FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Weather

51/72.  Some sun, then turning cloudy and beautiful with a 8% chance of rain.  Wind ENE 10 – 15 mph.

Tides

Low  6:52 am.   -0.18 ft.   High  7:57 pm.  1.37 ft.

Solunar Times

Major  10:51 am to  12:51 pm.   Minor 4:06 pm to  5:06 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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A Little Lucky and a Little Good

It was not quite daylight when I got to Froggies, in fact I got the first non-handicap parking spot.  It has been a while since that happened.  The wind was straight out of the north a good 15 mph and it did not let up all day.  The tide was low and the water temp was 64, but the tide was still going out just a little when I hit the first bank in Big Bayou.  And I never ending up wading at all today.  Why jump out of a perfectly good boat when they bite all day?

This will work.

The old saying I would rather be lucky than good, or the opposite, applied today.  I was actually both.  With the wind pounding right down Big Bayou it would have been moving you right along, but I got lucky, the tide going out working against the wind so it was not to tough to fish with the trolling motor.  So with luck out of the way the good took over.

On the first bank they were biting, and most were keepers.  I was tossing a Chicken on a Chain Knockin Tail with a 1/8th jig head on 10lb line.  The fish were on a long oyster bar with the wind pounding on it, and boy were they shallow.  And it was seriously tough to feel a bite.  There was that little struggle with the wind blowing your line, but this is where good took over.  I knew the spots, and I have caught hundreds of fish fishing light line and grub in freshwater, so I proceeded to catch fish right along,

Just good solid keepers.

From that point on I basically fished the Chicken on a Chain Knockin Tail, and caught a  good bunch.  But I finally lost the Purple Demon that I caught them all on last week, probably because of the flounder.  You can put what I know about flounder in a thimble, but today the small ones were eating.  I think it was 5 with several misses, and one bit off a bait.  At least one jumped on everywhere I fished, with 3 in the mouth of one drain.

Nothing to big in the slam department.

The redfish were another story.  Other than the one above I only boated 3 or 4 more rats.  But who cares, the fish were biting and when I quit at 1:00 they were still biting.  It took a little heavier jig head today, and one that was labeled 1/8 screw lock was actually a little heavier 1/8th, and it sure helped keep in contact with the Knockin Tail.  I did catch a couple slow rolling it but most came hopping it in a Texas two step retrieve.  The majority came on the Chicken on a Chain because I threw it the most, and a few came on a Purple Demon, and a few on the Pearl Limetreuse.  The wind was blowing enough that most were just there when you lifted up, and as shallow as some were it might be the first hop.  When the tide finally started coming back in you were just flying down the bank with the wind so I called it a day.

I like days like today, run about 5 minutes, spend a gallon of gas, and never leave one area.  And the fish helped a lot by biting the whole time.  Makes that getting up way to early thing worth it.  Have not though about what/where next, but we do have high winds followed by a cold front the next couple days, then it is going back to warm.  But no matter what I will be back on the water soon.  And if I missed any comments sorry, but I got a little behind.  And if any of you have anything to say drop a comment, we love to get them.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The plan was to head to POC but that changed when I got up.  The wind was blowing right along with gusts to 25 mph out of the south, then it was supposed to turn out of the north sometime in the afternoon.  No thanks, plus tomorrow looks better for the bay.  But it was easily fixed, just put the freshwater stuff back in the boat and head to the lake, which is exactly what I am going to do.

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Weather

65/80.  A morning shower; otherwise, the temperature near the record of 83 set in 1975 with clouds breaking with a 50% chance of rain.  Wind WNW 10 – 25 mph.

Lake Level

Today  93.70 msl.   Last Monday  93.68 msl.

Solunar Times

Major  9:57 am to  11:57 am.  Minor 3:13 pm to  4:13 pm.

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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Not all that, but real important.

So here is what makes these 2 important. they were 2 of the 8 I caught buzzing a spinnerbait.  Now don’t get me wrong, it was not fast by any means, but they were up and shallow, and around cover.  And what makes that important is the lake is slowly coming up and if it keeps doing it for a while there is going to be some great cover in the water soon, perfect timing.

The water temp was as high as 76 in some places, and from 69 to the mid 70’s over the rest of the a lake.  Starting down lake 3 really smalls jumped on the spinnerbait and I added one slow rolling a Pearl Knockin Tail.  (As the water warms and the fish get that spawning urge it will be the bait of choice, you never know what you will catch.)  So up lake I went.  The wind was blowing out of the South at a pretty good clip right up lake.

The next 2, small again, came on a swim jig near brush.  Just letting the wind do the work, I covered a couple of miles of bank and once I ran out of water I trolled back down against the wind and caught 4 whites on the way.  That was around 11:30 when all of a sudden it clouded up, the wind switched completely around out of the north, and I had to put my hoodie back on.

With a pretty good chop I picked up the spinnerbait and caught 5 and missed several.  Probably time for a trailer hook.  It was cover territory and keep casting.  So the good news, there were some where they were supposed to be today.  (Pockets and flats with cover.)  Nothing big but the smalls come first and things are about to improve dramatically.  So glad I went, it gave me hope the bite is coming.

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So I left the boat hooked up, just toss the saltwater stuff in and off I go in the morning.  Haven’t decided if I will do any wading or not, but either way I know where a few are and am looking forward to catching a few.  The tide will be big time out at daylight and go up all day, while not my favorite, the day looks beautiful and it will be up and gone before daylight.  Spring is about to bust and my favorite time of year, catching them in fresh and salt.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The boys came out when the sun shone.

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Weather

61/75.  Patchy morning fog; otherwise, clouds giving way to some sun with a 10% chance of rain.  Wind  NNW  6 – 12mph.

Lake Level

Today  93.68 msl.   Monday  93.60 msl.

Solunar Periods

Major  7:31 am to 9:31 am.  Minor  1:07 pm to 2:07 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

Check out their new tackle box and plier sheath.

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The weather looked great and I could not resist, so when dropping the boat in the lake at daylight my spirits were high.  It was cloudy, dead calm, and the water temp was at least 4 degrees or more over the whole lake.  I headed to a consistent cove right off deep water and a small jumped on the swim jig  From there in 4 different places with swim jig and Bang O Lure only  really sma2 more really small ones jumped the swim jig.  So far January has been so disappointing,  there has been no Bang O Lure bite.  January and February have produced some of my biggest bass over the years but so far it is not happening.

The first places were down lake, so with no luck I decided to head up lake.  On the way I stopped at the discharge, caught a 3 or 4, one of them being this beast.

I catch a few tilapia on lures every spring, this was probably the biggest .

I was throwing the Pearl Knockin Tail and slow rolling it when it jumped on.  As a side note I saw several tilapia here and there today. that usually means the bite in on, but I am here to tell you it is not.  From there I headed up lake and fished the works, coves, brush, main lake, it did not matter they just are not shallow.

Typical Coleto white bass.  Never have understood why they generally do not get much bigger than this.

After a couple of hours without a bite it was time to at least catch some fish.  So I trolled from where the white bass had been, which was way up, and found them quite a bit farther down river.  I guess the last cold rain has run them off as it is still quite a bit cooler than it was.  Once that happened it was a good dozen in an hour, and most would have been keepers if you were so inclined.  The ticket was clearly the Pearl Knockin Tail on a 1/4oz head trolled 6o feet behind the boat, and they were stopping it.  After that I fished my way down lake.

I just could not get bit.  Once I was down near the ramp I tossed the Pearl Knockin Tail and caught a couple more, and they were really small.  At that point I called it a day.

Best I could get in the bass department today.

The punch line – The water temp was in the mid 60’s to mid 70’s, fairly clear, and they are just refusing to come shallow.  I really did cover some good springs spots, which produced just those few smalls.  Normally when you start seeing the tilapia on Coleto the fish are also biting.  It really has to change soon, spawning is coming and we are headed to a full moon.  So who knows. maybe that will get them moving.  But getting there has been tough, and the lake has left me as nothing more than a glutton for punishment.

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Moving to Northwest Arkansas in the early 70’s I was around as Bass Pro exploded.  It was a 2 hour drive to the store, which still had a Brown Derby liquor store on the end of the building, and was the mecca for bass fishermen.  My favorite was the return store, which was actually across the big street and basically nothing more than an open warehouse with stuff piled up, and the deals were great.  That is where I bought my first Tarpon Wear, the precursor to all the modern warm weather fishing wear.

Of course over the years they have gone from a tackle store to a department store.  The first big change was when they bought Cabela’s to give them over 150 stores.  They are at it again with the purchase of Sportsman’s Warehouse and their over 110 stores.  This is not a good thing for the fishing industry.  Who knows?  Academy could be in their sites.  The problem is like all industry when one major player is involved things change. It leads to reduced options, lower quality, and lure manufacturers end up beholden in order to sell baits.  Additionally overseas manufacturing takes over and the little guy does not have much of a chance.  I shop there at times, and have for almost 50 years, but realize it is so important to shop local if possible.  So support you local guy whenever you can.  (Plus their stuff is not cheap, most is available at other places at a comparable price, some ever cheaper.)

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And as an old bass fisherman it warms my heart to hear 2 bass over 13lbs were landed in Texas last week.  One on Lake Austin, there are still a few around, and one on Sam Rayburn, which has been hot the last couple of years. A DD is the goal for most bass fishermen, 13lbs is a dream.  Congrats to both anglers.

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Michael, owner of My Coast Outdoors, home of the Controlled Descent and the Knockin Tail, has started a new Facebook page.  So if you are a saltwater fisherman check it out and join for all things Knockin Tail.  And we all love to see your pictures.

(2) Knockin Tail Lures | Groups | Facebook

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I keep track of the goings on at Falcon Lake and last weeks Bass Champs results were something.  There were 105 entries and the winning team weighed in 27.8 with an 8+ kicker.  A respectable showing on Falcon, but from there things deteriorated rapidly.  The 14th place team cashed a check with a total of 8.24lbs!  17 more teams caught at least one, and 74 did not weigh a fish!  That can only be described as crazy for what is still one of the best  bass fishing destination in the country.  So my itch to head that way, and it has been strong lately, will be put on hold for a little warmer weather, which will get those Florida strain moving.  And still waiting to hear if a few of the Austin boys have figured out if a Amistad trip is in the future, I am all in on that.

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One thing I wanted to comment on was how it went on the bay Wednesday.  On my unproductive wade I did catch lots of fish, pinfish.  (I hate it when they bite the tail off, usually not a problem with the Knockin Tail and did not happen to me.)  They were everywhere, a bad omen for the trout fishing, but cudoes to the Knockin Tail’s durability and one of the reasons to glue the bait to the jig head.  And here is  the perfect example:

The Purple Demon Limestruese Knockin Tail – It caught 25 – 30 trout, reds, and flounder yesterday.

And this is the result of all that.

Here is why I glue a few in multiple colors and 2 different weights before every trip to accommodate different depths.  And if the jig head is painted it really helps keeping it up on the head as it will slip much easier on a painted jig head, though I apply a drop even if using a screw lock.  If you look right behind the head you can see what that many fish did to the  Knockin Tail.  By using super glue what would have been a torn bait in the area of the collar and slipping down all the time lasted the whole day.  (I hate when a bait keeps slipping down.)  This one stayed intact and even though it was getting major chewed on it was still catching fish.  Plastics rarely last with that many toothy critters, but doing a little work before you head out will save money in the long run.  Plus it is great when wading, lose one and reach in the box and tie on a new one.

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I may be slow but I am not crazy, at least to far gone.  If the lake is going to be mean to me like that then it will be the bay.  Looking at the weather next week it looks good so after the weekend warriors are gone think I will go down and stay a couple of days  I really like not having to make the drive so dang early in the morning.  Plus, the fishing is a whole lot better.   So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Tomorrow it will be off to POC early.  Time to get back to the bay, even if I do not have a clue right now as it has been a while.  At least the learning curve should be short tomorrow.  Go to the island, jump in and cast, catch them stay, no bites move, repeat.  That should about cover it but as we all know the best laid plans…….

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Weather

57/67.   Cloudy with a 25% chance of rain.   Wind E 10 – 15mph.  (So wrong.)

Tides

High 2:55 pm  0.9 ft.  Low  3:43 pm  0.9 ft.   (Pretty much slow rise all day then flat.  Weird.) 

Solunar Periods

Major  6:06 am to 8:06 am.   Minor  12:03 pm to 1:03 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

Check out their new tackle box and plier sheath.

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

It was just cracking daylight on arrival at POC and the wind was straight out of the north, so much for that prediction.  The water temp was 62 – 65 every where I went and there was a little color to the water.  And the tide was low, as low as I have seen it in a while.  So with the wind out of the wrong direction for the couple of places I had planned on the island, I decided to give the bank in Barroom Bay a wade.

With the tide that low the drop on the edge of that bank, which is where they should be, was perfect.  Unlike “normal” there was almost no flat.  That I would not get bit for an hour and half really did surprise me.  And to top it off a sea fog rolled in and visibility running was not much.  So discretion being the better part of valor I decided to head around the corner and boat fish Big Bayou, which turned out to be the ticket.

The Purple Demon Limestreuse Knockin Tail catches fish!  Fun on 8lb line.

The first bank I tried they were biting.  There was still a Mansfield  Magic Knockin Tail tied on so I stayed with that and started catching a few small ones when a small flounder jumped on.  Tossed him back, and promptly hooked a big one.  Of course the net is in the compartment, so messing with that turned out to be a bad move.  You could not see the Knockin Tail in his mouth, he finally bit me off while I was trying to get the net out.  So when I retied I decided to give he Purple Demon Limestreuse on a 3/16th jig head as the water was in the 5′ range.

They were eating the Purple Demon Limetruese!

From that point on it was really consistent.  Most were small of course, but for a couple of hours it was good.  Deep banks were the best and the fish were about 3′ deep, most were just getting on as opposed to whacking it.  Which I actually like as it is a cat and mouse game.  Super light bite and when you went to hop it off the bottom you had to be ready as they were already there.  And a couple of places where it was somewhat out of the wind, with a soft bottom, had fish.  Here is what most looked like.

The only reason the flounder made the pic is for a slam, even though the 3 I did land all looked like this.

Other than the big red above I only caught a couple more rats.  But the bite was good and everywhere I tried had fish.  I did manage to fish the Oil Cut last, and caught 5 or 6 in there.  Once they started biting it was fun and I left them biting when I quit at 1:30.  It never did warm up and the wind, while not a hassle, kept up a steady pace.

After struggling in freshwater the last month it was nice to catch a bunch of fish.  One thing about trout, they are not the hardest fish to catch, but on the other hand can be hard to hook.  Though the day did not go like I planned, I never did make another wade, it worked out fine.  There was no sense leaving fish to find fish.  It definitely got my blood flowing, and the next trip, coming real soon, hopefully will be waist deep.

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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It has basically been 3 weeks since I wet a line.  It took a little while to get everything organized as I left it a mess after the last couple of trips.  So in the morning it will be back to Coleto, which should be an adventure as I do not have a clue.

Weather

45/73.  Blend of sun and clouds with a 25% chance of rain.  Wind  SSE 10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Today  93.60 msl.   20 days ago   93.13 msl.

Solunar Times

Minor 10:34 am to 11:34 am.  Major  4:26 pm to  6:26 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

Check out their new tackle box and plier sheath.

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

Well that did not work out so well.

Today might have been the worst day ever.  There is not a shallow bite, period.  When you get 4 bites total over 6 hours it is slow.  But not surprised, as the lake has really cooled off since my last trip.

The water was clearly up at the ramp, and the wind was light, but that would change.  The water color was somewhat off, and really off up lake, and the temp at the ramp was 62 degrees.  It is 67 near the discharge, but the real difference was up both arms.  The main arm was only 53 and really off color, which if memory serves me is a 15 degree drop.  At the plant it was 57 and just a tiny bit clearer.  The punch line, only one bite in both.  So I took the easy way out for just a few minutes so at least I could put a couple in the boat for pictures.

That will do considering.

There is one place on Coleto you, and just about anyone else, can catch them almost anytime during the winter, the discharge.  This is only my opinion, to each his own, but fishing discharges has never been my favorite technique.  It seems to much like fishing in a hatchery, but when times are tough, or even when they aren’t, there is always fish.

To make a short story shorter, I had 3 bites in 5 minutes, caught the 2 above, and lost a real bruiser at the boat.  There was quite a bit of water coming through and I was tossing a 1/4 pegged slip sinker with a 4/0 VMC and a 5″ stick bait in watermelon red.  You could barely feel them but they did hold on.  Since I was wanting to fish other places it was oh well,  that tells me what?  Never have been big on fishing in one place without moving.  So it was time to go fishing, there just had to be a bite somewhere.

Great choice, if you are a glutton for punishment.  The wind was blowing like crazy by then and whether spinnerbait, swim jig, jerk bait, or Bang O Lure it was not happening.  The only bite did end up in the boat, and it was the size of the swim jig.

Conditions really changed with the last rain, the question is what will happen now?  We are forecast to get rain for 3 or 4 days, and the temps will stay in the 70’s including a couple of nights in the 60’s.  Since the shallow bite is nonexistent hope it rains a ton and gets the lake back up.  Sure can’t hurt and who knows, it just might get them going.

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Tomorrow it is time to get the truck inspected and then license it and the boat trailer.  Have to keep nice and legal, no time to get a ticket on the way to fish.  Then it is going to be the bay, will simply be watching the weather.  As long as it is not a gully washer with lightning I will be doing some wading and getting my “sea” legs  under me.  Love fishing those warm cloudy days in the winter, seems like those days are just a little bit better for bigger trout, at least for me.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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One Cool Place.

Our view.  Pick Your Sunset!

It was a great way to start off the New Year.  We were lucky enough to get to spend a couple of days, one in Big Bend National Park and one in Big Bend Ranch State Park, in the South Texas desert, and as usual it did not disappoint.  First off are the Boss’s 2 requirements, desert or not:  A cool house and an indoor bathroom, which rules out camping.

On the cool factor the house was perfect.  Well done out of 2 storage containers, it was at the end of the road (One of the roughest of the trip.) in Terlingua.   The view was great and with a full wall window in the bedroom when you looked out at night the stars were right in your face.  The lack of light pollution and air pollution is so readily apparent in the desert, gives you a whole new perspective on life and just maybe what it should be.  We did some cooking, had a fire, and were off at daylight each morning.  As usual we ate at the Starlight Theater, which has great food.  The home made avocado dip is delicious along with everything else on the menu.  It is a must stop when in the desert.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

Check out their new tackle box and plier sheath.

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Some seriously big Redtail hawks.

The first morning we headed to the river in the national park, only to learn the border had closed this week so the hot springs were closed, as was the Boquilla border crossing.  But at the end of the line the Mexicans came across the river and left trinkets which they do, though illegal it is tacitly overlooked.  As we watched they got in 2 canoes and on a mule and came across the river to collect any money and leave more trinkets.  Obviously the border being closed was cutting off their income.  You never know what you will see on the border.

As we left we ended up following a big coyote that ran right down the middle of the road in front of us for quite a while.  The Boss was filming but gremlins messed it up so no picture but it was cool.  And we also saw a couple of foxes during the next 2 days.

From there we drove the River Road which runs right along the Rio Grande River on the Mexican border.  Over 60 miles of draws, washes, hills, rocks, and more rocks, it is rough as all get out but the scenery is spectacular.  It is not for your Sport “Cutility”, or that SUV in your driveway for looks.  This is 4 wheel drive, and no, all wheel drive is not the same.  You get free pinstriping, on a truck shaking, middle of nowhere drive.

It is all pretty but don’t touch!

One heavy horned muley.

3 bucks and a dozen does.

We stopped along the way at the old mine.  They mined “quicksilver” from 1900 until 1943.  In the old days they took it to Terlingua via donkey, which is a 30 miles hike as the crow flies through one tough desert.  I had to look up “quicksilver” and it turned out to be what I thought, mercury.  The mine and plant still has some of the old stone houses where the miners lived.  Their cans and trash still liter the grounds but like all things, the desert is winning.  We had never stopped there before but glad we did, it was cool.

It was surprising how little wildlife we saw in the national park.  Not a jack rabbit one, they are usually everywhere, nor any of the other critters like desert mice and ground squirrels you usually see.  And though we saw a few road runners they were even scarce.  It had just snowed almost a foot and the nights were in the 30’s, so not sure where everything was hiding out, but they sure were not moving day 1.  So we decided to visit Big Bend Ranch State Park, the largest state park in Texas, and where they transplanted some of the first desert big horns.

The mine.  An easy hike well worth the effort.

In both parks the views are fantastic, and can only be appreciated there as words do not do them justice.  That part of the world is so big.  Big valleys, mountain ranges, awesome formations, it never ends.  No matter how many times we go there is always something new.

There is no words to describe just how big the wide open spaces are and how cool some rocks and mountains ban be.

It is a 25 mile drive over a “good” road off the highway to get to the Ranger Station in the state park.  I wanted to find out where we might see a bighorn.  On the way was saw a covey of quail, another big Redtail Hawk, and a herd of mule deer.  One of the guys above was a heavy rack non-typical, probably the best mule deer buck I have ever seen.  We were just early enough they have not shed their antlers yet, and with the rut over they were all getting along.

And a word about driving in the state park, there are 3 roads: the rough main one, 4 wheel drive only, and 4 wheel drive high clearance.  And let me tell you some were rougher than anything in the national park.  But no matter which roads off the pavement it is just a matter of having good tires and not acting the fool.  Part of the trip is taking it all in,  enjoying the quiet, and actually unplugging some.  The sounds of silence.  We had very little cell coverage and it was nice to basically ignore the internet and everything else for a few days.  It gives you perspective, that those things are just noise, the desert is forever.  You can feel the times less nature of the desert when you are there.

Once we got to the Ranger Station she said no sheep sorry, maybe a few left where they were helicoptered in, but most of those went to Mexico.  (But she did give me some tips of other areas for the nest trip.)  The area turned out to be a mesa in the park right off the highway so we stopped but that was not happening.  We walked down to the river, the water was still ok for floaters but going down after the rise from their snow storm.

Yes that would be Mexico over there.

Turn out the lights the parties over.

Sorry for the disjointed report but one thing I have learned, quit taking notes, quit viewing things through the view finder, just take it all in.  Sit around the fire and watch the sun go down.  Listen to the nothing.  Watch as the lights go out and see the night sky for what it is.  Terlingua can be a strange place full of some strange characters, but it all works together to make it a great place to spend some time.  We will be back.

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Tomorrow it is back to fishing.  Of course the lake tomorrow, it is Monday.  I will definitely be interested in seeing what a good foot of water has done, and what the temp is.  But with some good clouds coming it will definitely be a day on the bay at some point this week as it screams big trout.  And the forecast for the rest of the week also screams big bass, which historically happens in January on the lake with the coming conditions.  So no real plan other than a rod in my hand, the where will be played by ear.  Spring is right around the corner and it is time to take advantage of it.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Here we go, another year of fishcatchingtravel.com.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would still be here.  But on we go.  Life throws us curve balls at times, I really did look like we would be on a different path.  I honestly had not thought about where this might go, or even that I would be here.  So lets just see what the new year brings, as long as I am upright and fishing the blog will still be here.  Not promising it will be all that, but the years fishing plan is taking shape and I will continue to share it.  And day one 2021 was Travis, to bad I fished like a rookie.  It has been a bad month for me when I have had a fishing rod in my hand.  So time to head to the bay soon, an easy place to get well.  Maybe I will even put some dead fish on the front of my boat to show you how nice the front of the boat is!

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

Check out their new tackle box and plier sheath.

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I hate it when I fish like crap.  And after a full day on Travis I have to admit I started with a clue and ended up without one.

The Boss had an appointment on Monday, which she unfortunately put on the wrong calendar day.  She found out the day before we were leaving for Austin, but since we had the house rented we went anyway.  It came with a dock, which I love, just put it in the water and walk down and fish.  But the water level left me somewhat confused, of which there ended up being no recovery.  It is the 3rd time I fished it and it has been up some crazy thing like 25 feet, then once at pool, and is now down 25 feet. Amazing how that happens, and it does change things.  But no excuse.

The weather Sunday afternoon was supposed to be almost dead calm, and once we got there it was blowing a good 15+.  I wanted to watch the Cowboys (What a waste that was!)  so I just fished for 2 hours before heading in.  Not a bite, and there were folks fishing up a storm.  A reminder why I generally do not fish the weekends, especially on lakes like Travis.  But Monday brought a new day.

A good start.

I was scheduled to fish with a friend who lives there but he had to cancel.  Unfortunately his wife is going through radiation and he felt like he should hang around, good call.  So my best wishes to them, it is tough, and we are hoping for the best for her.

Starting on a deep point bluff end at the mouth of a cove it took about 5 minutes to catch a nice one on the Rage Craw.  That is where they are supposed to be, staging to make the big move.  They had a bunch of rain which cooled the lake off, but it came up a foot.  The water temp was 58 and it was dead calm.  I caught one on the craw and then one on jerk bait.  That would turn out to be my downfall.  My love of jerk bait fishing ended up wasting lots of time over the day.  And that was my fault.  We all have days where we just keep trying to make them do what we want, and that was my day.

The really like the Lou’s Custom Jerk Bait.

To make a long story short only 2 more smalls jumped on the rest of the day.  One each on plastic and jerk bait.  I stuck with the points and some interior secondary points, and did manage to miss a couple, so I will blame it on the fish.  With the weather so great I made the long run way up the Pedernales to see if the whites were there.

They are sure nicer than the little guys on Coleto.

As the day went on the water temp started increasing into the low 60’s, but up river it was still in the 56 – 57 degree range and somewhat off color.  But the urge to merge for them is great, and while I added a couple more smaller ones and a bass or two trolling, then it was time to head back down lake as I had a long run.  On the way I hit a couple of other places without success so at 5:00 I called it a day.

So the day was not a complete loss, it has been a coon’s age since I made a 30 mile run, and on a flat sea it is a thing of beauty.  And though it was tough for me the time flew by.  I am not deterred though and will be back before spring is over.  It was just like old times in Arkansas, to bad I did not fish better.

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

I wanted to share this come from Steve, who should be writing himself.

I imagine that writing for a blog can sometimes feel like talking to an empty room. Only the echo of your own voice for feedback. Well be assured that there are many of us that appreciate the time and effort that goes into an endeavor like a blog. For me, almost daily I tune in to see what’s new in the FishCatchingTravel world. It is usually an escape to fish vicariously at your side, but there are road trips to sweeten the pot and an occasional diatribe to add some spice. I think of Hemingway and the torture that he went through to write–only to know that the thought of not writing was capitulation, giving in and giving up.

I don’t know what drives you, but just know that you and your work is appreciated, warts and all. This is not a democracy, but my vote is for you to keep going. After all, the alternative would be to not go, and that would be no fun at all.

While I am not anywhere near the same universe with Hemingway it really does sum it up.  It is a struggle: anyone out there, is this interesting, why am I doing this, I don’t want to fish today, and on and on.  The diatribes are my Tred Barta coming out. somebody has to say it.  As far as a democracy, that is what makes blogging what it is, no democracy here.  Of course it would be nice to make a few bucks off this, but I am to opinionated for that.  If I do not use it I do mind telling you why.  And  I will not quit ragging on the fishing world when they need it, in fact a diatribe is coming soon.

Other times the words just flow and it is a simple pleasure doing it.  And you are so right, there is no alternative, I will be fishing and will be blogging along as I do.  Thanks for the comment, appreciated.

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And from Anonymous.

Happy New Year!

Your blog is inspiring , and good luck in 2021

Thanks, appreciate the kind comments, nice to know you are out there.

And from Lee .

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us Doug! Wishing you and The Boss a happy New Year and May 2021 be the best yet.  Hope The Boss comes out okay if she has it. Appreciate the work she is doing! Tell her thanks! We moved to the upper end of Travis to a lake front community. But I haven’t been able to fish nearly enough. I’ve only been out twice which is a bummer. They just didn’t seem to get into a Fall top water and active bite pattern which was weird. They seemed to jump to a deep water, winter bite immediately. Good luck!  Thanks for sharing your adventures with us Doug! Wishing you and The Boss a happy New Year and May 2021 be the best yet

I feel you pain on Travis,  (See above!) it is a deep bite, at least for the time being.  It is so similar to what happened on Coleto, shallow, then gone.  But in the end that makes fishing what it is, you never know.  The Boss is fine but not to happy as Victoria cases are on the rise, 83 cases yesterday alone.  But she is optimistic, but not pleased, with the vaccine roll out but hopefully they will get it straightened out soon.  Thanks for the comment and the good fishing on Travis is right around the corner and then break out the Bagley Bang O Lure, they love it later in that clear water.  Good wishes for you and your family.

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And last from Frank with a question that comes up every year.

Doug,
Hi, my name is Frank Rembert, I communicated with you awhile back when my wife and I were looking into re-locating from College Station to Victoria to be closer to inshore fishing, due to my wife’s medical problems we decided to stay put for awhile, also my son Kevin is the one that provided you the Four Horsemen Popping Corks to try. That all being said, the Lavaca River is one of my favorite Fall and Winter fisheries and was wondering with your years of experience there if you could hazard a guess as to how all the recent heavy rains there have affected the fishing and how long it will take to re-stabilize and return to somewhat normal conditions.

Sorry for the late reply, been off my fishing feed this week.  My experience on both the creek and the river when it is over, it really is over.  Can you still catch a fish, probably, but we have some serious cold rain coming, maybe over an inch, which will probably end the big bite for the year.  So I am just waiting to see what tomorrow brings.  If it is not to bad I will give you a real report, though we are headed to Big Bend for a few days to chase wildlife, hike, eat, drink, be merry, and not listen to the news.  And if I hear anything in the meantime will let you know.  I hope you wife is doing well.  It has been a long year but hopefully this next one will be great for all of us.

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Anonymous:

Happy New Year! Your blog is inspiring , and good luck in 2021

Thanks.  At times it inspires me to get in bed and pull the covers up over my head.  But it is really a labor of  love, but like so many of us tend to, we keep whining in spite of things being just fine.  Happy New Year to you.

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And a great question from Jimmy.

Doug, I always read your post and really look forward for new ones. Being you always seem to enjoy sharing your knowledge would you give me tips for trolling for trout. I hear they do this frequently on the Lavaca River. What type of lures, size, color, speed of troll, how far behind the boat would shorten the learning curve. This would be another approach to fishing when I have members on the boat that can’t cast lures.

Thanks,

Jimmy

My sharing knowledge may have more to do with me liking to hear me talk!  But that aside here is what I know.  The first time I put in on the creek I idled a little ways and there was a dude in a canoe trolling small Rapala minnow baits as he paddled.  I asked and he showed me 3 20″+ trout.  Then a few months later my buddy had a motorcycle wreck and could not cast so we solved that by taking a paddle tail, don’t remember which but of course now it would be a Knockin Tail, put out 50′ of line, and I trolled with the trolling motor.  Once we got the speed down we caught a bunch, but mostly small.  And I have caught them once in Keller Bay and once out of POC, both times in the winter.

So if I was going to head out I would have 3 baits.  Knockin Tail in a pearl/white etc. on a heavy 1/8th or lighter 1/4 jig head, a couple of small spoons, Sprites or Little Cleo, and a couple small Shad Raps that run in the 5 – 10′ range.   Most of the water in the creek and river is in the 10′ range so baits running 5 – 8′ is about right.  Getting hung up comes with the territory but that is how you learn the depth your baits are running.  Once fine tuned you are in business.

A good start would be trolling one of each, let the fish decided.  Speed is usually dependent on how slow I can get the boat to run, somewhere between 2 and 3mph.  Cast it out behind the boat, pull off another 30 foot of line and ease along.  Keep the drag fairly light, I prefer to keep moving after hooking up, hopefully getting another bite which happens, so reel them in real slow or they will pull off.  Definitely a mono technique, and if you use more than a 10lb you will need a little heavier baits.  And if you feel one that misses it, give it a slow pull forward then a fall.  Success I suspect is not like regular trout fishing, find them and smash them in one spot.  It might be one here and there as you cover water but in the end the take home results might be the same.

The caveat, I have not trolled for trout like I have for white bass.  The few times I have it always seem to catch a couple, and with some experience and time on the water I am sure it can be super effective.  And thinking about it now, trolling for trout is an area that is waiting to happen.  Only done by a few there is much to learn and I suspect when it is fully explored it is going to be a killer.  Thanks for the question, my answer is a little windy but like any other technique there are not any real “right” answer, only what works for you.

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Off Topic or Lawyers say the craziest things!

I am sure the majority of you know about the woman who accused the black kid of taking her phone, then actually assaulted him, which is a felony.  Now her attorney, who I am sure is a fine person, had this to say about the attack.  It was not racial,  (I call bullshit.), it would not have mattered if it was a 90 y/o lady or an Asian.  Oh My God!  So if we accept there was not a racial component your well thought out stunning defense means the following:   Your client would be more than happy to berate and physically assault and toss to the ground a 90 y/o lady!  That makes us all feel better about her.  And one last word, give his dad real props for not slapping her silly, she earned it.  Put your hands on the child of another like that and you deserve exactly what you get.  End of story.

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

The last few days have been hard, our country is better  than that.  When I stood before the Arkansas Supreme Court and took the oath to the Constitution it meant something to me.  The oath means that I would never break and enter any government building, that I would never be with the kind of folks who would brutally murder a police officer, I would never steal from my government, that I would never set foot in a courtroom and file absolute nonsense, or be dishonest in my dealings with the court.  Somehow that has disappeared and it makes me sad.  This is not who we are.

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

Sorry for the late replies.  Just trying to catch up so excuse the errors and spellings but just trying to get back to square one.  I hope to fish some early this week, then it is off to Big Bend.  We love it there, good hiking, a few animals, some great roads.  And this year we will be headed over to one of the state parks to continue my quest to see more sheep, which I assume are desert big horns, will have to look that up.  Yesterday we were on North Padre for some fresh oysters and man was the tide low.  Great time to explore your favorite area, you never know what you will learn.  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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2020 had been one of the craziest years of my life, as it has been for many of us.  Hell, I survived the Covid and we crossed our fingers the Boss will make it without getting it.  And my left ear decided that it had done all the work it was going to do.  But good times or bad, most of us weathered it one way or the other.  Sadly we lost some folks, but life goes on and we added some more, all in spite of the insanity that was 2020.  But looking back on the year in review the fishing had its moments and we went to some great places.

January

I spent the majority of January chasing bass  on Coleto.  While not fabulous it stayed fairly consistent.

A big Tilapia and they were on the spinnerbait some.

And I did manage a couple of respectable ones this month.

And there is always this!

And we spent some time in Zion National Park and went to see Lady Gaga in Vegas.  I got to meet Robert Duval.  Since the Godfather is my favorite movie I was awestruck.  A nice guy.

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February

The fishing on the lake remained good, and once the white bass run was on it was catch fish from start to finish.  And the crappies started biting, leading to some great eating.

Of course the gators spent the month sunning on any warm bank they could find.

And lots of fish fell to the prototype Knockin Tail.

And the usual early spring catfish bite on lures.

And I did manage a couple of good ones this month.

And the bite was on for everything else that swam.

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

March

I ended the month with my 1,2ooth post.  What a long strange trip this has been.  Not sure if I have another 1,200 in me, but will die trying, so to speak.  And I got to spend some time in Arkansas on my old stomping grounds and caught some great fish.

Even managed to catch a few trout working on the Knockin Tail prototype.

Lake Norfork and Bull Shoals did not disappoint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I was fortunate to catch a couple of real stripers on Norfork.  Just like the old days.

A nice walleye on a Lou’s Lures custom jerk bait.  And Clyde nailed this huge white bass on the Knockin Tail.

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April

I did not fish all the much this month.  It just worked out that way.

Did some serious damage on the Knockin Tail!

And the Boss joined me for a day on the bay.  I am the luckiest guy in the world.  Just saying!

And we spent a day on the Aransas Wildlife Area.

And it began, and until this day continues.  The Boss at work saving lives.

And I finished the month on the bay when the Power Pole would not come back up.  It never ends.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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May

A successful month all the way around.

The pitching to cover on Coleto was red hot.

And I put the hurt on them out of POC on topwater and Knockin Tail.  That was the best trout of the year.

Colorado never disappoints!

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June

As I was driving to meet the Wade Right boys to head out on the Chandeleur Island trip the hearing in my left ear disappeared, never to return.

Nathan and I with a couple of reds on the Chandeleur trip.  Slow this year with a couple of disasters, but a good time was had by all.

And the lake stayed consistent for numbers with the occasional good one.

The sunrises were great and nothing beats the flush of a buzzbait by a real one!

And we closed out another great Colorado trip.  I am starting to like this fly rod thing.

It really has become my happy place.

July

The occasional wacky fish.  Beautiful summer sunrises!

And the lake fishing really started slowing down.

David and I put the hurt on  them with the Knockin Tail out of POC.

August

I did not fish all that much in August but ended up boating the heaviest bass I have in a while.  This was a real one.

But Yellowstone was on the plate and these photos say it all about one of the great parks in the world.

Hard to describe how wonderful it is.  Even put some browns in the boat on dry fly.  And knocked off the drift boat thing. Way cool!

And had a great day at POC on the Knockin Tail.  Little did I know how hot the Mansfield Magic Knockin Tail would be later in the year.

September

I got freakin’ Covid the third day of a Colorado trip.  At 10,000 feet it is hard to breath when it is hard to breath, if you get my drift.  We had 18 days and I got sick as a dog on day 3, and it would last a month.  Nothing more to say about that.  But here is how it was going until then.

Why we keep on returning.

The only Coleto picture for me this month.

October

As I got to feeling better the fishing on the lake had its moments.  And the white bass started biting.

My favorite saltwater time of the year – The Lavaca River and Garcitas Creek.  Part of a 5 days in a row stretch as I was finally starting to get back to it.

November

The lake flat sucked and it would continue to this day.

The river and creek continued to be hot.  And I boated my best flattie!

And I could not get away from the overs one day at Green’s.  It was cool to watch them eat right in front of me in a foot of water.

December

Fished the South Carolina Low Country.  A good red and put the hurt on the trout with the Knockin Tail.

And finally got to fish with Michael on the river and we caught on them with his Knockin Tail.

And the lake fishing left me feeling like this guy!  Sleepy and grumpy.

What a year it has been.  So many highs, with some serious lows.  It was the least I have fished the bay since I have been here, but it was always a success when I did.  The lake stayed ok until summer and then started a slow decline until now, the toughest stretch ever.  And it was great to fish with the Boss several times this year.

In spite of everything we had some great trips and saw some great stuff.  Wolves, a lion, and all the stuff on 4 legs you can see out west.  We fished the Yellowstone, South Fork and a couple others for trout.  And getting to fish in South Carolina was different, it is a whole other saltwater world compared to the Texas coast.  Bull Shoals and Norfork were good and will be back on the list this spring.

So what about next year?  We really had been looking at several places to move, but as usual the best laid plan can be turned on its head.  I really had no plans or thoughts on next year other than getting a potential move worked out, now it has all changed.  Since we know we will be here at least 2 more years time to come to grips with that and think about the future.

I developed a love/hate relationship with the blog and actually took a couple of breaks, and was really considering a big break and then a new story.  The blog seemed stale at times, which it was, tough to keep it fresh.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would post what is soon to be over 1300 times, or that a few hundred thousand would read any of it.  But at times I have felt the well was running dry.  So this year, no plans, no pre-conceived notions, I intend to just take it as it comes.  Maybe I will fish a bunch, other times I won’t.  But no matter what, as long as my brain is working I will have something to say, like it or not.

And last to you folks, thanks.  Your comments, kind words, and occasional additions are so appreciated.  It is why it is so good to hear from you.  Whether you love it or hate it, always love to hear from you.  So thanks.  May 2021 be a new day for all of us,

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Plenty of deer out the last couple of weeks.

Weather

64/76.  Rather cloudy, breezy and warm; a shower in spots this afternoon with a 30% chance of rain.  Wind  SE  15 – 25mph.

Lake Level

Today  93.31 msl.  Yesterday  93.30 msl.

Solunar Times

Major  12:07 pm to 14:07 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

To make a long story short I got out around 8:30 and started where I caught the nice ones yesterday.  Of course you can guess what happened, which is zip.  After yesterday I was surprised when they just would not hit the swim jig, not a bite.  By 9:30 the wind was howling so spinnerbait was up next.  6 jumped on, and I will not bore you with a picture, small is small.  So with the wind just a real hassle I admit, I flat gave up and called it a day.  There just is not a shallow bite right now, but I keep pushing it.  Why they are not moving up better is really confusing.  But it is coming, just not as soon as I would like.  One thing about fish, you can not make them be somewhere, but I ended up chatting with a couple of guys who know where they are.

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When I got to the ramp I met the boys from  E & J Guide Service, who are camping at the lake.  So as happens with fishermen we talked fishing.  Really enjoyed meeting them, and I always get a little warm feeling knowing they have read my stuff.

6.3 headed back in the water.  That is a good one.

They are doing something that is not in my wheelhouse any more, deep fish.  They have been catching 25 – 30 a trip with a good fish or two thrown in.  As I normally do, that is all I can say about where and how, but suffice to say they are deep.  (Definitely a comment on the shallow fish or lack thereof on Coleto.)  So if you want to hire a guide, and learn a little something while catching a bunch of fish, give them a call.  They guide on Coleto and Choke, and I appreciate the offer for a day on Choke, I might just take them up on it.

E & J Guide Service  –  Choke Canyon and Coleto Creek

Military Discount  –  253-306-0356

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And speaking of deep fish, and that is all you are getting out of me on this one too.  Here is a couple of pictures from my buddy Chago of his sons Joaquin and JoJo after a trip to Travis.  (But since I will be fishing with a friend on Travis next week I will take advantage of what I learned.  lol.)

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

       Nice bunch, that will work in a tournament!

The boys are members of the St. Joe Fishing Team and have a bad case of tournament fever.  I remember what that particular disease is like, and they have it.  They are so lucky to have started the club as they will be exposed to lots of different lakes under lots of different conditions.  It really gives them a chance to become a well rounded fishermen.  Good luck boys.

After getting these pictures I thought back to when I moved to Arkansas in the early 70’s as a young man.   I basically spent the next 25 years fishing Bull Shoals and Norfork almost exclusively, and why not they are big lakes and I could catch them, just not so much other places.  I no more learned how to flip wood, fish grass, or how to deal with muddy water as examples.  Those lakes are basically rock quarries and a totally different game than in this part of the world.  But no question fishing different water makes you a better fisherman, and the boys are off to a good start.

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I have waited with baited breath all year hoping the Boss would not get the covid, and looks like she just might make it.  (And to all of you who think it is inflated, or not that bad, or don’t need a mask – Step up and walk a mile in her shoes.  Victoria is in another outbreak and they are coming to the ER in droves.  This thing is real and the folks taking care of the covid patients walk the walk, not just talk the talk.)

The Boss gets her vaccine.  Hopefully I am next.

And as I am in the second group it might not be long.  While it is not a panacea for everything it sure will be nice to have most of that worry off our shoulders.  Then we can get back to some real travel. and maybe just maybe this country can get back to the way things were.  It has been a long haul.

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So one more post this year, coming tomorrow, the Year in Review.  For now have a safe New Years Eve.  We have all heard the rule:  New Years Eve is amateur hour, so do not drink and drive.  We will be in the house safe and sound watching football.

And one last bit of news: Today we pay off our house!  Working at it by adding a little has come to fruition and we finally got a mortgage off our back.  Will raise a cold one to that tonight.  Great feeling.

Unfortunately the Hogs lost the bowl game because of all those infested Horn Frogs.  (But wait, if it is not real then the Horned Frogs are nothing but a bunch of chickens.)  Really a disappointment as I was really interested in how they would stack up against the Frogs.  And good luck to A&M, they get a chance to prove they deserved the playoff shot.

Not sure when I will fish again though Friday looks good then off to Travis.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

When you are this close you can sense the power.  He was not afraid.

Weather 

58/76.  Areas of fog in the morning; otherwise, intervals of clouds and sun with a 10% chance of rain.  Wind  SE  10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  93.30 msl.   5 days ago  93.38 msl.  (Hate to see that.)

Solunar Period

Major   10:24 am to 12:24 pm.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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

It was dead calm when I put early this morning.  The lake looks like it is on the way down again, and the water color was not as nice as it has been.  Additionally the water temp dropped 4 – 6 degrees over most of the lake.  And there were several folks out today, a real change from what it has been.

The numbers were the same but there was a little improvement in size.

First up was the spinnerbait for about an hour without a bite so switched to a swim jig with the Pumpkinsee Knockin Tail for a trailer.   The only real difference today was the fish were just a tiny bit bigger than they have been.   It seems like when you catch one you can catch another, but those places are few and far between.  Other than that caught 4 in one place, then it took until 2:00 to catch 3 more.

They wanted it slow, most were really close to the bank, and at best just eased on instead of a real bite.  I definitely missed a few, they were not smacking it by any means.  As an example, I tossed it next to a tangle of wood and reeled it steady when a huge boil came right behind it, but never did eat.

7 made it over the side today.  All on a swim jig with a Pumpkinseed Knockin Tail trailer.

While up lake produced 5, the other 2 actually were a good thing.  One came out of a cove about halfway back, and I definitely missed a couple there.  That was the only fish that really thumped it way off the bank.  The other came out of some muddy water, maybe 1′ deep, in the very back of a cove off the deepest water in the area.  So nice to find a couple heading back in.

By 1:30 the wind was blowing a good 20mph plus and I wanted to get home before the Boss headed out for a later shift so called it a day.  Bite wise, not to shabby, the end results was a little less than stellar, but they moved a little and I am getting a better idea of just where they might be.  Things are looking up on the lake and there were a few places that should hold fish that I could not fish properly with the wind.  But I am no quitter so will be back at it tomorrow.

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We made a quick trip to the Aransas Wildlife Area for a hike and a little animal watching.  The day was beautiful but the viewing not so much.  The tide was as far out as I have ever seen it on a visit.  The gators were hiding and there was not a Whooping Crane in sight.  But it is a cool place and only a short drive, well worth the visit.

At least there were a few gators out and about.

And the Rosetta Spoonbills were causing a ruckus.

The Herons were on the chew.

And the tide exposed reefs I had not seen before.

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Oops….Guess some of my pictures did not come out last time.  What happened was my camera battery died so I used my I phone for the first time and still have some to learn about transferring them to the blog.  But they were not much, so you did not miss much.  Hopefully todays will be better.

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Finally got the Year in Review done and will put it up New Years Day.  If the world does not collapse will be headed back to the lake tomorrow.  Will go ahead and hang around until the Boss leaves for work and fish the afternoon.  Haven’t checked the weather but that is the plan.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines