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.

This ladies and gentlemen is a real gator.

Weather

44/63.   Sunny to partly cloudy with a 3% chance of rain.  Wind ENE 5 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today 94.34 msl.  Wednesday 94.36 msl.  (Hanging in there.)

Bite Times

Minor  10:59 am to 11:59 am.  (Only time when I will be out there.

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 They will be available soon.  The Knockin’ Tail catches fish.  

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The ospreys were out and about and I did see an eagle.

It was almost 11:00 when the temp finally hit 50 and so off to the lake.  There was no doubt it would be tougher, and it was.  Still ok on the numbers today considering I only fished 5 1/2 hours today.  Part of the reason for fishing today was the skiff needed to be run.  This is the first time in 3 months, it just might be time to sell it as I hate to see it sit.  But of course as soon as I do the other boat will end up in the shop for a month.  Part of boat ownership.  And while I was at it I forgot the book on the new locator and so there is work to be done with that.  I have my moments with new electronics, but remember I am the guy without an iPhone.

This is becoming a regular thing.

With no water temp gauge not sure what it was, but it was cold today.  And combined with the bluebird sky and the cool nip with the north wind I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but I new it would be slower.  It was, but 6 or so jumped on the swim jig in the first place and a couple did the craw stealing thing.  And the lone catfish came next to brush on the swim jig.  I will give cats one thing, when they hit a swim jig they smack it. Though I caught a couple of bass pitching the Pit Boss, they were definitely the smalls for today.

The biggest bass for the afternoon.

Some of the coves had a little color and that was were the bites tended to come.  Even on a cooler day the water with a little color will tend to warm better with the sun on it than the clear stuff.  Later I switched to the Knockin’ Tail in a green color and it worked slow rolling.  It was the better choice in the clearer water down lake and the first 5 or 6 cooperated, but they were small.  Those were in the back of a couple of coves and the first crappie came from the very back in about 2 foot of water.  Then right before I quit another jumped on the Knockin’ Tail in a pocket with brush, again shallow.

If you like crappie they are biting.  The back ends of flatter coves and scattered brush is holding them.  That is where they are right now and they are catchable.   Just take a 1/16th crappie jig, or a roadrunner, and toss it in those places and keep after it and you just might clobber them.  You will lose a few jigs and sure will catch a lot of small bass.

And I did have one of those “God Will Get You For That” or Karma moments,  you call it.  After catching 5 or 6 on the Knockin’ Tail I was thinking how good they hit it, they eat it and stay hooked up.  A couple of casts later the best bass of the day smacks it, jumps and comes off.  Then 2 or 3 casts later the same thing.  That will teach me not count my fish before they  are caught.

Not a bad afternoon considering.  The skiff ran great, it was a good reminder why I have kept it all these years.  It is about as hardcore of a fishing machine as there is.  No frills, not pretty, but from tarpon to crappie, it has caught them all.    And one last word on the fishing, it is about to be full on spring bite, it will not get much better than that.

This guy has a way to go before being a “real” gator.  And you usually see the small guys on logs and rarely on the shoreline.  It is a dangerous world out there.

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Would You Like A Little Cancer With That Filet-of-Fish

Our waters are headed to crisis.

Good Morning Doug
Read this. Are we killing our self’s? I had no ideal it was this far reaching. Keep writing and i’ll keep reading.
Steve
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/general-rules-regulations/fish-consumption-bans-and-advisories

I have been worried about our water for a while.  How a “fisherman” can read this list and then support the current efforts to roll back environmental protections on our waters is hard for me to understand.  As I have written  in the recent past, time for harsh penalties for folks who defile our waters.  And jail needs to be a viable penalty for intentionally dumping chemicals and other harmful junk.  Fines help, but obviously they do not deter squat.  All you have to do is read this list.  And finally, not sure who is responsible for enforcement in the state but obviously we are not getting our monies worth as they let it happen again and again.  As usual, follow the money.  And yes, we just might be killing ourselves.  Thanks for the link, if anyone needs any more reason to be concerned this would be it.

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I am really considering where this blog goes from here.  As I spend more time doing exactly what I like to do in the fishing realm I know it  can become stale for not only you the reader, but also for me at times.  The time and effort, not to mention the bucks, start to reach the point of diminishing return.  Lately there has been some soul searching going on here.  I find myself at times fishing for the “blog”, trying to catch them on this bait or that, this way or that, this place or that, all the while spending the big bucks in an effort to keep it interesting for you.  Not the “real” reason I fish.

I have been fortunate enough to fish some of the greatest place in this world, and that practice will continue of course.  The plan was always to retire and fish like a madman as long as I can, and so far that is what has happened thanks to my lovely wife.  But things change, they always do, and I find myself wondering if all the work and money on the blog is worth it.  I so appreciate those of you who have stuck with me all these years, you have kept me writing when I was tired or just not feeling it.  It gets hard to fish all day, then come home and mess with photos and write something interesting when at times I just want to put my feet up, drink a beer, and watch senseless tv.

Lately I have been thinking about just what I am doing or accomplishing.  As an example I have been in contact with a hard bait company interested in working something out, but I am just not sure I am up to it.  Guess what it all boils down to is I need a break.  Not from the fishing, that will never change, but from the blog side and all that comes with that part of this endeavor.  Who knows, maybe this is just a passing malaise.  It does happen occasionally.  But it is now 10:00 am and time to hitch up and head to the lake, and of course the above report followed.  But no matter what happens I can not thank you all enough.

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Enjoying the sun.  In the little farther north climates turtles are a sure sign the fish are biting.

I am taking the Boss to the airport tomorrow so she can fly to Iowa and visit her mom for a few days.  And then being free I will head to the strip club, drink whiskey, and drive her car 100 mph.  Oh wait, I never drink whiskey and have not darkened the door of a strip club in 30 years, but no promises on the car!  What I will really do this weekend is  rewire the running lights on the skiff, watch the Daytona 500, and read a good book.  Not to exciting but it will do just fine until back on the water next week.  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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It is 44 degrees this morning and raining off and on.  On the radar is huge bands of rain with much of it skirting the Victoria area,  The wind is 10 mph out of the NNE and it could not be called pleasant.  So though it is less than optimal as soon as I get off my ass I will be heading to the lake.  The little front will be passing today and into tomorrow, then a couple of cool days before the warmer weather returns.  Be that as it may I intend to drop it in the water by 9:00.  Just have to see how it goes.

Weather

44/61.   Clouds with a 70% chance of rain.  Wind NW 10 – 25 mph.

Lake Level

Monday  94.34 msl,  Today 94.36 msl.  (Hanging in there.)

Bite Times

Major  3:57 pm to 5:57 pm.  Minor  9:42 am to 10:42 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.  

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The water temp was 60 – 61 (Coolest in the plant arm.) more or less all over the lake.  The wind was out of the north and you could see your breath when I dropped it in at 9:30.  Real pleasant.  First up was the long channel bank in the plant arm.  The color was marginal, and it varied right around 60 degrees.  I fished a long stretch and other than a couple bites on the swim jig not much was happening.  When I got to the end where the big point sits right on the channel turns the first bite, but it just pulled a claw off the jig.  Like it was Monday, early the  bite was slow with lots of nibbling.  Bumping, ticking, pulling, none of it with gusto.

I sat way off the point and started catching them.  In fact, 6 or 7 which is a good thing, for 5 years from now.  They were really small.  A couple came on the stick worm, and then what has become a daily thing, a crappie.  And while we are at it lets just get the wacky stuff out of the way and add the catfish caught later on a jerk bait.

Just wanted to show you that the other fish are biting when you catch them on bass stuff.  Crazy!

If you want crappie now is the time.  They are shallow around brush, and if they are eating the 5″ stick worm they are up.  Not sure if they have spawned, are spawning, or just about to, but now is the time.  I have caught them in 4 different places right now, a good indication the spawn is on.

I am trying to fish at least a couple of new places everyday, which works some days, and like today, not so much.  But before giving it up in the plant arm a good 10 jumped on, but they were crazy small.  So time to head up to the area where I have been catching them.  On the way I decided to stop by the discharge to take a temp as the last time I went by that cove there was no change in the temp on the main lake.  There was basically no water coming through the discharge and the water temp was only 60.  Not sure why that is as I assume the plant is running with the  cold temps.  I made a few casts, caught a couple of small ones and headed on up.

The first good bite of the day off a big stump.

With the water temp now down from a high of 70 in the better coves down to 60 they were a little further out in the coves and actually more bunched up.  The first bite was off a big hardwood tree, right where a good one would make a nest.  Who knows, I am still not seeing any beds but that does not mean much.  Areas with no wind and cover was the place to be mid day.  The swim jig kept catching them, there sure is lots of boys waiting on the big girls right now.

There is plenty of this size around.

Like it has been, alternating between the swim jig and the stick worm was the way to go.  The jerk bait produced a catfish and no other bites though I gave it a go.  Around 4:00 the wind died and it looked like clearing was on the way.  There was the occasional shad flip so time to concentrate on what I learned earlier.  Which was they were not on the reel brushy stuff.  A good hardwood with little stuff on it seemed to be better.

That will work!

Switching to the Pit Boss I started pitching to the big wood and lost a good one.  The next piece the one above thumped it and immediately went around the stump.  But I managed to wait her out and get the boat around it and in she came.  Definitely the best one I have caught in a while.  There just happened to be a couple of similar hardwoods close so I hit 4  or 5.

On one of them I thought I was hung.  In fact I just kept reeling figuring it was a piece of cover, but unfortunately it was a fish.  A really big fish.  She did not fight, swim, twitch, nothing, just let me reel her right to the boat.   Of course no real hook set, I mean, it was wood.  She took one look at the boat, I was frozen like a rookie when I saw her, and she pulled off.  That was right after the one above.  The day finished  with a couple more of the usual size off the big wood and I called it a day.

It was an interesting day. Everything is up and eating, easy to see that with the random number of crappie and catfish adding to each day.  The deer and the hogs were moving around, but the cool weather had the gators buried up.  It was not pleasant by any means and never got comfortable with the drizzle and north wind.  But the numbers are still there, lots and lots of smaller bass, a good thing for times to come.  And if you can just put it in the right place a real bite is possible.

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I forgot to tell you something about Monday .  I boat flipped a white bass and when he hit the deck the Rapala popped out and like a rocket buried in my finger.  “Thunk.”  At least when it did it was so fast it ripped a little bit and made it easy to just back it out.  No harm no foul as I had an antibiotic wipe and bandaid.  My only comment, that is the 3rd time in a couple of years, after never really being stuck for decades.  It is hell getting old.

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It is a small world!

It is amazing what you find on Facebook.  While going through messages I guess I missed there was one from Wendell sent in June of last year.  (Shows how on the ball with this internet thing I am.)   Wendell was asking if I remembered him?  So time for a story.

In January of ???? this young guy  (My age probably.)  comes in my tackle store (Or met him at the dock, it was a long time ago.) and tells me this fantastic story about the giant walleyes he is catching on a river outside Pocahontas Arkansas.  Sure…..  Now this is a whopper!  His last trip I believe he said his best 6 went 72 pounds!  So of course  I am just a little bit skeptical, I mean come on.  So I ask him to take me.

My biggest to that point – It went 7 1/2.  (Nice aviators dude.)

We met in Pocahontas and headed to some little ass ramp in the middle of a corn field and put in on the river, wish I could remember which one.  It was small with lots of timber in the water.  Until that point I did not know that there was a native strain of walleye in those rivers and they get big, real big.

Basically using a 3/4 ounce hair jig with a fine wire hook, we drifted down river.  Being full of snags the fine wire allowed you to straighten the hook out or you would have needed dozens of jigs.  Before we quit we boated 5 with mine being the biggest.  At that time it was my biggest ever.  While it may not have been a real giant, it was clear he knew exactly what he was talking about.  If I remember right I promised to not tell anyone about where, and I never did, but I sure shared that story without the particulars.  Now I am to dam old to remember where!  It was really something different and a great trip that I have never forgotten to this day.  I knew exactly who it was when I read the message.

It was good to hear from him and of all things he is living in Midway Arkansas, right near Bull Shoals.  He is having a health problem but I will be sure to stop in and see him, and maybe we can get on the water for a few hours, or at least visit.  So thanks for the memory Wendell, I did not forget and will see you soon.

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It has really become weather watching time.  The dude at Falcon Lake Tackle has a blog, which is rather entertaining at times, on which he posts pictures.  Well the big fish are showing up now, I mean the 10’s, and the ones in the pictures have not spawned. According to him none have really gotten after the spawn yet this year so it might be about to get Falcon good.  Really hope I can make it, but lots of crap on the schedule right now.  But man those were some big fish.  I went the week after the Houston Fishing Show last year and did ok, but I will be in Arkansas then.  So much water, so little time.

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Even with the weather it is hard not to go to the lake right now.  Tough conditions but sticking with it gets you bit at some point.  A guy I met at the ramp, one of 3 of out today caught a 7 3/4 his last trip.  So the bite is on and I can not wait to get back out there.  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 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”

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

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.

********************* 

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”

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

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. 

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. 

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. 

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

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.

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

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