rest just got on and I only missed a couple on it.  So by time I quit it was an easy 12+ with pitching the stick worm being the best choice, but I did not bother to count.  There was a couple of bonus smalls swimming the 4″ Pearl Knockin Tail in the last of the cover but that is about to go away.  Not sure what the pattern is but as the water falls and the cover dissapears the shallow ones will be headed to the wood and the deep fish will be on the ledges.  It felt good to have a rod back in my hand and there will be more fishing this week as soon as this storm blows through.

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Glad to see Thursday pot tournament is back on Coleto.  It will be running from 6:00 until decided on.  With a $50 entry and 100% payback it should be a fun time.  Guess I need to rustle up a partner and give them a go when I can.

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One of the reasons I took the week off was the Boss is off 4 days before she starts a long stretch then off to Alaska.  She wanted to go to the beach so we headed to North Padre and the park.  (My underlying reason was to renew my Bird Island Basin boat ramp sticker.  Having a place to stay down there there will be a lot more visits.) When we saw the wind forecast we knew it was going to blow, but nothing like seeing the real thing.  There was a total of 3 trucks left at Bird island, and they all came back within 10 minutes of each other.  There were white caps on top of the white caps.  There were white caps in 2 inches of water.  It was flat howling and we watched the last 3 boats take their pounding as they hit the ramp.  Have I told you I  am sick of that lately?  But the day was redeemed when we stopped for supper at the Irish bar in Fulton.  Nice place.  (While I am typing this the weather dude said it was blowing 23 with gusts over 30.)

And Saturday morning I watched the Bassmaster tournament from Lake Fork, and of course they were smoking them.  The wind was howling, according to them a little less than the 2 days before.  Love that Texas wind.

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After years of work by TPWD the big Texas ShareLunker experiment is about to get the true test.  I give them tons of credit for the program and the intent, now we get to see if it will really pan out.  They have hatched literally millions and millions of great genetics pure ShareLunker strain fry and will be stocking them in lots of Texas lakes.  So here we go.  I may be dead and gone by time the real results of the program come to fruition, or not.  But they have the genes and if Texas fishermen are lucky plenty of truly big bass are in their future.  Hope it works out.

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Michael with My Coast Outdoors and the Knockin Tail was interviewed by Voyage Houston Magazine and here is the article.

http://voyagehouston.com/interview/exploring-life-business-with-michael-okruhlik-of-my-coast-outdoors/

It has been so interesting to be along for the ride, he and his family deserve everything that comes their way.  Starting a completely new business from the ground up, including the product design is no easy feat.  It takes determination and just a little bit of guts to put yourself, and your $$$, out there. It sure helps that Knockin Tail catches everything that swims and I can not wait to throw it in Alaska.  Big fun!

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Lacy sent along this comment on my reference to Clinton getting his butt kicked when he raised car tags.

You have to also give Clinton his due being the youngest ex guv .
The 3 C’s cost him the race.
Cubans, Carter, Car Tags

Funny thing about Bill, he really was a good governor.  And weird as it might seem so was Mike Huckabee.  Talk about both ends of the spectrum.  I keep saying it and will not stop, it has taken BOTH parties for this country to get in this shape and until we start voting out incumbents it will not get any better.  I could give a crap which party it is – it is the person.  Funny how folks who do not know you assume they know your politics.

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I was reading an article and for a moment I thought I was in Texas.  Montana land owners are suing the state because they say there are to many elk.  (Never heard that before!) They want the state to kill them, including the ones on their property, but refuse to allow public hunting on their property.  Reminds me of Texas and wild hogs.  The state pays to eradicate them but landowners continue to restrict hunting on their property  (Or pony up the $$$.) when there are tons of folks who would be happy to help out.  When presented with a reasonable alternative to the problem landowners refuse to cooperate but want taxpayers to foot the bill.  OK, it is your land and I get that, so let whoever you want on it or not, it is your right.  But then do not expect the rest of us to pay for your PRIVATE problem on your PRIVATE property.  I am continually confused why state game and fish departments bow to commercial interests.  Their job is supposed to be protecting native wildlife, not sucking up to private interests.  (But as I have repeatedly said look at who your state commissioners are and where their money comes from and you might get a feel for the problem.)

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It was a really fun weekend watching the girl’s college softball tournament.  The SEC started with 8 or 9 and ended up with 3 left.  And how about the lady Razorback Softball Team!  Won the regional and are set for a best 2 out of 3 Super Regional against those hated Longhorns.  We might not be their rival, but they sure are ours.  So Go Hogs!!  (And the Aggies got their hat handed to them the last game, it was 20 – 0 when I last checked.  Then their coach got fired this morning.)

And speaking of the SEC what got Sabin’s panties in such a wad?  Could it be that the Aggies had the number 1 recruiting class?  Maybe.  Then Jimbo got his panties in a wad and it was a pissing match.  (There is a bit of truth in what they both said.)  Of course they all cheat in one form or another, what is new.  With the new rules the face of college athletics is changed forever, and not for the better.

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I should just probably stop watching the weather as it just depresses me.  But tomorrow’s is a slightly different story.  Now the high winds will remain for the next few days but they are saying heavy morning rain with thunderstorms tomorrow, I sure hope they are right.  We got very little the other night and we sure need it.  After that who knows but it will involve a rod in my hands.  So keeps stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good  Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

I am going to take the week off, give or take a day.  There is a thing or two that I will be working on this week that have been ignored long enough.  Real life never stops intruding.  Looking at the long term forecast things just might be finally headed towards a more summer time pattern early next week.  It seems every day the wind comes up leaving me headed to the ramp before I normally would.  Hard to spend the money for 4 or 5 hours.

And one way to tell that fishing has slowed some was our trip to Bubba’s last week so I could pig out on the boil.  From the time we left the house around 4:00, ate, then went home the long way around at 6:00, we saw NO boats coming or going.  A rare occurrence when you can make that drive at that time and not see a boat.  Probably the wind blowing like a banshee had something to do with that.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

It sure was ugly back at the gas pumps, which is depressing for so many folks.  I only needed a little over a half a tank and it ended up costing over $50!  As the cost of fishing continues to increase folks, me included, will just respond by going less often but try to take advantage by staying longer.  Part of the cost of the blog is the cost of the fishing, and when you fish 125 days a year it is not cheap.  With a one-man operation someone has to pay for the fishing, and that would be me.  So it will be a little break as I re-evaluate where the blog is headed.

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But it is not like there is no fishing coming, in fact there is a bunch on the way.  It is only a little over 20 days before we head out on a 2 week bucket list trip to Alaska.  The piles of “stuff” are starting to grow.  It is going to be a little tougher pack with a 30lb restriction on the float plane.  Can’t wait to see how the Boss handles that one.  We will have a chance to do laundry once so at least packing for half the time helps with that.  Additionally not having to pack any fishing gear (Of course there will be a small box of Knockin Tails, can’t wait to add some trout and salmon to that list!) as everything including waders and baits is provided will be nice.  Never fished anywhere I did not have to bring stuff.

Then July it will be off to the Everglades and I am doing the research right now on trying to add a peacock and a clown knifefish to the list.  They are one cool looking fish, and though they are basically nocturnal there is a lake a couple of hours away from where I am staying that has them.  If it works out will spend a day doing that, though it has a trade off, losing a day in the Everglades.  Tough choice that I am lucky to get to make.

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There are plenty of differences in living in Arkansas and Texas, they both have their good and bad.  But the big one, property taxes.  Victoria County has gone insane and people are bitching big time.  Some folks have gotten increases of over $10,000 and up, and unfortunately some people are even threatened with having to sell as they can not afford the tax.  When the Boss retires and we hit the road we will actually get about a 75% monthly break on the same value house based on what we are looking at.

Of course I have a couple of comments and a little story.  Arkansas had a rule that property could only be re-assessed every 10 years.  And guess what, someone actually at least did a freaking drive-by.  In Texas it is done at a desk with not a clue as to the condition of the property, and is then combined with some voodoo to arrive at a magical number.  According to the research property taxes in Texas have gone up $20 billion over a decade.

So now the story.  When Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas he raised the driver license fee to something like $25.  It was not much, but instead of just bitching and moaning the voters got together and voted him out.  End of story.  A lesson he learned as he never lost another election which got him to the White House.  It seems in Texas this insane property tax is nobodies fault, well I call bullshit.  Trust me, if the voters would rise up and vote out all incumbents no matter their party affiliation things would change.  It is a simple as that, but obviously folks like whining and moaning better than taking action.  If we keep doing what we are doing we will keep getting what we are getting.  Thats the way it works

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Not much else on my mind today.  Just have to see how long this break lasts but it will depend on how much progress I make on my projects.  If you get a chance to go fishing hope you catch a few and have a great day.  And it won’t be long before I am back on the water.  So keeps stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

I was not really planning on going but decided to fish today and then take the weekend off.   Probably spend it hoping the wind dies, we do not have any big fires here in Texas, and gas prices fall..  It is awfully dry here and it would not take much.  And to the fat chick at the stoplight this morning who cracked her window and tossed a butt – Are you freakin nuts!  Crazy world we live in.

Weather

Windy, hot, humid, sunny and did I say windy?  And it did not dissapoint!

Lake Level

Tuesday   96.30 msl.   Today   96.22 msl.  (The lake is falling fast and we are losing our cover.  Nice while it lasted.)

Bite Times

Major   10:31 am until  12:31 am.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

I got to the lake before the dude got there so had a 10 minute wait.  It was cracking daylight, at the ramp it was dead calm, and it stayed that way until exactly 9:30 when it started to blow.  The lake is really falling and we are about to lose all the good cover.  The spawn is probably over except for a few stragglers, and with it falling like this they are on their way out.  But there are still a few left to catch shallow, and it was fun doing it.

Throw the 4″ Pearl Knockin Tail over the right bush and hold on.

Of course started with the buzzbait and got plenty of bites.  Unfortunately they were all small and not even sure a good one ever took a pass at it this morning.  After 3 places with only small fish it was time for a change.  I had downsized to the 4″ from the 5″ to more match what they are eating.  Still using it on a 1/4 ounce swim bait hook and 15lb line.  I headed to a great patch of cover, one of the few left as the lakes falls, and had the best bite of the morning.  By using the swim bait hook and then skin hooking the hook it is possible to wallow it through cover and the bite is usually an adventure.  The one above smashed it as it came over a bunch of trash.

Should have been throwing it earlier.

From that point on until quitting at 12:00 I just alternated between swimming the 4″ Pearl Knockin Tail and the swim jig.  As the fish start pulling out the swim jig should came on, but I only caught 2 on it.  But most of the time it was the swimming the 4″ Pearl through cover, which kept it interesting most of the morning.  From blasting it to barely touching it, each bite was different but almost all came next to something.

And one on the swim jig with a 4″ Honeydew Knockin Tail trailer.

This fish came off my “swim jig” bank.  Usually post spawn they move to it, it has deep wood, and they rest up.  She was right where it was supposed to be and will be pitching it with the 5″ watermelon stick worm soon.  I did catch one small on it, but only threw it at a couple of places.  It was hard to put down the Knockin Tail, my kind of bite.

The first one of 9 smalls on buzzbait.  Another keeper on the Pearl Knockin Tail.

If you note the guts on these girls they are all post spawn.  So the fishing is rapidly changing as we head toward the summer pattern.  For you ledge guys they should be starting to gang up some.  Lots of folks were out today, plenty of crappie fishermen and they are still catching.  Funny how they all fish several of the same spots, one of those first up will catch them. But the highlight of the morning was the 2 best ones smoking the Pearl Knockin Tail.  I would have definitely boated a few more better fish if I had started with that and stuck with it.  While this will probably be the end of the real shallow bite but it sure was fun while it lasted,

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First up was this morning was the gas station.  The boat was needing a drink, but acted more like a juice freak at an open bar.  It had been 5 trips to the lake since I filled up so I was real interested in not how much I used, but how much it costs.  The punch line:  21 gallons = $83.00.  And since I just put $50 in the truck looks like it is costing about $27.00 to go to the lake a trip.  It is up about 100% and you can feel it when you put that much in the tanks.  Not sure what can be done about it but I do know this fact:  “There were record profits for the first three months of this year.  Profits for Exxon Mobil, Shell and more also rose by billions despite significant costs of exiting operations and/or investments in Russia amid war in Ukraine.”   I am pretty sure it was Shell who had the all time record profit for one quarter.  Hope this is not the new normal.  (Funny how as I typing this I have the financial channel on and they are discussing oil.  And one petroleum expert says high prices from the oil companies is “because they can.”

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The last month has really been a good run, but I am starting to get bored.  Next week it will be at least on day on the bay wind or not.  It won’t be long before POC gets real busy so want to spend a few days working on some Knockin Tail stuff.  It has really saved my spring on the bass and it is time to work over the trout and reds.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

I got up this morning (Thursday.) before daylight and turned on the radar.  There was rain and high winds coming our way.  We got the wind as the front blew through but only a sprinkle.  In fact, on only one side of the truck had drops on it.  So called it a no fish day but will be heading out tomorrow to give it a go.  I hate getting up but with the way the fishing has been it sure makes it easier.  Good practice for when the bay takes the forefront.

Weather

74/96.  Partly sunny with the temperature near the record of 98 with a 1% chance of rain.  Wind SSE  8 – 27 mph.

Lake Level

 Wednesday   96.36 msl.    Today   96.36 msl.

Bite Times

Major  5:47 am to 7:47 am.    Minor 10:56 am to 11:56 am.   (Catch some of both today.)

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

It was absolutely perfect when I dropped the boat in at 6:30.  Heavy cloud cover, light wind, it just looked to good.  The lake seemed to stabilize some and the water temp has remained 80 – 83 degrees and the color varies.  With it supposed to clear off at some point and get really hot it was straight to the good spots.  Turned out to be a good plan.

Words can never do the bite justice when one this size smashes it!   Great start to the morning.

From daylight until around 10:00 I stuck with the buzzbait.  Everywhere I went, which were all sweet spots I have been catching them and they bit.  From little tiny to the one above the bite was on.  And as it has been and will until this size heads deep, she smoked it halfway back.  But others barely pulled it under, some jumped it as soon as it hit the water.  Do not take your eyes off it or you will regret it.

Another nice one on the buzzbait.  One of 4 on spinnerbait, she smoked it.

It is hard to throw other stuff when this size is cooperating.  But when the sun came out things changed.  So I switched to the 5″ Smoke Shad Knockin Tail and headed to the shallow cove I caught them in yesterday.  With plenty of cover I tossed it all the way to the bank and ended up catching 3 and missing at least that many, all about the size below.  I did have a big one roll on it but she did not like the boat.

All the Knockin Tail fish looked like this.  Here is the buzzbait, they sure like it.

With the clouds gone they slowed way down.  As it approached noon they would bump the Knockin Tail but just did not have their heart in it.  I am sure if you fished it first thing that would not be the case.  But as long as a big fish jumps the buzzbait every day I will keep feeding it to them.  I have been using the one above this whole stretch.  They finally ate the skirt off so I put it on the tying table and gave it a new look, which they seemed to like fairly well.

The real point is the fish are shallow and biting.  They can be caught on about anything right now, it is simply a matter of getting up early and choosing the right place.  Rare I actually “pattern” fish but that is exactly what is going on.  Not sure how many I caught today but it was enough.  The weather has cooperated the last month, and but this wind pattern will end.  But until then I plan on wearing these bass out.  Best it has been in a while.

When I got to the ramp I ran into Johnny who tournament fishes and he had a good morning.  He is fishing plastics and had a picture of the 6lb.6 ounce fish he caught. The plastic he is using is the same thing SA Joe used on his trip 2 weeks ago.  There are plenty of ways to skin the cat right now, so fish what you like, and what you are good ate, you will catch some.

And last the wildlife was on the move.  Saw the eagle, an osprey, a strutting turkey, deer, and a couple of hogs.  The gators were out and saw a big snake last trip.  The fish were biting and the wildlife was moving, it all works together.  Made for a great day to be alive.

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It looks like Avian Flu has been detected in a Texas wild owl.  The first case detected was in a commercial pheasant flock in Texas.  Sorry TPWD but you are falling down in your responsibility to wildlife – NOT commercial wildlife.  Both the Avian Flu and Chronic Wasting Disease apparently came to the state though commercial wildlife interests.  If that is the case I do not understand how these operators are not being shut down immediately until given an all clean.  For some reason, or should I say usually, TPWD bows to commercial interests.  (Remember the “Here is our ShareLunker fish for free” to a guy who charges over $3k to fish in his ponds.)  Why in the world would they allow ANY commercial interest to threaten the animals they are tasked with protecting?  It makes no sense.

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And speaking of outdoor projects Coleto has a few, and they are in disrepair.  Wood duck houses were put on the shoreline several years ago and now they are falling down.  They have not been repaired or taken care of since they were put in and now are nothing more than a trashy eyesore.  Another problem I recognized immediately, some of the pens for re-introducing the vegetation were put way to close to the shoreline, and some are now high and dry as the lake level goes down.  Guess no one is monitoring that.  Both projects were a good thing, but when they are not being monitored this is the result.

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And congratulations to the State of Texas for averting a veritable holocaust.   The state might have been overrun with oil wrestling, pot smoking, female Zombies from California who were making their way to a local bar to start murdering and dismembering the patrons.  They were carrying the evil weed  (Legal in California.) with them but their plans were stopped in their tracks making the state safe for all.  We are so fortunate that we were able to stop these Zombies from doing their dirty deeds in a bucket of oil for a bunch of drunk Texas guys.  I feel safer

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The Boss has some time off so not sure what will happen next.  Actually trying to get myself motivated to make a quick trip to Colorado.  There is a house we like and when you find something like that it goes fast.  So while not ready to move yet the search goes on.  Hope you all have a great weekend.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines 

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The wind was already blowing when I dropped the boat in.  The lake did not drop much yesterday but our cover is slowly disappearing.  The water temp was in the low 80’s over the whole lake and color is totally wind dependent.  In other words, if it faces the SE the wind has been pounding on it for days, but the color did not seem to make any difference.  But the point, it was blowing like crazy as the morning wore on until it ran me off at noon.

Weather

78/90.  Breezy and warm with times of clouds and sun and a 3% chance of rain.  Wind SSE  16 – 41 mph.  (You must be kidding me!)

Lake Level

 Yesterday   96.36 msl.    Today   96.39 msl.

Bite Times

Minor 9;15 am to 10:15 am.   (It was spot on today.)

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

This girl came out of the water and smashed it!  Man I love buzzbait.

The Boss wanted some fish for supper tonight so instead of working my way up lake I headed right for the “good” spot.  2 bass, 14″ is plenty for us, and it should have been no problem and it turned out to be no big deal.  But early it was all small bass and I was getting worried until the one above smoked it and from then on it was game on.  The last month these are the bites I live for.  When a big bass really decides to commit it is a thing of beauty.

They were plowing it this morning.

The wind limited the places you could fish so I concentrated on moderately sloping banks with cover.  About half the bites came right on the bank but the 2 biggest fish came halfway back, which is always a stunning bite.  It can be tough at times fishing it all the way out, but I even had one come out of a bush right next to the boat, and the 2 biggest fish were way off the bank. And it was funny how this morning early it was all small and then around the prime time the good fish showed up.

Can you see my happy face?  The bite is on.

I fished a small flat cove which might have 4 foot of water in it, maybe.  It should not have been that great a place since the lake dropped but they were there, they were shallow, and super aggressive.  4 or 5 jumped on and all of them smoked it.  The wind was blowing in lightly and there were a couple of white birds in there, never a bad thing.   But the wind was not helpful today, where it was really blowing they would not hit the buzzbait.  I gave a couple of the windy places a go with the spinnerbait, and while I managed to catch 2 smalls, it was so rough it was not worth the effort.

Around noon I finally called it a day.  The bite definitely slowed down when the sun came out, and the wind blowing 30mph+ did not help, but it was another great morning.  Not sure how long this bite will last but I am going to take advantage of it until they are done.  And it is definitely time to start pitching to wood, if the wind will quit some.  But as long as it is cloudy they will bite, probably all day.  It has been a while since the lake fished this good and it has been great since the big girls showed back up after a slow year.

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I got a great crappie report and all you have to do is look in the trash can at the cleaning table to confirm that.  The guys who just left when I went to clean my 2 fish had a pretty good mess.  And then when I cleaned mine one of them had a small crappie in its belly.  Coleto has lots of nice crappie so get a few minnows and you are in business.

There was only one truck left at the ramp when I took out.  I might have seen on more boat but the wind clearly kept the crowd down.  I can imagine the effect this wind is having on bay fishermen.  It was tough today and I want no part of that on the bay.  As a side note sure wish it would calm down just a little more, it could get real “froggie”.

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Not sure about tomorrow.  The weather looks a little sketchy but if there is any way to go without being killed I will give it another go.  The forecast is for thunderstorms in the afternoon so it will be up early and see from there.  But whether I go or not I am thankful that the fishing has been so good and until they decided to take a break I will keep after them.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The only reason I am going fishing in the morning (Monday.) is because that is what I do.  But it is hard to deal with the forecast, come on you can’t mean 46 mph?  This is starting to get ridiculous, and the forecast for the rest of the week is in this range.  Not too many years I have been in Texas have I wished for summer, but if that will make the wind quit bring it on.   Of course you can catch fish, but it so often turns into a grind.  So after that bit of whining cannot wait to hit the lake in the morning.

So I get up early and it is raining and blowing with thunder and lightning.  Looking at the radar it will be out of here a little later.  It means it will clear off and might just mess up the bite, it is an early bite for the good fish.  So I called it off for Monday and will give it a go on Tuesday morning.

Weather

76/89.  Warm with times of clouds and sun and a 25% chance of rain.  Wind SSE  14 – 32 mph.  (That 30mph just won’t go away!)

Lake Level

 Today   96.36 msl.    5 Days Ago,  96.38 msl.  (The decline continues.)

Bite Times

Minor 8:30 am to 9:30 am.   (The major is late afternoon.)

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

Just in Time.

It was just cracking daylight when I made my first cast on one of my favorite big bass spots.  And I got a bite, and missed.  It happened several more times and I finally managed to hook up.  No wonder I was having trouble getting the hook in them.  So I moved on.

I could not figure out what was missing me.

The wind was blowing but not insane, and from that point on the bite was on.  It only took about an hour to figure out they definitely wanted the buzzbait.  I am throwing a smaller 1/4 ounce with a ‘white/chartreuse skirt.  They wanted it at a moderate speed and several hit it off the bank.  And today they wanted just a touch of wind, but it was not mandatory.  It was one of those days when they were on the chew and waiting until today paid off big time.

The kind of bite I live for.  She creamed it!

Can you say points?  Add some cover and a little wind and they were there.  This one absolutely killed it by flushing it in a huge boil.  That was a theme today, half of them just pulled it under, but the better ones blasted it.  Right after I caught the one above the Boss called and so I had the phone between my cheek and ear and of course got another big bite.  Unfortunately that one made an escape.  I lost several today, which comes with the territory at times.

One on the 5″ Smoke Shad Knockin Tail.  And one on the spinnerbait.

With the wind the way it was and the fish cooperating on the buzzbait it was about the only thing I fished.  No reason to look a gift fish in the mouth.  But I did get the one on the left next to a big stick up off the bank on the Knockin Tail.  That has been a pattern since the bite started in January and is worth a throw with the KTL whenever you come to one.  The other one came on a spinnerbait on a real windy bank.  And like many of the buzzbait bites it came way off the bank which was cool as I saw it coming.

A nice average size today.  They just kept eating the buzzbait.

But as you can see there was no reason to throw anything else.  Coleto has always been a good buzzbait lake.  When you get the kind of weather we have had lately it is a no brainer with a spinnerbait and buzzbait.  If we could only get this cloudy weather with a dead calm day it would be a Bang O Lure beatdown.  And on that note I did throw a Zara Spook on one bank and missed a couple, but I just kept coming back to the buzzbait.  It is catching them and I will keep feeding it to them until they change their mind.

One thing I have noticed on the lake this year is there is a big increase in folks fishing with bay boats.  The lake has been a savior when the wind is blowing and the bay would be nothing but a hassle.  This is the best bite the lake has had in several years and bodes well for the future.  This day was definitely an A.  It was a constant bite with the occasional flurry.  They are still on the flatter stuff with points being the prime location.  I basically put the trolling motor down and cover the sweet spot on most places.  Can’t wait to go again.

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Monday turned into getting the truck serviced in anticipation of the Florida and Everglades trip.  And on that front really good news, as far as the wallet is concerned, a comped place to stay for the week!  The Boss has a connection who has lived there for years and has a cabin I can use for the week.  What a score.  And with a discount on hotels in Orlando for ICAST this is shaping up as a cheaper than normal trip.  Of course that might just offset the cost of gas for the tow.  One thing definitely on the list is fishing the canals a day on the east coast.  It is not all that far from the glades and I hope to knock off two bucket list fish, the peacock and the clownfish.  Add that to several days in glades on my own and a guide trip with Michael this is looking like one good trip.

And speaking of trips the countdown is on for Alaska.  It is hard to not to get too excited this early because it is definitely a bucket list trip and now barely a month away.  We will be weighing stuff to be sure we are good to get on the seaplane for the bear chasing part of the trip.  Good thing camera weight is not considered because definitely taking a quality backup.  Salmon, trout, halibut, and anything else that decides to get on, a real chance to add multiple species to the caught list.  Fishing has always been in the doing for me, and while maybe the quality of travel has gone up, the desire to catch different fish in different places has always been the goal.  From the first time I put the canoe on top of the Gremlin in the early 70’s and drove all night to the Boundry Waters, to the next trip, it is always the same.  Put on your big boy pants and make it happen.

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Deja Vu all over again

Funny how that works.  Last week the dude acted a fool cutting a couple of us off and got busted and dang if it did not happen again.  I was following 2 Mustangs for miles coming back from Wimberly when a white SUV cut me off at the end of a passing lane.  Guess in a big hurry but a perfect example of aggressive highway behavior.  Then as we came into the next town a trooper was pulling them over.  Karma can be a biotch and that was the second time in a week that has happened.  Weird.

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So that will do it  for today.  I will definitely be back on the water, it is just down to a wind decision.  Take tomorrow as an example it is forecast to blow up to 41mph.  That is just a little out of my comfort zone as far as the bay goes.  But it won’t be long, it can’t blow forever, can it?  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Hit it early!

Weather

87/79.  Partial sunshine; breezy this afternoon with a 5% chance of rain.  Wind   SE 14 – 30 mph.

Lake Level

Today   96.38 msl.   Last Wednesday   96.55 msl.   (It is dropping fast.  We need rain.)

Bite Times

Major   11:52 am to 1:52 pm.   (And there was a little flurry then.)

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

it was dead calm at daylight, the water temp was 79 over most of the lake, and there are spots where the color is not to hot.  But it is buzzbait time, and boy were they on it.  The fish are starting to move out from the back of the coves and off the beds.  The small ones are hungry and beat up, but they sure were willing.

There are tons of this size and they were aggressive. 

It was funny bite early with them softly pulling it under, but before the sun came over the horizon they started smashing it.  And I had my chance.  I went to turn the boat around and go the other way after a little point and of course I made a cast and the big one smoked it and I was so out of position that I lost her.  A couple of things on the buzzbait bite:  Never look away and do not give up on it until it is close to the boat.  You just never know.

The just kept smoking it until the sun got full out.  

Plenty of this size but after losing the big one I did not have another big bite.

I am using a 1/4 ounce chartreuse and white skirt buzzzbait reeling it with a moderate retrieve.  We are slowly losing our cover but if there is some on a point and going in to a cove you would get bit.  Not sure there was even one bite back in a cove.  The majority are done spawning and feeding up.  This should continue for a while, and as long as you get out early there is a chance to smack a big girl.

Of course, as the morning went on the wind came up.  I switched tactics and went with the spinnerbait and only managed one small so time for the 5″ Knockin Tail in the Smoke Shad.  It took me a little to find the pattern.  For some reason they were not on the windy banks, which makes little sense, but as we all know fish do what they want when they want, end of story.  But I stuck with it and ended up boating 8 on the KTL in the last hour I fished.

One on the 5″ Dinero Knockin Tail.

 After having no success in the wind I switched tactics and headed to a main lake bank that had little wind but stumps, and they were there.  Over the next hour see a stump, catch a fish.  While nothing to big, there is a pattern there, and it might be better for the bigger fish early.

A couple on the 5″ Smoke Shad.

They wanted it just out of sight, the closer to the stump the more likely the bite.  I am using a 3/16th swim bait screw lock hook, and if you mount it right the hook is just out of the body.  Since the fish were on banks with no real trash the hook can stay out, but if there is still some stuff I skin hook it.  It was funny today in that when they started hitting the 5″ KTL they were just bumping it, and of all things when it got to the prime period they were eating it.  When I finally lost the Smoke Shad there was another rod already rigged with the Dinero color which they seemed to like it just fine.  Location. location, location.  I have never been a swim bait guy but I am learning.  And all I have to say if you have not added the 5″ Knockin Tail to your arsenal you are missing out.  It flat catches fish.

The days grade is a B, and if I had boated the big girl it would have been an A.  For the next month they will be feeding up to recover from the spawn.  Lots of them are beat up, amazing how they get injured like they do during the spawn.  The only complicating factor is the water is dropping fast and much of the good cover is out of the water, and much of it I fished today was not the ticket.  But no complaints today, anytime you can boat 25 in a morning it is a good day.  And when combined with yesterday on the bay it has been a good couple of days.

Not sure what is next.  Looking at the forecast into next week it is kind of disheartening to see the wind is forecast to blow over 30 mph every day.  Can you say sick of it?  But all is not lost as the next real trip is only 6 weeks away.  We are headed to Alaska for 20 days on a bucket list trip.  King salmon, rainbows, float plane, halibut, chasing brown bears with biologists, and more.  This trip has it all and I am starting to get excited.  And then if it works out I will be working ICAST with Michael in Orlando, then off to the Everglades.  This will be the last big tow to south Florida.  I have made that trip many times and it invokes visions of jumping snook and tarpon.  Trust me they will eat the 5″ up!  Looks like it will be a great summer all the way around.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines 

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Ouch!  In anticipation of heading to POC in the morning I decided to gas the boat and pick up a gallon of oil.  First up, $80 to fill the boat, then $42 for a gallon of oil.  Add the cost of driving down there and it is not a cheap trip.  It will be interesting/sad/instructive to see how the cost of boating affects things.  When you combine that with the reduced trout limit who knows how that will all work together.  In the end the wind will quit and folks will fish, it is what people on the coast do.  I am a perfect example of someone who just does not like fighting the wind.  But I finally cannot take not going to the bay because of the wind, it looks like tomorrow will be something I can live with.  Plus I have several things I want to try tomorrow so can’t wait to see how it comes out.

Weather

71/79.  Delightful with intervals of clouds and sunshine with a 13% chance of rain.  Wind  ESE 14 – 24 mph.

Tides

Low 8:14 am.  0.45 ft.   High  2:16 pm.  0.85 ft.

Bite Times

Major  11:09 am to 1:09 pm   (Only relevant time.)

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

Heading our from Froggies the first thing I noticed was the water color sucked.  And most of the places I fished it was not all that hot.  But the real issue, the wind.  The plan was to boat fish today so first up was my favorite topwater bank and a keeper red jumped on the 2cnd or 3rd cast.  But the problem turned out to be the wind, which unfortunately was blowing on all my old favorites so it was put on the big boy pants and fish.

Could not get the whole fish in there.  She smoked it!

It was real apparent in about a half hour that topwater was not happening.  So next up was trout fishing with the 4″ Purple Demon Limetreuse Knockin Tail on a 1/8th ounce jig head.  With the wind it was tough to keep in contact.  It did produce a small flounder, and 5 trout with only the trout below any account.  I will admit it took me a little to start getting the hook in them.  It is just a thing when you have a high cross wind.  There were basically just there without a “real” bite.

A bonus flounder slow rolling the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail.

Then I made a good decision, head to the Oil Cut, one of the few places you can kind of get a break from the wind.  One of the things I wanted to work on today was getting the hang of slow rolling the 5″ Pearl Knockin Tail in the salt.  No doubt it would catch fish and it did.  I put it on a 3/16th ounce 4/0 swim bait hook and fished it on a steady retrieve.  The bites I did get smoked it, and it was cool to see the biggest red eat.  One of those “Did I just see that?” bites.  And in the same area a really nice trout rolled on it next to the boat but did not eat.  Keep fishing the 5″ and it will happen.

I watched this one eat it.

The best bites were when the water was out and just starting to come up and the reds were cruising the bank.  I can only guess the hurt I would have put them today without the wind, it was way tough to see them.  I missed several of course, including one that knocked a foot of slack in it.  Without the bow in my line that one is in the boat.  But at least I was getting bit and they were good fish.  It has been several months since I fished the bay so I am happy with the results,  but I won’t be returning until the wind starts quieting down.  If it is not fun I will pass.  The days I have to work my ass off to catch them is over.

The first red came on the Spook Jr.  The best of the 5 trout that fell to the 4″ Purple Demon Limetreuse Knockin Tail.

It was definitely a struggle today and I would not exactly call it fun, it was definitely a grind.  And the one thing I really wanted to try, more on that later, just was not happening.  But the more I fish the 5″ Knockin Tails the more fun it is.  It definitely catches a little bigger fish no matter the species or the water.  The 5″ Knockin Tail is going to catch some big trout on the wade, as soon as we get out of this big wind weather pattern it is going to get a serious work out.

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KARMA

One thing about heading to POC before daylight is you get to travel with the plant traffic.  You see all kinds of nonsense, the best I can tell some folks must be late.  Courtesy is not happening and it is more like a NASCAR race.  But this morning karma reared its ugly head and it was a thing of beauty.  I was following a guy with a trailer and as we got ready to exit on to the highway Mr. hot car blew by me and squeezed between us.  As the truck in front of me got on the highway Mr. hot car stomped it and pulled in front of an oncoming SUV.  Bad move as the officer lit up Mr. hot car.  Could not have happened to a more deserving dude.

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I don’t mean to whine, it was a good day.  A couple of the reds were good fish and fought like only reds can.  And the trout were just one the “wrong windy” bank or it would have gotten re-fished.   Add a couple of flounder and you have a slam.  Next up will be the lake, the wind is forecast to blow 15 – 30mph and there is no way I am fighting that on the bay.  As soon as the top number gets to 20 or less I intend to get after the bay before everyone and their brother gets here for the summer fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Since Michael started a Knockin Tail Lures Group group on Facebook it has grown leaps and bounds.  What I like about it is seeing folks with their catch as the Knockin Tails spread around the country.  We have seen everything from muskie to snook to reds.  It is a real testament to the bait and the fish that are being caught. I always rag on one trick pony fishermen, well one thing we can say about the Knockin Tail, it is not a one trick pony.  So if you are on Facebook look it up and see what folks are catching.

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This has been the craziest no rain weather we have had in a while and it sucks.  We so need rain and as I have watched the radar for the last 2 days it seems whenever it gets close to town it just misses us.  Last night it finally poured, for a little bit, and then it was gone.  Meanwhile everywhere close seems to have gotten some rain.  Then this morning, and right now as I watch, the radar has rain all to the north and west of us, but it just dies out when it gets to Victoria.  And to make things even better there is a small craft warning on the coast.  Crazy spring so far.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending most of the day at the cardiologists.  No clue I was getting the full 100,000 mile check up.  The whole thing was prompted by an occasional missed beat.  So over the last week I have been prodded and probed and low and behold there is nothing wrong with me.  Maybe to much caffeine, sorry that is not under discussion.  At 68 no meds, no problems, I can live with that.  When the cardiologist called the Boss she accused me of putting him up to it.  Enough of that, suffice to say I will be on the water in the morning.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

TPWD raided a San Antonio restaurant and found 381 whole shark fins and another 29.2 pounds frozen.  This is particularly egregious as they know good and dang well it is illegal.  Time for the judicial system to keep up their end of the bargain.  The restaurant knows it is illegal and know who they got them from.  All methods to hold everyone accountable should be used.  Close the restaurant and pursue the suppliers and then prosecute the whole lot of them.  Time to end simple fines for this behavior.  This is intentional conduct and should be prosecuted as such.  I am so sick of TPWD giving tickets to folks who have a short fish, or maybe forgot to renew their fishing license and then serial commercial interests continue to get off with a slap on the hand.  (This has nothing to do with our wardens, they are doing their best to protect the resource and I applaud them.  They did their part now the system needs to do theirs.)  But it is indicative of the leadership at TPWD.  We have got this all wrong, commercial interests should be held to a higher standard, from fishing guides to deer breeders to oystermen. The resource belongs to all of us, and as a society we have been kind enough to let them use it to make money, with that should come a higher standard of behavior.  Break the law, face losing your profession.  Simple.

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Ed sent me this comment.

Congratulations on the posting. And doing something that you love and have the ability to share with others is phenomenal. I find myself checking my email to see if you have posted and where and what the fish are biting. Keep up the great work and I’ll continue to keep checking my email.

I am constantly humbled by this type of comment.  It really has sustained me over the years when I get tired of writing, or that it seems readers get tired of it.  So, I soldier on.  I am, and always will be a fisherman through thick and thin until the day I die.

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Then a similar comment from Windfred.

Keep posting and we will keep reading. Enjoy the insight and real reports you print

What I particularly appreciate about your kind comment is “real reports”.  That is, was, and will always be the plan.  Plenty of online bragging reports but in the end do they share any information?  Tell you how and where they did it?  You just do not see too much of that.  I try to include enough information that a person can actually catch a few, about all I can do without taking you there and telling you where to cast.  And the other part of “real report” is  how often do you see reports where the guy admits he did not catch squat?  Comes with the territory when you have a blog.  I try to keep it real.  Good to hear from you.

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And I got a thing or two from SA Joe.

I talked to a guy in a nice shiny new looking skeeter as he was leaving the lot, must be staying in the campground. He caught a 7lb bass on Tue…

That is the way it has been and why I say it could take 2olbs to win on Coleto Saturday and if big bass was 9lbs I would not be shocked.

He sent along a picture of one of the good ones he was catching.  If you look real close the answer is right there.

After he left the lake he dropped me a note saying he had a great day and caught a bunch of fish on a speed craw with dipped tail.  He finally called it a day after he got tired of fighting the wind.  So congrats on a good day.  Thanks for the report.

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With the trip to Oklahoma over the weekend, then the last thing on the medical list, it has been a week since I fished.  You would think that the retirement thing would be some kind of endless fishing heaven.  The real world does not work that way, why everyone does not bow to my fishing schedule puzzles me.  Guess they don’t fish.  For at least the time being I am back in control so back to the fishing.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Off Topic Legal

(Before you get your political panties in a wad this is not about the ruling, this is about the Judge.)

The judge who just struck down the mask mandate has an interesting history.  She was appointed to the Federal bench for a LIFETIME (Which needs to stop.) when she had only been out of law school 8 years and had never even tried a case.  The national BAR makes recommendations on every appointment, and in her case she was not recommended as qualified for being entirely to inexperienced.  In my opinion the process failed.  I do not give a rats ass which party you belong to but there are literally thousands of highly qualified attorneys and this unqualified attorney who has never tried a case got nominated for purely political reasons, obviously not due to her legal experience.  Is this what you want from either side – unqualified judges?  Sure you do, until you are in front of one.  It is not supposed to work that way.   In other words it was complete bullshit.  You get what you pay for.  (And guess what?  We are personally glad the mandate is off!)

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