FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

It was 72 degrees when I headed to the lake at 7:30, and it was 73 when I quit.  They got the forecast about right.  It was heavy clouds with occasional drizzle and the wind was about 15mph out of the South.  The water color has deteriorated some but the water temp was about what it was last week and the lake is stable.

The gators were out in force today.

Weather

56/73.   Thick clouds with a 60% chance of rain.  Wind SSE 10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Today 94.34 msl,   Last Tuesday 94.38 msl.  (Hanging in there.)

Bite Times

Major  1:13 pm to 3:13 pm.  Minor  7:35 am to 8:35 am.

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Michael reports that the mold in on the way and they will be available soon.  The Knockin’ Tail catches fish.  See Rusty below.

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Why Bizarro World?  Because of the crazy fishing today, and not because it was really good but because some weird stuff happened.  So lets get right to that.  Pitching the stick worm in an area with lots of brush one jumped on, and it was a crappie.  A few pitches later another one jumped on.  Crazy.

But could I catch one on a crappie jig?  Of course not.

They were eating the 5″ worm and you can just see a little bit sticking out of each ones mouth.  But it was about to get more Bizarro.  I have not tossed the Bang O Lure much yet so decided to give it a go.  And guess what?

That does not happen that often.

Now I kept bass fishing but if you need more of clue how the crappie are acting here you go.  The were all in less than 2′ of water, clearly they are either spawning or about to.  So if you like crappie just head up lake with some minnows and a slip cork and you should be able to get it done.  But wait, there is more.

The bite was slow today, no real pattern to it.  4 or 5 on swim jig, 4 or 5 pitching, 7 trolling, 2 on spinnerbait, a couple on the Bang O Lure, and 6 or 8 slow rolling the Knockin’ Tail.  It was late afternoon, and after realizing the good fish were just not having it, or I made all the wrong choices, time to fish a couple of places I have not fished in a while.  I was slow rolling the Knockin’ Tail when one bumped it and came off at the boat.  It looked like a catfish.  And the small bass were jumping on here and there when another one bumped it.

They were liking the pearl Knockin’ Tail.

The bass like the Knockin’ Tail too!

The day started off with the bass just pulling or ticking the swim jig and just not eating it.  But I stuck with it and caught one here and there.  I also pitched to brush with the stick worm and caught them the same, small and here and there.  Not sure even the ones I missed today were any bigger, it was just a weird day.

I did make a couple of trolling passes to drink my coffee and while the white bass fishing has not been hot, they are still in the upper end.  The Shad Rap on one rod, and the Knockin’ Tail on the other, 7 jumped on in 2 passes before it was back to bass fishing.

The little bigger whites like the Knockin’ Tail slow trolled at 2.5mph.

And all the size I could manage in the bass department.

So what an interesting day if nothing else.  The conditions were good, the water temp was from a low of 63 to as high as 66 depending on where you were.  The wind was blowing and it was cloudy, should have been a big fish day.  Of course I spent to much time throwing spinnerbait, I will never learn, and trying to catch a crappie out of the brush.  But through it all the fish did bite all day and in only one place did I strike out.  And a couple of times throwing the spinnerbait small fry jumped.  With tilapia in the back ends it is probably them, but the crappies can’t be far behind.  I am not seeing any beds, but didn’t really look, but everything will be one them shortly.  In spite of no big fish there was something tugging on the line most of the day and you can not ask for any more than that.

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Rusty in Mexico doing what he does – catching fish.

Michael at Controlled Descent was kind enough to send a few of the new Knockin’ Tail to Rusty to use on his Mexico trip and it looks like it went well.  Rusty sent along this report following his Mexico bass fishing trip and he figures they caught around a 100 on the new Knockin’ Tail.

We arrived at Lake Picachos last Monday.  It was raining and had been for several days straight causing the lake to rise one foot overnight then another foot the next day. That scattered the fish considerably and slowed down the bite.  Next came the worst cold front that they have experienced in 10 years dropping the temp to 48.

   The 2-4lb fish were in 6-15’ and the larger fish 4-8lb fish were in 20-27’ mostly tight to underwater trees.  There’s a lot of flooded timber and with the weather and water conditions,  the fishing was tough.(by Mexico standards).  Still each boat daily caught 40-100 bass a day.  But if the conditions had been better it would have been 100-200 Bass a day per boat.  This lake is not considered a big fish lake(10lb+).  El Salto and Lake Comedero are Ron Speed’s big fish lakes.  Two years it will be in that class,  lots of food and they are growing fast.

     We caught a lot of our fish on watermelon/chartreuse  and black and blue lizards or 10” worms fished deep.  The Knocking Tail excelled as a trailer on spinnerbaits and swim jigs.  It also caught fish Texas rigged and on a drop shot rig.   I really liked the durability of it as I got multiple fish before having to put on a new one.   I hope Michael is considering the watermelon red flake color.  Overall I was very impressed with this lure and plan to stock up on them.

      The fishing camp was the best I have been too in my 30 years of going down to Mexico.  I have been to 6 lakes in Mexico and this lake was gorgeous.  Ron SpeedJr owns and operates fish camps on three Mexico lakes and Peacock bass in Brazil. He’s the best in my opinion.   You should put it on your bucket list!

The Knockin’ Tail strikes again, and again, and again.

Must be tough to have to wade through “only” 40 – 100 a day under tough conditions, I can only imagine how it would have been under perfect conditions.  It sounds like the Knockin’ Tail caught them no matter how you used it, but it does not surprise me that using it as a trailer worked like a charm.   Not only on swim jigs and spinnerbaits, but those of you who fish the Alabama Rig are missing out if you do not use them.  And your comment on durability is what we have found, unlike other plastics they will catch more than a couple!  (I am still using the same one for a couple of weeks on the lake and it is just fine.)  As far as the watermelon flake I am all in, it is my favorite freshwater plastic color and I am looking forward to giving it a real serious go on those Arkansas smallmouth and walleye.  The Knockin’ Tail has a place in any fisherman’s tackle box, fresh or salt.  And last as I have never fished down there your information on the other Ron Speed lakes was informative.  Thanks for the report, but now I am trying to figure out how to make that trip.

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That is it for today.  Dentist tomorrow, which is working out just fine as we will have a little cold front tomorrow.  Then another slow warming and I am going to the bay if it kills me.  But it sure is hard to quit the lake when the bite is on.  And when it is a crazy day like today the only thing better would have been a big fish.  To bad you can not just call those big girls up, but that is what makes fishing what it is.  You just never know.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

The folks at Coastal Fishing Gear have added a new floating landing net to the line up.

The net is a strong aluminum frame coated in lightweight foam so it floats by your side. The mesh netting is coated in rubber to prevent hook snags. Included in the handle is a bungee cord with a clip to connect to your Wade Right.

So check it out, and if you get to the Houston Fishing Show in 3 weeks you can pick one up.  And tell them I said hi!

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Michael reports that the mold in on the way and they will be available soon.  The Knockin’ Tail catches fish

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Knockin’ Tail

My buddy Rusty just got back from Mexico and they put the hurt on them.  He reports 100 bass on the Knockin’ Tail!  I should have more to put up later but it sounds like one great trip.

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Shopping at Academy, not my first choice, can be interesting.  I needed some Opti oil and some 5200 adhesive for a repair and while I was there they were having a big sale.  With no intention of buying anything else but when I walked by the electronics aisle there was one last locator on clearance.  And my pea brain finally registered that since it was clearance it was another 50% off the clearance price.  So I picked up a Lowrance for the skiff, and instead of $300 it was $86, so in the cart it went.  Definitely a step up from the 10 year old barely readable piece of crap that was on there.  (It was one of those that had the little fish icons that you could not get rid of.  And Bobby, if you are reading this, it lasted longer than I would have ever guessed!)

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And Speaking of Buying Stuff

It is always fun to see what new products will be available at the Houston Fishing Show.  Every year there is a couple of things that peak my interest and I always look forward to going.  There is always something there that a fisherman can not live without.  So if you attend be sure to stop by the Wade Right booth and pick up a net, then head over to the My Coast Outdoor booth for of few bags of the new Knockin’ Tail, and last the Marker 54 booth and get the best “fake” shrimp lure money can buy.  Who knows, you might even have some money left for that new rod and reel you can’t live without.  It never ends!

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The Good Old Days.

Just wanted to show you this picture I found online.  That is basically the view from the front porch of the house at the boat dock where I lived, guided, and worked.

Watching MLF this weekend it was the championship round on Bull Shoals lake.  While I was doing a little pre-trip research for March I came across this picture.  It reminded me how nice it was to walk to the dock, hop in the boat, and I was fishing.  The majority of my fishing time in March will be on Norfork, though several days will be on Bull Shoals, letting the lakes tell me which one gets the most attention.  Only a few short weeks away I am getting excited.  It will be fun to fish the old stomping grounds.

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VMC Bladed Treble

Speaking of something new I really like the looks of the VMC treble hook with a small spinner hanging off the back of it.  Reading the reviews on Cabela’s website there was one complaint of the spinner falling off but other than that folks like it.  I think it has real seatrout application on the Spook Jr. when they want it stopped and sitting there.  It does not have to spin, just flash erratically when you stop it.  My buddy Aaron sure taught me a difference the Spook Jr. with the feathers on the rear treble made under that same circumstance.  So as soon as I get somewhere some are some will be coming home with me.

https://www.rapala.com/vmc/hooks/treble/7548bd-bladed-hybrid-treble-short/7548BD+Bladed+Hybrid+Treble+Short.html#id=9&q=VMC+Bladed+treble&start=1

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Fayette Lake

From TPWD –  (I do not know anything other than the following and I am not speculating on who, what, where, or how.  My comment is on the rule and nothing else.)

Texas Game Warden along with Lower Colorado River Authority Rangers are searching for 3 missing boaters who were on a boat last night that capsized on Fayette Lake. A total of 5 adult male subjects were on the boat. Two were able to swim to shore.

I hate to comment at this time, but if not now, when?  It was great when Texas put the kill switch rule into place.  Not sure how many more lives will be lost before we finally go to life jackets on everyone when the boat is at more than headway, or idle speed.  Give me one good reason that this would not be a good thing.  Really, what is the downside?  I did not follow that rule for most of my life.  A few years ago I started wearing my jacket when driving the boat, and it just may save my life some day.  Am I perfect?  No, but I am getting better.  (But remember I was driving a pontoon boat when it was hit by a tornado and a life jacket saved me life, so I know what I am talking about.)

But here is the most important reason for the rule:

• Where cause of death was known, 80% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 83% were not wearing a life jacket. Eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.

American Boating Association

After not fishing for several days I will be heading to the water tomorrow, weather dependent.  According to the forecast we will be having rain off and on all week.  Since we are still in drought conditions we need the rain.  The plus side is that is prime fish catching conditions.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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That was a pretty amazing cold front that blew through Texas Wednesday.  It even brought a few flurries to Texas and with it some serious cold.  But today is warming and nice and it will only get better the next few days before rain returns on Sunday.  It will be interesting to see how things change on the lake after all that.

After sitting around today and reading up on all things fishing a couple of things came up that I had to comment on.  So many of the issues facing fishermen involve the water, whether on it, taking from it, of not getting it.  As I grow older I increasingly realize that water is the MOST important issue in fishing.  There are serious issues out there that affect every one of us who grab and rod and hit the water.

One long and skinny Musky.  I had to add one random picture as long as you have to read this drivel.

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The Good

GBRA, TPWD, and BASS Nation are getting together this weekend on Coleto and will be building approximately 100 fish shelters in the lake.  According to the Victoria Advocate once they are placed they will be mapped and locations will be available online and at the park.  This is a real step forward.  Lake Norfork and Bull Shoals did this decades ago and it was a success.  Not only for bass, but it really helped the crappie fishing.  So Props to everyone involved, it can only lead to better fishing.  And a shout out to the Coleto Creek Bassmasters for doing their share.

https://www.gbra.org/documents/news/2020/020502.pdf

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The Bad

I am not well versed on the water issues between Mexico and the US on the border but there is a problem that has been festering for years.  Apparently we have a treaty involving water sharing, and Mexico has not been in compliance.  The owner of Falcon Lake Tackle has written about this issue off and on, and as Falcon is dependent on some of that water it is an issue for fishermen.  Now Mexican farmers, who want to lay claim to all the water, have taken over some of the Mexican damns in the area after a face off with the Mexican army.  So stay tuned, but this is just another water issue affecting fishermen.  Unfortunately our water issues are on going to get worse before they get better.

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And the Ugly

In the Currents magazine from CCA there is an article on the state of oyster fishing, and it is ugly.  At one point alone there was over 300 boats tearing up the reefs in San Antonio Bay.  Wardens made 664 contacts with commercial oyster boats and here is a quick view of the ugly results.  93 citations, 230 warnings, including undersized, over the limit, and taking at night among the laundry list of violations.  58,000 lbs of live oysters were returned to the bay from the violations, multiple folks were arrested for different reasons including 2 with prior oyster violations, and on and on.  The state is hoping to increase penalties in an effort to rein the violators in.

I do have two suggestions,  (Among many.)  Repeated violations = confiscation of the boat. It may not deter others, harsher penalties generally not work, but at least that boat will be out of commission.  Second, require the boats to participate in a yearly meaningful habitat restoration in those areas that are harvested.  (That is in THEIR best interest.)  All I know is after fishing Florida and seeing them harvested by manual means, then coming to Texas I was appalled.  I could not believe it the first time I saw 25 boats on South Pass just ripping the bottom to shreds.  How could this be happening?  Of course I know now how it works, and to complicate matters there are lots of folks who rely on the annual oyster harvest.  There will be changes coming and we need to be paying attention.

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And I got this interesting comment from Lacy.

Thanks for the report
Tides not that great . I like those sunrise
High incoming ones

Believe this is the first time you have commented.  Guess I need to fish with you some time.  I like the sunrise tides, but I prefer falling at daylight from a high.  My skills on rising tides are limited, I always seem to lose them when the water comes way up.  Thanks for the comment and feel free whenever the spirit moves you.  And thanks for reading, it is always nice to hear from different folks, lets me know this is not totally in vain.

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I know you are all probably tired of hearing me talk about the Knockin’ Tail.  I get it, hopefully when they are in production you can pick up a couple of bags and see for yourself.  Besides the rattle of course, the one thing that I really like is they can take a licking and keep on ticking.  Michael, owner and designer, and his son, smoked a ton of trout out of Corpus last weekend and only had one tail bitten off.  I have been using the same one, and it has caught 15 – 20 so far and is still good as new, just a little worse for the wear with all the teeth marks.  In my case it really does help to use a screw lock and super glue it.  Nice to know you can fish a plastic until you lose it and not have to be constantly messing with it on the water.

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Not sure what tomorrow holds, one of those decisions made first thing in the morning.  But the weather is coming around and the fish are biting.  Spring is here and with that the return of folks on the water.  So be nice, be bigger than the other guy, and respect everyone on the water, even the ass hats.  And for God’s sake get your boat organized before you pull up to the ramp!  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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After getting blown off the lake yesterday it looked like the weather might straighten out some.  These are the kinds of days bass fishermen look forward to, and it did not disappoint.

I saw dozens of alligators, big and small, today.  Along with osprey, a bald eagle, deer, blue heron, everything was moving around before the front.

Weather

86/52.  Cloudy with a 54% chance of rain then partly cloudy.  Wind SW 10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Yesterday  94.37 msl,   Today 94.38 msl.  (Hanging in there.)

Bite Times

Major  8:19 am to 10:19 am.  Minor  1:45 pm to 2:45 pm.

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When I got to the ramp the water temp was almost 64, as was most of the rest of the lake.  I decided to do some fishing in a couple of coves that I have not fished this spring where they usually hang this time of year.  The first one was barren, and after that it was on.  5 here, 7 there, 2 out of that bush,  5 out of the next place, 1 on that stump, and on it went.  From 8:00 in the morning, until I quit at 5:00, it was bite after bite.  The boys have come to the party and the girls will not be far behind.

I lost the only really big one, but when you are catching fish all day no biggie.

Starting with the swim jig I tossed it around any wood and they would just start swimming with it.  While I caught them on it all day, many were small, and I missed a bunch.  So as I like to do in the spring I switched to the spinnerbait and it too was working.  It has been a while since they hit it like that, including a couple I saw coming for it.  And if there was a good piece of cover I pitched the beaver style bait to it, and of course they ate that.  There was no wrong way to fish today.

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The new Knockin’ Tail Lures will come in 6 colors and they look great.   So click on the link and take a look.  Heck, pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served. 

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Only 1 on the crankbait but 3 on the Controlled Descent pearl Knockin’ Tail.

To take a break and drink some coffee I made on quick pass in the white bass place and caught 5, a small bass, and a crappie.  The pearl Knockin’ Tail was the ticket and later it would be the bait of choice, but the white bass sure like it.  So far it is a tilapia, trout, reds, flounder, bass, crappie and white bass, all on the Knockin’ Tail.  It catches fish.

Coves were the best but today you could get bit anywhere.  They were not all the way in the back, but with the number of small ones, and it was a bunch, it looked like the spawn would be on.  There were tilapia and carp in the coves, a sure sign of spring fishing, but with the big cold front we will have to wait and see.  As the afternoon wore on I decided to head down lake to the clear water and try slow rolling the Knockin’ Tail.

Now you can put all I know about swim bait fishing for bass in a thimble, but I got some practice.  The wind had totally quit and it was partly cloudy and warm.  I fished the main lake into a couple of coves and before it was over caught 7 or 8 slow rolling the Knockin’ Tail.  It seemed like a good time to try it with no wind, and they were thumping it.  As I spend more time fishing the Knockin’ Tail the more I like it, it catches fish.  Whether it will catch a big bass remains to be seen, but I will be fishing it more and it will happen.

These were back to back while I was talking to my buddy Clyde.

As far as the spinnerbait several came buzzing it, but I had a little run slow rolling it, catching 4 in one spot, after seeing shad flipping.  Just reeling it slow, then hopping it and they would smack it.  Of course right then Clyde called and I even caught one while talking to him.  As a side note we are planning the trip to Arkansas, and he is cranked up about the walleyes.

It was one of those days where you could fish this or that, here or there, they were up and biting.  The conditions were perfect, and as always I wonder how much of that had to do with the front coming.  I do know that if the wind had not blown so freakin’ hard yesterday it probably would have been the same.  I hate to guess how many today, but it has been a while since I caught that many on the lake, or any lake.  To bad I missed the big one.  Reeled the swim jig over a lay log, bumped the branch, and she smoked it.  She swan straight out and I did not get a good hook set, but it was an awesome bite and it was a big one.   And if it remains fairly stable the rest of the big girls are right behind.  All and all one of those days we all hope for, and  today was that day.

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Clyde has been doing some ice fishing on a local small lake in upper Iowa.  He found a big grass bed and the fish were there.  Big bluegills, a staple of winter ice fishing in Iowa, along with a few perch and a walleye.  Can you say fish fry?  And it reminds me what I don’t miss about those Iowa winters.

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In Arkansas the old saying was when the dogwoods bloom the crappie bite, which as so true.  How about Texas?  Any tell tale signs?  And speaking of old sayings –  At deer camp Mr. Duncan always said hear a owl hoot at 2:00 and it will rain tomorrow.  Well today at 2:30 2 owls were in a hootin’ contest.  Just saying.

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This morning as I finish writing this it is 44 degrees and the wind is blowing pretty good.  It has not rained yet but according to the forecast (And the owls.)  some is on the way.  And Thursday doesn’t look much better but after that the warm weather is back.  Not sure when I will be back on the water but it will be soon.  And if the forecast holds, a big if, Monday and Tuesday look great for some bay fishing.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

No fishing this week as we spent 4 days on the Mississippi coast and had a great time. But it is time to get back on the water.  We are in that pattern we get into in the spring – A big storm coming from the Northwest that is going to traverse the whole country bringing high warm winds the next 2 days, followed by a big cold front on Wednesday.  It seems that when those big storms head this way the Gulf pushes back.  What makes it even more unusual is we might have a record high in the mid 80’s on Tuesday, dropping to a high in the 50’s on Wednesday.  Love that south Texas weather.

Today is the Super Bowl, having just come back from legalized sports gambling I did not make a bet.  The Boss said I should at least make a small one but I have never bet on football.  I want the Chiefs to win but think the SF defense just might be able to handle them.  So if there was money on the game I might care what the score is, which for me would ruin it.  I have been watching football my whole life and love it for what it is.  Hope the game is a down to the wire, smash mouth affair.  And I can root for the Chiefs.

As far as tomorrow’s fishing it should be interesting.  Conditions should be excellent other than the wind, but that is South Texas spring.  But the wind can help when combined with clouds and a warm spring day so as usual I am optimistic.  And we are headed to the full moon and I would expect serious spawning to start depending on the what the water temp is, then how much it is affected with the coming front.

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Weather

67/74.  Cloudy, breezy, warm with a 61% chance of showers.  Wind S 15 – 25 mph.

Lake Level

Today  94.37 msl,   7 days ago 94.39 msl.  (Hanging in there.)

Bite Times

Major  7:28 am to 9:28 am.  Minor  1:01 pm to 2:01 pm.

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The new Knockin’ Tail Lures will come in 6 colors and they look great.   So click on the link and take a look.  Heck, pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served. 

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Well I said there might be some wind, and that turned out to be an understatement!  Leaving the ramp at 7:45 it was surprising that the water temp was only 61.  And even a little more surprising, the whole lake was 61, which is a drop from 5 – 9 degrees from what it was.  At least the lake is not dropping, but it was definitely a little off color in some places.

The wind was blowing a good 15 mph straight out of the south so first up was a couple of good coves that have some protection, and they were biting.  But the wind was blowing around every corner making it hard to fish correctly.  But slow rolling the swim jig put 5 in the boat in the first cove and then 6 in the next.  And I missed more than I have been lately, but it was an indication of how good it was.

All the pictures today.  The camera battery was dead, great planning.

The wind went from 15 mph to 25 mph in an instant, and stayed there.  White caps were coming right up the river arm making it impossible to fish that area.  I headed down lake around 10:00 and for the next couple of hours I fished were I could, not where I wanted.  2 jumped on spinnerbait and 3 more ate the swim jig.  The spinnerbait fish, windy points of course.  The swim jig fish, more in the back of the coves, but that was the only place you could fish it effectively.  I also missed several down lake due to the bow in the line.

To bad the wind blew as hard as it did, they were on the chew.  It just got to be to much of a hassle.  When you are not as “mad” at them as you used to be it is easier to give it up.  If it gets to the point where it is not fun, time to quit, so at 12:30 I called it.  It was an easy 15, which under those conditions I will take anytime.

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https://captainexperiences.com/

Booked a fly fishing trip through Captain Experiences for Rockport in April with one of the guides they recommend, and if we are lucky my brother in law will boat a redfish on the fly.  Booking was an easy process and they offered several guides to choose from.  One thing about using them, they will do everything to make sure your trip is right.  They have guides all over the place so if you are thinking about a trip, or need a guide, take a look at their site.  Good folks who do it right, Jonathan will do his best to accommodate your request.

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While we were in the Gulfport area last week and I decided to drop in on the Southern Belle and Capt. Howie.  The last 2 years I have been lucky enough to fish with the Wade Right guys on the trip to the Chandeleur Islands.  A real bucket list trip not only for the fishing, but the comaderie, food, and great service provided on the Southern Belle.  Of all things Capt. Howie was there working on the boat.  It was good to see him and it just made waiting until June all the harder.  What a trip!

Fishing on the MS Gulf Coast with Southern Belle

Clicking will take you away from the blog so as soon as you are done reading take a look.  This is a trip worth taking and after fishing with many guides and services here and abroad this is the best bang for you bucks in the fishing world.  End of story.  So get a group and give Capt. Howie a call and tell him I said hey.

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This country is facing serious water issues, in both fresh and saltwater.  Thanks to The Guardian for the following.

Of 32 tide-gauge stations in locations along the vast US coastline, 25 showed a clear acceleration in sea level rise last year, according to researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (Vims).

The selected measurements are from coastal locations spanning from Maine to Alaska. About 40% of the US population lives in or near coastal areas.

The gathering speed of sea level rise is evident even within the space of a year, with water levels at the 25 sites rising at a faster rate in 2019 than in 2018.

The highest rate of sea level rise was recorded along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, with Grand Isle, Louisiana, experiencing a 7.93mm annual increase, more than double the global average. The Texas locations of Galveston and Rockport had the next largest sea level rise increases.

They have been warning about this for several years.  We can all argue about the cause, but no matter what the changes are coming and they are not good.  Fishing Grand Isle several times, often years apart, the changes are terrible.  The islands we smoked the trout on one trip are gone, and I mean 8 or 10 of them.  Watching the GPS while running it looks like you are driving on islands.  The owner of Bridgeside Marina says you can literally watch them disappear.  The changes to the coast are coming, and unfortunately they are all bad.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sea-level-rise-accelerating-along-183420600.html

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We have some weather coming tomorrow late, with a chance of rain and thunderstorms in the morning.  Overnight the low will be 51 degrees, only getting to 56 on Wednesday with 25 mph winds.  Nothing like a good cold front to change things.  I will try to get in some fishing tomorrow, and after that we will just have to wait and see.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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Before I get to the fishing let me tell you why I am pissed.  At least yearly, and often more than that, I break a rod setting the hook.  For some reason it has happened consistently for over 30 years, which is nuts.  So the point?  Today throwing a spinnerbait I thought it was a bite, set the hook, and my best rod snapped in half.  (At least in a perfect place so it is destined to be a travel rod.)  But dang it.  I even got it at half price and it was still $80.  And that is the very reason I am a value rod shopper, big on the sales.  Whether costly or cheap, it happens.  It is just particularly irritating as it was the best of the lot.  Oh well, the cost of doing business.

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The new Knockin’ Tail Lures will come in 6 colors and they look great.   So click on the link and take a look.  Heck, pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served. 

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The swim jig is still the best bite for me.

It was a weird day all the way around.  I waited at the house until 9:00 as it was raining some and there was occasional thunder.  But watching the weather I hit it just about right as it was drizzling and dead calm when I started.  But as the morning went on it cleared up the wind started out of the north, which definitely did not help the fishing.

After catching a couple of crappies yesterday first up was a couple of places, first where they were yesterday, second a place they always come.  And not a bite, not even a touch.  I worked both places over, probably to long, and could not get a bite so time to put that up.  So next was swim jig in a couple of coves.

There is definitely fish all the way back in some of the coves.  The best bites still come near any cover, the “brushier” the better, though a lay down is just as likely to have a fish on it.  5 jumped on in the first cove, then 4 or 5 in the next one.  A couple blew up on it over a really shallow piece of wood.  As it started to clear the wind finally started to blow.  So I headed to the bank where I had the best bites yesterday.  But the wind was out of the opposite direction, the north, and not a bite.

The best of them today.  The second one came on a pitch.

So one last place, a big cove out of the wind.  4 or 5 came out of the back end, all around brush.  The swim jig caught most with the last one of the day pitching the beaver to a dead fall.  The water temp was the warmest that I saw all day at 68 degrees.  As I fished my way out of the cove not another bite.  So at 4:00 I called it a day.

A dozen or so on swim jig, one on spinnerbait, and one pitching.  I did make one quick trolling pass and caught 4 small whites and a couple of bass.  It really looks like the white bass are either going to split spawn, or they are already done, which is a month early.  And while I have not looked for beds with the water temp at 64 minimum it would not surprise me.  But no matter what the fishing is good, you just have to work for them.

Will be off galavanting around for a few days and then it is time to start doing a little salt work.  The Boss will be gone late next week so I am trying to decide where to go.  Of course I will be back on the water way before that.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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Jury Duty

I got up this morning, cleaned up my act, I even put on a suit coat in deference to the Court, I am still an attorney you know.  On arrival at the courthouse there were potential jurors piling in.  After clearing the checkpoint, security is tighter in the courthouse than at the airport, they directed us to an upstairs courtroom.  We filled up  courtroom the and the waiting began.

Turned out there was 3 trials scheduled and they had called 500 potential jurors. Knowing how long this would take I had my book and settled in.  Last time I was called of course I was not chosen.  Must have been when they asked if anybody ever had trouble with a prosecutor.  My answer, always.  So while I figured my chances of getting on the jury were nil, I still had to go through it like everyone else.

Then they read off a list of names and told us to go into the hall and the clerk would tell us where to go.  And she did – Go Home!  One trial settled, one was dismissed, so they only needed one jury and I was free to go.  And of course I did, right to the lake and was on the water at 11:00!

When the wind came up they smoked the swim jig.

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The new Knockin’ Tail Lures will come in 6 colors and they look great.   So click on the link and take a look.  Heck, pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served. 

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The water level is still stable, not quite as clear, and the temp was 64 over most of the lake.  I headed up to hit a big spawning cove where I have been catching them.  A couple jumped on the swim jig, but they had backed out a little farther in the cove.  Both came on a secondary point, a classic pre-spawn location as they get ready to get after it.

The new pearl Knockin’ Tail puts a nice white in the boat.  That is a 5″ stick worm all the way down that crappie’s throat.

There were several folks up lake fishing, so when I left the cove I trolled up seeing if the white bass fishing had improved.  Not really, though 8 jumped on trolling, 4 bass and 4 whites.  The biggest came on the new Knockin’ Tail pearl.  (I have now caught bass, white bass, crappie, trout, tilapia, and redfish on them.  Not only do they catch fish, they last, which is a real benefit.)  After a trolling pass or two I hit a small cove, the water temp was 65, and caught the crappie above pitching the stick worm to cover.  So since I had the Knockin’ Tail tied on I tossed it in there, one thumped it, I set the hook and tossed it completely over the boat!  Now the Knockin’ Tail is a little large for crappie, but that isn’t the point, it catches fish.  And where those crappie were if you are looking for a fish fry look shallow trashy cover, they are moving up.

A spinnerbait bass.  The bite was on for a couple of hours in the wind.  Spring fishing is coming!

The wind came up some, and in my insane pursuit to catch them on spinnerbait I headed back down lake around 3:00 to fish some windy banks.  And just like it should be, they were up.  The bluegill swim jig did most of the damage and before I quit at 5:00 it put 8 in the boat on the jig and broke one off.  (I hate it when that happens.)  I threw the spinnerbait off and on and finally had some success.  It was 4 for 7 or 8 bites.  At least they were chasing, a great sign of things to come, and the ones that did hook up smoked it.

Late afternoon the sky cleared and the water temp had risen to 67.  Buzzing the all white spinnerbait was best for it, while a slow roll with the swim jig was getting bit regularly.  I will take a dozen in the last 2 hours any day.  Before it was all over 10 on swim jig, 4 on spinnerbait, 8 trolling, and 2 pitching.  Not bad for a short day I thought was going to be a complete waste.

So the fish are biting and it should only get better.  One nice thing about this time of year is you can generally fish for what you like, how you want.  After our slow year last year this year is starting off with a bang.  And the big fish should start turning up a little more regularly.  So if you like the lake, time to fish.

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“Our Water?”

According to the local paper it has been discovered that Union Carbide in Seadrift has been allowing “plastic pellets and other solids” to leak into the barge canal.  (“Other Solids?  Not sure what that is, but try dumping that on their yard and see how they like it.)  This is the second plant to be found doing that lately to our bay.  There is a lot of talk about getting to a zero discharge policy but part of the problem is the folks we pay at the state are slower than molasses.  This reason, that excuse, wtf?  Get it done.  The rule should be ZERO discharge into OUR water of anything, by anybody, anywhere.  It is not that hard and should be done post haste.  What do we pay them for if they are not acting quickly and decisively?  And along with that a fine big enough to hurt, and a demand that every last thing is cleaned up.  Of course we need the jobs, but this is not rocket science.  They can surely find a way to manufacture safely.  There is no reason for anyone to dump anything into our water.  End of story.

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And one last comment I forgot last post – Austin traffic.  We have driven at night on the opposite side of the road during rush hour in Cape Town South Africa.  In San Jose Puerto Rico it was exciting when during rush hour terrorists blew up the main power line and there were no traffic lights.  Or Greece, we drove on roads that were a thousand years old and nothing more than tracks through the mountains not as wide as my driveway.  In fact, on the only highway going across Costa Rica there was a fatality and it took 5 hours to go around.  We have had some driving adventures.  But Austin is a whole other animal.  Heading home on a Saturday afternoon it was bumper to bumper crawling for 25 miles.  People doing crazy shit, being very aggressive, it was bad.  I know it is a great town but the traffic gets worse and worse and I feel for the folks who live there.

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It is almost daylight as I finish this.  It is raining a little but the forecast is for clearing, and with that I am back to the lake.  Since I did not have my crappie stuff with me yesterday I will add that to the boat and do a little exploring.  As shallow as those were yesterday they should be fairly easy to catch if you find the right place.

And Michael, the designer of the Knockin’ Tail, dropped me a note after he put the hurt on some trout last weekend at Corpus.  He reports the same thing I am finding, it is one tough bait that lasts.  In fact, thinking about it I had not had one fail in the tough department.  As I glue them all on what few I have lost has been the only way they fail.  One pumpkin color I have used for a while is chewed up and still swimming fine.  He hopes to have the mold to the manufacturer in a couple of weeks with baits in hand hopefully by the Houston Fishing Show.  It is going to be a hit.

We are headed to the Biloxi area for a couple of days, then home in time for the Super Bowl.  The Boss loves the commercials and this year scheduled off way in advance so we can watch the game.  I will get today’s report up before we hit the road, hope it is a good one.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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

Before I get to the fishing I have a story.  It is absolutely the best example of the joys of boat ownership that I have ever seen, and I have seen my share.  The names are changed to protect the guilty, but there are several lessons to be learned at their expense.

So Owner has a boat he has had for quite a while and has just not been able to use as much as he likes.  Buyer and his relative, who owner is friends  with and have fished with for years, are wanting to buy said boat.  The plan, meet at Travis, fish with us on Saturday, and see how it goes.  From there the fiasco begins, much to our amusement!

Lesson number 1, Nothing is harder on the “stuff” on the boat than not using it.  In this case the sellor’s rationale to sell the boat is it is not getting used as much as he would like.  So they drop the boat in the water and guess what?  The battery is dead, but hey, no problem, just a quick jump start, then run it a little and no problem.  Sure………

They meet up with us and we are fishing a long bank so they idle past us and start fishing.  Sure…….  The trolling motor batteries are dead.  Great.  But hey, no problem, we were all going to troll some anyway so they go to start the boat,  Oops….nope.  The battery is deader than a hammer.  So we hook them up and take them back to the ramp.  The plan, once started they will just leave it running and troll.  The best laid plans………

At this point we are giving them a load of crap.  We get the cables, jump them, and we  all head up the river when they start lagging behind.  So we turn around and head back, and the hydraulic steering is starting to really act up!  How bad is it?  They have to turn around and head to the ramp to get some fluid.  Of course at the ramp after they fill up the fluid will the boat start?  Of course not!

So now it is off to the battery store.  Not sure if it was just the starting battery or the trolling motor’s too, but the batteries are around 4 years old.  They finally come and meet us a while later, with 3 new batteries and a working steering.

Lesson number 2, selling your boat to a good friend is always a little sketchy.  Heck I would probably not buy a boat from me.  I learned a lesson when selling a Champion to a friend and the hull ended up being cracked.  Good thing we were friends with the owner of Champion.

But in this case their troubles is really a lesson in boat ownership.  So lesson number 3.  Often the real cost of owning a fishing boat is batteries, cables, oil, trailer lights, you know the drill.  (Almost forgot when I walked up with anonymous owner to get some cables a brand new LED trailer light has broken off the trailer and is just hanging there.  The hits just keep on coming!) In this case the boat is fine and none of what happens has squat to do with the engine or the hull.  It is the accessories we all struggle with if you have owned a boat or two.  Case in point.  Last year and a half I bought a new trailer, 2 graphs, gel batteries, a new trolling motor, and had some upholstery recovered.  The hits just kept on coming.

Lesson number 4.  Do not have your friends all there when you sell a boat.  As their morning progressed so did the amount of good natured crap we gave them.  Neither the seller or the buyer was spared our pithy comments. There has never been a greater example of the joys of boat ownership.  But it was all in good fun and was definitely the highlight of the day.  At least on our end!

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Just got some of the new Knockin Tail Lures in a multitude of colors and they look fabulous.  So click on the link and take a look.  Heck pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served.  And now I don’t have to hide them when I catch a fish! 

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I have fished Travis once in the past, this time I was meeting Ro for a night of camping and fishing, and some of the rest of the boys were coming on Saturday to fish.  Ro and I met up at Pace Bend Park to get a camping spot and then on the water.  I did not realize it was primitive camping with no electric.  (The problem, no coffee the next morning.  Hard on a coffee addict.)   So we pick a spot and are on the water by 11:00.

The water temp is around 50 degrees, the water is clear, and there is not a breath of wind with a mile high sky.  When you add the cold front they just had it added up to some tough conditions.  Ro has basically grown up fishing Travis so we started in his favorite area.  And it was slow, with him boating one or two.  That bites were well over 15 foot deep, which turned out to be telling.  I threw jerk bait off and on both days without a bite, they were just not on the bank.

So we moved and he started catching them, I on the other hand can not get a bite.  He is fishing a brush hog on a heavy shaky style head, I am throwing a stick worm.  We ended up fishing 3 hours and while he caught 6 or so I have not boated a fish.  Time to do a little trolling.  We head up the river to the go to spring spot for whites and stripers  (The Boss had dibs on any striper.)  and do not catch a single white bass.  But the largemouth are jumping on, including a double, most from the bait running over 20 foot deep.  We finally decided to spend the last bit of light back on the bass.  My pea brain finally figured out my problem.  Ro is fishing the bait in almost a do nothing style.  Really slow and deep, but without abrupt hopping.  I had been hopping it to aggressively.  Basically they wanted it crawled.

Finally we hit a spot and put 5 in the boat real quick, and I get 3 of them in nothing flat.  Nothing to big, but Ro wants to release a few to the grease so in the end we kept 4.  If I had got with the program a little quicker it sure would have helped.  Then back to our camp on a bluff overlooking the lake as the sun sets.  A campfire, burgers on the grill, a clear sky full of stars, it is all good.

The next morning John joins us and we run right across from the ramp and fish a long deep cove.  Ro and I are doing ok, and now that I am working it properly I am doing my share.  We probably get 7 or 8, adding a few more keepers to the box.  The day started off clear and as the morning progressed it clouded up and the wind started blowing.  Instead of helping matters we maybe caught a couple on the next 3 places.  We decided to end the day, quitting time was 3:00, by trolling.  It was even slower than the day before, not a bite.  Whatever turned the fish off it just quit.  Which worked out fine as it was out quitting time.

Sorry there are no pictures but I was just having a good time and blew it off.  But if you saw a picture it would have shown nice fat bass.  While we had nothing over 2lbs, everyone we caught was stout.  They were fattened up for the spawn and had obviously been working the shad over.  Actually with the way they were biting, which was not very good, it was a good result.  Plus got to check in with David, Joey, John, and Ro.  I always enjoy fishing with them and this was nothing new.  And David, hope the batteries didn’t cost to much.  And Joey, welcome to boat ownership.  Did I say that?  Hope you all made it back to the ramp!

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I was interested in what Coleto had done the last few days after our rain and it looks like it has stabilized.  Hope that continues.

4 days ago  94.38 msl.   Today  94.39 msl.  (Looks like whatever rise we got has stabilized.)

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I would be on the water in the morning but duty calls.  Got my summons for jury duty and have to be at the courthouse at 8:30 in the morning.  Since I have retired I can honestly say I do not miss going to court.  And since generally attorneys do not make the panel, and if it is a criminal case, my chances of being on the jury are a big fat Zero.  So I will go and do whatever, then will get sent on my way for $35.00.  And I promise to waste every bit of it on tackle so there is that.

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My week is totally up in the air.  About the time I think there is no way I will end up on the jury it could happen.  And then it turns into a murder case and it takes 2 weeks.  But if not, I will be on the water Tuesday, rain or not.  And then the Boss and I are off to somewhere to do something.  Exactly what I could not tell you.  But as all good husbands know, yes honey.  I do know she will be off to visit her mom in a couple of weeks and I will definitely be off fishing somewhere.  Way past time to give the new Knockin’ Tail a serious go on the salt.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

It rained yesterday, basically all day, so I did not get on the water.  As we got over an inch it will be real interesting how the cool rain affects the bite on Coleto, but if I was guessing, and I am, it should slow things down.  Here is the current water level on the lake.

Today  94.38 msl.   Monday  94.21 msl.  (Last time we were at that level was December 15th.)

So the water is coming up  (I am happy about that!) and I am sure there is more to follow.  As it was in the mid 50’s all day I would expect the rain temp to be in the same category, or even cooler.  As far as water color that remains to be seen, but the couple of creeks close to the house were running right along.  Since I am prepping to head to Travis in the morning to fish a couple of days with Ro and David it will be Monday before I am back on the lake.  So while the cool rain may slow it down some we needed the rain and the lake definitely needs the water.

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Just got some of the new Knockin Tail Lures in a multitude of colors and they look fabulous.  So click on the link and take a look.  Heck pre-order some as it is going to be first come first served.  And now I don’t have to hide them when I catch a fish! 

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Ro is a good multi-species fisherman who catches them doing whatever it takes.  So I expect it will be everything from bass fishing to even some trolling.  Travis has good white bass fishing and stripers, and as we are staying on the upper end it could be a mixed bag.  As Travis is a lot like my old stomping grounds I will be swimming the Knockin’ Tail and adding a little jerk bait for starters.  But like all trips the most important thing is to keep an open mind.  And for me getting to fish out of someone else’s boat is always a pleasure.

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Save Our Waters – This is not off topic!

“the EPA’s proposal would end federal protection for half of the nation’s wetlands and 15% of streams across the country.”

When I was young we used to wade Big Creek north of town.  It had pools, riffles, grass, lily pads, and great bass fishing.  The wading was easy, the fish hungry, and it was a beautiful thing.  Hardwoods lined the creek with beautiful creek bottoms full of morel mushrooms every spring.  Then the unrestricted straightening of the creeks, the use of hard core pesticides, along with other factors, turned that creek, and many others, into a mud hole.  What a loss for those young fishermen on the way.

The governments new proposal to reduce the regulations on a large portion of the water in this country will do nothing but take us back.  As a fisherman, no matter your politics, you should be concerned.  Remember, every little creek or river ends up in our water supply or your fishing hole somewhere.  Sorry but I trust mining, big farming, and the oil folks as far as I can throw them.  But by the same token, as long as they are following the rules I have no complaint with them.  The problem is the rules.  This country has made tons of progress from the days the Detroit River used to catch on fire, but it has taken decades for things to improve.  Of course the current rules are not perfect or fair to everyone, but I will always be in favor of over protecting our waters.  Why in the world we would roll back any of that is beyond me.  If you love to fish, and you would prefer to not have lead or mercury in your drinking water, you should oppose these rule changes.

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Random past fish picture – My Belize Permit. One off the bucket list!

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https://captainexperiences.com/

I submitted my request to Captain Experiences for a redfish fly guide in Rockport.  Though I already made up my mind who to fish with I wanted to sign up to the service and see how the process works so I can let you all know.  And of course will continually follow up on the process and the results.  One thing that is for sure, I will never use Fishing Booker again, really shoddy.  And now that the reservation is going to be made it adds an April trip to what I am fondly calling Trip of the Month Club.

And speaking of that, my trip to Travis fills in the January Trip of the Month.  February will be Baffin or Falcon, or both.  Stay tuned.

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Time for a jig head rant.  Stopped by Cabela’s the other day to pick up a few things, jig heads being one of them.  Needed some light screw locks for bay fishing, and a few old style ball heads to use on the Knockin’ Tail for freshwater.  I will be using it some on Travis the next couple of days.  But my complaint – man are they high.  When we downsized to go to Fort Worth for the Boss’s school I sold my hot pot and molds, really wish I had them now.  This $1 – 1.50 a jig head is killing me.  Hopefully when I get to Arkansas later this spring the little tackle store will still be open.  They poured me a 100 last trip for $30, and it was nice to pick out the specific hook I prefer.  This time I will have them pour multiple sizes and then I won’t have to bitch about how much they cost.

I did make one purchase that I have thought about buying for years, a line stripper.  I hand pulled the line off 7 reels the other day and realized for $12 I could get a tool that would do the job in nothing flat.  The Boss actually commented that she has been watching me strip reels for over 30 years and was surprised I did not have one.  So much cool fishing stuff it takes a whole room in the house to keep track of it all, and now one more thing added to the pile.

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Politics 

This is not a rant to start a discussion.  I have watched a little of the impeachment and it further reinforces one of my pet peeves about both sides, all sides, or any side.  Time for term limits, end of story.  Whether it is local dog catcher, or the US Senate, there needs to be a 2 term limit for anyone who runs for any public office, national or local.  And with that an end to retirement benefits that surpass anything you and I have.  Time for public service, not self service with out tax dollars.

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That will do it for now.  The next time you hear from me will be after a couple of days of fishing on Travis.  The weather looks great and nothing like a little camping with friends.  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

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

Weather

It was pretty nippy this morning  (Monday), clear and cool with a brisk north wind, not the perfect fishing day by any stretch.  So I laid up and waited until later in the morning before heading out.  It will be interesting to see what the affects of the last few cool nights will have on the fish and the water temp.

Hail.  Hail.  The gangs all here.

64/40.  Intervals of clouds and sun with a 0% chance of rain.  Wind NE 5 – 15 mph.

Lake level

Friday   94.19 msl.  Today 94.21 msl.  (Holding steady the last 5 or 6 days.)

Prime Periods

Minor 2:25 pm to 3:25 pm  (Only relevant time today.)

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Just got some of the new Knockin Tail Lures in a multitude of colors and they look fabulous.  Full production soon.  So click on the link and take a look.  And now I don’t have to hide them when I catch a fish! 

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

The wind was blowing right out of the north at a good 15mph when I dropped in at 11:00.  What little the lake has come up was obvious at the pier, but the color was not near as good as it was Friday.  But the big thing, the water temp was down 5 degree at the ramp.  And for the rest of the afternoon that would be the best of it.

As I headed up lake the water temp stayed around 65, a big drop.  So I decided to head right to where they were and cut to the chase.  How much did it drop?  What is the color like?  And will they bite?  Lots, crap, yes, sort of.

A lot tougher but still managed to catch a couple of good ones.

Idling in the cove it stayed 65, where it has been 70 degrees, and it was murky, not the best combination.  But it was not a complete bust, I boated 6 but they were definitely smaller than they have been.  But the interesting thing?  There were no fish near as far back in the coves like they were.  The problem was the temp dropped to 63, so they moved back out some.  A 7 degree drop with color is usually not happening in the back ends.

Whether slow rolling the swim jig or pitching the plastic, the fish are still tight to cover.  But as an example the cover I caught 6 out of produced one today and I missed one.  Looking at the weather it is going to stay like this, with a big rain Wednesday, then sunny Friday and Saturday when I will be fishing Travis.  I think tomorrow I will clean the boat, it really needs it, and while I am at it do a little screw tightening, a never ending project when you use a boat this much.

I always catch a couple every spring.  This one was a beast.

After fishing some of the uplake stuff I tried 2 other coves without a bite.  Next up was the deep channel banks down lake.  I had one of the new Knockin’ Tail Lures in a green with red flake on the spinning tod, not sure what color he is calling that, so thought I would give it a go.  The second bite was a really nice bass, which I tried to boat flip without success.  So still thinking about messing that up when I get another bite, and it was the tilapia above.  I really thought I was in business.

Swimming the Knockin’ Tail ended up producing 4 or 5 total, and though most were small they were smacking it.  I am not all that much of a swim bait guy in fresh water but that will change.  Made me so excited for Arkansas, with smallmouth, largemouth, white, stripers, crappie, and walleye, all legitimate options, the Knockin’ Tail is going to put fish in the boat.  That bait catches fish, and it is nice a firm, so when on a screw lock jig head it lasts, which is a real bonus.

So while the fishing was slow, I boated around 15, but the real the point was to see how things have changed, and they have.  Actually I am glad it slowed it down, no need to hurry what is coming no matter what next month.  And it just might keep the fishing a little better until we are in full on spring.  Plus, with the forecast for up to an 1″ plus of rain Wednesday maybe we can have a nice steady raise and not that frog strangling cold bit killer.

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Over the last few years the Saturday morning ritual usually involves me watching fishing, just like I did today.  The Boss has joined in for a little different reason, I like the fish, she likes the destinations.  And once they say where they are she starts her research.  This has led to several trips in the past, and our next big one to Africa is a perfect example, and she is currently looking at Alaska.  When you are a fisherman, and your spouse really isn’t, the fact that fishing can take place in the most beautiful places in the world works out just fine for everyone.

What got me started on that is Bill Dance was brown trout fishing on the White River and it brought back some good memories.  It was January, cold, and the water was high.  They were drifting and throwing Smithwick Rogues to post spawn brown trout.  Me and some of my buddies had a roll in developing and spreading that technique on the White.  When the Rogue first appeared we were all over it and smoked the bass on Bull Shoals and Norfork.  So why not take it to the river and catch browns and rainbows?  It worked.  It was amazing seeing a nice brown materialize and absolutely attack the Rogue.  Big fun.

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Speaking of travel we just made our reservations for a week late July in Colorado.  It might be one of those the Boss flies in, and I stay longer and fish more.  The place we often stay has a deal going for returning customers.  The place is run by some folks  (You know, those Austin cool kids.), it, and the customers, are eclectic to say the least.  We stayed there right after they first opened and several times since.  Now I may be back there way sooner than that, but this adds another destination to the Trip of the Month Club.  The calendar is already starting to fill up.

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That will do it for today.  We are now in that early spring weather pattern which can be unpredictable but the fishing finally seems to be straightening up some one the lake.  Not sure exactly how the rest of this week will go, but there is going to be fishing for sure.  And then after I get my fill of the lake and some bass it is time to start working on the bay.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines