FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

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The Best Wading System on the  Planet  

Kali’s Law

As those of you who read this know the last couple of years I have commented more and more on wearing life jackets, and especially the kill switch, it could save your life. My opinion, and actions, really jelled a couple of years ago when my buddy Clyde, and 2 other guys, had the steering fail on an almost new Lund and nearly threw them out in the middle of nowhere on Lake of the Woods.  The kills switch was not connected and no life jackets were being worn. It could have been a real disaster.

I started out wearing both when I tourney fished in the 70’s and 80’s, then over the years slowly wore them less and less, which was just plain ignorant.  And over the last few years I am pretty regular with both and feel naked when I forget. My buddy Fay and her husband even have dual kill switches so if either go overboard the boat shuts off.  Great idea.  Just statistically the more time you spend on the water the more chances you have of a mishap.  In my case it was the pontoon on the head thing.  And in the last post or two I said wearing the kill switch should be mandatory.  And then to my surprise this – I had no clue it was in the works.

https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/boating-safety/texas-governor-signs-kill-switch-law

Beginning September 1st any boat under 26′ that has a kill switch it must be worn.  There are several other provisions, I have not read the actual law yet but this is the punch line.  I could not be any more impressed that Texas did this, it was a long time coming.  Tournament fishermen are often criticized for their behavior to other fishermen on the lake, some of it rightly so, but they have led the way by wearing both.  There are very few organized bass tournaments where it is not required.  And as I have said before I have often thought that saltwater tournaments were just asking for it by not having the same requirements.  And with engines climbing into the 300hps, and speeds in the 70mph+, if you are running like that on the bay without at least the kill switch on I wish you the best.  You know, it always happens to the other guy.

So that is my rant for today.  I do not mean to get on anyone’s case but this is important.  As I have said often, if not for you at least for your family and friends, on the boat or off.  The government often over reaches trying to legislate behavior or morality but they got this one right.  Time to get used to it because it is coming.  Do you even know if yours works?

We just got back in town but I could not resist, this is important.  Next up is 3 days with the grandkids which should be a hoot.  Trolling for a couple of catfish with my little fisherwoman, Miss Mia, tubing and swimming, Bubba’s for a boil, a little beach time with Wren, alias “The Beast”, a good time will be had by all.

*****************The new bait is coming.

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

And I am really looking forward to next week.  In the next couple of days the new prototype bait from Controlled Descent will arrive at my door.  Time for some serious bay fishing as the final design is right around the corner.  It will be nice to have a “real” reason to get after them and I am excited to see how it goes.  I know it sure looks good and I intend to give it a real on the water work out.  So keep stopping 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     

Thought I better put something on here so you know that I am still upright and taking nourishment.  Since my little short trip to the lake on Friday I have been giving it a rest.  Not being able to catch a bass is starting to wear on me and so I laid up this weekend.  And since we are going to be gone a couple of days for a little R&R and then the grandkids come later in the week this will be the last of it until next week.  Miss Mia wants to “go fishin'”  and fishin’ we will go.  Though she still does not like to touch them.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

Friday morning I slept a little late so just decided to hit the lake as we were in the throes of a tough heat wave.  I got there about 8:00 and the water temp was 91 in some places.  But it really has cleared some, which has not helped me at all.  The plan was to fish some of the deeper places where I have historically caught fish in the summer, which are in that 10 – 20 foot range.  Then if nothing much happened by noon to call it a day.

Suffice to say that went no where.  Between senko or a worm fished Texas rigged it only produced 2 bites, one I lost in some brush deep, the other a midget.  I really expected it to be somewhat better than that, it is time to admit I am stumped.  Of course one problem with fishing the same lake a lot is you can always get trapped into the “I caught them there once.”   That syndrome often rears its head during big national tournaments where the local favorite struggles.  Unless I fish it at night, or learn something new, the lake is going to get a rest from me for a while.  (Except for Mia and Wren with some catfish and tubing!)

They are still there and biting.

So on the way back I stopped and made one pass down and up at the catfish hole and they are still there eating like maniacs.  Since I had changed baits on one rod there was only 1 with a crankbait on it and that actually turned out to be a good thing.

I dropped it behind the boat and like it has been, fish on.  Only one rod was easier to handle and in a pass down and back at least 10 jumped on.  I am still trolling the area from the mouth of the discharge cove to the point where you can see the dam.  This time I just wandered around in and out and the bites came wherever, though the 20ft range still seems to be the best.  After that I called it a day.  The catfish thing is nice, and I hope it stays until the grandkids come this weekend, but I have had enough of that.  But with the kids it will be great.

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

RIP

I am sure you have all by now heard the Police Chief of Kemah got knocked out of his boat by a rogue wave on Galveston Bay.  His wife was with him and called 911 but he was lost and they recovered his body yesterday.  So tragic, by all accounts he was a great guy.  I know I harp on it but a kill switch and life jackets save lives.  Not sure what happened with his drowning, but we see this way to often on the coast.  My condolences to family and friends.

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Apparently there will be a big bass tournament Father’s Day on Coleto and I will be very interested to see who figures it out.  It was a tough tournament year on Coleto and I am afraid it may not be any better.  But there are quite a few boats who may fish so there is a good chance somebody will figure it out.  Just have to wait and see.  Just might take the kids to the weigh in if we are around.

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

There was a little vicarious fishing this weekend as we plan our late August trip to Oregon.  Looks like we will salmon fish a day on the river out of Astoria, then when we are in Bend  I found a place on the Deschutes River that offers a reasonably priced 6 hour beginning fly fishing course.  2 hours of class then 4 hours on the river, which I need.  What is really cool, the Boss is going to take it too!  She is funny about the fishing, she loves it offshore, hates bass fishing, and does not like fishing plastics, but with her love of the mountains and hiking she just might like it..  Since we are spending more time out west in the mountains, we are going to Colorado in 3 weeks, she just might turn into a fly fisherwoman.

*******************.

So have a great week I know I will.  And a few days off the water will give me time to recharge.  This has been the weirdest fishing year since I have been in Texas.  The lake has absolutely sucked and the bay has been off and on due to the fresh water and increasing temps, which according to the news now top 90 degrees.  So by next week I will be itching to get in the water with them.  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

I am just hanging around the house today as they continue to say possible severe thunderstorms though I have not seen any yet.  So with that I was not going to head to the bay and then get sent packing.  But tomorrow is a different story and I will be headed out in the morning.  Maybe it will be somewhere I haven’t fished in a while but I am still mulling over where due to all the fresh water.  But that is part of fishing, the anticipation and planning, even if just for a morning trip.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

While looking at weather and tides for tomorrow I did something interesting I have never done before, checked tides and periods for two close but different places. and the results were something to think about.  Tells you how much difference there is depending on where you are on the bay.

• POC tomorrow
• Low Tide   3:04 am
• High Tide  3:39 pm
• Major Period   5:12 am to 7:12 am   and   5:39 pm to 7:39 pm
• Minor   10:41 am to  11:41 am
• Port Lavaca causeway tomorrow
• Low Tide   5:54 am
• High Tide   5:01 pm
• Major Period   5:13 am to 7:13 am   and  5:40 pm to 7:40 pm
• Minor Period   10:41 am to 11:41 am

Of course the solunar periods basically remain the same but it is impressive the differences in high and low tide just a short boat ride away.  Back to understanding how where and when with the tide can improve your catches dramatically.  Sometimes trying to think about all that makes my head hurt, but as usual we go when you can, but it is something to think about.

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I stopped in Angler’s Arsenal today to pick up another catfish catching crankbait.  They had plenty of baits that would work and I picked up a Strike King 3XD in Sexy Shad that runs in the 10′ range.  Another great option they had would be the Flicker Shad that runs in the same depth.  (Maybe the 8.5.)  The catfish have not shown any particular preference as long as it is white/silver/ or shiny.  And while I was there Ronni was talking about their Grand Opening, which is scheduled for Saturday June 22.  They expect to have a few of their vendors there, a give away or two, and something for the kids.  So stop by and support them, they have you covered.

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Steve sent along this comment on the trout and an offshore report.

Good Morning Doug
I enjoy reading your stuff and keeping up with your adventures. I read where you are having to fish deeper for trout around the 5 foot mark and the summer pattern is kicking in. I have a couple of guide friends that have switched over to more red fishing than trout the past few weeks due to all the fresh water runoff in the bay. When the fresh water moves in it drives the trout deeper as the saltwater sinks to the very bottom and the fresh water rides over the top. Just my 2 cents, but for sure summer is on its way. Our group went offshore last weekend for snapper and they are thick this year with easy limits if you can keep the sharks off. The water color offshore looks like the bay water so all we caught were snapper, no king fish anywhere. One captain told me blue water was a 100 miles offshore. You keep writing and I will keep reading.
Steve

This is what I love about all of you when you comment.  We can all learn something.  Fresh on top, salt on bottom, of course, and it never crossed my mind.  (With all the gators around it should have. ) And that brings to mind a pattern that played out a few years ago when we had the same thing – Deep reefs.  They came on that summer and when you found them it was game on.  So first thanks for that, now I will spend the rest of this rainy day thinking about that.  Things change, but they are always “the same”, why experience trumps all in the fishing world.  And nice on the snappers.  Looks like the fresh water runoff on the coast is effecting more than the bays.  (It will be interesting to ponder how the tarpon will react, my guess no problem.) I was just wondering the other day why I had not heard any report on kings at the jetties.  Thanks again, love comments that get the discussion going.

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

And Rusty our resident Fayette guru sent along this report.

Good morning catfish dude! Was on Fayette Thursday and Monday and the fishing is good when you find them. Best so far is 18-20’ on watermelon lizards and worms. Water temp is 94-96 degrees away from the outflow. Haven’t been over by the outflow but it’s got to be close to 104. Daylight fishing is anything shad and off points. . Fished till dark Monday in shallow water and didn’t get a bite anywhere. Going to go going to go this afternoon and fish deep till dark, stay tuned.
Tight lines
Rusty

Sounds like Fayette is settling in to the summer pattern.  And after the bunch you caught the other day off one tree it is definitely find them and you will catch them.  Thanks for keeping us informed.  And as far as the catfish dude, if the weather does not straighten out tomorrow enough to warrant the coast I might take a friend who doesn’t really fish that much and load the cooler for him and his family.  Glad you are upright and taking nourishment.

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

The 2cnd Amendment.

I try not to comment on much outside of fishing but the arrest of the officer who did not go into the Parkland High School during the shooting has left me ambivalent for several reasons.  First I was not there, (Easy to second guess as hind sight is always 20/20.) and I do not know what was in his mind, and second, facing 99 years seems extreme .  Unfortunately due to his actions it is likely that more kids died.  I understand the anger felt by the families and their quest for justice.  But actually prosecuting him may be problematic, should the prosecution be successful it may reach the US Supreme Court before it is over.

One thing that most folks do not know – The US Supreme Court has basically ruled that the police do not have a duty to protect you or your family, basically making them immune to suits, and in this case maybe prosecution(?).  So what will come of this remains to be seen, but there is one important thing for you to know and it the basis for my complete support of the 2cnd amendment.  They do not have a duty to come to your house, they do not have to protect you, they do not have a duty to stop you from being attacked, and the list potentially goes on.  Of course we know that is not how our law enforcement really acts, but this is how it is.  Until this is changed, which it may never be for several good reasons, you have the duty and right to defend yourself and your family.  The whole thing is a sad state of affairs.

(Before you get your panties in a wad I worked with police for 20 years in several capacities.  They kept me safe as a medic, much less in the courtroom, and I appreciated it.  They do not get enough credit and I can only imagine how tough it is to do the job day after day.  So this comment was not a diss on law enforcement, they can come and save me anytime.  This is just a weird situation.  Sorry I got off topic.)

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

So that is it for my morning ramblings.  Next it will be out to the boat and checking air pressure, adding a little fluid to the trim, and going over the trailer looking for potential &^$ ups.  Just the occasional walk around can save you from roadside regret, much less a big tow bill.  And thanks to everyone who commented, it makes this a much better place.  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

I got this comment from anonymous, he has commented occasionally, and it is right on point.

Great POC report. Hope you get into the cats again!

Ok here you go!  Thanks for the comment.

21 Minutes.

 The Boss was wanting a catfish fry so I headed to Coleto to see if they are still biting like they were.  The answer is a great big yes.  How well? Amazing!

I headed back to the same area  (See old post below.) and put the first crankbait out behind the boat and before I could cast the second one it was fish on.  From that point on it was hard to keep 2 rods in the water and I had several doubles.  In fact, after I lost one I started to crank it back and another jumped on, it was something.  When I got to 10 keepers, and threw back another 4 or 5 smaller ones, I stopped with an easy fish fry and all wanted to clean.  Funny, I do not have a clue what the limit is (Just looked it up, thought it was 15 but is 25 statewide.) but whatever it is it wouldn’t take that long.  It took exactly 21 minutes to catch them.  In fact, there were several doubles and the other would get off before I could get the first one in the boat.  Of course at this point the hooks on the crankbaits are trashed, it has been 80 give or take the last 3 trips.  Now that is nuts.

Over the years I have been lucky enough to be somewhere when there was a “bite.”  Well of all the bites I have had the pleasure of taking part in this may be the most interesting.  I can not even imagine how many there are, whatever perfect storm in the spawn a couple of years ago and this springs shad spawn have contributed to some really fantastic fishing.  And best of all, it isn’t rocket science.  If  you want some tasty filets now is the time.  Next up for us, some golden brown fried catfish filets.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

As I off loaded the cooler Patrick came over and introduced himself.  He lives close and had towed his camper to the park hoping to take advantage of the bite.  I always love meeting new folks and he was kind enough to tell me he had been reading me since the beginning.  It means a lot to me, and actually meeting you all keeps me writing.

But what was interesting there was another guy at the cleaning table and he had 30 catfish his wife and he caught this morning, and they caught 30 yesterday to boot.  He has been trolling like me close to the same area, and running jugs.  The bigger cats came on the jugs, the rest on crankbaits.  Of all things Patrick’s camper is next to him and he told Patrick that he caught them all on jugs.  Fishermen crack me up, always a secret.  So good luck Patrick, they are there, sack them up!

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

It was good to hear from Ed with this POC report from yesterday.

Howdy
Here’s a little about our trip today in POC. My friend Paul has been helping me put a new addition to our house down there. And after a couple of days of working we decided to fish this morning before heading back to SA. Anyway we waded the shoreline going to boggy around 6:30 and like you said, I was throwing tops to close to the shoreline and only one blowup. I then went out deeper and managed one keeper trout and so many smalls I can’t remember. Around 9:30 all the other people left and it was on from there. We both managed 2 limits throwing gold spoons and DOA under a cork. Finished up around 11:30. Turned out you just had to wait for them .and persistence paid off.

Great report and persistence says it all.  Funny how we both had the same experience as far as shallow goes.  Summer is here.  And what a good way to finish off a couple of days of work.  Thanks for the report.

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

Thinking about the gators I had a moment of insight, not sure this is correct but seems logical.  Several of the reports were from multiple fishermen, all with fish on the stringer.  I wonder if just like sharks when there are lots of fish being caught and tossed back, much less struggling on a stringer, it might draw them in.  Where I had no fish on the stringer it seemed like I startled the one yesterday and he was not hungry enough to eat me.  Just a thought.

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

Tomorrow looks like some real rain, I hope for us but not for lots of other folks.  I will be waiting to get back on the water ASAP.  The bay is producing some great fish, and there were some good online pictures that came on croaker online.  Where next I do not have a clue but I am ready to roll.  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

It was not quite daylight when I dropped the boat in at Froggie’s.  The tide was high, the water was off color, and the water temp was 86.  Today it was off to South Pass to fish a couple of drains so as soon as I could see it was off for the long run.  Nice to not get the snot knocked out of me running across.  Summer is here.

Just about to jump in, what a beautiful morning.

Weather

81/97.  AM clouds giving way to sun.  20% chance of rain.  Wind ESE 10 – 20mph.

Tides

High 9:12 am  1.32 ft      Low 9:58 pm  -0.38

Solunar Times

None during the time I was out.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

It was calm with a slight ripple so I started with topwater.  I missed a small red right off the bat, then I hung a good one who somehow came off after a pretty good fight.  So of course I stayed with the topwater for way to long, without success.  I would learn later I was way to shallow.  After an hour in the first drain without another bite I moved down the bank some and finally started getting bit.

A nice flounder.  The best of 3 reds this morning.

It took a while to figure it out but I finally got something going.  The fish were definitely not shallow and until I moved out over waist deep, tossing it as far as I could, they were just not having it.  The best I could tell the trout were in about 5 foot of water and they wanted it hopped erratically off the bottom.  Small paddle tails on 1/32 jig head and 8lb line turned out to be the way to go.  I did catch a couple slow rolling the white Controlled Descent Paddle Shad and a couple on the popping cork and fake shrimp, but I think with all the small shrimp and the glass minnows they wants something smaller to match the hatch.  I eked  out a small limit, but a limit all the same.

These were the 2 best of the 8 caught in that area.

After the bite slowed down I made one more move to another drain close to South Pass and while another one or two jumped on they were small.  But at least I was catching fish.  Around noon I decided to head to my favorite drain back down the island, and that turned out to be a bad choice.

With all the shell and little mud the water was clear in the pass area, back down the island not so much.  The water was rising rapidly and the area I chose had floating grass everywhere and the color was awful.  Really a bad idea, not even a touch.  In fact the closer you got to POC the worse the water color.  Big Bayou was a mud hole as the water rose.  Since I made such a bad choice, and with the wind starting to blow, it would have been a long run back down the bay to the clear water so I called it a day at 1:30.

On the way back I saw lots of folks fishing, most dragging a bucket, croaker I assume.  And everyone was at least waist deep and deeper.  With the water temp rising rapidly it looks like the trout have settled in a little deeper, the usual summer time pattern.   Not a real croaker fisherman I will give it a go at some point in the near future, but nothing beats hopping the plastic up and feeling the thump.

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

Ok here is the “damages” from the holiday weekend according to the TPW

• 11,ooo vessel safety checks
• 1,279 citations
• 1,339 warnings
• 39 Boat while intoxicated
• 10 DWI
• 11 drownings across the state
• 21 boating accidents
• 2 fatalities – 1 on Granbury – 1 on Aransas Pass Channel

13 lives lost, what a shame.  Think about it, with 11,ooo checks there were 2,500 tickets, which means over 20% of the boats had some form of violation.  These are big numbers and a perfect example of why it is so important to be careful every time you hit the water, especially on the holiday weekends.  It just might be the other guy no matter how careful you are.  The final word – almost every one of these might have been avoided.

And as I prepared this apparently a boat ran aground in Baffin this weekend sending 3 people to the ER.  And I will say it again, like jacket and kill switch.  It has taken me decades to wise up and this morning, like almost every day, I wear mine.  You never know.

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

And speaking of TPWD another fool was ticketed for an online post of him messing with an alligator.  Just think it through before you hit post.  Nothing like confessing to a crime online.

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

And speaking of alligators the Boss has a friend who had an encounter with a gator wading the bay this weekend and apparently Jesse the neighbor had a one around his bunch last week.  And I have seen several more incidents posted on line.  And I might have had a close call this morning.  As I waded along all of a sudden a huge boil about 5 feet from me, and if I was guessing, and I am, it was probably a gator,  Seeing many of them on the lake it was that tell tale gator moving out as big as that boil was.  I sure had not seen any thing else moving around.  So keep your head on a swivel right now when wading, there are lots of them out there.

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

Starting tomorrow afternoon looks like we have some rain moving in for a couple of days and on the way home today I drove through a big one.  I know other folks don’t need the rain but we sure do.  So with that in mind, and the Boss working the late night shift, I will get up in the morning and head to the lake for a couple of catfish.  Whether they are still hard at it remains to be seen but the Boss has ordered a fresh catfish dinner so hopefully I will have dinner caught and cleaned and be back before she even gets up.

I want to say how much I appreciate all of you.  Your continued readership and comments keep me writing.  I have still have lots to say, no surprise, and there is a lot more 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.

I really had no plans to fish today.  Joe Cool was coming this morning to do the annual service on the AC so I figured I would just be hanging out today.  But after sitting around the house and wasting time I figured might as well run to the lake for a few hours this afternoon.  I got there at 3:30 and the wind was perfect, hopefully it has let up for good this summer.  First I headed up lake and pitched to some heavy cover for an hour and only missed 2 with no other bites.  So I decided to run to the other arm but on the way I figured why not stop on a place I wanted to troll the other day.  The baits are still on the rods, and it will just take a minute.  Nope, it was on.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

(I normally show a few for each day but I wanted to give you some context.  No wonder my hands hurt, no wonder my memory card was full, no wonder I trolled away after a while.  It was an easy 50+.  So here are the highlights.  What a crazy day!)

This about says it all.  It was no fluke.

Not sure how many it was but it went on for 2 hours until I quit.

First, there has been a massive shad hatch on Coleto.  They are literally all over in the area I was fishing, flipping on the surface.  And along with them are some catfish, and I mean bite after bite, doubles.  I often had trouble keeping 2 baits in the water.  They were in a stretch about a half mile long, and maybe longer as I did not go up any further.  I started on the timber point on the up stream side at the mouth of the discharge cove.  Then trolled down lake on the left side past the point until I could see the dam and then back again.  I was still trolling any shad imitation crankbait that runs 10 foot deep on 15lb line.  Many of the fish I was seeing on the graph were in the 12 – 15 foot range.  I just  let it out about 50 – 60 feet behind the boat, trolled at 2.5 mph in the 20 – 25 foot range, then held on.

I am not sure how long this will last but the fish are fat as all get out and really aggressive.  It must have been a banner spawn a few years ago as most of them were from the same age group.  It really is a feeding frenzy, they are putting on the weight.  It was nuts and I finally trolled back down towards the dam to get away from them.  Looking at all the pictures no wonder it was time to go home.  Makes me laugh thinking about it. The camera card got full, it was truly nuts.  I really figured it was just one of those things a couple of days ago, a fluke, but it is definitely a pattern.  If you want some  catfish there you go. Get them while they are hot.  It really was a once in lifetime happening, and weird!

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

Robert Stapper

We lost one of the Austin Boys this week.  His death was tragic and unexpected.  My sincere condolences to his family and friends.  He was a kind man and a good person  and I pray he is at rest.  He will be missed and not forgotten.  It will add a solemn feel to the next Fishmas.  Sad.

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

So there you go.  I know at when I say we caught a ton it might be hard to believe at times, so this time I wanted to show you some of what happened.  It was over 2 hours of mayhem and a day I won’t soon forget.  It will be back on the water somewhere, I am really feeling the passion right now.  Plus, I didn’t keep any and the Boss says go get a few for supper.  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.

It is noon Wednesday and it is weather watching time.  It looks like from the online reports and our weather dude tomorrow will not be the stinking gale we have been having for the last 2 months.  Then the phone rings and it is Aaron, his first words, what time are we leaving?  So time to head out to the boat and switch tackle out and head to the bay at daylight.  Not real great planning but oh well, better take advantage of this window and then go from there.  Whether it is boat fishing or wading remains to be seen.

Yesterday was a hoot.  A great example of making chicken salad out of chicken stuff.  Trolling gets a bad rap and I am not sure why.  Fishermen are such snobs in some cases, my way and my fish are the best.  Ok, but I am not interested in being a one trick pony.  And if it puts fish in the boat what is the big deal?  Anytime I can catch 20+ fish I am a happy camper, and when 10 are catfish it made it special.  And on a side note it has been blowing 25mph today, boy this is getting old.

Weather

79/85.  Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of a stray shower.  Wind 10 – 15 SE.

Tides

High   6:52 AM     0.6                                                                                                                      Low   9:30 AM     0.4
High  11:58 AM     0.6
Low   9:57 PM     0.2  (They are crap today but oh well.)

Solunar Times

Best  8:04 am to 10:04 am.  (Only relevant period.)

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

We dropped the boat at Froggie’s around 7:00 and headed to Big Bayou.  I decided to just boat fish and cover some miles to see if I could learn something.  It has been so long I did not have a clue.  The water was a little more off color than I like, and 81 degrees, when we got there.  We did have a close call when I flipped a plastic to grass edge and one thumped it hard.  I wrassled a big founder to boat side and it got off.  Not sure I set the hook, but they do that sometimes.  So with no other bites it was off to the Oil Cut.

We went in the last arm, and like there usually are, the trout were there.  The only problem, they were small, and I mean as small as they come.  We caught a bunch on plastics and there was not a keeper among them, not even close.  But they were in the back of that arm so we went down to the first arm to give it a go.

The second one was important.

We caught a few in there including the second one above.  What made him important was when I boat flipped him he puked up enough small shrimp to make ceviche.  They were little guys and it was full of them.  So the light came on and we threw some small popping cork and fake cheap plastic shrimp.  And while it never did amount to anything size wise we caught a few rats, and I mean small ones, a couple of small trout, and several croakers who were really active.  So with only one real nice one we headed out.

Hey, it is a fish!

We were using the fake shrimp around 30″ below the crappie bobber, and more I use it that way the more I like it.  Pops easy, make a good little “baitfish” flip, and the best thing, it does not have near the drag as a regular popping cork.  Which means they hold it longer and it is easier to set the hook.  Think I will work on that a little more this summer.  Thanks Glen.  From the Oil Cut we went out to the island and fished the back channel leading into Pringle.

The tide was coming up and there was floating grass everywhere making it somewhat of a hassle.  We did managed to boat a couple more small trout and a red or two, nothing to big.  All our bites in there came on paddle tail twitched on or close to bottom.

A drain red.     Aaron with a 19″, the only really good one today.

It was after noon and with the water clearing we headed back to Big Bayou to hit my favorite trout bank on the bay again.  We caught a few smalls and then Aaron boated a nice 19″ on plastic.  Shortly after that I lost another in that class, and that was it for the day.  I have not mentioned the specific plastic, it was the first time I used it so there will be more on that to come.

So give the day a B.  We caught at least 20 here and there, nothing great but bites.  But hey, we were fishing.  The only thing I might have done different was fish all those places in a different order.  Not sure how much it tells me about wading possibilities, but I will figure that one out next week.  I am ready catch a few real ones and the lake is just not getting it.  But of course I will not give up on that completely.  And it was so nice to be on the bay and not get pounded going and coming.  There were lots of folks out early but as the day wore on folks called it a day except a few folks boating with the family.  And of course a day with Aaron is always a hoot he is a great all around fisherman.

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

There have been several gator reports coming from the bay.  Big Pocket and several other likely places have had sightings.  All that fresh water brings them in and it has been a couple of years since they seemed that common.  Just something to be aware of.

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

I haven’t done crazy boat ads in a while but one today gave me a good laugh.  “Five adult Two children USCG approved life jackets and one throw cussing“.  Says it all about owning boats.

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

This is totally off topic but have you ever watched the end of the day bell ringing at the New York Stock Exchange?  It drives me nuts.  You have a bunch of rich folks standing up there clapping like a bunch of monkeys when the market drops like a rock.  That should tell you something, they are more than happy with your money because no matter win, lose or draw, it makes no difference to their bank account.

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

As a retired attorney I am constantly suspect of the government and believe they have so over reached in many areas.  But it might be time to mandate life jackets and kill switch anytime the big motor is running.  Now before you get your panties in a wad I want to make the following comment.  As a paramedic I saw lots of dead folks in car accidents, but I never cut a dead person out of a seatbelt.  Think about it.

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

Looks like we might get some rain, which we need.  That might sound crazy to some of the folks around us but it has been missing us fairly regularly, we are 5″ down for the year.  But it will be out of here in a couple of days and it will be back on the water for me.  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.

The last time the wind did not blow.

The day started off on a sour note.  When I got to the ramp at daylight there was 4 TPWD boats with wardens.  I pulled down to get ready and it was right next to a game an fish boat.  I asked what was going on and the warden told me a woman fell off a boat last evening in the discharge cove and they were going to look for her.  As a side note as I put the self inflating life jacket in the boat and hooked the kill switch he said smart man.  All that needs to be said about that.  And my condolences to the family and friends, sorry for your loss.

Weather

76/80.   Clouds then sun, humid, breezy, 0% chance rain.   Wind SSE  15 – 25 mph gusts to 30mph.

Lake Level

Today 98.12 msl.       5 days ago  98.21 msl.

Solunar Time

Best 6:49 am to 8:49 am.   (Only relevant period.  Day classed as not so much!)

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

Today was a simple plan.  I put 2 rod holders on the boat and trolling for whites was on the menu as soon as I pitched one bank up lake with good cover.  The water is still clearing, in the mid 80s, and the drop is a little more apparent.  And of course the same problem I have had on the lake reared it’s ugly head.

4th pitch.

On about the 4th cast one started swimming with it and in the boat she came.  I pitched the stick worm back in there and another one jumped on.  So now I am thinking something might be happening here.  And it was, the same old, same old, not another bite for an hour.  At this point the wind was blowing so time to try out the rod holders and catch some white bass.

I thought this was the plan……….

Starting down at the dam it was slow.  I think 1 white and a couple of small bass smacked the shad looking crankbait.  The best bait today turned out to be anything that looked like a shad that ran 10 foot on 15lb test about 50 feet behind the boat in the 2.5 mph range.  It was really windy down lake so I started slow trolling up lake, following contours on the GPS.  It was an hour easy before I had another bite, and then it was on.  When trolling is good it can be fun, and this was fun, and unusual.

It was catfish crazy. That was one big school.

There is a large flat point around the corner from the dam and the wind was blowing right over it.  It took about an hour to get there, but I kept working that 15 – 20 foot depth, looking for shad.  As I got to the point there was tons of bait being blown over it and as I made a pass on the down wind side I caught a catfish, then another, and another.  I could see the shad but not the fish, but whenever I got in 16 – 18 feet one would jump on.

I have caught plenty of catfish on lures but this was something,  I have no clue how many were on that point but it was a bunch.  And probably as many missed it as got hooked up, but one thing about catfish, if they get a treble in the mouth they are coming in the boat.  It was at least a bite or two on every pass.  After catching them, some small bass, and another couple of whites I decided to check back down lake, so I left them biting.

And as usual trolling on Coleto a nice bass hooked up.

It was just to windy on the big flat point near the ramp.  A couple more, including the best bass of the day, hooked up and several missed it.  So around 2:00 I called it a really successful day.  Catching that many catfish trolling lures was special, and just enough of the other guys cooperated to make the day a success.

I have done a lot of trolling, and today experience did help.  Remembering exactly what the baits were doing at speed, and then duplicating it exactly put the fish in the boat.  There are some places that are perfect and I found one today.  And there are a couple of other places that I would like to have fished but the wind was blowing a good 20+ making it a hassle so I called it day.

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

Change is coming.

Sad to see.  Down Lake.

As more and more of the lake side is being cleared big changes are coming.  Quite a bit up lake is cleared and now an area down lake is being bulldozed and burned off.  One of the things I like about Coleto is so few houses, but that will be a thing of the past.  As waterfront property becomes more valuable you can expect more and more houses.  Things change, and the lake is changing rapidly in many ways.

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

Pine Island National Seashore

As usual I left it to the other folks on the water this weekend so the Boss and I headed to the beach for a little sun and reading.  The tide was way the hell up, and it was blowing onshore at 25mph.  A few folks were trying to fish but it was just to rough.  And as we came in the park in there were signs saying 4 wheel only as there was no beach and lots of soft sand.  We went down about 4 or 5 miles and set up and enjoyed the ocean.  Of course there were folks driving their cars, and there were a couple of spots that were pretty sketchy, but there is no fixing stupid.

And they just showed literally tons of trash left on the beach in Virginia Beach.  Wtf is wrong with folks?  At this point in time that should never happen.  We are slowly killing the ocean with plastic and crap like this is part of the problem.

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

One thing I noticed today there is a pretty clear thermocline line in the 25 foot range.  Trolling less than that and the water was clear, get out in 25 and it was a blurry line around 3 – 5 foot deep.  So that brings several thoughts to mind.  Is that where the good fish are?  Many lakes the thermocline is the depth as summer comes on and who knows, maybe that is where all the good fish have gone.  As soon as this wind calms down, and it will, time for some deep worming.  Just a thought.

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

Not sure what is next, or when.  Maybe a keeper day for a fish fry, and as soon as I look at the weather a day on the bay.  And I am looking to go somewhere next week for a couple of days, again weather dependent.   No matter what I will be fishing.  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.

A perfect bass fishing morning.

Deja Vu Vo All Over Again.

I was having trouble sleeping so I got out of bed and was on the water by 6:45.  No real change of conditions other than the wind was not blowing quite so hard, and it was cloudy.  Normally the ticket for bass fishing, but it was a carbon copy of yesterday.

Weather

75/89.  Cloudy giving way to some sun.  Breezy/humid 55% chance of rain.  Wind 20 – 30 mph.

Lake Level

Today   98.21 msl.           Yesterday  98.25 msl.

Solunar Times

Good  9:06 am to 11:06 am.  Best   3:19 pm to 5:19 pm.

*****************The new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

I started down lake in the coves where I caught them yesterday and it was slow to say the least.  I tried to keep in fairly calm water so the Bang O Lure could function properly.  Over the first couple of hours only 2 hooked up and another couple made a half hearted pass at it.  This one was still trashed from spawning.

The best of the 2 on Bang O Lure.

As the morning progressed the wind picked up a hair so I switched gears and headed to the windiest banks and threw a willow leaf spinnerbait.  I must admit that this year the spinnerbait fishing has sucked for lack of a better term and today was no different.  On the first bank I caught 2, one would have made a picture but I dropped him, and then not another bite.  Which while not surprising, there is plenty of good cover in some places, there should have been a couple of more on it.  My guess is if I could have fished it slower with a different bait it would have been a few more.

1 of the 3 pitching.                                A bonus white bass.

Next up was a deep cove out of the wind way in the back end.  There is 6 foot all the way in the back of it so it was time for a little pitching.  And like it has been for me with other baits pitching produced 3 in nothing flat, and then I could not buy a bite,  They were smalls but at least it gives me hope that next time I get a chance to fish, and there is a lot less wind, pitching should have its moments.

The last place I fished was the cove by the fishing pier and did not have a bite.  Noon was coming around so I called it a morning.  Normally I get stuff straightened when I get to the ramp but today I tied down the trolling motor, put up all the rods and gave them a twist to keep them from tangling, and then up come the whites chasing shad.  I was so out of business, but I grabbed my crankbait rod and made a toss after they went down and put the one above in the boat.  It was actually a “good” one for Coleto and having them schooling on top is not that common, so who knows, maybe the white bass will be good this summer.

It really was a carbon copy of yesterday, the weather, the wind, the catch, it was deja vu all over again.  The tough wind is no excuse, it is what it is, but it sure does not help things.  And the size is sure nothing to be happy about.  The question left to be answered is this all it is this year?  I miss the grass and so do the fish.

One last comment on the crappie fishing.  Of the 5 or 6 boats out today most were crappie fishing.  So when I got back to the ramp I checked the cleaning table, and the ones in the can were real big ones.  If you like crappie now is the time.  So big crappies, whites schooling, small bass, the lake is going through some changes and it will be a while before it settles into what it will be.

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

TPWD will be out in full force this weekend stressing safety equipment and BWI.  So before you hit the lake make sure you have the required life jackets, those under 13 y/o must wear a jacket at all times, besides the throwable cushion and fire extenquisher, and your registration.  And it only takes a second to clip on the kill switch, it could save a life.  Check your trailer.  Plates good, lights, tires ok, greased hubs, safety chains, and anything else you can see.  Nothing will ruin a great weekend like a ticket from the Warden, or sitting  at roadside waiting for a tow.  It is going to be busy this weekend so please be the bigger man, and be nice.  It is kinda like New Years Eve, at times it is amateur hour, so don’t be “that guy”.  But watching the ramp this weekend can be entertaining all by itself.  No matter what be safe and have fun this weekend.  The weather looks great so let summer begin.

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

Rusty added his 0.02 on this ongoing wind thing.

I share your sentiments about the wind!! One of the reasons I love fall fishing. Was able to get out on Fayette lake for two days, late afternoon and early mornings was very good on black/blue swim jigs. Usually white swim jigs do well but they would not take them. I’ve started packing for king salmon fishing on fly rod (Lake Michigan) in June then on to Canada for walleyes and pike in July. Booked a week down in Mexico for some super bass fishing in February on Lake Picachos. Well back to spooling new line on all my reels as the wind howls outside.
Tight lines
Rusty

It may be blowing and cutting into the  fishing time but thinking about trips to come is always a good pacifier and it sounds like you are about to do some serious fishing.  I am particularly interested in the Picachos trip and  if the bass fishing is anything like they say it is might be one of “those” trips.  And putting new line on is a pleasant task.  And last, the weather next week is looking real good mid-week and as soon as the weekend crowd hits the road it will be the bay for me.  Thanks for keeping in touch and we will be interested in hearing how the Lake Michigan fishing goes.  Those are some big salmon.

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

I got the Ram trolling motor bracket mounted and I wish I had done it years ago.

In my case using a hand control the handle takes a real shaking both towing and when it is rough.  This mount is designed to hold the shaft but I mounted it to the handle, and it is  rock solid with no shake, stabilizing the whole thing.  Funny how a $1000 trolling motor can be trashed due to a 0.55 part.  It is simple to use and is out of the way, a perfect solution for what has been ailing me the last couple of trolling motors.  So after a year of basically re-fitting the boat from the trailer up I have it just how I want it.  We shall see how long that lasts.

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

As we continue to explore possible retirement locations the Villages in Florida is calling and we set our dates for October today.  It works great for me, I will drive down early, and maybe stay late.  The only problem is deciding where to fish.  I definitely will be fishing the Harris Chain a few days, the only decision is what salt to fish.  I have not fished the Mosquito Lagoon and after seeing some of the large trout and snook caught there it might be my main destination.  The Boss gets the benefit, she flies down, I pick her up, she stays the week and then gets to fly back.  The only “problem” for me is do I stop and fish in Louisiana, head to the Everglades, or Pine Island, or………  it is a tough life.

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

Next week looks great for the bay.  The winds look like it is finally starting to lay some, and it won’t be long before we are wishing for a breeze to cool things off.  So I will be off to the bay for a couple days of wading mid week.  Both days will be a 2 tide day, high and fairly flat, but at least there will be a couple of falling water periods Wednesday and Thursday.

So have a great weekend.  Enjoy your activities but never forget the reason for the season.  Our armed forces stand watch every day to keep us safe and so many have given their lives in our defense.  So thank a vet for letting us safely sleep at night.  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.

After a literal gale this morning (Tuesday), no kidding, it has finally calmed down to 20mph.  With the wind at least within reason after a months absence it will be back to the lake.  When I say I do not have a clue, that would be putting it mildly.  The lake is definitely up, but until I actually drop the boat in the water what affect the rise has had will remain a mystery.  But at least I go into it with an open mind, something that can be hard for a fisherman to do.  Of course I will look shallow first and then go from there.  But as we all know, the best laid plans………….

Weather

77/90.  Low clouds then sun, breezy, humid.  7% chance of rain.  Wind SSE 15 – 23mph.  Gusts to 30mph.  (Forecast was right on.)

Lake Level

Today  98.25 msl.    Last trip 4/23/19     98.05 msl.

Solunar Period

Fair  8:10 am to 10:10 am.   Good   2:23 pm to 4:23 pm.   (Day classed as poor.)

*****************The Paddle Shad did some serious damage at the Chandeleurs and it will do the job here this summer.  And the new bait is coming, I have seen it and it will be a fish catcher.

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

The first surprise, though the water is definitely up, it is as clear as it has been all spring, a good start.  And unlike the TPWD fishing report which said the water was 69 degrees, it was 81 at the ramp when I put in at 7:45, and I saw lots of water in the mid 80’s.  And while it still has some color in places it is definitely an improvement.

So up lake I went to start on my favorite buzzbait bank and right off  the bat a good one blew up on it but missed it by a mile.  She was in grass right on the tip of the point.  Then for a good hour one more made a half hearted swirl, and in fact I would have one more of the same later, until I got in a few who wanted to eat.

The best of the 4 I boated on buzzbait.

The wind was just howling right along, really to rough for the buzzbait.  I kept working up lake letting the wind blow me, it was blowing an easy 20mph+ right down the pike.  So time for a switch to the 1/4 ounce bluegill swim jig with a Rage Craw trailer.  Over the next hour 2 smalls jumped on  the swim jig, and I missed another.  Neither of them was worth a hoot so no pics.  After spending several hours uplake with only 2 smalls time to move back down lake near the ramp.  I did stop in a cove about half way down and caught my first small one on the buzzbait.

The Bang O Lure put 1 in the boat.  This one had a 5lb tail!

The ride back down lake was a little rough with it white capping over most of the main lake.  So I ducked in a couple of “calmer”, if you could call them that, coves and the one above hit the Bang O Lure under the surface, it was nice to  be able to see it happen.  But the wind was just a real pain in the ass and most of the time moving me to fast to effectively fish the Bang O Lure.  With nowhere to get out of it, the next cove I hit had some calm water with grass in the very back end and 3 jumped on the buzzbait, with no misses.  The were super shallow chasing what looked like fry.

From that point on it was 2 more coves without a bite.  So at noon I called it a morning.  As usual the wind made it a “fish where you can day and not a fish where you want”.  But I am encouraged.  7 over the side with 5 or 6 misses.  If that is the result with the wind being so tough there just might be some good days to come.  Topwater definitely could be the ticket, much less the buzzbait and swim jig.  And there is enough stuff in the water to give the frog a go.  Now if we can just get a nice cloudy drizzling day with light winds there just might be a killin’.

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

After stopping by the TPWD office and renewing the boat tags I decided to visit Angler’s Arsenal.  If you have not stopped in yet it is at 1205 E  Airline Rd in Victoria in the old Radio Shack store.  They opened in the last month and I was interested in what they had to offer.  And they have .a great selection.

Ronnie (sp?), the owner with her husband, was working and was great to talk with.  I so like many of the young Texas folks involved in the fishing business and prefer to shop with them whenever possible.  They have a great freshwater selection, her husband tournament fishes, and the prices were inline with the going rate.  And there was a good saltwater selection to meet your needs.

If this sounds like an ad, it is, support these folks.  If you have not stopped in yet please do.  Check out what they carry and maybe spend a buck or two.  It is important to help out local folks, Academy and Wal Mart are not “tackle stores” and you sure won’t get any knowledgeable help.

Open     Tues – Friday 9 – 6pm.     Saturday 9 – 4.

Website      https://anglersarsenaltx.com/

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Monday evening when I watched the news I was sick of this ongoing weather report.  I have been bitchin’ about the wind all spring and today is a perfect example.  We have a Gale Warning!  And of course a small craft advisory to go along with that.  Are you kidding me?  Every year the wind seems to blow later and later heading into summer.  Nothing to be done about that, but if you want to head to the bay in that be my guest.  All I know is I am sick of it.

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

It was good to be back on the water.  And there were lots of folks crappie fishing the lake today.  I had heard it was good but if the number of folks tied up here and there is any indication the crappie are going strong.

Since I have not fished the lake in a month, combined with the wind howling like a banshee, no complaints about 7 smalls for a half day.  While none were “big” the potential is there and it shouldn’t take many more trips to get it down.  I hope to slip out for a little in the morning even though the high winds continue.  If I do time to throw a little crankbait and spinnerbait on some of the windier banks.  The bay will have to wait until next week.  With the holiday weekend upon us time to leave it to the weekend warriors.  They sure don’t need me adding to the confusion.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines