FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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It does not get any better than this!

Silence.  Except for the occasional car it was quiet, the kind of quiet if it has been awhile you forget how nice it is.  Every rustle of the tree and grass, birds, far off sounds in the woods, it was great.  And basically there is nobody here, South Fork is dead as a mackeral, and it does not get any better than that for a visiting fisherman.

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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My first brown trout on a fly and I did it all by myself like a big boy!

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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When I headed to the river the sun was out and it was 32 degrees.  There are 4 or 5 public access spots along the South Fork River on the way to Creede.  I have been by there several times and always wanted to fish them so this was it, and the weather could not have been any better.  In fact, I wore my insulated waders, tomorrow it will be the Simms.  The water is not that deep and combined with the air temp don’t need the heavy waders.  Hard to describe how nice it was today.

Now remember that I am no fly fisherman, not even close, but the whole idea was to see it I could actually catch a fish by myself.  I got lucky and picked the right access.  So I waded in and with my superior skill, or lack thereof, I managed to miss the first several.  The fly shop put me on a couple of flies that looked like a hopper/bug/ something or other, and I had one try to jerk the rod out of my hands and I missed him.  Then I managed to catch a bush behind me and lost it.  And later managed to lose the other one.  The learning curve on this fly fishing thing is big, Hell, I can barely see the 5X tippet to tie it.

The Rooster Tail did some damage.

Then I had a couple of midges so I rigged 2 of them with an indicator and finally landed the first brown above.  Mission accomplished.  Of course then I snagged them up and lost them, so no I have no more flies, big rookie mistake.  But as a back up I had the light action spinning rod in the truck with some Rooster Tails, my old go to bait on the White River.  The fish were in a deep run and with a perfect cast one would jump it.  But after catching a couple and missing a couple it was time for a move.

I headed to the next 2 accesses just to see what it available for tomorrow and not a bite.  The river is low and they just were not on the shallow stuff, but I wanted to be sure that there was not another place, I did not find one.  It was funny how they just were not in shallower water where normally I would catch them on the White River.  But this is a different deal.  So with the sun behind the mountain I called it a good day.

The road goes on forever and the party never ends!

So I give the day an A+.  I managed to catch a fish on a fly and withouut me losing my baits it would have been a few more.  The air temp topped out at 66 and the day could not be any more perfect.  The stage is set for what could be a good day tomorrow, I definitely know where I am not fishing tomorrow.  And a trip to the tackle store has taken care of the not enough baits thing.  (Rookie mistake.)  Now I know why the fly guys have a box full, and when you combine it with my inexperience, I may need them.  Can’t wait to get to Estes Park with the Boss.  Another day of fishing and some serious animal viewing.   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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Getting ready for any trip is part of the anticipation.  Getting organized, making plans, trying to figure it out, all play a role in fishing travel.  Not really having a clue exactly what is on tap the first couple of days, at least I drove by that river last time out and there are plenty of access points with lots of people fishing.  So with the tackle store next door I can have them set me up with the leaders and flies I need at this time of year.  Most stores I have patronized on trips are pretty helpful when you buy stuff, and why not get it there so it is the best lure for that time and place.  Then just fill me in on the general water stuff and access and I can maybe figure it out for myself.  That approach has worked for me from Canada to Key West and when it all comes together it is a great feeling having done it blind.  There is always a little feeling of apprehension when heading somewhere new and doing something out of my comfort zone.  But that is what doing stuff like this is all about.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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Random fish picture.  That really was a big one!

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I got this comment from SA Joe concerning the article on Skull Creek

Doug,
Read that article about the creek…For more than two months, the waters of Skull Creek have flowed black, its surface covered in an iridescent sheen. April 10 said that water samples collected in the creek registered elevated levels of hazardous chemicals associated with oil and gas waste, including xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene. Toluene, a solvent present in paint thinners, glues and nail polish remover, and xylene, another solvent, are both dangerous to inhale.

Wow, that really shows they dont give a shit about Texas or the waters. But manage to crack on kayakers and such for just getting into a stream and deciding what is navigable waters. But never go get the polluters. UGH !!!!!

I read it and was disgusted, why I posted it.  The bigger point, there is a chemical plant up stream and of course “it is not us” .  Nonsense.  All that did not miraculously appear out of nowhere.  And your point about going after kayakers is a perfect example of the point I continue to make, enforcing the small stuff and letting the big boys off the hook.  You take one fish, fine, potential loss of privileges, and maybe confiscation of your equipment.  But polluters on the other hand kill thousands of fish, no response from TPWD.  (I am aware other agencies respond in many ways, but what does that have to do with the fish?) That an event like Skull Creek happens and TPWD is not there assessing damages on day 1, and then considering potential penalties and corrective actions for the loss of fish, says a lot.  And one last word, the time to criminally prosecute anyone who knowingly/intentionally pollutes, including corporate officers, has come.  Quit letting them off the hook.  As I continue to say, follow the money.

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And Matt sent this along Wednesday, and he got it exactly right, you can tell he knows his winter fishing.

You should be fishing today in the river, barge canal or a turning basin somewhere. The weather is perfect for it.

You are spot on.  Some of my best winter trout action has come in the turning basin in this very weather, and of course the river or creek is a great fall back no matter the weather this time of year.  But a “problem” reared it’s head yesterday so no fishing for me.  We looked at the weather out west, it looks amazing, so the frenzy began.  My living room is now covered in all the cold weather gear, fishing gear, totes, bags, and now clothes.  When packing for an extended trip which will include everything from 60 degrees to 0 with tons of snow there is no such thing as to much stuff.  Today totes get packed, then the Boss’s stuff so when she flies out later to join me she will not have to bring anything on the plane.  One of the advantages of being retired, when it is time to go I can just go.  So let the games begin!

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And Rusty is continuing to lay the smack down on them.

While you were on the lake Monday, retired Larry and myself came down to fish the creek before the Artic Blast hit. We got a late start (10:00) and I said we are going to quit at 2:00 hoping we would beat the storm. Started slow catching 9 fish before 12:00. all the boats around us left and we move up the creek and started catching one keeper after another. Ended up with 24 or so and left them biting. From 12-2 they wanted it fast, so Larry and I were giving them the “Shrimp Skitter Boogy” and they were slamming it. Wind and rain hit and it was a tough ride home to La Grange fighting the wind gusts, couple times I thought the boat and trailer was going to flip over. Have a great time in Colorado. I’ve started using my fly rod on the salt when the wind is not so bad. Safe travels.

Sounds like a great day.  One of things I really like about the creeks and rivers this time of year, keep it in the water and the bite will happen at some point.  Rarely a blank.  And the way the wind was blowing I am sure it was exciting on the way home.  Days like that I am happy not towing the Carolina Skiff.  The wind gets in that tub and it threatens to launch!

Leaving for Colorado shortly, plan on fishing 2 days near South Fork then pick up the Boss in Denver and off to Estes Park and a day of guided fishing on some private waters.  (She is already jealous and whining.  Just because I have a cool cabin on the river with a fireplace, and steps from the tackle store, she is acting like a big baby because she has to work.  Can’t blame her!) Want her to have every chance to catch fish, of course the ulterior motive is getting her hooked for good on fly fishing.  And hoping to see plenty of animals with the Elk down from the high country, topping off what will be a good trip.  Thanks for the report.

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More Internet Bragging From Florida – Or are you that stupid?

• Busted after posting a picture online of 6 cobia, including 2 undersized.  And as side benefit when the officer met the guy at the marina to give him a ticket a couple of additional knuckleheads were taking a picture of short fish at the bragging board.  A two-fer!
• Busted after intentionally hitting a buck with his vehicle, they had been doing this regularly, and then posting a picture online.

Folks just don’t get it.  Game and Fish officers are constantly checking social media in their areas and they have access to information which helps investigate and prosecute these cases.  Think before you post, the world is watching.

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And last this from my buddy Dan Oko.  One of the Austin Boys he is an accomplished writer and fisherman.

Trout Among Dragons

Talk about fishing adventure travel it does not get much better than this.  Hell, I was not sure where Bhutan even was until I Googled it!  We got to fish together for his article on the pursuit of boating a ShareLunker.  No simple task, we are talking about Falcon early this year.  No better place to chase a big one.

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All packed and ready to go in the morning.  If it is not in the truck I don’t need it.  It will be a hard day, around 800 miles, but at least some of it is in West Texas with a speed limit of 80 mph, amazing how many miles you can travel at 80.  I will stay at the same little motel near the border, then just an hour and a half and I am at the tackle store getting hooked up.  Looks like there is good internet where I will be the next week, they always say that, so hopefully I will be sending along some updates and wildlife pictures.  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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The wildlife was moving with the big front.

Lake Level

Today  94.81 msl.   Week Ago  94.92 msl.    (The lake is shrinking and at this rate the ramp will become an issue so be sure to not back in to far.)

Solunar Times

Major 11:34 am to 1:34 pm.   (So much for that projection.)

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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The conditions looked absolutely killer.  Cloudy and fairly calm right before a huge front was set to blow in around 4:00, it had real potential.  Not sure what better bass fishing weather you could want!  When I woke up I was feeling the last 3 days at POC.  My back, my shoulders, my arms, all sore from 3 hard days at it.  (Hell getting old!)  But it looked great outside so I loaded up and hit the lake around 8:30.  No way I was not going to take advantage of this.

The water level at the ramp clearly was down, the water temp was 71, and it was completely calm.  (The temp was a low of 65 up lake, the rest in the 74 range.)  Expectations were high, and that was the last good moment of the morning.  Starting up lake it was buzzbait first, and I might as well have been tossing a dirty sock, nothing.  So time for the Bang O Lure, I just received my new ones.  And for some strange reason they wanted no part of it, a really rare occurrence this time of year on the lake.  Unfortunately with my superior skill I managed to break the bill off a brand new one.  Good thing I bought 5.

At this point I am puzzled big time so I tossed the Pit Boss to cover, and other than 8 or 10 smalls all morning, not a good one came over the side.  Why there is no pictures?  When I say smalls I mean smalls!  It did have a similarity to the trout bite the other day, no conviction.  Of 15+ bites I only felt 1, and several others that might have been fish let go immediately.  From that point on I am completely puzzled.  Big front coming, great conditions, it just must be me.  So now it is hitting my “good” spots, and even those failed to produce except for the plastic.  But I soldiered on, mixing the buzzbait, Bang O Lure, and even the Controlled Descent Jerk Shad, with the Pit Boss, and no matter how much I wished and hoped, they would not chase anything.

Finally at 2:00 a light drizzle started but the fishing had not improved so I called it a day.  The timing turned out to be perfect as it started raining on the way to the house.  Then around an hour after I got home here it comes, and it was as advertised.  40mph plus, it dropped 30 degrees, really cold rain, it had it all.  As I write this they are saying an inch of snow is possible.  (Didn’t happen.) It seemed like fall/winter would never get here but after 2 big fronts this week it is official, welcome to winter.  (As I am headed to Colorado in a few days this is a little climate acclimation.)

It is funny but today’s results are one of the reasons I love the sport.  You just never know.  Some of the best days I ever had you would have thought there was no reason to float the boat, today should have been perfect.  And instead of dissuading me it just drives me to try to figure it out.  “Real’ fishermen take it in stride, days like today come with the territory. Getting pissed does not help.  If you looked up the definition of optimist fishermen would be listed.  So we keep casting and reeling, hope springs eternal.

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There were a couple of cool outdoor experiences today.  With the front on the way the really big gators were out.  Funny, but that is common on Coleto with a big weather change.  The really old ones have been alive for decades and they know the drill.  And as a side note I set up to take a picture of a whopper on the bank when he exploded in a massive swirl.  2 casts later right where he was I caught a small one.  That is the second time that has happened, in the past it was 2 on buzzbait, 1 on each side of a big gator.  Obviously they are not afraid.

Then as the front came closer the ducks were really flying and I saw several large bunches.  Of course deer were out and about, I saw the eagle, and at one point there was a hog squealing somewhere.  Not sure what was happening but someone was getting his butt kicked.  All made for a great day to be on the water.

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Water quality is the staff of life for fish, and consequently fishermen.  The threats are real, and as I have ranted before our paid state employees from multiple departments leave something to be desired.  Take the case of Skull Creek, which flows into the Colorado and then Matagorda Bay.  It is running “black” with a stench that will make you sick.  It is a mess and what irks me is that something should have been done immediately.  Not sure where the system broke down, but it did.  (Follow the money?)  At least the Attorney Generals Office has filed suit.  I will try to keep up and fill you in if I find the results.  No matter what the creek was still suffering and there is no excuse for that.  So read the following and see what you think.  We have to stay informed and vigilant.

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/17/texas-attorney-general-sues-inland-recylcling-and-remediation/

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I was hoping to get a day on the river with the flyrod before heading to Colorado, we will just have to wait and see how this weather plays out, and when I decide to leave.  It may be soon as the weather is really nice where we will ultimately be headed after the Boss joins me.  Just letting it play out, but no matter what some trout fishing is right around the corner.  As I have proven to be quite deficient in the flyfishing department hopefully I can redeem myself this go round.

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And You Have an iPhone Why?

And in the “what were you thinking department” the Coast Guard had to rescue 2 kayakers from an island in the middle of Copano Bay on Tuesday.  What were they thinking?  The wind was blowing 29 mph and it was 45 degrees with 1 – 3 foot seas and nasty.  Now I don’t get completely off the hook for bad weather choices, I have made a few, but there really is no reason for that in this day and age.  The weather was ugly enough I would have hesitated to take the boat out, much less a kayak.  So be sure to check the weather, that is what that fancy iPhone is for.  And be sure someone knows where you are going and when you plan on coming back.  Fishing in the winter can be awesome, and life threatening.

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Florida has proposed some serious changes to the speckled trout rules as off and on freezes and serious water quality issues have reduced populations.  As usual the guides are leading the charge against the changes, often without a real scientific basis for their objection.  (I get that, it is just fear for their livelyhood.)  Florida has separate zones, and in some areas they are talking a 15 – 19″ 3 fish limit with one over the slot per boat.  Additionally they are proposing not allowing the guide or crew to keep their limit, a practice that has gone by the wayside in most states years ago.  When I started guiding it was 10 bass with no length limit, and guess what – we had lots of small bass.  Over the decades I have seen the same fight in other places and in the long run the world did not end.  In fact, in most cases it only got better.  Take our coast and the initial opposition to the 5 fish limit not that long ago. Folks were screaming the sky is falling!  In spite of the changes folks kept coming, there are more guides working the coast than ever, and our fish are bigger as a rule.  (Plus nothing liked the reduced pressure of getting your customers 5 instead of 10.) And one rule that surprised me is that they still take speckled trout commercially and they want to reduce it to 50.  That one is a no brainer – stop it.  Change is tough but in the long run anything that preserves the fish is all right by me.

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TPWD Game Warden Notes

The internet strikes again.  Another pea brain posted a picture of an illegally taken teal online.  The wardens then looked her up, and though she had a license she did not have the required hunter education.  Before it was over both her and her husband ended up getting tickets for illegally taking ducks.  Remember look before you hit post, they are watching.

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And one last comment – Arkansas Football.  They just fired the coach, who’s contract has a $10.1 million buyout.  They are currently paying the last coach an $11 million dollar buyout.  So here we are, owing $21 million, we have no coach, and recruiting starts in a couple of weeks.  I just said to the Boss – the clock is ticking.  Well no it is not.  When you are already dead the clock is irrelevant.  They need a complete change of staff and culture from top to bottom to try to break the cycle.  Then hire a new coach and set a “real” plan, 5 years give or take, and then see what he can do.  Whatever, or whoever, has had input on the coaching decision at Arkansas is not getting the job done.  (I am being nice here.)

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The weather is marginal so not sure when I will fish again before Colorado.  Finally made a decision on where and how, so the packing starts tomorrow.  I am going out early as the weather is awesome there the next week and if it all goes as planned it will be knee deep in some stream somewhere.  Then later Estes Park and a guided trout trip with the Boss.  So let the fishing begin.  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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It just does not get any better than this!

It is interesting to me that when I get the pleasure of fishing with a group I call the Austin Boys it really is like a “fishing trip” to me, even though we are fishing my home waters.  I don’t post or keep track of much, take few photos, and actually fish and have a great time, and this trip was no different.  In fact most of the pictures on this post are from the guys.  I really did slack off and enjoyed every minute of it.

Of course the weather held up its end of the bargain by giving us the wheel of conditions.  Thursday morning had us heading to Greens’s Bayou for some wading.  With the big cold front coming in the afternoon we decided to only fish until around 2:00, then head back to Barroom for a wade if the weather would let us.

Fishing was not fast by any means, though all 6 of us caught fish, with Pete having the best morning.  A few fish were caught on topwater, but plastics ruled the day.  And with 6 of us fishing there was at least that many different baits being used, it was hard to tell what was working best. We had a big run of shorts, both trout and rat reds.  At one point 4 of the guys had a bunch of reds cornered with at least a triple.   They were definitely shallow and the big flats were bare of fish.  But as it was for me last trip, we were lucky if 1 out of 10 were keepers.  Just handle that by catching 30 and it all works out. But at least the action was good enough to keep it interesting and the boys got a nice bunch of filets to start the trip.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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Pete with a good stringer!

We headed back to POC early and on the way there was a little thunder coming, and we say one lightning flash.  We headed to our wade but the front was coming fast, the lightning app on Todd’s phone was lit up, so discretion being the better part of valor we called it an early day and headed to the house for crawfish pie.  Of course no day is perfect without a brain fart, and I had one.  John fished with me, and we had the rods standing up in the rod holders, which I never do, when I backed in under the house.  The only casualty was my $29 two piece rod which is a travel rod that for some reason I have been using.  It could have been a lot worse with 5 high dollar rods bent over, so we got lucky.

Crawfish Pie.  Todd’s cooking makes the trip!

That night was pigging out on Crawfish Pie.  I can barely describe how good it was. Todd is from Louisiana and a great cook who appears to actually enjoy feeding all of us, and his cooking never disappoints.  As a side note his breakfast casserole was a thing of beauty.  Then from around 4:00 that afternoon until 5:00 the next day it blew, and blew, and blew.  An easy 25+ it was humping along and raining pretty good, with a temp drop in the 30 degree range before it was over.  It was nasty.  So knowing the wind was going to blow we decided to head to the creek, at least we could hide.  Interesting that Ro and his crew with a couple boats got to their rental and then decided to go ahead and take a run at the bay Friday in spite of the wind.

John, Pete, and John.  Fish cleaning machines.  (Which I tell myself is the justification for me not helping,  I would just be in the way.)

The next morning we slept in a little and around 8:30 started getting our stuff together and headed out.  Pete and I were a little behind Todd and the boys when we crossed the back end of the Powderhorn.  Right by the bridge I glimpsed what I though was a reel that someone had thrown away after fishing there.  No big deal.  When we get to the river John comes up and says he lost 2 rods and reels out of the boat.  Unfortunately nice Shimanos and a Waterloo and some other nice rod.  Wish we had stopped but as we all know stuff happens.  The only redeeming quality of that event, John commented he only had one rod left.  And forever more will be known as One Rod John.  But that is a tough blow no matter how you shake it.

The fishing was ok, the wind really worked against us as it was howling out of the north all day.  We all caught fish again, with plenty of shorts providing constant action and some nice keepers.  We had some keeper reds and both boats caught rats.  The trout were good and it was an all plastic day.  (Side note: They are still eating a topwater on the Lavaca.)  Though not all were keepers I managed a river slam with a trout, red, flounder, and black drum.  Again everyone caught fish and we had a respectable total.  We basically drifted using the trolling motor to keep position as best we could, but the wind was still blowing right along.  At least it did not rain on us until we quit around 5:00.  So considering the conditions a productive pile.  The water temp was 63 to 65 and the color was good, we were worried about both of those, but the rain and front did not affect it much.

David.  There are some great days to be alive and we were lucky enough to share one of those on the water.

That night we went over to Ro’s where he cooked up an awesome Mexican supper, and there was German Chocolate cake and assorted cookies and a few adult beverages.  They reported a pretty good day considering, most caught on plastics, though I am not sure where but I believe they were drifting.  We headed back to the house hoping to have the best for last, and it happened.

The next morning the wind was still out of the north and the water temp had dropped as low as 58 after a 65 high on day 1.  Todd, and Ro’s bunch, joined a veritable flotilla that is Pringle Lake this time of years on the weekend.  David and I went to wade my favorite drain and it only took an hour to see that the 7 degree temp drop, the falling air temp, combined with a 15mph north wind blowing right in the drain, that they were just not having it.  So we discussed what to do next and I said time to go back to my old stomping grounds and boat fish.  That is something I never do with them as they are wading nuts.  David who is a bass fisherman was definitely down with the program.  It turned out to be a rip roaring success.

Last call as John puts one in the boat!

David and I headed to the oil cut and from that point on, then to Big Bayou, they bit, and bit, and bit.  It slicked off, the sun was bright and hot, and as the day wore on they got after it as the water warmed.  It was very interesting as we started to catch them they were really hinky.  They wanted to eat but were just a little stunned.  Barely pulling on it, bumping it, tugging a little, it took patience to hook them.  But as it warmed so did the bite with some of them absolutely jumping it.  We boated a bunch of rats and a couple of short reds, but the trout just kept on coming.  One of those days when it all comes together, and we lost count, real fun big or small, but a nice solid limit.  After Pringle the boys dropped Todd off, an LSU alumni who would not miss the game, which left him a happy camper.  The boys came over to Big Bayou and we finished out the day.  We sacked a bunch and with a great sunset in the background we called it a successful trip.  Nice trip when it gets a little better each day and ends with a bang.

It was either show you one of the dead fish pictures or these crazy animals would kill me!

The last night Ro and the boys came to our places for supper, Todd made awesome corn chowder, and they also had a really good day.  They actually stayed in Pringle all day drifting and caught them until they quit.  In our bunch Pete was the man this weekend, he caught them.  I did not fish all that well day 1, but got in the groove the next 2. Of course it was boat fishing, which I do admit I am pretty good at.  That is the bass fisherman in me, threw a lot of grubs on light line in my day.  All and all it was good to see those guys, who as a loose configuration I call the Austin Boys.  They fish hard, party hard, eat like kings, and it is always a great time.  And other than a couple of rod disasters nobody got hurt and no big shit got broke.  Always a good trip when that is all that happens.  As they do not get to fish as much as they like it was time sack a bunch of trout filets to feed their families and they got that job done.  Thanks guys for including me, hopefully we get to do it one more time before Christmas.

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And I got his comment from Lee.

Thanks for the reports Doug! Always appreciated!! I have hit a season of life where it’s just tough to get out with kids and three jobs, but I can always count on living vicariously through you.

Great timing on your comment.  I am humbled and have gotten that comment a few times in the past.  Not a byproduct of the blog I would have guessed when I started doing this.  But there may be no greater result from the blog than that.  In my earlier days with a job I too lived vicariously through TV and magazines to keep me sane until I could go.  And now as I get older my trips mean much more than just fishing.  Hanging out with the boys, being happy to just be on the water, the results are really nothing more than a pleasant side effect.  (Though it is still about results, it just becomes easier to deal with when they don’t happen.)  When the results are so important that they keep us from enjoying the simple pleasure of getting to be outside and fish, it is time to take a step back and look at why you fish.  Fishing is way more than a stringer.  Thanks f0r reading

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Of course nothing got washed on the boat for 3 days, and it got rained on a time or two so clean up was a job.  Everything out, power wash the boat, open bags and boxes to dry, clean clothes, it turned into a couple hour job.  Finally it is back in the garage and I can watch a little football and maybe take a snooze.

Next up I hope to get some fishing in tomorrow on the lake.  We have a “real” stretch of weather coming Monday afternoon when showers start.  Tuesday is supposed to not get above 48, blow up to 25mph then a freeze forecast that night down to 29. It will definitely take a couple of days to warm back up.  We are now in that weather pattern where cold fronts move though fairly regularly and this one will be another doozey in only 4 days days.  If life is good it will cloud up and blow in tomorrow late and I will be on the water hoping for a pre-front bite taking it out on the bass.  And that will be it as Colorado looms. No matter where I am the next couple of months it will have something to do with the water.  Winter fishing has been some of my most memorable days and time to take full advantage of it.

Of course I am sure I forgot something, but will update when I remember.   And there might be a few more pictures out there so will share them with you if they appear.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

That is all folks!  And thanks Pete for the great pictures!

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.

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

Just a few rambling thoughts as I am ready to go, as usual hours before I need to.

I heard from Michael, owner of Controlled Descent Lures, and he says the final mold for the new Knockin Tail Lure is off to production.  It has been interesting having minimal input in the process to really produce a new bait, and to get it into production is no small feat.  The design process alone is a hand full, much less the financial outlay.  But the new bait is coming and it will be a killer.  Whether salt or freshwater, it will have plenty of applications no matter what you chase.  So stay tuned and as soon as they are out I will let you know.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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Gary sent along this question, an easy one to answer.

Where do you put in when you fish the river, any security concerns? I really enjoy your reports

FM 616 between Vanderbilt and Lolita.  The ramp is under the bridge and basically safe but I have heard of a couple of breakins.  Simply keep things hidden in your vehicle and you shouldn’t have any trouble.  (I hope!)  But you know how ramps are, attract a certain type of character at times.  And thanks for commenting, enjoy hearing from new folks.

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And I heard from my buddy Clyde.

F(*&^% retired pork rinds !!!!!!!

He is just jealous reading the river report.  But hey, if I was living in the middle of nowhere in far north Iowa with pigs as far as the eye can see I would be jealous too.  We have fished together for over 50 years and I taught him everything he knows!  Plus anybody that uses a baitcaster upside down and reels backwards is a little off kilter anyway.  We made plans to meet in Arkansas on our old stomping grounds early spring.  One thing I do miss fishing Arkansas and the Twin Lakes is the variety.  It is common in the spring to catch crappie, 3 different bass, walleye, stripers, and whites, all in the same day.  Get the timing right and you never know what will jump on the Alabama Rig.  (And the new Knockin Tail will be the plastic of choice.)  When it is on it can be fantastic.  See you then greb.

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David sent along this comment concerning the Austin Boys get together this weekend.

Looking forward to it Doug!

You know I love fishing and hanging with you guys, always the best.  But apparently being a bunch of Austin hippie commie leftists brings with it the annual cold front with winds to 30mph and a couple of days of heavy rain.  Not sure how you guys manage it, but we will have another blow this weekend.  As usual we will make the best of it so see you  tomorrow.  (I just watched the weather – OMG – it is going to get ugly tomorrow afternoon and stay that way until Friday evening.  Shit!)

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I watch fishing on TV quite a bit and today one of my pet peeves reared it’s ugly head.  The host was fishing on private waters just loaded with fish.  Fine if you can afford it, but the place he was fishing today is $600 for a day package which includes 4 -5 hours of guided fishing with tackle.  Now I don’t know about you but that is nuts.  And apparently only those “cool kids” can use their own boat.  (Basically the show is nothing more than an advertisement and adds little to our fishing knowledge.)

You have heard it from me before, the changes over the years make our sport increasingly for folks with money.  My first boat was $1999, now a fancy power pole is close to that.  I worry about the kids coming up who’s family don’t have money and will never have the advantages some kids have.  I know that is life, but it makes me sad.  And I am starting to see some of these kids with their own line of clothes, etc.  Good for them, but how must some kids feel who would love to learn the sport but don’t know how or where to begin?  So if you know a kid from a single family home who might want to learn take them.  They are the future of our sport, not others who are simply motivated by money.

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And Tim and Jason from Wade Right have been fishing the salt with a specific color lure from Kden that they had special made.  It is the 4″ Blazin Shad.  Not sure what they call the color, but they are catching them right along.  You can find it on their website on page 2 of their products so check it out, it works.  Might even throw it some this weekend, depending on how much the weather lets us fish!

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

I picked up 4 Lew’s reels I had cleaned at Anglers Arsenal and as I said on Facebook they spin like a night of to much tequila.  So today I put new line on the bunch of them so they will be ready to go on Monday.  They are such nice folks and I try to patronize the as much as possible.  And now they have an online service and you can shop at home without getting out of the recliner.  So if you get a chance stop in and spend a couple of bucks, they are competitive.  And congratulations is in order with a new baby boy on the way in 2 days.  Boy am I glad to be done with that whole thing!

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Today was spent getting my stuff together.  One advantage of preparing for 3 long days is going over the boat from head to toe.  Airing tires, checking running lights, filling oil, checking trailer lights, basically a front to  back go over.  That type of go over should be done fairly regularly, keeps stuff working and reduces having to many problems arise on the water.  So it will be off to the bay early to meet the boys.  There is no telling how it will go but like I always say, you don’t know until you go.  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

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

Not going to get in any big hurry in the morning.  What I like about fishing the river or the creek is timing is not all that important.  Seems like they will bite all day a little more consistently on moving water.  And it will be fun to compare the tide times at POC with the conditions on the river.  It should be dropping a lot earlier, but you can put my tide knowledge on the end of your little finger.  A little Controlled Descent on the popping cork is the plan, and I might even throw the twitch bait some.  Love this time of year as it is usually a matter of fishing what you like and they will cooperate.  We shall see.  And it is always nice to take the skiff out, the perfect river rig.

Weather

66/83.  Low clouds and fog early with a 55% chance of showers.  Wind ENE 5 – 15 mph.

Tides 

High 2:07 am.  1.19   Low  3:15 pm  0.37   (I get the tides from the POC tide tables so it will be interesting to see how it is on the river.)

Solunar Times

Major  7:20 am to 9:20 am.  Minor  2:10 pm to 3:10 pm.  (I did not fish during either time, what makes the rivers what they are.)

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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All I have to say – Get Inhaled!

I know that God does not control the weather but today I have to give him credit, it was flat perfect!  It was a late start on purpose, no reason to hurry and it worked out just fine.  The river was high and slowly moving out and the color was perfect.  The wind was light and it made for an easy fishing day, just use the trolling motor to keep a cast length off the bank and drift down river.

A couple of nice ones.

Starting about 9:30 down river with the poppinig cork and the fake shrimp produced a bite right off the bat and it just continued from there.  Whether the popping cork, topwater, or plastics on a jig head, they were cooperating.  The fish on the topwater were smaller but they were knocking it in the air, blowing up on it, and just genereally being crazy.  It was nothing but fun and they just kept on biting.  So time to get serious.  Last winter they flat loved the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad in the white/chartreuse tail so I put it on both the popping cork and on a 1/8th jig head.  And it was game on.

They better ones were thumping it slow rolled.

It only took a little bit to learn that the popping cork definitely got a lot more bites, but they were not the quality I was looking for, as in keepers, though some keepers did jerk it under.  So time to slow roll the Paddle Shad at a nice steady pace, and when it was a bite it was a good one.  They were just plain thumping it.  Love that bite.

All were CPR’d today.  Just a small part of what came over the side today.

Before I quit at 1:30 a couple of easy limits jumped on, plus a bunch of small ones.  I am no trout snob, if I have to work though dozens to get a limit I am a happy camper.  I only fished 4 areas and they were biting everywhere I tried.  It seems that just putting down the trolling motor and never picking it up would be just fine.  The were no big reds today, though a good one missed the topwater, but I still boated 4 or 5 smalls

The best I could do on reds today.

There was one unusual happening when I caught a nice bass on the popping cork.  One thing about the river you never know what you might catch.  Last year it was a nice snook, today a bonus bass.  I always love me some bass.  Plus a small gator, bait everywhere, ospreys, ducks flying, the day had it all.  A day that makes me happy to be alive and enjoying just being outside, the fish were a bonus.

A bonus bass.  And a little gator taking a break.

It is nice when a plan comes together.  Though I caught on a few other things the plan was the Controlled Descent white Paddle Shad and it did its job like it did last winter.  I messed around trying other things just to see what would work, and most did.  But it was clear that if I had not done anything else but slow rolling the Paddle Shad it would have been a bigger killing.  And it was interesting how using a different smaller paddle tail they wanted it hopped off the bottom, but not the Paddle Shad.  Though catching fish for hours it is hard to imagine anything any better than my day.  The only downer today, I lost my lucky insulated cup.  I have carried that all over the US and Canada and finally lost it.  Guess I will steal the Boss’s for this weekend with the Austin Boys.

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Got this comment from Lacy and it says it all about this time of year.

Keep on chunkin.

Thanks for the comment and hope you will keep reading the blog.  Love hearing from new folks so if the mood strikes any of you send a comment along.  Good, bad, or indifferent, I love getting them all.  And on that note, my favorite – You used to be interesting.  Love it!  My second favorite, the time I made fun of Rudy and the guy said he would never read me again.  Well guess what?  Rudy is about to have a real bad day!  And Lacy, I promise to keep on chunkin’!

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And you can sure tell it is Austin Boys time!  Looks like day 1 will be fine, and then the inevitable front will make it’s way onto the coast for the last 2 days of their trip.  Not sure what it is about these guys but they sure do bring some crappy weather.  But at least if the wind really blows there is always the river.  It may not be perfect but at least it is not life threatening like a couple of hears ago!  They have some amazing luck.

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

There are some other great fishing reports.  My buddy Rusty and his friend put the serious hurt on them catching an easy 50 yesterday with plenty of 17″+, it will be interesting to see how it went for them today.  And Michael, the owner of the line of Controlled Descent Lures, has absolutely been wrecking the flounder with multiple limits on his last few trips.  And what did he catch them on?  His double rig that he hand ties and sells on the website.  The color?  Of course the white Paddle Shad.  It definitely is a great winter bait, and with the mullet run going on it is exactly what you need.  (Mullet, not just bait. As a side note, we bought some smoked mullet right off the smoker in Florida, and boy were they delicious!)

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So the beat goes on.  Tomorrow will be making sure all is good on the boat and tackle, getting ready for a serious 3 days of fishing, eating, and maybe an adult beverage or two.  I heard the menu and all my work outs will be compromised this weekend!  To freakin’ bad, it comes with the boys.  And next week will be  fishing and then some more fishing.  I know some of you get might get a little bored at times, but for me this is it, fall and winter fishing.  Lake, bay, or river, they are all on.  And being an “old man” you never know how long you have and for the next couple of months it will be fishing till I drop.  (So to speak!) And I can not tell you all enough how humbled I am that you have stuck with me the last 9 years, it is a labor of love.  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

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

We had a fun time in Florida, and it was worth the trip.  The place we were looking at is called The Villages.  A big retirement community of over 100,00 in central Florida it has a lot to offer retirees.  But the purpose of the visit was to see if it was for us, it isn’t.  One, we do not golf, and second, it was full of old people.  We are not ready to call it a life so the search continues.  No big hurry.

As far as fishing we visited both coasts and went by hundreds of bass lakes, many with not a boat on them.  So much water and except for the well known places there is a world of places to fish without the crazy pressure.  We did visit an area on the west coast that I will be fishing next fall.  Tarpon, reds, trout, all the southern fare.  And speaking with the guy at the dock late October is the time to be there.  It has a reasonable motel with cooking facilities, a bar, and a ramp with a place to leave the boat in the water.  What more could a guy need on a fishing trip?

With my tackle store addiction as we were driving through Crystal River we noticed a store and of course we stopped.   Sodium.  Salt, get it?  We stopped and they are great folks.  Picked up a few things including the requisite fishing shirt and let me tell you it was a big hit.  I wore it to an art fair and then the Stone Crab Festival and folks commented on it all day.  What does it say?

I like fishing and a maybe 2 people.

Love it!  Wish I had bought 2.  And if I had a dozen with me at the Stone Crab Festival I could have sold them in a minute.  It was a real hit all the way around.  And for some reason the ladies loved it.  I had 3 ask if they could be my friend.  It sure wasn’t because of my masculine persona!

The store also has C.A. Richardson as a new regular as he has moved to the area.  He is the star of Flats Class and a guide who I watch regularly.  Along with the store they also have a line of cool fishing clothes online.  Check them out.  And thanks for the tickets to the Stone Crab Festival, we loved it, I never knew how freakin’ good they are.

https://www.sodiumusa.com/

It is going to be a busy week around here.  Tomorrow Coleto, Tuesday the Lavaca, then Thursday through Sunday POC with the Austin Boys.  Let the fishing begin!

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Weather

66/82.  Mostly cloudy with slight chance of thunderstorms.  Wind ENE  5 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today  94.92 msl.     15 days ago  95.07 msl.  (The steady decline continues.)

Solunar Times

Major  6:45 am to 8:45 am.   Minor  1:50 pm to 2:50 pm.   (Please note these are only close, lots of minute variations out there.)

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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

It was cracking daylight when I dropped the boat in at the ramp.  The lake has really dropped.  It is a period where a small drop leads to really making the lake smaller.  The water is just about to the end of the piers, and if it continues at this rate it could be tougher to put in later without dropping off the end of the ramp, so be very careful.  There is a sign on the pier telling you how far the drop off is.

The water color has declined some, especially up both arms.  The further up each arm the murkier it gets.  The water temp was 64 first thing, as the day wore on most of the lake was 68 when I quit at 1:00.  And I continue to wonder why in the hell I look at the forecast.  It was for clouds, and other than a few light ones here and there it was sunny all day.  And the wind was almost non-existent until around noon, and then it was really light at best

Best I could muster out of a dozen or so.

Those conditions combined to really make it tough though I did catch 3 in the first 10 minutes.  I may bitch about the wind at times but no wind is probably worse, in fact usually is, than to windy.  At least when it is to windy they come a lot shallower and get quite a bit more aggressive.  So today all the fish I caught were on the Pit Boss, most coming really tight around cover.  I did have a little stress today as the Boss ordered a fresh fish fry for tonight so the pressure was on.  Funny how fishing a tournament is less stress than her order!  But with a plethora of small ones a couple to eat was no problem.

Whether it was topwater, crankbait, swim jig, buzzbait, or Bang O Lure, they were not having it.  I tried them all off and on but with no wind it left pitching the Pit Boss to wood as the best option.  Berkley claims they will hold on to it 18x longer and I believe them.  Over the last couple of weeks since I started using it I have slowed down after the bite, making sure they have it, then they tend to swim away with it.  The hook up ratio is definitely an improvement from other creature style baits I have used.  I picked it up at Anglers Arsenal and using a couple of colors has not seemed to be the difference.  Get it right next to cover and sooner or later you will get bit.

So the fishing for me remains the same.  They will bite, and there are fish in lots of places up lake and down, it is just hard to find that sweet spot.  But that will change as winter sets in and the water temp continues to drop.  Today was the last lake trip till the next week at the earliest.  Tomorrow it is off to the river to lay the smack down on the trout.  Should be fun!

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Basically the plant at Coleto is accused of polluting adjacent ground water.  Their response – No sir.  Seemed their defense was so what, it doesn’t hurt you.  So I am sure you would not mind it in your well.  Read it and you decide.

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/report-evidence-of-groundwater-contamination-at-coleto-creek-power-plant/article_c9001f84-fb4c-11e9-acf4-57486c2491d2.html

I will continue to comment on water quality issues, it is critical to the future of our sport and to the health and safety of our family and children.

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

And speaking of that issue let me make the following analogy.  Should you take even one fish over your limit, or a short, you will be ticketed and fined.  But when a polluter kills hundreds of fish in a river or stream apparently TPWD does nothing.  Imagine the fine and loss of your license if you killed/caught a couple of thousand fish.   And if you can show me a case where TPWD did anything specifically to a corporate fish killer please send it along.  I would love to be educated and would be more than happy to take it back.  And don’t give me that it is not in their purview or enforcement abilities.  Nonsense.  Try dropping a grenade in the lake and see what that gets you, it is the same thing.  Again, follow the money.

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That is it for today.  Tomorrow the river, Wednesday making sure all the boat “stuff” is good to go for POC and the Austin Boys.  And after this weekend it will be more fishing and more fishing until I head to Colorado for some animal watching and fly fishing.  As I repeatedly say – Winter fishing is my favorite time of year and I will be hard at at.  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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Talk about getting excited, I am in full mania for our trip to Colorado at the end of the November.  With the Boss very interested in fly fishing we are off on another great adventure.  We will be staying at a cool resort next to Estes Park and I can not wait.  Besides tons of animals, viewing and chasing them in the mountains has become one of our real joys, it has some of the best trout fishing in America.  Since the weather could be sketchy we have not made a specific reservation, but we will be fishing with a guide.

As part of that we bought our first freshwater fly combo, an Orvis outfit specifically for beginners, which we both are.  The trips we are looking at provide everything but I want her to have her own stuff to allow her to be consistent as she learns.  And part of introducing someone to any type of fishing is results, and our last trip with a guide sure peaked her interest.  If she continues to like it there will be many more trips to come.

We are looking at private waters known for consistent fishing, and also for big trout.  Over 25 years in Arkansas on the White and North Fork I have caught my share of rainbows and the occasional nice brown, but not fly fishing.  My few experiences make me nothing more than a rank amateur at best, so it is also nice to expand my fishing experience.  I have never wanted to be a one trick pony and this is just a natural progression.  Of course catching fish is the plan, but for me developing a hobby that we can share in our travels is the real goal.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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I heard from SA Joe after my guide encounter the other day.

Doug,
Did that guide work for a bigger company or himself? Can you report people like that?
ALways enjoy being anchored and someone blast past, even the no-wake zones at the boat ramp. Happened to me on caleveras here in san antonio yesterday. Dude came in moving some wake at the boat ramp, make all the boats bounce…UGHHH…

Not sure if he works for any particular company or fishing service, but trust me many do not give a crap about you.  This has happened to me so many times at POC I have lost count.  Guess I will start keeping the camera really ready to take a quick pic.  There is no excuse for this behavior and calling him an asshole is no disrespect to assholes, but his behavior reflects on all guides.

Time for a real licensing procedure for guide licenses instead of just a test.  Once the Coast Guard relinquished the test to private contractors things have gone downhill.  Think about it, you pay $1000 to take a private course, how long would they be in business if folks did not “pass” the test?  I would also suggest that all licensed guides should have their  license numbers clearly posted on the boat.  Like all things, if you have nothing to hide what is the problem?  Worried about the public knowing who you are, your objection to that is what?  My guess your complaint would be folks potlicking on “your” private spots on “your” water.  That is the very attitude that drives the problem.  I acknowledge the problem is real for guides, but it just comes with the territory, it always has and always will.

This type of behavior will end up leading to increasing regulation since the profession is unwilling to police itself.  But there are a few sensible regulations needed to protect the customers. Including inspection for all boats for hire, no matter the water, and flotation devices on all customers when on plane.  And before you get your panties in a wad I guided for 20 years on 2 major lakes and on one of the most famous trout waters in the world, so been there done that.  I feel very fortunate that my past behavior did not result in trouble.  If I were guiding today I would be happy to live under these rules, it would not only help the quality of the profession but would actually help protect guides from legal liability.

Trust me, sneaky attorneys will be looking for ways to make your life miserable when something happens.  Think about this for a minute.  Someone is hurt or killed on your boat and you are on the stand and the attorney asks the following questions:  You are a professional guide correct?  And your boat can run 70mph on the water, correct?  Are you aware you can roller skate on water at 60mph?  Sounds like it makes the water pretty hard doesn’t it?  (Remember they already have your read out of the RPM when the accident happened through discovery.)  And of course you know that all respected authorities on boating recommend that everyone on board wear a life jacket while operating?  So could you tell this jury why in your infinite wisdom you decided to flaunt this most basic life saving rule by running 60 mph with your paid customers and not having them wearing the most basic piece of life saving equipment?  Hell I just thought up that line of questioning in 5 minutes.  Imagine what he will do to you with 6 months to prepare.  It would be ugly.

Think it could not happen to you, or always happens to the other guy?  Well keep deluding yourself, shit does not just happen to that other guy.  When the Boss and I were paramedics we fished guys out of trees 20 foot up the bank, folks with hypothermia out of the river, seen a friend almost lose her legs when hit by a prop, and the list goes on.  Why you would not want to protect your clients, yourself, and your assets, is beyond me.  You want to be considered a professional, time to act like it.  The good old days of the crusty guide rowing a metal boat around are long gone.

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And to illustrate what you need to request when buying a high dollar used boat this is it.  And also what the attorney will request when you have an accident.  They will be looking for a pattern of operation.

Nothing lets you know what, and how, a boat has been used than this readout, which is available on any late model engine.  Along with the maintenance records you can make an intelligent decision when buying a used boat.  If they can not provide, or are unwilling, to provide this information run away.  It is your money.

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One of the things that increasingly concerns me is the declining water quality all over the country.  If your love fishing and are not concerned time to do a little learning.  So I will be blogging some about the problem, it is real.  And what happened recently in our area is a perfect example.  One of the local plants was found liable for dumping plastics into our bay.  Once found liable they were fined millions.  The problem with that, the money is a drop in the bucket to them.  Time to not only fine those who intentionally pollute, but to demand a complete clean up of the pollution no matter the cost.  And if it was intentional and knowing to criminally prosecute.  Think that is to harsh?  Look at it this way.  A septic company dumps a tank in your yard, then the company pays a fine to the state, and is told don’t do it again but does not require a complete and thorough clean up.  You would be ok with that?  Sure you would.  It is the same thing. And after I wrote this I found this post from Flip Pallot.

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Here is the words of one of the greatest saltwater anglers alive.  In fact the guy who stirred my saltwater fishing urge.  It still gives me chills to think about the intro to Walkers Cay Chronicles.  His post does not just apply to the Everglades but to water quality all over this country.  (And if you fish the salt and do not know who he is use that iPhone for something, he is the man.)

Flip Pallot Laments The Loss of The Everglades As We Know It.

HOW SAD WHAT THE MALPRACTICE BY OUR LEADERS HAS DONE TO NATURAL FLORIDA IN OUR LIFETIME AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY

My name is Flip Pallot and I write in response to having read your Miami Herald piece on python invasion…I was born and raised, as were my parents, in South Dade County. I grew up in the Everglades alongside many of its’ pioneers, or Gladesmen.

I knew the Glades intimately from Cape Sable to Alligator Alley…from west of Miami to the Gulf of Mexico…I ran airboats, polled canoes, Glade Skiffs, walked and waded the best part of my life through what was the most precious eco-system on the planet. The number of ducks, wading birds, deer, otters, hogs, bear, lions and other fur bearers was astounding and virtually remembered today by very few! The road from Florida City down through the Everglades National Park to the village of Flamingo, at the bottom of the State, was literally infested with deer, swamp rabbits, snakes, frogs, crawfish, gators, hawks, nesting turtles and crows…while the prairies on either side of the road were covered in vegetation which no longer exists. As far as the eye could see there were thousands of wading birds of every species…now all gone, their rookeries abandoned. Ride down that road for the next 100 mornings and you will not see a single deer or swamp rabbit and birds only where a very few puddles of water exist.

It’s mostly gone now, never to be restored, which has nothing at all to do with wild hog invasions, python invasions or the “Skunk Ape”. Someone should have the “Stones” to look the problem in the eye and call it what it is rather than blame the python and hog for the death of the Everglades! It’s like saying : “My eyesight is getting really bad because of my hemorrhoids”.

What the loss of every single thing in the Everglades has in common is WATER!….The lack of it when and where needed and the quality of it when it is present, is the only issue. The fact that so much of the Everglades is closed and/or inaccessible to the people who care about it and would blow the whistle on real problems does not help. Focus your attention for a moment on the dollar value of chemicals that the State and municipalities buy each year to kill unwanted aquatic vegetation.

EVERY SINGLE DAY, AROUND THE ENTIRE STATE, IN EVERY ROADSIDE DRAINAGE DITCH, EVERY LAKE, EVERY RIVER AND STREAM…VIRTUALLY EVERY BODY OF WATER IN THE ENTIRE STATE is being sprayed with herbicides…basically a generic “Round Up” manufactured by Monsanto. There is little or no science, other than that supplied by the manufacturer, dealing with its effects upon amphibians, larval stages of fish or crustaceans or the life of the chemical in marl, mud or the decomposed plant matter that it creates. All this to eliminate hydrilla, hyacinth, water lettuce and other aquatics deemed noxious by governments.

This chemical and others, surely find their way into the aquifer which underlies the State. It also finds its way into rivers, braids and sheet flow that ultimately make their way into the Everglades and other estuaries which are suffering from algae blooms and sea grass die offs and even the death of offshore coral reefs.

Follow the dollars back to the providers of these chemicals and you will understand the real nature of the problem. Add to all that, the damage done by agri-interests north of the Everglades, run-off from golf courses, private homes, public streets, effluent releases untreated for anti-biotics and steroids, the flushing of millions of toilets, the selfish manipulation of water levels in the Everglades…….and then, in prospective,……figure how much damage the python has really caused.

Hell, we should be nice to the python…he may be the last creature standing in the Everglades as that national treasure slips away!

My God….We’re doing this to ourselves!!!!!!!

I now this is long but this is exactly what has happened to many of our lakes.  It just seems counter intuitive that we have to clean and drain and wash our boats but these lakes are allowed to wantonly spray and kill the vegitation.  I call bullshit on TPWD.  As Flip says follow the money.  Why are they allowed to do whatever they want without a minute of oversite?  How much of our tax dollars are going to TPWD and they allow this to continue?  A perfect example of the failure of TPWD to protect OUR resource is the spill that killed tons of fish on Falcon, and the end result – Nothing!  And unless I am mistaken where were they with the tons of plastics puked into Lavaca Bay?   I agree with his premise, our leaders are committing malpractice.

Flip’s comments on Monsanto and the herbicide that is often used is spot on.  Where are the long term studies by independent researchers?  You trust Monsanto with our waters?  If you trust Monsanto for the health of our waters, much less everything that lives in or around it, and the health of your children, you are sadly mistaken.

I know I can rant at times but this is past that.  All of you who post your pictures, bragging about how great it is, or you are, are missing the point.  What have you done lately, or ever?  If we continue down this path you can take your $75k boat and sit in the driveway.  Time to get involved in some way.  It does not take much from each of us but if things continue like this we really will be talking about the Good Old Days.  We already have plenty of places where we can’t eat the fish, so why do wildlife departments all over this country sit on their hands?  Fish and wildlife departments are happy to tell you what and how you can fish but where are they when the very thing they regulate is harmed?  Follow the money, it is no more complicated than that.

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On a completely lighter note it was great to hear from my buddy Faye, who had a great birthday trip to POC!

Good afternoon,

I hope your trip has gone well.

We fished Monday & Tuesday. The weather was awesome, post cool front, falling tide, showers missed us and I only had the pants I wore down for the whole trip (haha, yep they were right where I left them hanging).

Monday we ended up fishing a drain off the big flat at the end of Big Bayou. It was a frenzy of undersized reds, a flounder and a trout.

Wednesday BB wasn’t hitting so we went up a drain off Saluria and fished where two channels meet and drain a large flat. It was filled with a lot of healthy young trout and apparently a huge red that screamed a lot of line out. I thought it got off but it was coming back at me only to lose it as I tightened the drag. Mixed in with the undersized trout there was a limit of keepers if we had wanted to keep them.

It was so fast that Steve just didn’t fish. He kept my line baited and caught fish removed. Nice birthday present indeed!!!!

Both places we were fishing popping cork with live shrimp. I really think they would have hit on most anything. We would pitch to the shallow flats and then slow pop it off the drop off. It was an easy 20-30 each day.

I’m already planning our next trip down in the next few weeks.

Best to you and The Boss Lady,

Steve & Faye Corrado

Happy Birthday!  Nothing like laying the smack down on them.  And nice to CPR, it does not take pictures of dead ones to define a trip.  So keep checking in, I will be fishing POC with the Austin Boys 3 days next weekend, plus a day or two on the river before they get here.  As usual great to hear from you and Steve.

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Sorry for the double rant this time but both issues are critical to our sport, and our fishing future.  I have been lucky enough to have had at it for almost 50 years  (Yikes!) and my time is short, but I care about this sport.  I want you, your kids, and grandkids to have clean water and good fishing.

The Boss and I will be back Sunday and there are a couple of fishing things I want to share but since I have not posted in a week I wanted to let you know I am alive.  First thing Monday morning I will be back on the water for what looks like 5 days at least next week.  Can’t wait to see how that cold front you all have had has helped the fishing.  I love fall fishing and intend to take full advantage of the great fishing to come.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet

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The New Bait

First let me say that under normal circumstances there is no way I would have fished the bay today.  When I say it was blowing, it was howling 20 straight out of the north when I got to Froggie’s, and the water was mud from POC to the island with big rollers.  It was flat ugly.  And there was no way I could get to the places I wanted to fish, but as usual it was just a matter of putting on your big boy pants and making chicken salad out of chicken stuff.  But I promised Michael the owner of Controlled Descent Lures that I would give his new prototype of the Knockin Tail Lures a serious go, so I did exactly that.

Weather

79/68.  Sunny, breezy, pleasant with 0% chance of rain.  Wind ENE  15 – 20mph.

Tides

High  3:54 am   Low  4:39 pm.   (My favorite falling all day.)

Solunar Times

Major  8:24 am to 10:24 am.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited about the new bait.

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It started off with a bang and continued until I quit at noon.  While I tried to fish from the boat down the first bank it was just moving me way to fast.  But they were biting in that area so a change of tactics was in order.

They flat loved it!

Today was not about catching big ones, but of course I broke off a big trout right off the bat.  While I would not have minded catching a wad of big fish that was not the point.  The only question was do they like the new Knockin Tail Lure, and the answer was a resounding yes.  So after trying to fish down a bank with trout on it the wind was pushing me like a freight train, so time to move to a nearby drain that had at least a “little” protection from the wind.  Today the Power Pole earned it’s keep.

The mantra is “Get Inhaled” and the new bait had them doing exactly that!

Now keep in mind that conditions were tough.  Fishing it on a 1/16th jig head on 8lb line resulted in a big bow a lot of the time, but they were eating it.  It was trout after trout without moving.  While most were small, these pics are just to let you know they liked it, and that was the important part.  What also was telling was even though fishing a small drain I caught and released a bunch, they kept biting.  Unusual as normally when you catch a bunch and release them in one small area they often quit, but not today.  It was a tribute to what looks to be one killer bait.

Ok that is enough pics, I have lots more but you get the idea.

They were positioned on a bank with the wind pounding on it, and as I have said before when it is like that, fish it like you are fishing a river.  The tide was way up, and while it should have been falling the wind was keeping it up and moving, pushing it into the drain.  The way to handle that is to cast straight across to the shoreline, then short hops letting it fall naturally down the bank with the current.  They were right on the little drop and while I felt a few, many were just there when I lifted up, others smacked it.  It was an easy 25+ and I can only imagine what it would have been if I could have fished anywhere I wanted.

I would like to tell you a little more about the new bait, but it is still being refined, and it is Michael’s place to do that.  But suffice to say he sent 3 colors and they liked them all.  As my fishing career winds down it is things like this that motivate me.  I have caught my share over the last 45 years from Australia to Canada and all places in between, but doing something new gets my fishing blood moving.  And doing something with a purpose gives it extra meaning, nothing beats participating as a new bait is developed.  So thanks Michael, I appreciate being a small part of what you are doing.

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Were you an Asshole before, or did that come with the Majek!

Online you see guides whining about potlickers, folks who cut off their drift, along with a multitude of sins against them.  But today, like has happened to me several times in the past, a guide treated me like I was nothing but in his way.  The drain I was fishing was small, just an easy cast across, and not a marked channel by any stretch.  Then here comes an idiot, no offense to idiots, in a big fancy Majek with his customers.  I had made a cast and he runs full blast between me and the bank, and I mean about 30 feet or less from me.  I guided for 20 years so I know how things works, this is not “your” private water.

This type of behavior happens fairly regularly at POC, which leads to the poor reputation some guides have.  Additionally, running that close to an anchored boat is against the law, look it up.  All he had to do was idle past me, there was plenty of depth, and it would not have been an issue.  So as usual the “I am the guide with a big boat and my shit is more important than regular folks” reared its ugly head.  As I continue to say – Be nice.  None of us own the water.  In all fairness you also see this type of behavior with bass fishermen, one of the symptoms of what is wrong in all areas of fishing.  This water belongs to all of us and the continued decline of curtesy is sad.

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What fun.  As I have been saying this is my favorite time of year to fish the salt, and this is just the beginning.  I do not know if you have looked at the weather but the next few days is going to be ugly, winds are projected to blow up to 35mph as a front moves through on Thursday.  So while I may not be out any in the next couple of days, we shall see, but the salt is on the program.  Nice to get a little motivation back.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines