FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Don’t Leave Home Without It.  I don’t!

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Wednesday morning the wind was howling and it was cloudy, but after looking at the hourly forecast I decided that there might be a window so around 11:00 I headed to the lake.  The following pictures are not there to toot my horn, (Duh!) in fact they are an example of what is becoming my increasing frustration/puzzlement at how the fishing on the lake has been the last 6 weeks.

Unfortunately other than these 2, 1 other small bass like this was the size of it.

What makes it difficult for me to decipher what is going on with the fishing is the current lake conditions.  It was 60 degrees at the ramp, obviously the affect of the north wind blowing right in the ramp cove, the interesting part, it warms considerably as you head up lake.  Much of it is in the low 70′ and was 73 degrees way up lake.

I specifically had a plan today.  It was to pick a big cove, a good spawning cove and one that we all fish year round.  Now logically that would be a good choice this time of year, maybe some pre-spawn to spawners as it was 72 degrees and slightly off color.  It was blowing pretty hard so spinnerbait in all the way to the back, which is quite a ways.  Then a slow and methodical pitching and flipping all the way back out.  Every bush, tree, grass, and anything else that looked good.  Not a single freakin’ bite, nada, zip.  In the words of Forest Gump, that is all I have to say about that.

From there I headed way up, the color was so-so but it was 71 degress.  Right off the bat a little jumped on the swim jig.  Keeping at it for while got exactly one more bite in an hour, and I missed that one.  So crankbait was next, and while one more bass and the nice crappie above jumped on, that was the size of it before I quit late afternoon.  Unfortunately the high winds kept me from fishing more finesse style stuff deep, which is the only thing I have not tried yet.

When I got back to the ramp, only 3 trailers left, the guy who watches the ramp was there and I got the weekend tournament report.  He reported one club was in town and they had some small fish but nothing worth talking about, similar to other clubs he has seen weigh in this month.  I even went to the cleaning table and peaked in to see what had been cleaned that day, and other than a couple of small catfish and a few crappie, not much there.  I must admit I am stumped, plain and simple.  Where are the fish?  And more important to me, where are the big fish?  How gone are they?  Just click on the picture tab above and then click on bass, that is what I normally catch on Coleto from January into May!  All I have left to say is I do not have a clue, and I hope this is the perfect storm that has made the fishing like it is, and not a view of things to come.  I kept saying this winter the bite is coming, but no.  But I will keep pounding the lake, they can not beat me this easily.  Probably.

******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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So with Wednesday’s results less than stellar time for a change, so headed to the Nueces River for the white bass run.  After viewing online reports I learned the following, the river is higher than normally, milky white, and most reports said the fish were running small.  Last time I fished it in the spring there were some real bruisers.

Sharkey Magee towing his daughter upstream as they fish.  I might even try a kayak if I had a human trolling motor!

I launched at Hwy 59 outside George West and started trolling shad style crankbaits, which in the past have been killer, today not so much.  Working  up river, everyone was heading up, not a bite trolling which is unusual for that river.  But with the color so poor I wondered if that was the problem so it was time to cast.

No Nueces giants, this was the run of the mill for the dozen or so caught today.

The first few came on crankbait, the rest on a Roadrunner crappie jig.  For some reason most were hugging the bank, and occasionally shad would jump and a quick cast produced a fish.  Way up river it settled into the 6 – 9 foot range, and the classic spot, the  downstream side of shallow shoals, held fish.  Hopping the jig off the bottom produced most of the whites.  I did have one big ass drum break my line trying to flip it in the boat, bad idea on 6lb line, but no great loss!

During the day I spoke with lots of folks, who reported various success.  Some nothing, one boat a limit, some with a few, but no one reported really big whites.  That was very consistent with the online reports.  Now I did not go to an area way up called the rapids, not interested in fishing with the crowd, especially on the river.  So after going fairly far up I just floated with the current tossing the jig and catching one here and there.  It was not fast by any means but I did catch about a dozen before calling it a day.

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So this week the bay fishing produces again, but my freshwater endeavors have been less than satisfying.  Looking at the next 10 day forecast produced the same results, less than satisfying.  But with fishing you take the good with the bad, and all the slow trips are cured with one bang up day, it keeps us all fishing.

Not sure what the plan is but I might try to slip out Sunday for a wade and redfish trip to Keller Bay.  After that where to fish it still up in the air, but Thursday the fun begins.  We are off to 4 wheel in Big Bend for 3 days.  We love it out there and this trip are specifically going to a couple of areas hoping to see a Big Horn Sheep as there are a couple of places with the largest population in Texas.  And just driving the desert, and doing some hiking,  seeing all that the park is makes for a great day.  After that I will be heading somewhere to fish for 3 or 4 days, will just have to wait and see what the weather brings.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Don’t Leave Home Without It.  I don’t!

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This Weather is Making Me Crazy!

It is 6:00 am Wednesday as I type this.  The wind is freakin’ howling outside with gusts to 30 mph.  We are watching the weather channel and last night, and continuing this morning, Dallas had winds to 78 mph at the airport and there are thousands without power.  And the footage from Denton looks like a hurricane. The radar shows a line of heavy storms, it stretches all the way to Chicago, outside of San Antonio coming this way.  While we may not get much rain out of it as we are on the southern edge, it is fast moving so the actual front will be here sometime this morning.  Of course there are small craft warnings on the bay.  Since it is howling right now it will probably only get worse, but there is a slight hope.  Suffice to say my plans to try to weasel at least a few hours on the lake are definitely up in the air.  All dressed up and nowhere to go!

******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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Glen, who I had the pleasure of fishing with last year about this time, sent along the following pic and question.  And it looks like there is simple explanation.

Nice Mess

He has been fishing with the crappie bobber above his plastic, (It works!) in the South Pass area the last couple of days.  He was wondering what was up with the dead gafftops, just like I was.

You never know which post will generate a comment or two, and the dead gafftops earned several.  Surprised you did not see them Glen, they were all over the POC area.  The comments below make a lot of sense.

First from Ed.

Was down this past weekend also. And saw the same thing. Gafftop scattered all over.
Turns out TPW said that it as due to an early migration in to the bay and a sudden fall in water temperatures that caused the killing. Also because gafftop have no scales they were unable to protect themselves.

Maybe the have no scales but they sure have enough slime!  And Topwater Billy chimed in.

On your gafftop story.
Saw the exact same thing on a floundering trip last year. The water temps had been on a rising trend. Then, we got a two day blast of really cold air. Gafftops, and only gafftops, floating everywhere.
Correlate it however. But it sounds to me like they are.way less cold water temperature tolerant than trout.
Just an observation

Good observation.  And my buddy Faye chimed in.

Weather be damned, the Corrado’s are heading to the coast to fish next Thursday & Friday! We have tried for months to get down.  Between weather and work it never worked out.

I read on a women’s facebook page about the gafftop kill. A lady posted that the TWP had told her that they migrated in too early and the cold killed them.

As always, thanks for the blog.

Soon to be fishing Corrado’s

And basically the same set of conditions happened a few days ago (Last week?) when we had those couple of nights around freezing.  Figured that was it but still found it interesting they were the only fish and most were the bigger ones.  Guess that year class was the first migrators, tough luck for them.  But I guess since Ed saw them this weekend, who knows, the birds may have eaten the smaller ones.  I saw a Blue Heron doing his best to get a big one down, without much luck.  So mystery solved.  Thanks for the input all.  And Fay, good luck.  It looks like the long term forecast is not to bad, the water is warming pretty quickly, and the fish are biting.  Can’t wait for your report.

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And I wanted to share Ed’s technique with you.  He uses a crappie style slip bobber, a small one, above his plastic like a popping cork.  Like all techniques I have a theory  (Of course I do, we fishermen all have them.) why it works.  When he pops it the pop is small, and the sounds resemble a baitfish making that flipping sound.  Not really a “calling” technique like a big popping cork, it is almost a finesse technique.  If you think about what bait sounds like when it is “flipping” on the surface it makes all the sense in the world.  We can all learn something fishing with others, if we will listen.

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One thing I was waiting to tell you about is a jighead I found at the Houston Fishing Show.  I took one look at it and was instantly on board.  It seems to be a simple solution to keeping plastics on the head, one of those things I wish I would have thought of.  In all fairness I have only used them once, but it did exactly what they said it would do, hold the plastic without it slipping down.  The comments on their Facebook page all say the same thing, keeps plastics on until you take it off.  No more having your plastic tear up and sliding down on the hook, sometimes even after one or two fish. They are a little high at $5 for 5, but if you think about it the savings in plastics will more than cover that.  So while I intended to use it a few more times before I reported on them, I am sold.  (Comes with being stuck in the house!)  So check them out, I will be ordering more soon.  If you do tell them I sent you.  No free jig heads were involved in this recommendation.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/deathgripjighead/reviews/?ref=page_internal

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That will do it for the morning’s ramblings and whining.  The rest of the day will be spent watching fishing, thinking about fishing, organizing fishing stuff, and waiting to see what the weather holds.  It has calmed down a little out there, so time will tell.  But hey, if I get a chance to sneak out I will.  A few hours of fishing can make a day.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Don’t Leave Home Without It.  I don’t!

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The weather looked good for the bay, so at 6:30 it was off to POC.  It was foggy, real foggy.  Fortunately by time I made the dock, unloaded, and put on the waders it was starting to clear.  The wind was right out of the East, and was blowing pretty good right down the pike.  So off to the island and in the water.  But first …………….Gaff – ocide!

Weather

64/72.  Cloudy with a 30% chance of showers early.  Wind ESE 10 – 15mph.

Tides

Low 2:54 am -0.1     High  1:26 pm  0.3.

Solunar Times

Best 3:05 pm to 5:05 pm.   Good  8:54 am to 10:54 am.  Day classed as poor.

******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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There were thousands of them everywhere!

The water temp was 66 degrees, it was fairly clear at the dock, and from that point on there were dead gafftops everywhere.  I have seen some fish kills over the years but this was different.  They were all the same size, I saw no little ones, and they stretched from Froggie’s to the island and everywhere in between.  No great loss as far as I am concerned but it is puzzling and not a good thing.  There is nothing to say about that other than what the hell happened?  Not a clue on my part.

That second one was a good one. 

The first drain had the wind blowing in the wrong direction, making it hard to fish.  They did not want a topwater, not a touch, and the way the wind was blowing it made fishing the Controlled Descent a hassle.  Nothing like making a cast and getting it blow back as fast as you can take it up.  So in a moment of insight I went back to the DOA Cal but used a 1/4 ounce jig head, heavy for me, but at least I could cast in to the wind and get it on the bottom.  From then on the trout kept biting.

The first one, run of the mill for the wade.  The second, boat fishing for reds.

As they were last trip they were positioned in a drain on a drop of about 3′.  The tide was moving so they were facing into it, which of course was right into the wind.  But as usual, listen to the fish, which I did.  They were right off the edge, so it was important to land the bait next to the bank, then a big hop, letting it fall down the edge with the current.  It was tough to feel, but most of them were smacking it on the first or second drop.  After catching a nice bunch, it turned into catching them just cause, I moved out of the drain to where I saw lots of bait.  Only one more jumped on, other than that no other bites there.  Definitely not a “find the bait, find the fish”.

Since I have not caught any reds lately I thought about spinnerbait and the Oil Cut so off I went.  Usually spinnerbait is the ticket in there, but not a bite.  But I found 2 more places with trout in a couple of the fingers, catching 5 or 6 in one place and the same in another.  (See the best one above.)  I kept alternating between spinnerbait and plastic, and the trout cooperated but not the reds.  So time for one more place.

Next my favorite redfish bank in Big Bayou did not produce a bite.  Another place the same.  It really did surprise me that nowhere gave up a bite on the spinnerbait, pretty unusual.  It is not to often I can’t catch a red and keep catching trout, usually the opposite.  So around 2:30 I called it a good day.

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Just a Random Thought

One thing that seems to be consistent is looking at various fishing forecast/tide sites are the projections.  I look at 3 or 4 when I prepare the days conditions for a report, and one thing is clear, when the day is forecast as poor, they all agree.  And whether fresh or saltwater there is a direct correlation between tidal movement, moon phase, and the days projection.  Of course all of that is irrelevant to a fisherman, especially most who have a job, they are going whenever they can, dam the conditions.  I have never not gone due to a bad outlook, but do admit to specifically going when the stars align.  Does a bad projection mean bad fishing?  Of course not, just as a good one does not mean you are going to load the boat.

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Welcome to Crazy Town

The following is a statute proposed in the New York legislature:

It shall be unlawful for any person to organize, sponsor, conduct, promote, or participate in any contest, competition, tournament, or derby with the objective of taking or hunting wildlife for prizes or other inducement, or for entertainment.

The proposed punishment would be up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine between $500 to $2,000. The bill was read on the floor, then sent to the Committee on Environmental Conservation for further review.

Yikes!  Now I will agree that on some bodies of water, like Amistad does, there is a need to have a tournament registration requirement to keep it to a dull roar.  And it is nice to be able to look it up and not go when BASS is there as an example.  And a perfect example of too much was when we fished a tourney out of POC and there was 3 others the same weekend, including one at the ramp at Froggie’s.  Hardly a great outdoor experience.  In addition, this would end all the tournaments that are done for charity, which many tournaments are.  Heck, if you raised pheasants on your farm you could not just release and shoot them for the fun of it – entertainment?  And the old attorney in me is coming out:  So as long as we are participating in a contest with the specific objective of eating what we get then if someone gives us a prize for it we would not be breaking the law?  The statute is not the well worded, always wiggle room.  It is incumbent on sportsmen to keep informed, we need to watch them like a hawk no matter where you are.  This is flat nuts!

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The last 2 weeks I have made 3 trips to the bay and the trout have cooperated each time.  It has not always been easy, but good numbers.  Whether they hit topwater seems to be weather dependent.  Trip one the weather was perfect, and they hit topwater and every thing else in sight.  Next trip it was post cold front and they were gone, but finally found them bunched up on a drop.  Today, the weather was so-so, a little windy for topwater, but they cooperated, first in the drain, then the Oil Cut.  3 different days, 3 different ways to catch them.  Which tells me one thing, they are biting!

Looking at the weather as I type this includes the following at POC this week:  Wind to 25mph with a 40% chance of rain, wind to 30 with 80% chance of rain, wind to 20 with 80% chance of rain, followed by wind to 30 with a 10% chance of rain.  So there you go.  This has been one interesting spring.  So looks like it will be the lake if possible.  Who knows, might be able to get in a few hours.  But one thing is for sure, POC will be out for a few days.  So keep stopping in, if there is any way to get on the water this week I will be going.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Don’t Leave Home Without It!

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Had a great time at the Houston Fishing Show.  Sold a few baits at the Controlled Descent booth Thursday afternoon, and got to hang out a little with Tim and Jason from Wade Right and Joshua of Marker 54.   All reported a good day on Wednesday, the first day of the show.  As soon as I get done with the fishing report there is a few things I want to share that I saw at the show.  Plus, the report is not going to take long!

Weather

68/78.  Cloudy with a 20% chance of a stray shower.  Wind  S 10 – 20.

Lake Level

Today   98.29  13 days ago  98.24

Solunar Times

Best  11:18 am to 1:18 pm.

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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The “NO  FISH” Fishing Report

I got home really late after leaving the show and ended up sleeping in.  When I got up it was warm and misty, unfortunately the wind was blow hard out of the South, and it did nothing more than blow harder the rest of the day.  But after talking fishing all day yesterday I had to wet a line somewhere.

First the conditions.  The water temp was 59 degrees at the ramp, down just a little.  The area mid-lake around the discharge cove was 67, and it was 61 way up lake.  Basically the same as it has been all month.  The color is still spotty, it seems every time the wind blows some areas color up more than others.  And it was one of those blowing around any corner, white capping anywhere it could get a head of steam, which on Coleto a South wind means most of the lake.

Long story short, 4 total, and those came up lake in the first hour.  The next 5 hours was without a bite!

Pretty Sorry.

Starting up lake the first bite was a white bass on the A Rig, then another.  Switching to crankbait a small bass jumped on and I had some hope that maybe, just maybe, it was going to be a better day than it has been lately.  But NO!  To make a long a boring story short I fished the following.  A Rig, deep diving crankbait, buzzbait (One more small jumped on later.), swim jig, spinnerbait, Bang O Lure, plus the kitchen sink.  I planned on fishing plastics but the wind ruled most of that out.  It was coves, channel banks, flats, up lake and down, here and there, semi-clear water, dirty water, and on and on.

Folks I do not have a clue, nada, zip, zero.  Bass fishing hard over the last 40 years I have seen lots of different conditions on lots of different bodies of water, but this has me really puzzled.  The lake has been like this for the last couple of months, fairly stable water levels, the color clearing a little, then muddying back up here and there.  (I did see one bed, but no one was home.)  The temp has also remained stable in the low to mid 60’s.  At this point I am just rambling, it is puzzling to say the least.

When I got to the ramp 6 hours later the only other fisherman I talked to had the following comment, “Wish we caught some.”  And my buddy, who comes to the ramp to read in the evening, said there just has not been the normal amount of fishermen out most days and no one he talked to has done worth a hoot.   As I left they were rolling in for the weekend so all I have to say it “Good Luck”.

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I really had a big time at the show.  Nothing like a couple of thousand fishermen all in one place talking fishing.

Michael of Controlled Descent.  Enjoyed working the booth and meeting lots of new folks and couple of readers who stopped by.  Thanks for letting me help out.

Jason and Tim selling some Wade Right belts.  And we all got in a lather talking about the upcoming Chandeleur fishing trip.  It is gonna be fun!

Joshua talking about his cool Marker 54 shrimp baits.  After a good day one he wondered if he brought enough.  Now that is a good show!

Of course besides hanging out with my bro’s I did make the rounds and there were a couple of things that really peaked my interest.  My favorite was the coolest thing I have seen in boats in while, or maybe ever.

Hog Island Boats

One cool boat.

As all of you who read this stuff know I have a real problem with the escalating cost of boats, and when I saw their 16′ skiff I was all about it.  This thing is basically indestructible, floats in zip, light weight, safe, a nice V, and can be configured in many ways depending on your style of fishing.  This is the boat I would have bought 20 years ago when I bought the Carolina Skiff.  This boat can float trout rivers, take on big water like Lake of the Woods, or float in spit on the flats chasing redfish.  And the best things, it is basically indestructible and the price is right.  (The whole rig in the price range of a big motor.)  Not only a good entry level boat, this one will do it all, and would be a great forever boat especially for us multi-species guys.  Made in Steamboat Colorado they are available in Austin at Action Marine.  I hate to gush to much but this is the best multi-purpose boat I have seen in a long time, so take minute and look at their website.  And I really enjoyed talking fishing with the owner, John St John, a great guy who gets it.  This is by far the coolest thing I saw at the show.  I would buy one tomorrow but the Boss would kill me!  (Why she would have a problem with 3 boats in the yard I do not know!  What is wrong with her?)

http://hogislandboatworks.com/page.php?page=sw-16-skiff-specifications

Mang –  Buy one, plant one.

Kyle Rossin stopped by the Controlled Descent booth and when we got to talking I found out he co-owned the Manggear Company.  What makes them all that, every purchase results in the planting of a mangrove, which in Florida is becoming increasingly important.  Besides their cool stuff, these young men are making a real difference.  I love seeing young entrepreneurs and these guys are doing something I do not see near enough, giving back.  Hey being in the fishing business does not require you have a social conscience, or to give back, but I see many companies not doing enough, happy enough to take from the sport but sorely lacking in the return.  When the show was over I went by their booth but guess I missed them, I was going to buy a shirt just to have a mangrove planted, so I will order one on line.  It is incumbent on all of us to participate in some way no matter how small, the future of our sport depends on it.  So stop by their website, and check out the blog page, these guys are not only talking the talk, plenty of blowhards in fishing, these guys really do walk the walk.

https://www.manggear.com/

I did make a couple of purchases but kept that to a dull roar.  Guess I have enough stuff to last a lifetime, but there is always something.  And I met some really great folks, and invited one to come fish Coleto with me.  While there I also met a guy who fished and guided on my old stomping grounds, among others.  But we all have one thing in common, a love of fishing.  Heck if it wasn’t so far away I would go back today!

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Now back to the lake.  I do not know what to say, or what to think.  February and March are some of the best months, and normally fish 5 – 8lbs are not that uncommon.  So what has happened?  Is this the perfect storm of conditions holding them back?  Of course the loss of our grass is a big factor, but I am getting worried something else is going on.  Where are the fish?  So I guess one of 2 things will happen – They will come to the bank in mass and it will be crazy good, or there is a problem.

Looking at the area forecast for the next 15 days, except for Sunday a week from now, there is rain in the forecast and with that some high winds.  What’s new?  But with the lake fishing so poorly it will be back to the coast for me.  I forked over for a Live Target mullet swim bait that looks cool, and with the fish on mullet as a steady diet right now I have visions of  big trout.  And if the stars and moon line up time for a 3 day trip somewhere.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Stop by and see them at the Houston Fishing Show  March 6 – 10th.

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It is 11:30 Tuesday morning here in South Texas and it is cold.  The temp just hit 41 degrees and the wind chill just hit 33, so at least it is not freezing.  It is all helped by a North wind that is gusting to a little more than 20mph.  So my plan to hit the lake for a few hours today is not happening.  Since I am heading to Houston for a couple of days, first to spend some time with the Sony Rep to make sure I have at least a minimum clue how to use the new camera.  Second to work the Controlled Descent booth Thursday evening.  Should be a good time, and with the weather still acting up I don’t think I will be missing much on the water.

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And as usual great to hear from Mac after my Monday ramblings.

Doug, welcome to Alberta, Gnome, Iceland. etc

I have not moved more than 10 feet of a roaring fireplace and have consumed many cups of java only to look forward to some Guinness Stout this evening. In addition I now have a bad case of a sinus infection. “Bah humbug”. For over 1o days I have combated fever, chills, and coughed up green slime in relentless fashion. My wife an RN, says this type of infection does not respond to antibiotics. Her Dr. friend says this crap may take 2 to 3 weeks to rid itself. I sit around and moan daily, but as my wife says. ” Mac, You could have the death of a disease, but you would still be fishin’.”

Not so fast Janet: As I progress up in age, that rocking chair calls out more often.
Doug, all of your candid stories always make a long winter day much shorter. Your story today was just the medicine I needed. One meets the nicest folks unexpectedly.

A few years ago I worked my way through college guiding anglers around Port A. After a long hot day, I went over to Shorty’s to have a cold Lone Star (Coors was still in Colorado.) Sitting at the bar was Frank Broyles,. your pig’s coach, and a guy named Gad About Gaddis or The Flying Fisherman. I wanted to talk about football but Frank then told me they were down to fish and not talk football. I learned a lot in one hour that afternoon. Being a student at A&M, Arkansas was crushing us every year, but Coach said something I always remember when the Aggies lose to anyone. “Mac, don’t ever get upset on losing to us. All the players players on the field are only a bunch of 18 to 20 year old kids and you never know what can happen .

I guess i will, as you say, ramble one more time Last week I was getting gas at a station in La Grange, when B J Thomas pulled up next to me. We talked only for a minute and I went inside for coffee. On my windshield were 2 tickets to a concert in Austin that night

There still are a lot off good people in this country;

Its 1 pm and the temp is 31 degrees. If it were January I would be in a Duck Blind regardless of my ailment.
Oh well, come July I will be bitching about he heat!!!!!!!!
Now that the weather not to good, write us some more of your many untold stories

Yukon Mac

Many thanks for this, love the stories.  And as a side note next year we have a trip to Ireland scheduled, including a stop at the Guiness plant.  I will hoist one in your name!  Cool story about Broyles, an icon in Arkansas.  After he became athletic director there were many times when the games were close, and he would leave and walk around, often outside because he got so nervous.  He loved the University and football, his kind are slowly becoming a thing of the past.  And a side note, when they built the new basketball stadium his wife basically said she was tired of women not having the same amount of restroom facilities and demanded better so he made sure to fix it.  Attending there with the Boss she was in total agreement.  (The Boss is the woman who when the line to the women’s restroom was so long at the horse track she and a friend went in the men’s and almost got arrested by a State Trooper.  Those were the days!) Plus nice to meet Gad About Gaddis, another all time great.  You got a 2 for 1 shot that day.

And along with that, today I finished Gods and Generals about the early years of the Civil War.  I have been an avid reader my whole life and this book is in my top 5, if not number 1.  Historical novels are not my thing but this was great.  And in the index was a blurb about where some of the generals ended up.  Major General Daniel Harvey Hill became the Dean at the University of Arkansas in 1877.   Just thought it interesting you brought Broyles up today.

And that was nice of B.J. Thomas, you are so right, there are good folks out there.  So be  nice folks, a small gesture to you may mean the world to someone else.  Hope you get to feeling better, having suffered a 2 week pain in the ass last month I feel your pain.  And last, as we get older it is not the money, the big house, or the fancy boats that is a measure of our success, it is our memories.  Memories of days on the water and in the field, shared with friends, keep us warm in front of the fire, along with a toddy.  It is in the doing, not the results.  Get well and as always love your memories.  And the rest of you, we all love hearing yours.

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal. 

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

Bass Champs had a tournament on Lake Fork this weekend and 2 teams tied, really unusual.  But that is not the half of it.  First they were offered a chance to have a 1 hour fish off and due to the weather declined and agreed to split the $$$.  Now I was not there but with high winds and cold temps this weekend it was probably not fun.  I think the bigger thing was the fact that they both had 10.28 pounds, not much for a tough grind.  But that is not the weird part.  One winning team had a 5 fish limit that weighed 10.28 and the other had 1 fish, that weighed 10.28, which was also big fish for the tourney.  What are the odds?

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

And Keith sent this along.

I live in Canyon Lake, and fish POC about 4-6 times a year. Been doing that for over 30 years. I really enjoy reading your blog especially the salt water portion.
I am turning 50 this year and want to plan a trip to the Chandeluer Islands like the one you have been on. Me and my Girl and my best friend and his girl, I want to go sometime in May when the weather is a little more predictable.
So looking forward to going somewhere and catching some fish but seems odd to go there to catch the same fish I can catch here. I guess I more looking forward to the food you raved about last year when you went.
The white bass haven’t even started here at Canyon, been several times and each time the water temps have still been in the high 50’s.
16 years up here and I never really catch them till the temp gets to 67-69 degrees in the lake.

This cold front today and tomorrow really problem threw them for a loop if they were thinking about getting started.
Would love any suggestions of things to take on the Chandeleur trip. Can’t wait.
I always look for you at Froggies when I’m down there, haven’t crossed your path yet. I stay just down the street across from the Captains Quarters motel.
Thanks for giving all of us that cant fish as much as we would like something to read and dream about.

First the Chandeleur trip.  When you plan really look over the available boats.  There are lots of options.  We went on the Southern Belle and I would, and will, go with them again.  Be advised the fishing boats are pull starts, but well maintained and each has a radio in case.  Now do not get me wrong, the sleeping arrangements are close, it is a ship.  If memory serves me correct his was the first boat built for these trips.  So when looking to add the ladies be sure to make sure they know what they are getting in to and make sure the boat can accommodate their needs.  And while nothing fancy, Capt. Howie knows how to cook.  When you are out there and come back to a warm meal and a few adult beverages the day is made.  And book early.  We choose our period last year and he was already filling up.  Another word about time of year.  The year before I went the boys went in the fall and limited out with their 25o trout.  We on the other hand caught about 2/3 of that, but they were a lot bigger.

fishsouthernbelle.com/  – check them out.

There is acres of shallow flats and with the boats they have, you can fish out of the boat all 3 days if you like.  The biggest trout of the trip came drifting in the middle of the day, and several folks did not wade at all.  We did both.  And that time of year, May, there are some big ass trout and reds on the beach.  It requires a little walk over the island depending on where you beach, but trust me, it is worth the walk.  The only real problem, carrying a full stringer back to the small boat.

The beach.  Loved the average size.

As far as baits, easy.  Topwater – I really enjoyed throwing the Whooper Plooper and of course any walking the dog style topwater will do.  Popping cork – Simple and effective.  Add anything you like on the end, but I was impressed with Marker 54’s hard 3″ shrimp, the fish loved it.  Plastics – Your preference.  I had great luck slow rolling the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad on the beach, the nice trout just stopped it.  Other than that anything you are confident throwing works just like here.

And to your comment about catching the same stuff as we do here, I get it.  I really understand that, when I go to Florida I will catch reds and trout if it happens, but I am there for snook and maybe a tarpon or two.  This trip is different in it is all about the doing.  A real poor man’s mothership, then not having to do anything, no cooking, no boat cleaning, heck the crew on the Southern Belle would not let you even load your own stuff and they filled your cooler!   I got used to that real quick.

And the reds averaged nice and fat.  We saw reds like this everyday.  In fact the first bite I had was a big red who smashed a ripped Whooper Plopper and I almost fell out of the boat setting the hook!

One last piece of advice, we paid extra to leave the first night so that we were on the water first thing day 1, and we got 3 full days of fishing, worth the extra.  The trip per person cost is beyond reasonable for 3 days.  Having fished lots of places here and abroad it is the best deal in adventure fishing.  So good luck with your planning, and stay tuned for a report as soon as I get back early May.  Just writing this got my heart to pumping!

And the poor white bass, I am sure they just do not know what to do.  My guess, the minute it warms up it will be on, and probably shorter than usual.  Ours are still hanging out up lake, as they have for the last month.  All we need is that big warming trend, but with this delayed warming it might spread it out and will never be off the chart crazy like it can be.

Last, thanks for reading.  I try to share info, techniques and just maybe a little entertainment.  This winter was slow but that is about to change.  There are still lots of big trout being caught and I hope I get in on the act.  And with easy limits the last 2 trips it helps with the motivation.  Hopefully there will be some good future reports, which means I get to catch them.  Thanks again.

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

I did take a hike, glad I did not go fishing and here are a couple of picture with the new camera.

Looks like there will be a fairly large learning curve but so far so good.  Since I will spend a little time with the camera rep tomorrow that curve should be reduced quickly.  We want to be sure we have it all down before the wolf tracker trip to Montana in April.

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

Off to the Houston Fishing Show tomorrow and when I get back a couple of days from now hopefully the weather will calm down at least some.  It is spring and time for the real spring fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Stop by and see them at the Houston Fishing Show  March 6 – 10th.

Fishdar?

What happens when a lesbian, an oncologist, and fisherman meet in a bar?

I have always maintained that I have “fishdar”.  What is that?  A variation from the gay comedians who claim they can spot another gay person do to their “gaydar”.  The same happens to us fishermen, we can often spot each a mile away.  Which leads me to the following.  What happens when a lesbian, an oncologist, and fisherman meet in a bar?  Of course the conversation gets around to fishing!

We spent the weekend in San Antonio, staying at the Havana, a really cool 1914 remodeled hotel.  The bar is awesome.  Down in the basement, it is lit only with red candles all around, one of those places if you are ever in town and want to have an adult beverage I highly recommend it.  But to my point –

The lesbian was there with her significant other, and there were 4 other people there, who had obviously been having a good time.  So of course we are all chatting.  We found out he was a physician.  He, his wife, and another couple flew to San Antonio for a long weekend to escape the ridiculously cold weather of Green Bay.  The lesbian and girlfriend were from San Antonio.  Once Green Bay came up of course as a life long Bear fan I had to needled them.  No longer running feud than Bears/Packers.  And then what happened?  The conversation turned to fishing.

Before it was over it was a marling fishing, sturgeon stabbing, walleye catching good time.  All of us who fish speak that common language.  A love of fishing crosses all orientations, economic station,  and geographic locations.  We all had one thing in common if nothing else, a love of fishing.  And we all have a story.  You just never know.

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal. 

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

I got this comment from Rick following my bay exploits of last week.

Great report. I really look forward to your salt water adventures and like the way you share your exact techniques with all your readers of the blog. A guy like me only gets to go 3-4 times a year, so when I do get to go I’m a lot better prepared, thanks to you. So leave them overgrown green mud minnows alone and keep busting those trout and reds. Besides, you know a 17 inch trout tastes better than any bass that ever hit the grease. Keep up the great job you’re doing.
Rick

First I will agree, fresh trout definitely taste better than a “green mud minnow”, but we eat them both.  I do admit my trout fishing skills are not my strong suit but I have my moments.  Last trip was a perfect example.  It took me 4 wades to finally sink in, (I have been known to flog a dead horse as they say, which you know if you read this stuff.) they had deserted those shallow clear banks.  So it was only logical, go small, go deep, go light.  I think the fall rate on the 1/32 jig head and little plastic is so slow, it does take patience, they just can not stand it.  And when it is like that they just suck it in, really reminds me of all the crappie fishing I did while guiding.  Watching that tiny jig sinking so slow then seeing the line jump!  Gotcha!  And to your comment about being a little better prepared, that is the whole point of this blog.  I may not know much, but when it helps anyone it keeps me writing.  Thanks for the compliment.

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

And your point about only getting here a few times a year brings up another subject.  Over the years I have met some really great folks due to the blog, and have been fortunate enough to get to fish with a few of you.  If things work out I try to fish with folks who comes this way, my apologies to those I missed.  And getting to fish with other folks has definitely made me a better fisherman.  (And I am always down with a boat ride in someone else’s boat.)  So if any of you are headed this way drop me a line.  Not saying it will always work out but I love to hitch a ride.  So give me some notice, you never know.

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

Last year when the Lew’s SLP baitcasters were on sale at Bass Pro I bought 3, and I love them.  They are back on sale again both online in the Cabela’s bargain cave and in the spring Bass Pro sales flyer.  At $79 they are worth every penny.  I have been using them extensively for over a year in freshwater without so much as a hitch in the git along.  I have not used them in the salt but will be picking up another and will use it exclusively in the salt to see how it holds up.  And speaking of reels I will give props to the Okuma I bought at Dicks over a year ago, it has been used only in the salt and has held up great.

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

I have commented on the Marker 54 hard shrimp before, it really caught the fish in the Chandeleur Islands.  Not only did it catch bull reds and trout, it held up to the abuse of several 25lb+ redfish.  The Tackle Box in Victoria is now carrying them.  They are not cheap by any stretch, but are made so solid that about the only way it will mess up is if you do and lose it.  So if you are a popping cork fan pick some up, it catches fish.  (And no free lures were involved in the making of this post.)

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

And since we are talking about fishing stuff I will be hanging out (Working if you call it that.) at the Controlled Descent booth at the Houston Fishing Show Thursday evening from around 4 or 5 until closing.  It will be fun talking fishing, as well as cruising the show looking for those bargains you just can not live without.  That is how I met the Wade Right guys, and their belt has turned into my favorite “accessory” other than the boat.  The point being there is no better place other than ICAST to find out what is new, usually getting a better deal to boot.  Plus with the weather being as crappy as it is it is a great time to hit the show.  Just bring your wallet.

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

And what report would be complete without one fish picture?  This is my buddy Aaron from early March 2012 ,when we smacked a ton of redfish, the first year of the blog.  Notice his shirt?  Wishin’ for some of that!  And illustrates using the month search for things that happened for the last 7 years can tell you something.  Time for a trip to Keller Bay.

It is 34 degrees, it might hit 38 today, which when combined with a 25mph north wind makes this a Monday no fishing day.  Dang it.  The low for tonight will be below freezing with a freeze watch in affect.  The next few days are no real improvement.  Daylight savings time is this weekend, the 10th, and this seems to be some crazy weather for this late.  So while it may suck, when it warms up a touch I might be headed to the lake for a few hours tomorrow afternoon in spite of high winds and cold temps.  A matter of taking what you can get.  As soon as it straightens up a little more it will be back to the bay.

******************* 

So that is it for today from a bored retired fisherman who is watching fishing instead of going.  Like all real fisherman I am either doing it, thinking about it, or in my case writing about it.  So hope this was not to boring, one of my occasional worries doing this.  But it is what it is –  All I know is I was wishing I was fishing!  So keep stopping in, there will be a real report soon, and thanks for reading and commenting.  Keeps an old guy busy.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Stop by and see them at the Houston Fishing Show  March 6 – 10th.

The front blew through here this morning (Thursday) and it was 43 degrees when I was out at 9:00 with a pretty cold wind.  Tomorrow looks better, and the low is going to be 7 degrees color here in Victoria than on the coast.  With it being Friday there will be the usual influx of weekend warriors so I will be getting at lot earlier start than yesterday, plus no fog.  I spent the morning checking reels, some new line, and just making sure I have it together for tomorrow.  The plan, fish some bigger stuff and try to catch a big one, but if I get into another bite like yesterday it may be hard to help myself.  We shall see.

Weather

53/64.  Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance stray shower.  Wind  ENE 10 – 15 mph.

Tides

Low    8:31 AM    -0.4
High   8:29 PM     0.3

Solunar Times

6:37 am to 8:37 am.  Day classed as poor.

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal. 

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

It was a little foggy and drizzled in places on the way to POC.  As I cruised by the Powderhorn Ranch I saw a couple of the Sambar deer were right next to the fence and had there noses stuck out, which was weird, until I looked across the road and there were a couple more looking at them.  Funny.  Wonder how they taste.

It was about 7:30 when I got on the water.  The wind was blowing a good 15 mph almost straight out of the north.  This is when I made a bad decision.  I went back where I caught them Wednesday and the first thing I noticed, besides the wind was blowing directly on it, the temp had dropped from 67 to 61 degrees.  The tide was low, and it was gin clear, a recipe for failure.  After an hour with 1 bite time for a move, they clearly had!

From there I waded a cut in front of a lake on Falwell Island.  The minute I got out of the boat 3 little ones jumped on, and then nothing.  Next was another cut, and not a touch.  So time for old reliable, the Barroom Bay shoreline.  The wind was no problem, but that water had cooled 4 degrees.  From shallow, to deep, not a bite.  The drop off on the POC side goes from 2 – 5 foot and when they are slow the drop usually holds them, usually.  Not a touch  So now I am not to happy, considering Wednesday.   Time for Big Bayou and a total change of tactics.

This is what they all looked like, no great shakes.  But nice keepers headed to the frying pan!

When it is off, and cold, or conditions suck there is a deep bank there that they like and I fish it from the boat.  And since nothing was working all that well it was time for the light line, small DOA Cal on the 1/32 ounce jig head, a great choice when things are tough.  I stopped on the point and first cast thump, caught one.  Then another, and another, and for an hour they were smoking it.  But all that activity lured in a dolphin and her baby.  But until then they were smacking it.  They were right on the drop, toss it in to a foot, hop it up, and let if fall over the edge and thump.  Love it when they are eating like that.  The tide was finally moving and I went from Zero to Hero in nothing flat.  Meanwhile momma schooled her baby, it was a really little one, in the fine art of following the boat.  While at times they can be a hassle, it is still cool.  So after catching a wad the trout had enough of the dolphins, and me, so I called it a day.  (On the way back to Victoria the boat train was headed to POC for the weekend.  Let the spring fishing begin!)

That is why I love fishing.  By keeping after it and realizing they were gone from the flats, and not interested in big baits, the day turned around.  When the bite was on it was good, you could see the line jump, and they were hard to miss.  But after throwing back a couple of dozen the dolphins got in on the act and it was over.  I kept our supper, and released the rest.  Nothing over 17″, but plenty of keepers so I put 3 in the box for supper, perfect.  The Boss likes em’ fresh, we rarely freeze them.

Our weather is nuts.  Cloudy and cool again with a north wind, the weather dude said it is possible our Sunday may be as cold as it has been all year!  We are definitely stuck in a crummy weather pattern.  And while it may warm some as the week progresses, rain and clouds continue in the forecast.  The fishing will continue to be good on the bay, the lake is another story, so we shall see how the lake shakes out.  I look forward to the Houston Fishing Show mid week, which I will combine with a meeting with the Sony rep at the Houston Camera show to teach me some on the new camera.  While I am sure my kid could make it do all it can do, an old guy like me needs a little help.  (And you don’t get a book anymore, see my new locators, it is all on line.)

The Boss on the other hand has had a stretch of ER hell. everybody is getting in on the sick train.  So time for a little R&R to help her keep her sanity.  I will be back on the water soon, though Monday has a high in the mid 40’s with a north wind to 30mph.  But hope springs eternal.  So keep stopping in and thanks for ready my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

Stop by and see them at the Houston Fishing Show  March 6 – 10th.

Finally good weather for a long day on the bay.  I prefer the tide dropping but this will be a rising tide all day.  While not my best suit a good day to learn some.  So it will be up early and gone for a day of wading.  I will be hoping for a big bite and will fish accordingly, though a few smalls for the pan will be appreciated.

Weather

63/71.  Cloudy with partial sun late.  20% chance stray shower.  Wind S 5 – 10mph.

Tides

Low   6:16 AM    -0.4
High   7:05 PM     0.3

Solunar Times

There is no relevant time during daylight.  Must be why the day is classed as poor.  (Wrong!)  Just my luck lately!

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.  And boy did it today.

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

I finally hit the road about 7:30 and it was foggy, I mean thick.  So it was a slow ride to Froggie’s.  When I got there the fog was still thick, but the water looked great and it was a little over 60 degrees.  And for the tide it was a lot higher than I would have thought.  So I hung out getting stuff ready, waders on, then coffee waiting for a break in the fog.  As soon as there was a clear patch overhead I eased out.

I took Army Cut across, which turned out to be a great decision.  There were still big patches of fog, so I took it easy.  The nice thing about going to the island that way is the ferry lane, which worked out great when it got thick.  It was a long ride until I could see the island so I headed down the island and stopped at a drain.  Foggy and drizzly, it could not have been better.  At times I do not fish the bay as much as I will in the future, but I keep saying I was looking for the “right” day.  And today was it.

They flat ate the Controlled Descent white/limetreuse Paddle Shad.

The reason I chose that particular place is there is a nice ditch, 2 great points, and an area of softer bottom with grass.  The tide was still easing out slightly, and the color was great.  I did not get 10 feet from the boat when it started.  The first 4 or 5 blew up on the Spook Jr. and none stuck.  So as I say, listen to the fish, so I switched to a Rapala Skitter V in a gold top with a white bottom.  Great choice.  One thing the Skitter V does is move even more side to side on a short twitch, but it’s rear end staying pretty much in line.  Second, it has finer hooks.  And from that point on it was game on.

They sure like the Rapala Skitter V.

Then it was just a matter of a slower retrieve and keep it coming no matter how many times they missed, and then they would hook up.  Not even gonna guess how many I caught on it, but it sure was fun.  Then another great choice.  Michael, the Owner of Controlled Descent, posted he and his son caught some nice ones on the white/limetreuse Paddle Shad.  What better advice, so as soon as I had them found in a ditch along the drop with the topwater I started with the plastics.

Still listening to the fish, I rigged it on a 1/16th weighted swim bait hook so it would stay shallow.  Hopping it 3 or 4 times, the last hop on the surface, then letting it drop and they were smacking it.  That, along with the topwater, went on until I quit.  Then I made another good decision, again listening to the fish.

The pumpkinseed/chartreuse glitter caught it’s share.

As the topwater bite slowed down, though I caught  trout on it until I quit, the trout wanted the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad fished horizontal and not up and down.  Jerk, jerk, jerk, then stop for a couple of counts.  Several hit it within a couple of feet of me.  It was interesting following them around, first on the point, then along the drop, and finally out on the soft bottom.  The topwater would get a bite and then I would bait and switch, which worked until I quit.

That’s enough pictures, you get the point.

No big ones today, but the average was nice, plenty of keepers.  And now the plug for the Wade Right wading harness from Coastal Fishing Gear.  Today was the proof, carry 2 different rods was the ticket.  I only went to the boat once in 5 hours, and being able to alternate baits, with different line weights made the day.  And not one dunk, which is always a great thing.

There are some days when you just know, and watching the weather for the last month put me on the water under great conditions.  And then choosing a place with lots of features close kept me in the water casting instead of moving the boat, they just kept biting.  Finally I just called it a day.  When you have a bite on your first or second cast, and then catch a fish right before you quit 5 hours later, it does not get any better than that.

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Gage sent along this follow up comment, and my answer might be better this time.

Thanks for the reply have you ever targeted crappie at coleto last year i caught 6 up in the back creek they were all 12 inch or over and all on rattle traps . i was looking for a little bit more specifics on places to try ive seen some of your older post about wading in lavaca bay. thats just as close as sea drift for me. Thanks and always tightlines

Now that I know you have a boat, and having a Carolina Skiff myself, I have a much better idea of a few places.  As far as crappie up the coleto creek arm there is tons of brush.  There is always crappie up there, and as the weather warms they will hit the bank in the next month.  Just hitting piece after piece of cover with small jigs will find them.  Be prepared to lose lots of small jigs, 2″ or 3″ tubes for me, cheaper.  Always count it down as you cast to cover, then a slow reel back.  Once you find them, and get the count down, they will smack it.

And as far as Lavaca Bay, there is the Powderhorn Ranch shoreline, or inside the Powderhorn when it is windy, are both steady places.  And in the Powderhorn itself there is always redfish.  Just be careful, care has to be taken to fish the lake, if you go just take it easy going in following the stakes.  Most of it is shallow, but taking the time to learn it can keep you in redfish.  Of course Keller Bay taking Hwy 172 down to the ramp.  A south wind or a big east wind can be a hassle, but if not to windy the pasture down the same side of the bay as the ramp always hold fish.  Just look for the area that has a high bank.  As will fishing the Strike King Redfish Magic down the bank around the docks.  Good luck and if you want to know a little more email me.  Thanks for reading .

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

I will be headed to the Houston Fishing Show on the 7th to take in all the new stuff, and who knows, maybe spend a buck or two.  And also a little time covering the Controlled Descent booth while Michael takes time out to be at his son’s school activity.  Now that is a good dad.  Of course I will be stopping in at the Wade Right booth to chat up Tim and Jason.  We are all getting excited about the Chandeleur trip after lasts years rousing good time.  For a saltwater fisherman it should be a bucket list trip.  Good food, fellowship,  fishing, much less being treated like a king, it does not get any better than that.  So if you have a little time this weekend, especially if the weather sucks, head to the show and tell them I said hey.

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

Not sure what is next but as soon as the weather straightens up, looks like Friday might be a go, it will be back to the bay.  I wanted to fish corky style stuff, I did catch a couple on the Hoover Shad from Academy today, and if Friday pans out it will be more of a try to catch a big fish day.  Today it was one of those why in the hell would I leave when they kept biting for over 5 hours, especially when the average size was keepers.   So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines 

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**

Happy Birthday to the Boss

Since I did not post on her birthday, I wanted to tell my lovely wife Happy Birthday.

She doesn’t always fish, but when she does it is a thing of beauty!  Love the Boss!

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It is raining with some thunder this morning as I write this so no bay for me today.  Before I get to the report I wanted to tell you what I found on the lake yesterday.  A big bucket with holes drilled all over it, hanging from a deep tree.  That my friends is a “tournament” cheating bucket.  Used for putting fish in the day before, it is used by real low life’s to cheat.  I have found them in Arkansas, Amistad, Falcon, and now one on Coleto.  This is the reason that except for small pot tourneys I quit fishing partner tournaments years ago.  One thing that is sad is much of the cheating uncovered over the years often involves “winners”, folks who seem to always be in the money on their local lake.  Without the threat of polygraphs, and often it is nothing more than a threat, there will always be scum willing to cheat.  So sad.

Weather

45/66.  Cloudy, slight (20%) chance of stray shower.  Wind E 10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.24 msl.   5 days ago  98.26 msl.

Solunar Times

Good  9:38 am to 11:38 am.  Best  3:51 pm to 5:51 pm.   (Day is classed as poor.)

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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

My catfish mastery continues.  He ate 2 tails, and like usual this catfish slammed it!

With possible thunderstorms on the bay I decided to do something completely different on the lake.  And while the results were less than stellar I really had fun.  In fact so much that when the Boss called on her way to work and told me it was 4:00 I almost fell out of the boat, I thought I just started!  The water is clearing slowly, but in coves that had the wind blowing in them some had color.  It seems like when the wind blows it stirs up easily.  The water temp was 63 – 66 over most of the lake.  And a telltale sign of how the fishing is, one truck at the ramp at 9:00, no trucks when I pulled out at 5:30.

The plan was to throw the A Rig today, and to keep after it.  I decided to fish the smaller one, but it still has 5 tails on it, each on a jig head.  The plan was to fish points at the mouths of known spawning coves, channels, and secondary points in some areas.  Unfortunately the wind was blowing almost 20 so some places that were a little tough to fish correctly, but I stayed after  it.

Of course I got fooled right off the bat.  Second cast on a secondary point in the first cove and I caught one.  It might have been a small but hey, something new.  From that point on I fished all the places mentioned above.  Another small jumped on, I missed 2 more, and I lost a big fish.  It actually felt like I was hung, and then it started swimming.  As my old guide customer used to say – “He caught me unawares.”  And my response to Albert, you are fishing how is that unaware.  But it happens.  And no bass pics, I was sure a big one was coming.

I went up lake and fished a couple of channel banks, and had a good run, to bad they were not bass.

The whites were willing but not what I was after.

Starting on a long channel bank up river one smoked it, and my relationship with catfish on lures continues.  He had 2 baits in his mouth, no wonder it felt like he smashed it.  Then the whites started, nothing big, but 3 or 4 got on and I missed a couple.  But no bass.  So on the way back down lake I stopped to hit a good brush pile for shits and giggles, and ended up catching a couple of more white bass but no crappie.

About 2:00, before I left up lake, it started pouring pretty good.  And then big scary thunder with lightning in the distance.  It kept up about a 1/2 hour, and then it just quit.  A little drizzle here and there the rest of the day but nothing hard.  Unfortunately after that little storm not a bite, not a touch.  The only variation from the plan was after the bite quit, I fished a swim jig on the last place without success and called it a day.

You can put all I know about fishing an A Rig, which I have done 2 days in my life, in a thimble.  One thing I learned is it is definitely a braid technique.  Being heavy, and fishing it deep, line stretch was clearly an issue when I set the hook.  No problem as it is easily remedied.  Other than that it is a fun way to fish, at least it kept it interesting today.  So the day was not a rousing success by any means, but there was one more happening that helped make it a great day to be outdoors.

Every winter we get a few eagles and lots of ospreys and I have seen the eagle getting hassled by the ospreys a lot.  Today the eagle fought back, and it was awesome.  They did a cool dance, twisting and turning until the eagle won the skirmish.  Then he turned and came right over me in a cool glide.  What a sight.

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When I got to the ramp the gentleman who comes there most days to read and watch the lake was there and as usual we chatted.  He was there for the weigh in of the tournament this weekend on the lake and reported the guys caught lots of smalls and lots of whites.  There was only one big fish and one good one weighed in and the talk was as it has been,  Where are the big fish?  My answer, they are there and trust me, when they come to the bank it will be late this spring and I expect it to be something.

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When I was talking about fishing the shaky head last post I had a little brain fart, I just could not remember the bait that was the “prototype” for that style of fishing.  It was made by Charlie Brewer and was called the Slider Head, the first for many of the techniques to come.  Basically the same as fishing the shaky head, it used the same method of burying the hook in a small worm to make it weedless.  Fished on really light line it was one of the first finesse baits.

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Texas Parks and Wildlife just posted the proposed changes for freshwater fishing regulations, some on individual lakes, some statewide.  The big changes proposed are on alligator gar.  Trust me, if you like shooting or catching gar you need to head to the website.  Remember no complaining no matter how it goes if you do not comment on those that affect you.  Same goes with the proposed hunting changes.  The changes include some doe hunting in Victoria Country and the waterfowl season and bag regulations.  Saltwater proposals include a statewide 5 fish regulation.  At least go and read them, it is important to stay informed and if the spirit moves you comment.  Remember they work for us and are not always right.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/

And speaking of TPWD, another violator was busted after posting on social media.  They are watching and rightly so.  Keep it up Wardens, we support you and thanks for your service.

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And Joe sent this along.

1) Thank Doug and Steve from Waco for the guide help.

2) Do the wildlife people at Coleto office know whats going on with the grass?

3) Your Bored? Lets make a trip to Miami to fish peacocks in the canals, or we go to the amazon and fish for them there. Only problem the big boat guys cost $5000

First hope you found a guide for the boys.  A cool thing to do.  Second, it was the guy who was the biologist at the lake, now retired, who told me what he thought.  He is the one who told me his theory was following a few years of drought we had the big flood and huge raise and the grass did not get the sunlight it needed to grow.  My only comment on that theory is the lake had just started to have a bunch of hyacinth up river, and it ended up dying also.  So not sure if it was all that simple.  I did snag some deep grass today, but only on one cast and only in one place.  Maybe some hope?  No matter what it has changed the lake.

And thanks for the Florida offer, but I already have a trip scheduled for late September.  I will be towing there to fish several places, to be determined, then meeting the Boss at the place we are looking at for retirement.  One plan once we get there, after 40 years of towing a boat finally putting the boat on a lift in a marina.  The area is on the Harris Chain of Lakes, and only an hour from each coast.  It sure will be nice to just drive up and head out.

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Tuesday looks a little sketchy on the coast so Wednesday or Thursday I will be up early and gone.  It will just depend on which day has the least chance of thunderstorms.  But just like freshwater, cloudy days tend to extend the bite.  Looking at the weather a week out we are still in the same pattern, though temps are slowly rising.  Hopefully some of this water will be warmer than what we have, which will definitely get things going.  It looks like a late spring.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**

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Insanity – Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!

Weather

60/53.  Cloudy with a 20% chance of stray showers.  Wind NNE 10 – 15mph.

Solunar Periods

Best 11:40 am to 1:40 pm.  (Day classified as average.)

Lake Level

Today  98.26 msl.     2 week ago  98.37 msl.

*******************Fresh or salt it has a place in your arsenal.

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We will get to the insanity thing as soon as I get through with the report.  When I got to the ramp there were several bass boat trailers at the ramp, and more came during the day.  Must be a tournament this weekend.  I hit the lake at around 9:00 and fished until dark.  The water is finally clearing just a little and the water temp remained like it has been, 61 to 65 over most of the lake.  While the lake has fallen a little it basically is remaining stable.  Many coves are still fairly off color but the bigger ones seem to have areas that are a little clearer.  And most of the bites did come there.

To make a long story short I caught 7 smalls, 5 on the Bang O Lure and I probably missed that many on it, and 2 came pitching a craw to cover.  Of those, 5 came in one cove.  I did have one try to jerk the rod out of my hands slow rolling a chartreuse spinnerbait, definitely a catfish bite.  At least there are some males headed to the bank, but clearly the rest of them are not.  But I gave it the old college go, (That is what 7 years of college will do for you.) and that goes to the insanity thing.

When the Boss got home and I told here how the day went, her comment – “You are bored.”  She is partially right.  I have been stuck in a fishing rut.  Thinking about it I have been hard at it the last almost 8 years, but may have been in the old – “Can’t see the forest for the trees” thing.  But being hard at it should not include being “hard headed”, which I have been the last couple of months.  As the lake has changed, and it really has over the last 2 years, I have not changed with it.  And a good illustration of that is my conversation with a gentleman from Missouri who was just taking out.

I asked about his results and he relayed the following.  He caught 3 keepers and had several others he thought were big fish that he did not get to the boat.  He is fishing a shaky head.  He said he tried multiple colors and the only thing that got bit was a watermelon seed color.  I got that feeling they were not particularly shallow.

In the back of my mind that little voice has been saying do something different, unfortunately I have not been listening.  (Funny how I often listened to that little devil on my shoulder telling me to do stupid shit when I was young and dumb.)  It should be simple right now, look for staging fish getting ready to head to the bank.  When you find them like that it can be a killing. Where to look?  Points at the mouth of spawning coves, channel bends and channels part way back in big spawning coves, and deeper secondary points inside the same coves.  Deeper being the operative word.  Standard bass location pre-spawn.  It’s not like these locations are a surprise.  And when the bite is tough shaky head is a great option, and one I have tons of experience with, and have completely gotten away from.

My experience?  Fishing the deep clear lakes of Arkansas and Missouri for 25 years.  Back then we did not call it some fancy name.  For us it was just a 4″ worm on a light jig head and light line, which worked well in the gin clear waters.  It caught fish when other techniques did not.  So what’s old becomes “new” again, common with some fishing techniques.

So how did I get stuck in this “rut’?  Much has to do with me getting enamored with fishing all the shallow grass Coleto had.  Easy to get stuck in the rut when you catch lots of big fish regularly in water less than 5′.  Such a change from fishing lakes almost devoid of cover where in October catching bass in 50′ of water was not uncommon.  We regularly deep water jigged winter bass out of 25 – 50′ of water and we filled the boat year after year with stripers and whites at this depth.  So fishing deep is nothing new to me.  (One caveat to this, I will not anchor on a point and drag a Carolina rig for hours.  It may be effective but I find that extremely boring.   Fishing should still be fun.) It boils down to me not changing when it was time, probably a function of getting set in your ways, which seems to affect me more as I get older.

Time for a change on my part.  As the grass has disappeared other techniques are now back on the menu.  A Rigs, deep cranking, spooning, light line small baits, all have a place and time in a good bass fisherman’s arsenal.  No amount of wishing will ever return Coleto to the grass filled bonanza it was, at least in my lifetime.  The fish are still there, the problem is me.  Fishing is always about change, time of year, weather, raising or lowering water, and you have to stay with it daily, monthly, yearly.  And like I said, and will again, you can not make them be where they are not.  End of story.

Now to what the Boss described as boredom.  One result of loving time on the water is even when the fishing sucks I still treasure every day on the water.  There are many days for me that the results are a side benefit of being out there.  So while it may be a “local” boredom it is not with fishing.  Fishing in some of the great places on earth can also have an effect.  But with Montana in April, and Louisiana in May, there is some great fishing to come, and trust me, it will not be boring.

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I got this comment from Gage, who I believe is a first time commenter.

Do you have any advice for the seadrift area trout or redfish. Ive been catching them in the back creek in coleto back almost up to shroeder on double tadem rigs and tiny ttf minnows all the way up to 4 1/2 pounds. hope the tip on the lake helps They been in the channel 8 to 12 ft bouncing right on the bottom. The water has cleared up back there.

Thanks for a real report.  It goes along with my post today.  There is more ways to skin a cat and my stubborn ways sure have got me in a rut.  When you think about what I learned from the guy at the ramp this makes perfect sense.  You can not hurry the bass, they will come to the bank when the  time is right and no amount of my shallow efforts will put them there.  We all have out slumps and it is nice to have someone help out a fishing “brother”.

As far as your Seadrift question, not sure if you mean tomorrow or generally.  But generally if you have a boat here is my .02 for what it is worth.  My experience fishing out of Seadrift is limited, the barge canal, one winter Mission Lake, rare trips to San Antonio Bay, and heading to Cedar Bayou. The drum hole has it’s moments as does the barge canal, all close. On the other hand if you head across the bay to the island I can help.  It is a long ride that can be rough out of Seadrift but in that area you have some great places.

My first piece of advice, is always get a good map.  Along with regular maps I use the Lakes and Bay Fishing Atlas which you can get it in some gas stations.  It is good for a general layout and planning a trip, and includes most of the coast and tons of lakes.  I am using it as we speak.  From Ayers Point to Twin Lakes there is all the fishing you could ever need.  There are tons of drains and small lakes, which all hold fish at times.  Additionally Panther Point is there, one of the good shell wades on the bay.  So sorry if this is to broad, but if I were headed out of Seadrift that is where I would go.  If you want more specific info please drop a comment and I will email you.  I really appreciate you commenting, it is refreshing to get the occasional real report.

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Here is a possibility SA Joe for your guide question.

Good Morning Doug
This is Steve from Waco. I haven’t dropped you a line in a while, but I can help with the gentleman looking for a guide. We have a weekend home in Seadrift so I spend a lot of time in the area. I have fished a couple of times with Captain Derick Kuyrkendall, he’s my go to man on saltwater and has become a good friend in the process. Capt. Derick fishes the jetties at POC and state waters. A jetty trip would be the all around best choice, not so weather dependent and you would catch more and bigger fish. A day at the jetties will bring good size trout, bull reds, black drum, sharks, jacks and maybe kingfish. If everything went just right you would have a good chance at a tarpon, but not at spring break, just not warm enough yet. If I were taking my sons fishing only one time, I would not recommend a wade fishing trip. The boat stops and everyone gets out and goes their way down the shoreline. Capt Derick fishes out of a 26’ Pathfinder so you have room and a big boat under you. He only fishes the jetties so he can flat put you on the fish. In the summer time he is the tarpon man, hands down. Check out his face book page. https://www.facebook.com/patriotguideservice/ Capt. Derrick taught me how to tarpon fish, we caught 5 tarpon last summer and looking for more this year. He’s a great guide, good teacher and all around good guy. Promise you won’t be sorry; you will have a great time.
Steve Roberts
http://patriotguideservice.com
https://www.facebook.com/patriotguideservice/
Captain Derick Kuyrkendall POC

Good to hear from you Steve.  And I whole heartedly agree that is the way to go for newbies, and one thing about the jetties, they are consistent year round.   If you want to get anyone hooked on fishing results are important and getting your line stretched at the jetties is the way to go.  Your recommendation is appreciated and is good advice.  So Joe, check him out, it is definitely a good option.  Thanks for the comment.

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Yesterday started off with me losing my phone, which goes along with the fact I forgot it when we went to Louisiana early this week.  And when I got up this morning my casting shoulder hurt like hell.  Getting old is not for the weak!

It is raining as I write this, and 55 degrees out.  Just what we need, more rain, and rain that is colder than the current water temp at that.  Looking at the weather 10 days out we are stuck in this pattern, which is normal for this time of year.  It has been an interesting winter to say the least.

So to the tackle room I go to fix a rod tip, go through stuff, and get ready to hit it.  While I may have gotten a little off track it has nothing to do with how often I go.  Where or when nest?  Not sure but the salt is next, it really is big trout time and I am the one who preaches fishing for particular fish when the time is right, and the bay is right for big ones.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and  Tight Lines