FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

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The rest of this report was written yesterday before I decided to fish.  Since we will be out of town a couple of days thought a lake trip was in order, especially with the wind forecast, which turned out to be right on.

Weather

80/96.   Partly sunny, breezy, humid.  24% chance of rain.  Wind  S 15 – 25 mph.

Lake Level

Today  94.20 msl.   10 days ago   94.47 msl.  (The steady decline continues.)

Solunar Time

Minor  9:48 am to 10:48 am.   (Could not tell.)

Dropping the boat in as it barely cracked daylight the lake was obviously dropping.  The water temp was 88 – 91 depending on where you were, and there is some color in the coves which is probably due to the falling water.

First up was a consistent point with a buzzbait, and 5 jumped on and missed a couple, all seriously small.  So up lake and to the places they were, and except for a couple of brushy deeper banks, it was few and far between.  I ended up catching 3 more on buzzbait, but again all small.  So time to pitch to wood, which is also slowly going away as the lake drops and the water warms

Needed a couple more like this.  Beaver style bait.

Covering lots of water 2 things became apparent.  First, there has to be some deeper water really close or they are not on it.  And they seem to have deserted the more isolated simple stump type wood, so look for brush.  Second, I can tell I have not been fishing as much, I missed as many as I caught, which was 5 on plastics.

  Knockin Tail White Ice.  Stick worm.

One thing about pitching lighter weights and baits, if you feel anything you have to set the hook.  Do the “see if they are on there thing”, and they drop it.  Catching those just comes with fishing a lot.  By about 10:00 the wind came up so there were 2 places I wanted to fish with plastics, the discharge and a long point.

The discharge gave up 3 and again I missed several.  But it was not quick so made a long run to a deep point with some wood and did not get a bite.  As this point the wind was blowing so I decided to make my fishing stand cranking, so I did.  Sticking with the 5XD in a sexy shad, it was 3 long deep channel banks with the wind pounding 25 mph on them.  One would think an occasional one would jump on but it did not happen.  All 3 banks were a bust so at 11:15 I called it a morning.  If the wind had laid some I would have stuck it out a while longer but after 4 places without a bite it was not looking to good.

This morning the deer were everywhere, and if the number of fawns on the lake is any indication the deer had a good year.  And today I saw 3 little gators, and I mean small.  They love that buzzbait or a frog.  Mean little guys.

The buzzbait was as big as him.

I did notice shad still seem to be everywhere, some are really small, and some about the size of a rattle bait.  So next trip will give the White Ice Knockin Tail a good go, along with a Rapala Shad Rap crankbait.  So not a bad morning, just a little tough, but not totally unexpected considering it is 100 in the shad.  As always good to be back on the water.

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The World is Plotting Against Me

As I always do I stayed home all weekend, no reason to add to the holiday confusion.  So the plan was to be on the water first thing Monday – but noooo!  Friday afternoon the AC just craps out.  Great.  Good thing was I have a smaller AC in the tackle room which we put in the bedroom to keep it and the living room cool until Joe Cool Heating and Air could come Monday morning.  Turned out better than I thought.

Here is a blatant plug for Joe Cool.  He is the 5th AC service we have used in Victoria and is the first honest one who has not ripped us off.  How could I possibly accuse all 4 of them of ripping us off?  Every single one, every year, on the annual check said we needed expensive freon.  Interesting as they never “fixed” anything but every time, by all of them, it needed freon.  The last 3 years we have used Joe Cool guess what?  No freon needed.  Hmmmm…..  And to add to things he comes when he says he will, responds to calls, and has a smile on his  face.  He fixed us first thing for a fair price and it is all “Joe Cool” again at my house.  Nice to deal with an honest service guy and I can not recommend him any higher.

So now it is Tuesday, and I am not fishing.  Why not?  Off to the ENT guy to have the ear checked.  More on that when I get back in an hour.  So one more round of meds as I have made some progress, then a hearing test.  Looks like hearing aids are in my future.  After watching my parents struggle with theirs at times I have decided on the big over the ear one, less chance that I will lose it.  Or at my age, forget what I did with it while it is still in my ear.  Hell getting old.

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The Knockin Tail, swim bait, jig trailer, or Alabama Rig, it will put fish in the boat.  

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Random Pics

Hollowed ground I was fortunate enough to visit!

It puts you in your fishing place.  Think you are all that, not so much.  These folks were pioneers and the fish and records in the club are mind boggling.  Much of it done on gear that was primitive by today’s standards.

Lee Marvin’s Grander.  I hope some day to return and give it a go, a true bucket list adventure!

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Got this from Rusty our Fayette guru.  You know you are having a bad day when………….

What is that thing out there on the water?

Man I hate it when that happens.

This is the comment his friend sent with the pictures from the Park Prairie Ramp on Fayette.

The ramp has a lot of algae and moss on it.  The truck was in Park and slid into the lake.

Not a cheap wrecker call either.

I have had a close call at that ramp, it can be really slick, and my brother had to sit for a half hour with his foot on the brake before someone gave him a tow because he could not pull out due to algae.  Why I put in at Oak Thicket Park.  And my condolences to whoever’s truck that was.  Tough break hope you had good insurance.

Over the 8 years or so I lived at the boat dock we saw that kind of thing at the ramp often, though looks like this was not his fault, that ramp can be slick.  We did see boats fall off trailers, had a brand new Bronco slide down the ramp and into the lake, even had a guy actually get so mad trying to back the trailer in he coded and died right on the ramp.

And as a side note Rusty reported New Mexico not only instituted mandatory 14 day quarantine when visiting from out of state, the motels are supposed to call the cops if violated.  Add that due to the virus spike Americans are being banned in many foreign countries and you have a mess.

What made that relevant is we were looking to head to the mountains somewhere west this week but decided not to make the trek.  Most of the places in Colorado were booked and New Mexico has been one of the tighter states since the virus.  Last time we were in Colorado it was all folks from New Mexico because even fishing was closed.  So by time you read this we will be headed somewhere to do something.  But this whole virus thing is getting old.

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And our TPWD wardens report 45 Boating While Intoxicated charges filed on the water this holiday weekend.  My response – If you are that freakin’ stupid to not only drive a boat while drunk, but do it on a weekend when every law enforcement officer in the state is out looking for exactly that, then you are one bad criminal.  (After respresenting hundreds of criminals I know criminals that are bad at it.) You might want to try something else in the future.  Sorry no sympathy here, and yes you are a criminal.  (Maybe the hand cuffs and ride in the back seat would tell you something.)  To our Wardens – thanks guys we appreciate what you do keeping us safe out there.

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It has sure been interesting, and I use that term loosely, in the tackle business.  Fishing has been on the upsurge since the virus started and getting stock, whether lures, parts, rods and reels, has been tough on retailers and manufacturers.  (One I heard about is so swamped he can just not keep up.) Many shelves are bare in Academy and last time I was in Cabela’s there was only 1 bag of 3/0 worm hooks, period.  Long manufacturing times on baits, regular shipping delays, it all affect the fishing world.  Just buy American made when you can and support our local guys.  When it comes down to it Academy or Wal Mart does not know you, or care.

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Coleto Creek Bassmaster June Tournament Results

June winners at Coleto Creek:
1st place: Boo Knezek 12.43 lbs
2nd place: Brad Wright 11.15 lbs
3rd place: Zac Reihs 9.99 lbs
Big Bass honors: Trent Thrasher 7.82 lbs

This is exactly what I have been finding.  You can catch a limit but they might not weigh a ton.  But a big one is always possible, and 7.82 qualifies, so congrats to Trent.  At least they are biting.

(Tip of the day:  Anchor at the discharge and stay there all day.  If Groundhog Day is your thing you will get bit.)

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On the fishing front I will be back on the lake in the morning, but overall just giving it a rest right now.  But my favorite season is coming, hunting season, and with that a huge drop in traffic on the bay.  Combine that with the beginning of the mullet run, and the reds starting to really gang up, and it will be time to get back to it.  And with a new toy coming to try can’t wait for fall.

This week we are headed out of town for a few days after the Boss finishes a long stressful stretch.   She has earned a little R&R and it took a while to find something acceptable for the long weekend.  But no matter what it will be face masks and hand sanitizing.  Just making sure we live another day.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

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

Speaking of Wade Right a big thanks to Tim and Jason.  They were kind enough to hook the Boss up with her own wading bag for her wading gear, along with a sling.  It is part of my insidious plan to get her wading with me on the coast.  So now she has Sims from head to toe and Wade Right for the rest.  Remember this boys – It is not how many fish you catch but how good you look doing it.  Not sure why she likes me.

So after fishing Monday I have taken this week off.  We have been 100+ heat index with winds in the 25mph range so I will sit this stretch out until next week.  And with the holiday weekend I will be staying close and leaving it to the rest of the folks while the Boss saves some lives.  Many of the beaches on the coast are closed for the weekend, so expect any area with water that is open to be busy.  They just closed all of Austin’s parks.  And remember, if you are going to Coleto go early, it will reach capacity fast.

And no matter how you feel about the state of the virus please be careful.  Victoria is in the middle of an explosion, and for some reason nationwide many folks who are getting sick now are even sicker than before.  You may not be worried but if you give it to your Grandma, wife, uncle, your opinion might change.  It is scary right now.

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The Knockin Tail, the best new bait on the market.  

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 I got several comments after the Chandeleur trip and here is one from Jimmie B.

I hope your trip to the ENT went well. Do you have an email address for Capt. Howie? I have sent him two emails from off his website with no response. I am planning a trip for next late May or early June. Tight lines!

Though there is an email address listed on the site I know that Tim from Wade Right who coordinates our trips always calls Capt. Howie, which is the best way to get in touch.  As a perfect example he came in from a trip that morning, loaded us up late in the day, and when we off loaded the last morning he was getting ready for another trip that day.  He is busy for good reason.  So give him a call and tell him I sent you, he will get a kick out of it.  A really good guy, he will answer as soon as he can.  As far as the ENT, some oral steroids for a week as it may just be an inflamed nerve issue.  Then back in a week, either fixed or injection in the ear, can’t wait for that one.

And this from Darryl who I met at Cabela’s.

First thanks for your posts, been an avid reader and follower since we met at Cabelas in Buda 4-5 years ago, looking at the discounted fishing line…. I am an avid fisherman, and normally tourney fish for Bass here in Central Texas, and have been President to a few Bass Clubs. However, I am doing more salt water inshore stuff as I like the challenge and the pull.

My question is simple: Chandeleur is on my bucket list, but getting 10 buddies together is like herding cats… I am open in driving a Charter group, leveraging like minded souls` who read your Blog, or is there another way you would recommend.

Tim organized the trips and has found that once the first one goes it seems there is no problem getting folks to repeat.  And I agree it is like herding cats to get that many folks together.  Our bunch is full for good reason, and like me, they all start looking forward to next year as soon as we dock.  One thing about booking Howie he has a base price per person, and deposit, that has to be met, and I am sure he will take one person if they want to shell out that much $$$$.

One thing I would suggest is booking a date fairly far in advance as he is busy, which does complicate the cat herding.  I have done tons of fishing travel and have heard the count me in thing quite a bit over the years, until the rubber meets the road and then my dog is sick, the wife won’t let me, etc.  So the task could be daunting.

As far as getting folks I would start with your fishing groups or your Facebook friends if you are on it.  Maybe post his website and one of my article about the trip seeing if there is interest.  Then if there is get folks to put some money where their mouth is.  It will be a challenge.  But do give Howie a call from the number on his website and talk it over with him, and tell him for me thanks for another great trip.

To the rest of you that have expressed an interest occasionally, if you ever wanted to go let me know and I can put you in touch with other interested parties.  In this case Darryl is a really experienced fisherman who would be a great person to coordinate the trip.  As I have said before, this is the best deal in fishing on the planet.  Having hired guides from The Great Barrier Reef to Oregon I promise you will get plenty of bang for your bucks.  (I  was looking for a flats guide in Gulf Shores the other day, and the day price was the same as Howie’s 3 day all inclusive trip.  Like I keep saying, grits, steaks, and Banana pudding, but never forget the Seagull Surprise!)  This trip was a perfect example, the fishing was slow, the weather sketchy, and we had a couple of self made hiccups, and it was still a great trip.  So good luck and let me know if things are shaping up.

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As the number of guides expands I will always remember what Carmine – those of you who have been fishing POC might remember her restaurant – had to say about guides at POC.  “There are so many guides here they have to wear badges so they don’t guide each other.”  Sure makes picking a good one harder than it was.  At some point in the future I hope the state considers some kind of training like they do with guides and outfitters out west.  Just because you bought a boat and took a test does not make you a guide.

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If you fish the Texas coast you need to check out this site.  A wealth of information, if you are a traveling fisherman and not a “stick with” my warm and fuzzy spot guy, visit them. When you read an article about a place to fish the salt in Texas you might want to try this is the bomb. It is probably the best coastal fishing resource on the net.

https://www.coastalbendfishing.com/

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More fun with boat buying.  Many are listed as “Condition fair.”

Condition fair.  2003 Honda 200hp needs motor, engine block has corrosion.

Fair, I might classify that as disabled.

Condition fair.  Everything works besides the shifter.

A boat that will not go in gear is not in fair condition.

Condition fair.  The floor was removed due to rot and needs to be replaced.

Who needs a stinking floor.

Condition fair.  The floor will need a lot of work.  Some electrical work, and cable work for the throttle may be in store for you.  The tires will most likely need replaced as well.

The fairest boat in all the land.

Boat is in good shape but motor doesn’t run.

A boat with a motor that does not run in not in good shape.

THIS IS A PROJECT PURCHASE.  NO TITLE FOR TRAILER.  NO ENGINE.

Like I have said so many times in the past.  Project = run away as fast as you can, especially when it is in all caps!

Condition fair.  No title. Can float on the water. Motor not included.

A new kind of boat.  Thank freakin’ God this will float on water.

It will need a new floor and new seats along with a new motor.

An easy fix.

Condition good.  The outdrive on the blue boat is good but the engine is shot. The white boat has a good engine and a bad outdrive.

Twice the trouble.

trashed inside,  free, you lift, load, haul.  will float fine.  no motor,
no trailer, no papers of any sort.

Free.  At least this guy is not delusional.

One thing I am seeing quite a bit on Craigslist now is a lot of Bass Tracker and Lund boats that are priced way below market, ridiculously so.  Of course the boat is in storage or some other excuse.  One thing that runs consistent on all the fraudulent ads is the contact information is always a email address.  Here is a couple of examples.  The names have been changed to keep slime like this from suing me when I call them thieves.

XXXX057 @gmail .com    XXXXX75@gmail.com

If that is the only contact information, run.  I see the same names over and over with boats so far below market it could not be real.  So ignore these, but if you just can’t resist ask where you can see it, if the answer is fuzzy it is a scam.  And if they want the $$$ up front just ask them which county to send the check, where it can be picked up at the sheriff’s office, see how that works.

Actually one thing that has come out of the pandemic is fishing related sales are great.  Folks who have been laid off have been fishing.  Heck Michael is having trouble keeping the Knockin Tail is stock, and so many of the shelves are bare in Academy.  And from what I read boat and camper sales are great.  Of course in the near future look for some really nice used boats to be back on the market.

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Being friends with the Wardens of TPWD on Facebook I keep up with them.  There was a post yesterday where they stopped a shrimp boat and apparently he had offloaded about half of a commercial bait guys over catch of croaker and was transporting it for sale, neither had the appropriate license.  They reported they released the croaker back in the bay, a good start.  But I look at it like a theft, which it is.  I see regular folks getting guns and boats confiscated with a violation, and I have no problem with that.  But it is time to treat the commercial guys the same as the rest of us.  Suspend the license and confiscate their gear when it is an intentional violation like this.  It is only fair.

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And from TPWD.

Drownings are up 30% over last year. Please be safe on the water this weekend.

That will do it for now.  Have a great weekend celebrating living in the best country in the world.  But do it safely when out and about, especially on the water.  There is no more dangerous time than our 3 summer holiday weekends and the last thing you want is to be a statistic when they release the figures.  Wear your kills switch and life jackets, give way – be the bigger man, you have no clue what that other fool is about to do.  Make sure your boat and trailer are ready to go.  Pick up your trash.  Drinking while boating this weekend is just like drinking and driving on New Years Eve – strictly amateur hour.  Law enforcement will be out and about this weekend and breaks will be few and far between.  So tell them thanks for their service and they just might tell you thanks for having your shit together.   (They probably won’t say it but just might be thinking it!)  It has happened to me several times.  With all that said have a great time.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines and God Bless America.

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

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

With the forecast of up to 30 mph and gusty  (Just hit 31 mph on the radar as I write this.) decided to make a quick trip to the lake.  The Boss wanted some fresh fish so it was the easiest place to get them.  So at daylight I dropped it in the water.

Weather

80/93.  Breezy and humid with periods of clouds and sun.  24% chance of rain.   Wind  SSE 20 – 30 mph.

Lake Level

Today   94.47 msl.   10 days ago  94.60 msl.

Solunar Times

Major  8:33 am to 10:33 am.  Minor 2:57 pm to 3:57 pm.

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The Knockin Tail, the best new bait on the market.  

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You can see the water level is dropping, to bad.  The temp was 86 give or take over most of the lake, the color was good, and the wind was blowing 15 mph when I got there, 20+ and white capping when I quit.  It stayed partly cloudy all morning.  To make a long story short my left ear played a part this morning.  When running it sounds like a wind tunnel, very irritating.  Wish I had some ear plugs with me, it was so irritating that I quit at 11:00.  Good thing seeing the specialist tomorrow, this is a pain in the ass.  I can hear some out of it now, but not sure that is better than it was when I could not hear a thing.

First up was up lake, and as it has been they are eating plastics and buzzbait.  It was an easy 10 on each, but nothing to get excited about.  Most near deep brush and on the little deeper banks. They want the buzzbait medium speed and the plastic tossed tight to cover.  I have not really found any particular plastic that they like more than another, it seems to be simply location.  So once you catch one it usually means several more are coming. And speaking of catching them, just saw a Facebook video where they were catching the snot out of them on crankbait.  This is definitely one of those find them and catch them periods.

This one felt like a good fish.  Not sure what this one was eating but it was a fatso.  The lake is full of these.

I messed around up lake until my ear got to bothering me so I headed to the discharge to do nothing more than catch supper.  There are a ton of fish there and it is easy pickens.  Not sure how many there, but it was a lot.  Just casting to the concrete and hopping it back, with most coming very close to the discharge.  And slow rolling the Knockin Tail will get you bit by a white bass.  The fishing on the lake reminds me of trout fishing, there are literally tons of 13 – 15″ fish and they can be caught right now.  But it begs the question after a wad of them, what is the point?

The Knockin Tail catches supper.

I kept 3 for supper and called it a day.  The lake is truly a dink fest right now and for me the big fish are few and far between.  Fishing it weekly for the last 8 – 9 years I have seen it all.  From one of the best big bass lakes I have ever fished, to the loss of grass and tough fishing, till now, where catching small fish is no big deal.  Hopefully the current “dink fest” as my buddy calls it will be the precursor to some really good fishing down the road.  So I am not complaining, bites are bites, but losing out of our spawn and spring fishing was a tough pill to swallow.  But like all fishermen, there is always tomorrow.

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And this from SA Joe on my proposal to have a week or two every year where any trotline, limbline, or jug on the water can be taken in and disposed of.

I love those abandoned trot/jug lines, especially when my crankbait snags them.

I do the right thing. I check to see if there is any names or tags on them and if they are current.

IF NOT, I CUT THEM and Collect em !!!! Simple as that.

Sounds good to me.  There is just not enough time or personal for TPWD to really monitor the many lakes and rivers in the state.  So I will be sending my suggestion to them and see if I get a response.  Who knows, maybe I will be surprised.

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The specialist tomorrow then not sure what.  Looks like the wind will be down near the end of the week, which is the weekend of the 4th.  It will be crazy, people will be dying to get out.  Hope that does not come to pass, but the virus is on the rise and it is a ton worse in the Victoria area now than in the original outbreak.  So stay safe, wear a mask for your loved ones and friends even if you do not care about yourself.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

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

Anticipation on the Southern Belle!

Having traveled to many places in this world to fish there is one lesson that is learned, no matter where you go, it is still fishing.  And if the fish do not cooperate, or the weather goes to crap, or both, it does not matter where you are it can be tough, and this trip was.  So why do I give this one an A+?  Because every time I set foot on the Southern Belle, my third with this bunch, it is a great trip.  Capt. Howie and the boys take good care of you and as usual they were fantastic.   This was one hell of a trip that had it all in a crazy sort of way.

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The Knockin Tail got a real workout in the Chandeleurs.  

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I know you have come to read about the trip but the following short story actually plays a role in my experience this trip.  When I left Saturday morning to drive to Lake Charles and spend the night I was having some trouble with my left ear.  When I got up Sunday to head to Gulfport and meet the boat I could hear absolutely nothing out of my ear, totally deaf.  Hoping it was nothing more than a plug, and not an infection that might be a problem when out on the sea for 4 nights, time to stop at a clinic on the way.  And guess what, ear clear, drum fine, no infection, looked great.  Good news, none of that, bad news, the appointment with the ENT guy is set for Tuesday.  Getting old just keeps on  coming, but off to the boat I went.

We all meet up and it is good to see the boys, most with a connection to Wade Right, along with the boat crew.  We loaded up and by 9:00 pm we were on anchor at the Chandeleur Islands.  So after trading plenty of stories, and a few adult beverages, it was off to bed with high hopes.

Understand that we are talking 12 fishermen, most highly experienced in any salt anywhere, and most having been here several times or more.  There were only 2 newbies, but both of them long time fishermen.  I had the good fortune to spend my time with Nathan.  A serious experienced fisherman, we have actually fished many of the same places here and abroad, so we hit it off immediately.  He now concentrates on fly fishing for big fish, and I was anxious to see him do his thing.

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The best I could muster, but it sure did pull.  Smacked a Controlled Descent White/Limetreuse Paddle Shad.  It has caught fish for me on all 3 trips.

(Keep in mind that I am older than dirt and my exact memories on the order of things might leave something to be desired,  but I hope to get it all in there.  It will also explain why there is a dearth of pictures.)  

After filling up on Capt. Howie’s fabulous breakfast it was off to the surf.  Suffice to say that we made 3 or 4 trips this time to the surf, and even though conditions were good at times it just did not produce.  Of course Billy, the new guy, catches his very first red that goes over 40″.  I on the other hand catch one keeper trout and lose a Whopper Plopper on a bull red.  Violated my always retie after a lady fish rule.  Tim had a few good ones on his stringer, until the tax man came to collect, but was kind enough to leave a head or two.  That was the best surf we had this trip.  Another trip I caught a spanish but could not get the trout going, a problem the whole trip for all of us beach or bay.

And finishing up the surf results, once it was to ugly and we  caught nothing.  Another the blue fish were biting us off as fast as we could tie on a new bait.  The most interesting that happened on the beach was when 6 of us were lined up and it happened.  Not sure how many cow nose rays swam by but all 6 off us were bowed up at once, all a foul hooked ray.  So off we went back to the bay.

Nathan with the fishing highlight of the trip.

And let me say this about the wading and drifting, the fish were just not there.  And those were places we have all caught them.  Drifting, wading, it was just tough.  Until the last morning it was never more than 4 keepers on a boat the first day and a half.  It seemed the trout just disappeared. On my first 2 trips they even told us to quit bringing redfish in, it is normally that good.  But it was slow, end of story.  Nathan and I spent a lot of our time chasing reds.  He wanted to boat a good one on a fly, and he got it done with a real stud.  And I wanted to see him do it as that is on my fishing agenda.

Michael at My Coast Outdoors was kind enough to send along some Knockin’ Tails for the boys and I can report they caught fish with the ice and the pearl being the best.  As tough as it was there was just nothing they wanted any more than any other.  Topwater accounted for a few, but even then they were not jumping all over it.  It really did turn in to a throw the box and hope.  There was no color, shape, size, top or bottom that made a real difference.  One thing that normally happens with that many of us working together we find the answer, this time it did not help.

It took us the second day to kind of get an idea on the reds when he caught the good one and I added one, then we caught 3 nice ones the last morning.  The highlight for me was Nathan catching that good one on a fly.  If  I learned one thing about fly fishing for reds from Nathan it was go shallow, then go shallower.  It is all about the tide. And watching him bowed up got my blood going, so time to get the fly rod out and get to practicing.  That morning I almost had a moment of greatness.  Time to give the bone One Knocker a go so on one of my first casts it was flat flushed.  Big trout?  That was dispelled as I watched my One Knocker go sailing by stuck in the face of a 3 1/2 foot black tip.

My first one on the Pumpkinseed Knockin’Tail.

On day 2 we learned a very important lesson, listen to your gut, it often is telling you the truth.  We struggled with the wind all 3 days and it was flat tough Tuesday. 4 boats of us were fishing the surf and the wind started to really  blow.  We talked about staying and waiting it out, but due to an outside factor, which we do not need to go into, we decided to have a go at making it back to the boat.  Bad choice.  It was ugly, and I only have 2 things to say about that.  Kill switch, life jackets.  We should not have gone, but ultimately no one got hurt but it could have been a completely different story.  The Southern Belle keeps our safety first and they were there when we needed them.  So in spite of a bad choice we fished on.

The last day the other 5 boats decided to drift a deep reef, some of it over 5 feet, we went for the redfish.  Like many trips it might take a while to figure it out when it is tough, and this was no different.  They all caught lots of trout, though most were on the small side they tasted the same to me.  Nathan and I headed to try a couple of places in our search for reds.  As the tide was up we went to secondary points in deeper coves and drifted over them close to shore looking for fish for later that day.  It really helps when you shut off  the boat and right off the bat see a huge tailer.

We ended up boating 3 nice reds and I added a keeper trout.  The wind seemed to lay down for a few hours every afternoon, and with low tide later, we were actually setting up for the last evening as we finally had a real clue.  But alas, all good things must come to an end, and though we found them it was not to be.

When we went in for lunch, a fish fry, the radar was ugly, and I mean scary ugly.  Capt. Howie said it was time to hit the road a half day early before it got really bad.  When the Captain says go your only response, how quick?  But the boats still had to be put on top and as the crew started to wrap it up the wind starter to literally howl.  It was so strong that Howie put the boat in gear just to hold the anchor.  If finally dropped a little, they got the skiffs loaded, and of we went in with seas a good 5′ and totally sloppy.  After a great supper and a nights sleep on the boat it was back to real life.

Sorry this report is so disjointed, and the pictures so sparse, but this trip was something different.  But we had some real adventure with the wind, including an experience none of us will ever forget.  (There is a story on that but unless you know someone who was there it will have to remain untold.)  The fishing was flat tough.  Normally between the 12 of us it does not take long to figure it out, this trip, not sure we ever really did.  And the wind did its best to mess us up.  We just needed one more day……..  What ever had them off their feed they finally bit the last morning. Since we really kind of got off the count it was probably around 50+ keepers, way down from the last trips.  But if you go on trips like this with the end result being the big reason you are missing the point.  Of course we all want to clobber them, but real fishermen know that shit happens, and this trip it bit us.

But for me there were the good sides, meeting back up with the boys along with making a few new friends.  Capt. Howie and the crew doing it up right like usual.  The steaks, banana pudding, fish fry, grits, and all the rest were up to restaurant standards.  My favorite – Seagull Surprise.  That stuff is crack casserole!  Being somewhere with no internet or cell phone.  Tossing back a few, and I use that term lightly, and then laughing until your gut hurts.  Being first up with the crew.  Getting motivated to catch redfish a new way.  Watching my bone spook in that clear water swim on by.  The picture below.  It all just makes me want to go back.  Nice to be with folks who take it in stride, a good time was had by all.  Next year we will kill them!

I never get tired of the sunrises from the boat.

So that is the size of it.  I am still recovering, nothing a little ibuprofen will not cure, but if you see me speak to my right ear.  Everything was wet so it all got cleaned and dried, and getting things back in order will be the last thing left to do.  Then the reels definitely need a little extra care and cleaning with new line before heading back to the bay.  Now it is back to real life. I will leave this weekend to folks and then it will be back on the water.  I will be closely watching future tides looking for that dead low day when I will make the first redfish on a fly attempt.  And last thanks to the Southern Belle for putting up with us. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fishing on the MS Gulf Coast with Southern Belle

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

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

Right on time.  Great to be alive on a morning like this.

One more morning before I hit the road.  I did want to let you know that when I pulled out yesterday they already had the entrance blocked with the sign that the park was full for the day.  They are limiting access to 100 total, either pass or day use, which is not a lot of folks.  When I pulled out there was only 7 or 8 trucks at the ramp and some folks swimming.  So be advised get there early, especially on the weekend.

Weather

92/75.   Partly sunny with a 25% chance or rain.  Wind  SSE 12 – 18 mph.

Lake Level

Today 94.60 msl.    Yesterday  94.62 msl.

Solunar Times

Major  12:07 pm to  2:07 pm.  

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The Knockin Tail will get a real workout in the Chandeleurs.  

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A Different Day

Unlike the last couple of days the early morning bite was slow.  When I say early morning it was a minute after 6:00 am when I made the first cast.  I decided to start on the good buzzbait bank from yesterday, and that was a big fat 1 small.  Though I kept after the buzzbait they just were not having it this morning.   So after the sun got up I switched to the old standby, pitching to cover.

Nothing a big as yesterday but a few were respectable.

Since I had that Jelly Worm on from yesterday I used it all morning.  The fish were really tight to heavy cover and I got to enjoy several real tussles.  The first one above got all hung up and we played tug of war, I reeled down in the tree, let it go slack, and just kept working when he finally worked his way out.  A small one even ended up getting flipped over the boat when he ate 5 feet from the boat. They were definitely biting the plastic better but I wanted to make another pass on the good bank with the Spook.  A stretch of it was loaded with the size of the one below.  They were smoking it, and if they missed I would stop it and they would jump all over it.  5 came in one short stretch, but never did have a good one take a run at it today.  As it was getting late I decided to do something I rarely do, fish the discharge on the way in.

The better fish came pitching today, but still got bit on the Spook.

There was lots of water running  and the fish were there.  Not sure how many I caught but if you get to the lake stop and give it a quick go.  You can catch a bunch and post on Facebook what an awesome bass wrangler you are.  There are that many fish there. Fishing discharges has never been my thing, to much like fishing in an aquarium.  But they were eating the Jelly Worm so time to toss the Pumpkinseed Knockin Tail.  And it immediately worked.

The Pumpkinseed Knockin Tail caught its share this morning.

Though I have been power fishing, my favorite when they will eat on top, the Knockin Tail swim bait will catch fish right now.  There is something about the rattle in the tail that makes them eat.   And with their diet so varied right now, crawdads, shad, and bluegill, the Pumpkinseed is a great all around color.  In a couple of days it will be the Chandeleurs where the Knockin Tail is going to sack them up.  I can feel the thump just thinking about it.

Around 11:00 a big rain came in from the West, and I ended up getting soaked.  I thought I heard it coming over the hill and before I could get out the raincoat it flat poured, a theme the last couple of days.  So time to call it a day.  While the size was not up to yesterdays standard, it is nice when they are hitting multiple ways.  As long as there is something tugging on the line it is all good.

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If you like crappie folks are crappie fishing up a storm.  I have seen several boated just passing by them.  The deep outside trees seem to be popular but some of the guys up lake are fishing in stuff less than 10 feet.  They must be biting

There were quite a bit more folks fishing, so be aware if you are thinking of hitting the lake this weekend, go early.  If they stick with the plan it will be closed early and you just might waste a trip.

Last, as I was heading back down lake a bass boat doing a hundred went by shooting a giant rooster tail.  Always wondered why you would want to use horsepower just to do that, other than showing off.  And then here came another doing the same thing.  You can tell the weekend has started,

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One thing I would like to propose to TPWD is an annual trotline/jug clean up, just as we do with crab traps annually.  There are tons of jugs and lines left on most lakes and there needs to be a couple of weeks where they are not allowed so that we can pick up any that are left unattended.  After finding a Great Blue Heron caught on an a ghost limb line I am convinced we need it.  I don’t understand why people are to lazy to pick up their stuff, it just keeps killing wildlife and fish.  So if this is you – Stop It.

As a side note, and do not get your Texas panties in a wad, but after visiting states all over this country Texas is tops with litter.  Texans are proud of their state but when they mow roadsides the amount of trash in the ditches is amazing.  Littering should have gone by the  wayside years ago, and it puzzles me who and why folks keep trashing their state.

****************** 

After catching a good one on Jack’s Jelly Worms I got this note from Joy, my mother-in-law.

Thanks for fishing Jack’s little wormies. That will be his Fathers Day present. I got them for him as he wanted to tease one of the women in here with us. She always kept a pot of flowers outside her door so he put them on the flowers to scare her. It did the job.

My pleasure.  Now I need to find out where to buy some more, they catch fish.  And have a good time with the Boss and the rest of them up there this week.

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

Well I got the bass fishing out of my system for now.  It really has been a pretty good week, just a matter of figuring it out some, and just being on the water when it happens.  Add a big fish and it is all good.  After a long drought it is back to some serious fishing.   And just in time some serious salt in one of the cool fishing spots in this country.  I wait all year for this trip, it checks all the boxes.  So with no internet, I wouldn’t care if there was,   it will be Friday before I get up the report.  Suffice to say it will be awesome.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

The plan was to be on the water just a little earlier, and I made it.  There was a light SSE breeze and the water temp is stable in the 85 degree range.  And the color is definitely clearing, especially up lake.  It turned out to be a great morning for lots of reasons.  But first there is a little story about today.

This One Is For Jack

When my father-in-law had a stroke we went and ended up moving them to a higher level of care.  While packing I found a package of Mann’s Jelly Worms in the perfect color, watermelon red.  From the mid 70’s and through the 80’s it was my worm of choice for night fishing and I did not know they even made them any more.  Not sure why he had them, but I told him at the time that I would catch a big one for him.  That was the last time I saw him.  I was reminded seeing a picture from the Boss, who is visiting her mom and sister.  So today I decided to get that done.

That will work!

I went to the perfect place and a couple of casts later it was done deal.  Here you go Jack, in case I see you again on the other side, just wanted to let you know I did not forget.  Now back to the rest of the day.

Weather

93/75.   Sunshine with patchy clouds with 25% chance or rain.  Wind  SSE 10 – 17 mph.

Lake Level

Yesterday 94.66 msl    Today  94.62 msl.

Solunar Times

Major  11:19 am to 1:19 pm.  

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The new Knockin Tail is available at the Waterloo Pro Shop in Victoria and a tackle store near you.  

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First up was a bank that has had them on it to toss the spook.  The only one in the boat, the rest are in the saltwater stuff, was a frog color but it had a white bottom, which would do.  And of course I caught a small one on my first cast.  And around that little point and down the bank a ways I put 5 in the boat, but they were all small.  I did miss one that was not to bad so time to point hop.

2 smalls jumped on fishing the next bank, then nothing for a while.  I finally figured out they were past the points, which is a little different from the last couple of days.  And with the little breeze there was not the visible shad activity there had been.

A nice fish but she sure needs to eat a little more!

They wanted it in a medium speed walk the dog pattern and until the sun really came out the ones that bite kept after it.  As long as you did not pull it away from them if they missed it they would come back.  And today if you got a bite you got several.  They were definitely schooled up.  So with the sun shining bright time to head up lake and toss the buzzbait.  Not sure why, but they way they were biting I figured it would be good.  Again it was a matter of fishing what and where in the order you should.

This was a real one!

I started on the last shady bank I could find up lake, and they were there.  The water has  cleared plenty for buzzbait or spook.  Before it was over there I caught 6 on buzzbait, and even re-fished it with the spook and caught a couple more.  You know I have had tarpon hit a spook at boatside, watched a blue marlin smack a top trolled bait, and caught plenty of saltwater fish on topwater, but there is something about a big bass hitting a buzzbait.  This fish absolutely smashed it in a huge boil.  One thing about a buzzbait if you can throw it in front of a good one they will smack it.  My favorite bite in fishing, which is why I throw it so much.

A couple more from the same bank.  The bite was on.

As the morning progressed he clouds moved in and rain was in the air.  So I took care of Jack’s fish and was headed back down lake to fish a little topwater with the new clouds and it started to pour.  So with a nice bunch of fish this morning I called it a day at 11:00.  They were biting on the front and it was a good morning.  And to make the day even sweeter I got to see another crazy fawn.  Momma was drinking and the fawn would get on the edge of the bank and when a wave from a passing boat would come ashore it would hop out and run around in a big circle.  It was so cool to see and definitely was the icing on the cake.  I give the day a big fat A.

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Scam

One of the things you see on Facebook occasionally is a post that says they are looking for 100 anglers to rep their company.  I have seen it with rods, lures, and tackle.  This is nothing more than a scam to increase numbers and sell stuff.  As far as really representing them, bullshit.  Think about it, every wannabe with a fishing rod wants free stuff and any reputable company does not need, nor advertise for, reps.  Companies that do have reps have them for one reason, they can sell baits.  So next time you see it on Facebook mark it as spam or misleading.

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The Boss with her sister Barb and hubby Steve.

The Boss is visiting family in Iowa this week and they did a little kayaking on a local lake.  A Hobie in her future?  You never know.

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It sure was nice to catch a few solids today.  The old saying is so true:  “The more I fish the luckier I get.”  While it is a little more complicated than that, nothing beats time on the water.  And if you just pay attention you can build on each day.  Today the numbers were down, but the size a major improvement.  With one more day before Louisiana it will be back on the water really early to hopefully finish off the week with a bang.  I have kept the days short, there is some hard fishing to come and I don’t want to burn out.  But after our terrible spring it is good to be back at it.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

A buzzbait kind of morning.

Weather

94/72.   Mostly sunny with 13% chance or rain.  Wind  SSEE 9 – 16 mph.

Lake Level

Today  94.66 msl    Monday  94.89 msl.  (You could see it was coming down today.)

Solunar Times

Major  10:34 am to 12:34 pm.  Minor  5:16 pm to 6:16 pm.

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

The new Knockin Tail is available at the Waterloo Pro Shop in Victoria and a tackle store near you.  

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

It was time to switch things up a little and it turned out to be a matter of fishing in the proper order.  It was dead slick and the sun was not quite up when I made my first cast.  Instead of going up lake I started off near the ramp on points with a buzzbait and they were biting some.

Points were best by far.

Sticking with the clear water it was not fast but 6 or 8 jumped on and I missed several.  A steady retrieve worked best and most of them hit off the bank.  With the massive amount of shad in the lake right now you could see them, and the occasional bust, almost anywhere on the main lake.  I just really like the buzzbait bite, wish I would have stuck a big one.

They were smoking it!

It was all about timing this morning.  As the shadows started getting off the water it was time for some plastics.  Whether it was a stick worm or a beaver style bait, they liked them both.  Location. location, location.  Just as it has been they are tight to cover.  I even saw one dart out of a bush and grab a shad and dart right back in the cover.  As the buzzbait bite slowed I headed up lake to pitch and even throw the buzzbait some.

The average was a little better than Monday.

The bank with lots of fish on it still has them, and they are all 13″.  But I did catch several on the buzzbait and a good dozen on plastics.  They are not around all wood but it seems if you get a bite it is on, or near, wood and there is usually more than one bite close.  The water temp is still in the 86 range and the farther up lake you go the murkier it gets.

The punch line, get up early and be on the water before official sunrise.  Fish the buzzbait in the clear water near points and cover down lake.  Later as  the sun comes up they move tight to cover and pitching becomes the ticket.  I do have another theory which will get a go in the morning.  If they are chasing shad time to try a topwater.  Maybe a spook to see if it will provoke a better one.  Or maybe a pop R style bait, like a Chug Bug.  Will rig up several and be on the water even earlier tomorrow.

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And I got this comment from SA Joe.

Doug,
Spent a week in Brownsville with limited success in saltwater. A lot of cats, croakers and very small reds on shrimp. Tried throwing artificial paddle tails, shrimp, everything I had. With nothing biting them. Fished the Ship channel, got very windy, water murky. Fished Lake Martin with the same luck.

When your fishing for trout and red around POC, is the water clear, medium? Murky?

I even shot at rock lines with nothing. Not a salt man. Fresh water for bass and cats..
Joe

Sounds like it was a tough week, it happens.  And your experience with shrimp has been mine, to many hard heads and other assprted fish I did not want to catch.  And though some things cross over, like topwater and spinnerbait for reds, it is different than fresh water fishing, and trout are definitely not bass as far as where they hang out and who they hang out with.  The more I fished the salt the last 10 years the more I did not know.  It is a whole other ball game.  As far as water color near POC it is often dirty/off color near the ramp at Froggie’s and clears the farther out you go.  Once to the island it is usually clear, in fact almost always unless the wind has pounded on it for a good while.  Good to hear from you.

******************   

Today was much better both numbers and size.  They bit from first thing until I quit at 12:00.  Not sure if I can catch a big one shallow, but will be back at it tomorrow.   Making better decisions led to a better day.   I will keep it up 2 more days this week before heading to Louisiana.  Hard to get to excited about fishing when it is right around the corner.  Even when it is slow it is good, when it is good it is insane.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

As I  prepare this I am really looking forward to giving the bass a go tomorrow.

This will be one long week until Saturday when I take off for the Chandeleur Island trip.  It has become my favorite trip for several reasons.  The location, the fishing, the food, and the folks I get the pleasure to fish with.  Of course I am almost ready to go and looking forward to doing some serious fish sacking.  It is one of the few times during the year when I participate in a down right meat haul and seeing that giant onboard cooler with a couple of hundred trout is an awesome sight.  And it usually only takes a morning or the first day before they tell you to quit keeping reds.  The fishing is that good. Hope the weather is calm so we can fish the surf, it is full of big fish.  And the encounters with the man in the grey suit a couple of years ago were entertaining to say the least.  Especially when one decided that Jason’s manhood looked like a place to hit with his nose.

And speaking of Louisiana just got this from Aaron.  Those of you who read this know he is one great all around fisherman, and he is up to his usual tricks.

Aaron with a big flattie from Lake Calcasuieu.

Weather

93/70.   Mostly sunny with 0% chance or rain.  Wind  E 9 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today  94.89 msl.   17 days ago  95.05 msl.

Solunar Times

Major  9:10 am to 11:10 am.  Minor  3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

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

The new Knockin Tail is available at the Waterloo Pro Shop in Victoria and a tackle store near you.  

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

If it wasn’t for the show that Mother Nature put on a couple of times this morning the day would not have been the best on the water I have had in a while.  At daylight the water temp was 85 and the lake had a little color to it, more the farther up the river you go.  The wind was basically calm and it drizzled a time or two, going from cloudy to clear and back to cloudy several times.  It kept that up until heading back to the ramp at 1:30 when it poured and blew and I got soaked.  Left 5 minutes to late.  Which stills puzzles me when looking at the forecast.  (Of course when I got back from Colorado I cleaned the truck and put the rain suit in the Louisiana pile.  Normally it spends most of its life in the truck for days like this.)

A bunch like this, and not an inch bigger.

Funny how catching 20 plus is a bad thing, it wasn’t really a bad thing, but it sure did leave something to be desired.  As a perfect example, on one bank with either a beaver style bait or a stick worm, I  caught 9 and missed several.  Every single one looked exactly like the one above.  Before the morning was over 3 or 4 really small came on a buzzbait, the rest on the plastics.  I did throw a small square bill some and the swim jig with only one halfhearted bite on the swim jig.  Nothing over a couple of feet deep.

Almost all of them came on or near wood of some sort.  Deeper banks with wood were best, but even with the consistent bites I am not sure if I even missed or lost a good fish.  I fished up lake and down, and even hit a couple of really deep points with wood and could not get a bite on those type places.  It really was hard to figure out why there was not a bigger fish or two this morning, but it is what it is.  Most probably has more to do with me not fishing much the last 3 months on the lake.  As the old saying goes:  “The more I fish the luckier I get.”  And I probably am going to have to change my ways some if I want to get on the better fish.  So will just have to fish more.  And now to the highlights of the morning.

There is a place with a big bush/tree out over the water and as I fished by it a big bull gator roared.  It was freakin’ awesome.  He would get loud, then just kind of growl, and then roar.  Having only heard that once before it was one of those cool things that come with being on the water.  Rounding the tree there was about a 6 footer, who knows, maybe the girlfriend.  As that was the best catching area I re-fished it a couple of hours later and as I went by the tree he literally exploded in a huge boil.  It was just plain something.  And then it got better.

Going down the bank I could see a doe and a really small fawn.  They came to the water to drink and then momma went up in the brush.  The fawn on the other hand went nuts playing in the water.  Jumping in and splashing, then out on the bank and jumping back in.  Tossing water with his nose.  Laying down and then jumping, just like a puppy might do.  It was having the best time and since I was coming with the trolling motor I got real close before momma spied me, and off they went.  So the day was a success, there is always plenty of fish to be caught but seeing those 2 things back to back made the day.

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

Bagley Baits has been sold to a large corporation.  It was so nice when the brought back the Bang O Lure and I appreciated the help they gave me.  Only time will tell how that works out, but often does not turn out to be a good thing.  No matter what the Bang O Lure is still the best minnow bait ever made.

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

I was happy when we got back and the boat was finished at the shop, and it was all good when I picked it up Tuesday.  The next morning there was a little rewire job in the bilge, and it went downhill from there.  I was splitting a wire with a filet knife (Proper tool for the proper job?) when the end of the wire popped off and like a rocket hit me right in the eye.  That freakin’ hurt.  And to make matters worse it was covered in everything a dirty bilge has to offer, gas/oil/fish guts/bleach/beer, and God knows what else.  The good thing – no pucture.  The bad thing, a bruise and a chemical burn.  So the next 3 days were miserable and my fishing plans for the week were cancelled.  Nothing like feeling like something is in your eye for 3 days.

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

With the boat hitched up I decided to gas it and truck in anticipation of a good week of fishing.  (The Boss will be gone most of it.)  And since I was out thought I would stop by and renew my Coleto annual pass.  Since the lake was closed for 3 months I had a delusional hope that they would credit us with some of that time considering it was 1/4 of the annual use.  No credit, to bad so sad.  I did not take it out on the nice lady, she has heard plenty since they went to $17 a day and now this.  But I did email most of the Board of Directors expressing my displeasure, one has responded.  After the canned and ridiculous response to my complaint about the daily raise for folks who might have a tough time paying that much I skipped sending this directly to GBRA.  My real complaint with the raise, and now this, is some folks can barely afford it, especially the retirees and retired military, the folks I see out there during the week.

One person commented that since they were ordered to close I should not expect a refund of any of it because their costs continued during the shutdown.  I look at it this way –  If I eat at my favorite place every Friday and they close down for 3 months under that theory I should continue to pay so they can keep operating.  My real problem with that opinion – We have been told for years to have 6 months of expenses in reserve to protect against things like this.  So why are corporations not held to the same standard?  No matter what they took my money and did not provide the service.

There was a couple of comments on the internet this weekend when folks loaded up and headed to the lake Saturday.  They have set some limits on the number of folks allowed in, and apparently a couple of boats loaded up and went to the lake, only to find it closed to more visitors.  Folks are definitely fishing.

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

And here is quick report from our Fayette guru.

Glad your back but I know how hard it must have been to leave! Been fishing Fayette a lot and things have changed in the last couple weeks. Day break you can catch some nice fish on swim jigs for about an hour then it’s over. Move out to 18-25’ by the dam with Carolina rigs using Senkos in watermelon/ red glitter and you can catch some more until the sun cooks you to medium rare. Deep water is holding lots of fish if you can stand the heat.
Tight lines
Rusty

Thanks for the report, it mirrors what Joey, one of the Austin Boys, found fishing there last week.  Deep near the dam seems to be the ticket as the day heats up.  At least you are putting some good ones in the boat.  Welcome to Texas summer, out early to beat the heat.  Thanks for the report.

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

Saturday morning the Boss and I went for a drive to POC to put some promotional Knockin Tail Lures out, love the doing that.  It turned out to be just as I told her about POC this time of year, only it was more spectacular than that.

The whole town was in a fishing frenzy, the Speedy Stop pumps were packed with tons of boats and the parking at Froggie’s was something.  Trucks and trailers went around the lot and all the way out to Main Street.  They had even started parking in the new steak house parking lot.  And with the tournament season coming to POC it will only get worse on the weekends.  Folks are just dying (Pun intended.) to get out.  So as far as the weekends down there, my plan, wait for hunting season.

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

I needed a new stringer for the Louisiana trip, it is a meat haul, and I thought about a new net as my handle is held together with black tape, so we stopped at Academy by the house.  It was crazy busy and I have never seen one more depleted.  Much of the fishing stuff was gone, rods and reels way down, and the place was in total dissaray.  I did pick up a $2 stringer which I will be happy to donate to any shark that wants it when we fish the surf on the islands.  There was not a net to be had but my old one will work.  Last trip I lost a couple of big trout trying to use the Boga, and since we have a little pool going time to put them in the net.  Not sure what is going on with all that at Academy.

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

Have now done over 1300 posts.  That is crazy.

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

The Boss is leaving town so it will be back on the water Wednesday and hopefully 2 more days before heading to Louisiana.  The next few days will be long waiting to hit the road.  In my mind I can see a big red smoking a topwater, feeling the thump of a big trout on plastic, catching big trout after big trout in the surf, it really is a great trip.  So there is lots of fishing to come so keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

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It is always good to be home.  We really do take full advantage of the Colorado wilderness and burn the candle at both ends.  It really is a magical place.  While my fly fishing skills are still in the beginners phase, I am learning.  One thing that tickles me is how fly fishermen use a “strike indicator”.   Not growing up all fancy we called them bobbers.  But for me I like those little foam pinch on indicators, less resistance to the fish on the bite.  Other than that I have tons to learn and will keep it up.

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You have seen Tommy in the past who is a real multi-species fisherman.  No one trick pony here.

That is a string!

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The new Knockin Tail is available at the Waterloo Pro Shop in Victoria and a tackle store near you.  

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And this from Fishing Florida Radio.

The Knockin Tail Lure is spreading across the US for one reason – It is a BETTER plastic that catches fish.  Enough said!

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And from a Coastal Angler Magazine Editor to Michael at My Coast Outdoors,  home of the Knockin Tail Lure.

I didn’t get a measurement on her, but it’s the biggest trout I’ve ever caught.

Every few years we take a weeklong family vacation to St. George Island. My two brothers and I always fish the bay pretty hard from kayaks. Although we occasionally hit those magic moments, it’s usually a numbers game. Make a thousand casts a day to cover a ton of water and catch 5 or 6 reds and maybe a trout or two. Over two decades, we’ve landed on a gold spoon as our confidence bait. It comes through the weeds, casts a long way and catches reds. This year, everyone was chunking Knockin Tails by the third day. They flat-out work, and they catch trout as well as reds, unlike the spoon.

I will be ordering more in Chicken on a Chain.

Glad sales are going well. – Nick

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

Check out their new CFG Madre Sling

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One of 45  lakes we hit today.

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The new Knockin Tail is available in Victoria and a tackle store near you.  

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We have really been lucky on our morning drives.  As an example Wednesday we saw tons of mule deer, some elk, turkeys, and one of the coolest coyotes I have ever seen.  It was almost black and really big, at first we thought it might be a wolf.  But he stopped long enough to let us get a good look, and it was clearly a coyote.  I know I keep saying it, but to really “hunt’ the wildlife good optics are a must.

Thursday we decided to hit a couple of roads we have wanted to see, which included somewhere around 6 lakes.  One thing I have been surprised about is the number of lakes, there are lots and all have trout.  The first couple not a bite on spinning gear which surprised me, though it was just a few casts and then on we went.  Before the day was over we visited a couple of lakes and saw tons of stuff.

I did meet Jake who was at the first one with his family.  He is a hard core fly fisherman and we had a good chat.  He fished the Peidra the day before and caught a really good rainbow but not big on the numbers, so my results the last 2 days ended up being just fine.

Seeing plenty of mule deer and the occasional elk.

There is no shortage of lakes in the Pagosa Springs area, and they all have trout.

We stopped at a lake called New Meadows and I stuck supper on a Rooster Tail.  They were willing and it did not take me long.  What we did not know was going a few more miles up that same road would have been worth it.  At happy hour at our favorite motel that night we met Deano.  He works with the government on water projects and spends tons of time high up in the mountains.  We found out if we had gone farther up the road to another lake we had a good chance to see a moose, which would be cool.

The Boss.

On our drive  we hit the fly shop in South Fork and I replaced the ones I lost the day before.  I lost them on fish, bushes, rocks, you name it I hooked it.  But it comes with the territory and is all part of the learning process.  Funny how with fishing, whether it is a $20 lure, or 10 $2 lures it still seems to come out the same when it is all said and done.  And some powerful readers is in my future next trip.  All this fly fishing stuff is small, really small.

It just never gets old at the top of the country.

It is so nice to hit a lake and sack up supper.  All the rest of fish caught in streams and rivers I release, whether it is a catch and release area or not.  So here is a picture of the trout out of the lake.  Looks pretty good huh?

From the lake to our table.

It took me a day and a half of hard work at it to finally get a clue.  The water has been dropping and the primary creek we fished was the Peidra River coming out of Williams Lake.  Wednesday we worked hard wading where we could and only managed 1 small one apiece.  The Boss had 4 or 5 bites on a dry fly, I stayed with the midge.  But day 1 was a wash.  But I was starting to have a clue what not to do.

Brown trout are just plain beautiful.

Friday we headed down below the lake which is quite a hike down to the river.  I lost one and missed one, the Boss did not have a bite.  I really have a lot to learn on fast water.  So we hiked back out and headed down river to a good area to wade.

A rainbow.

Once we started again after lunch Nancy had a little twinge in her back so she read a book and I kept after it.  Finally it started to happen.  I think it was 4 or 5, all browns, all related to runs with big rocks, as long as it was not to fast.  Another part of the learning curve, the strike zone is small, real small, and precision casting is important.  And I would like to thank a nice brown for tipping me off to the area that had the fish.  As the dry fly drifted past a rock he rolled on it, not an attempt to eat, just enough flash to clue me in they were there.

Fly fishing really is an interesting sport.  There is lots to learn, and I actually learned some.  One thing is NOT setting the hook, but just lifting the rod.  I actually tossed one over my head!  A fish, not the rod.  But we never did solve the top bite. It was 0 for around a dozen rises.  After finally taking a picture of a small brown Friday evening I forgot the camera on the river bank.  But as it was Friday, and Saturday would be our last day, my plan was to go and get it in the morning, and hopefully fish some depending on the weather.  Turned out it is a good thing the camera is water proof.

The best rainbow I  could manage on the fly rod.

It was pouring when I got up at 6:00 and headed to the river.  On the way the roads were cat shit slick.  They had been rock hard as they have had little rain, so once it got wet the top turned to a slick muddy mess, which made going down some of the big hills interesting.  But 4 wheel and taking it slow I made it without piling up.

The first Brown trout that I landed.

When I got to the river it was pouring so I walked back to the camera and there it was.  It was real apparent that the water was on the rise, sound alone told me that.  I did not even put on the waders, it was thundering and lightning all around and it was clearly not going to be long.  So back to the truck to get both rods, a #16 midge on one and a floating bug of some sort on the other.

First cast with the midge a brown jumped on so I tossed the dry over them and missed another.  I only fished a couple of hours but ended up with 6 bites on top and not a take.  Not sure about all that, but it was interesting to see them come for it.  Maybe the general small size had something to do with it.  So I stuck with the midge and caught another 3 or 4.  Slowly but surely the river was coming up, and then here came the debris and the color.  Really glad I got an early start because once it started it was over.

It is Saturday afternoon and we might make one more wildlife drive, and scope out some property that looks interesting.  The more we come here the more we like it.  Folks are nice, the weather is great, and there is all the fishing you could want.  Heck, there is even a large lake only 3/4 of an hour from here with lots of bass and some really big pike.  And as we have learned on our drives there are other areas with roadside access to assorted small streams.

The water is about to get right, but it really is so dependent on snow melt and rain.  And there is still now on the divide.  So we got lucky this week as the levels got better every day, but the rain today had them coming back up rapidly.  We never did fish the San Juan, it was getting close, and the guy at the fly shop said the drift boat fishing was getting good.  And over on the Rio Grand it was still high, and where I caught lots of browns in October was still to high and running hard.  But the drift fishing was getting good and the fish were eating drys.  So if we make it back out here in July like we had planned it should be just right.

Our guide near Estes always told us when you catch a fish stop and look where you are.  This week we have really lived that, thus only 2 reports.  Instead of being tied to the computer and camera we have just been enjoying the beauty.  Everywhere we looked it was something and we appreciate just being out here and spending all day outdoors.  Access is what makes Pagosa Springs the place it is.  The more time we spend outdoors the more we know we have lots to learn.  This has been another great week, but like all trips it comes to an end.  We will be home in a couple of days and it is back to “real” life.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines