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!**

A Life Well Lived

It is with a heavy heart we start the New Year.  My father-in-law Jack is 95 y/o and after his big stroke he is slowly slipping away.  Today he is resting more comfortably and it won’t be long.

In his shop where he was happiest.  Always a smile.

He has lived a full life, been married to Joy for 69 years,  (Wow.) and raised 4 great children.  If it was made of wood he could make it, and we all got a good laugh moving them last week.  We all have the same hat rack, lazy Susan, magazine rack, and a host of other things from his shop.  And thanks for never making me the big woman’s butt for the flower garden.  It was important that all the kids and grandkids were able to get there and see him last week when he knew and recognized everyone.

As we packed them up I found a package of watermelon/red worms, my favorite color, that he bought to hang off the other folks doors in the assisted living place.  Always a joker.  He smiled when I told him that not only was I “confiscating” them, but that they were my favorite color.  And next time out I will catch a fish on one, and forever keep the rest on the wall in the tackle room as a reminder that not only is life short, but it can be well lived.

So he may not be able to hear me but I wanted to say thanks.  Not only for being a good man but for giving me the love of my life.  You did a bang up job with your life and you are loved by all.  It is ok, you are tired from that long and productive life, your peace is right around the corner.  Plus I hear the best shop in the world is in heaven and God might just need a lazy Susan.  (He doesn’t wear a hat you know.)  You could not meet a better man.

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

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

It is hard right now to talk about the future as nothing is written in stone.  But as I said life goes on, and with that thought in mind here is the “plan” for the year around here.

What I hope to accomplish this year –

1.  Get back to fishing for the simple love of it.  Stop letting the blog make the decisions.  I get so wrapped up in getting that big fish picture, or catching a mess, simply for the blog.  Easy to forget the very thing that got me here, that little guy who always knew that the “Tug is the Drug.”  As I have said many times, it is in the doing.
2. With that, get back to more of the things I love to catch, which is anything with fins.  There is a world of fish out there and I hope to take advantage of every single one of them I can.  Guess you could say my bucket list now includes anything that swims.  To fish for them when the time and place is right.  To just go fishing.
3. To quit giving a rats ass about the numbers.  In the grander scheme of things who comes and why is irrelevant to my fishing journey, which is the reason I started this.  To those of you who have been here since the beginning, you hold a special place in my heart.  And to the new ones, welcome aboard.  Your readership means the world to me.
4. To write more.  As the blog evolved it ended up being mostly reports with little else.  I want to do more how-to stuff, more comments on the fishing world, and of course the occasional rant.  There are areas where I feel fishing is off the rails and in the spirit of Tred Barta, the King of the Fishing Rant, I intend to tell you about it.
5. To spend a little more time with a camera in my hands.  A shame to let that photography degree go to waste when I spend that much time outdoors.
6. As usual, to fish with more folks, to explore new places, and try new things.  The Boss always talks about our tendency to nestle in that Warm and Fuzzy Spot.  And if you are happy with that good for you, but I want more.
7. And last, to remember every time I start the boat, put on the waders, or sit on the bank, that life is privilege and not a right and to say my thanks for another day on the water.

And on a personal note:

1. I will be kinder.
2. I will pay it forward.
3. I will continue to thin the herd of those around me now that it dawned on me that you do not have to suffer fools.  There are some folks you are better off without in your life.
4. To tell my lovely wife how much she means to me every chance I get.  It always pays to butter up the Boss and with a wife like mine so easy to do.
5. To keep wearing my life jacket and kill switch, if not for me then for those that love me.
6. And last to quit drinking beer.  Whao….wait a minute here, lets not get carried away!  If I keep to the list I will be a better person.  And by doing all that the reward – a beer!

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

And after that bit of introspection it is back to work.  The weather today in South Texas is a high of 46 degrees with a cold north wind and rain.  No fishing today.  But after today the weather shows a really nice pattern of stable and relatively warm conditions.  With that comes the white bass run on area lakes and rivers, the crappie spawn, bass spawn, and the beginning of the trout spawn with big girls feeding.  No better time to catch a big fish of most any species as spawning puts them in reach like no other time of the year.  With the guns being put up, the holidays over, fishing will take over the outdoor world.

Last time I picked up the boat my mechanic was telling another customer that he wished he had more customers like me.  Why?  He told him I take care of the little things before they become big things.  Maintenance is the key to happiness.  With that in mind it is time to take a little bit and look over all your cool fishing stuff.  There are tons of things to do before the bite is on.  Definitely time to do a serious walk around the boat trailer.  Tires, hubs, numbers, safety chains, spare, lights, the list is endless.  Really look and if it needs fixing do it.  You don’t want to be sidelined doing some fixing that could/should have been done earlier.  A little time getting squared up will save hours of misery.  (Read $$$)  Plus, your local boat mechanic is swamped in the spring and your emergency is just his number 27 on the list of things to do.

Having towed thousands of miles I have learned my lessons the hard way.  The last thing you want is to be along side the road waiting for the $600 tow truck.  It happens sometimes no matter what, but sitting on the side of the road with something that could have been nipped in the bud is sauce on the wound.  Why I have Tow Boat USA with the trailering package.  Always someone to save me if all else fails and the peace of mind is worth every penny.

Then start on the boat.  Lights, bilge pump, life jackets, fire extinguisher, horn, throwable device, batteries, paperwork, along with a host of other things.  And of course the motor, when was the last time you had it serviced?  Like the trailer, just a little prep will make your life a whole lot better.  Plus when the warden or Coast Guard checks you they will say thanks – or pay up.  Your choice.

Buy new line, organize the tackle boxes, check guides, clean reels, and that list goes on.  Poor planning = poor performance.  Amazing what you will find by getting organized, and then know where to find it when you need it.

It is all important, any of these can make or break your day, or your wallet.  So get out there and get organized.  Some of us are happy to help you out when you are broke down, but why mess up a perfectly good fishing day?

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

This year’s fishing destinations are starting to jell.  Of course the Chandeleur trip, Grand Isle La, and a new one, Montana for pike and trout.  What makes the Montana trip so special is we will also be on a 3 day wolf tracking expedition.  And the April timing is great, along with wolves we will see everything else the mountains have to offer.  Bears out of hibernation, elk, moose, mule deer, and if it happens maybe a Bighorn sheep or a lion.  (I have always said that those signs by the highway telling you to watch out for the Bighorn sheep are just kidding.)

And as far as where I hope to fish I plan on hitting Florida for a couple of weeks, it has definitely been to long.  I might even try a couple of new places while there.  We all also considering Colorado.  I will tow the boat out there and fish a week on the many lakes then pick her up at the airport for week 2.  (Not sure what is wrong with her, she does not like to tow the boat a thousand miles.  Dang woman!)  And Falcon, maybe in the next 2 weeks depending on how it goes, and Amistad.  Both are close and there is no good reason to not tap some of the best bass fishing in the country.  When fall comes I am trying to figure out how to do a trip to Lake Vermillion in Minnesota for a muskie or two, and some walleye for the Boss who loves eating them.  Hopefully some stripers on Texoma with Terry, fish more with neighbor Jesse, even a little debauchery with the Austin Boys, and anything else someone comes up with.

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

That is all for today.  First I want to thank you all for another great year.  To those I have met, and those that I will, stop and say hello when you see me at the ramp, I would love to meet you.  And feel free to comment, send me your pictures, or never read me again if it does not work for you.  I will strive to make it interesting.

I hope to be back on the water tomorrow, depending.  But if not you will know where we are.  The spring bite is so close I can taste it and my casting arm is getting twitchy just wondering what is next.  Hug your kids, tell someone you love them, and take advantage of every day on the water.   Yell “Fish on!”, help a kid catch his first fish, take some filets to the neighbor, have a great time enjoying this sport we love so much.  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!**

This will be probably be the last fishing day of the year.  The Boss has been getting off work at midnight and I usually wait up to be sure she gets home ok.  Of course I end up sleeping in, as I will do tomorrow.  Since the bite tends to be in the afternoon no big hurry.  Just have to see how it goes.

Weather

68/47.  Sunny with a 0% chance of rain.  Wind  W 5 – 10 mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.38 msl.   3 days ago  98.35 msl.

Solunar Times

No relevant time when I was out.  Day rated as Good.

******************Fresh or salt it catches fish.

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

It was one of the nicest days I have spent on the water in a long time.  Mid 60’s, sunny and basically calm, it was perfect, for being outside.  Not so perfect for catching fish.  I lazed up in the morning and did not even get to the lake until 11:30.  The water temp was 61 at the ramp and as high as 65 near the outflow cove.  Unfortunately the water color still remains seriously off color over most of the lake.  And as I noticed before, even some coves are more off color on one side than the other.

The Bang O Lure got it done.

Today I threw the lot at them, including even giving the Chatterbait a go.  I thought it might help with the water color like it is but no takers.  In fact, I missed one that blew up on the Bang O Lure on my second or third cast, then one on the Controlled Descent pearl Jerk Shad, and that was the size of it until 4:00.  I fished a couple of new places and the results remain the same, you can get a few bites once you get the first one, but wrong place wrong time and nada.

So I kept with the Bang O Lure and as the moon just started to come up I stopped in one cove and caught 4 in nothing flat, then a couple more in the next cove before I quit.  They still want it right  on top, though since I can not see it when I jerk it under who knows how many took a look at it.  If the water will clean up a little more the fishing will definitely improve.  We just do not need anymore rain, or at least any that puts any more color in the lake.  Since losing our grass the color has declined the last 3 years, with the last 3  or 4 months being the worst after several semi-floods.

And I set a record today.  After never really being hooked before I had a crankbait hanging off my finger a couple of months ago and had to have it taken out.  Well today I got bit again.  Crazy.  While taking a little one off he managed to give a big wiggle and drive a Bang O Lure hook in my index finger.  Luckily it was in a  place I could do the hook out by myself.  One big jerk and it was back to fishing.  It re-emphasized how you have to be careful on each and every fish.  It could have been worse.

Today as I left the house the Boss said,  “Hope you catch some.”  My reply, “You know it is not all about that.”  Her astute response, “I know.”   And today was like that, so nice out, few boats around, and when they did bite it was a flurry.

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

KEEP NANCY IN YOUR THOUGHTS

Unfortunately before I could get this published we got some bad news.  My wife’s father, Jack Mellinger, has had a serious stroke.  Instead of getting ready to head to Spain we are flying to Iowa to be with the family.  He is a good man who has lived his 95 years to the fullest.  It reminds me that life is fleeting and every day is a blessing.  So keep her family in your prayers.  Will be back with you all soon.

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!**

Weather

68/53.  Morning fog and cloudy rest of day with 105 chance showers late.  Wind E 5 – 10 mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.35 msl.  Yesterday  98.32 msl.  (Still coming up.)

Solunar  Times

No relevant time today.  Forecast for today’s fishing – Poor.

******************The new bait is off the drawing board!  Hope to see it soon.

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

Deja Vu All Over Again – Sort Of.

After letting some of the fog clear I was on the water by 8:30.  The lake had cleared little, the water temp was down 3 or 4 degrees from yesterday, but it was cloudy with little wind.  And it stayed calm and cloudy until I quit at 4:00.  When I got to the ramp that morning no one was there, quite a difference from the day before when there were 6 or 7 at the ramp.  Tells you something if you think about it.

First off was a cove where they have been consistent, and they were there but a funny thing happened on the way to a big stringer- it did not happen.  In the first place there was at least 4 bites, and only one really small one committed.  I was cussing me for missing so many.  Little did I know that it would stay that way all day.

  They were after the Bang O Lure today, but boy was there lots of misses.

It seems every day that their lure preference varies with the conditions, and today the Bang O Lure was the ticket.  And it had to be splashed and twitched right on top to get a bite.  But there was one problem, of the 5 or 6 I boated at least three times that many boiled, flashed, or made a half ass grab at it.  The first couple of hours I was mad at myself.  Come on Dude!  Get a grip, pay more attention, use this bait, use that, none made any difference.  They even pulled at the pink trick worm weightless without eating it.  (I really thought that would work, and I still do.  We shall see next time out.  But I sure could not see it any better if that gives you a clue as to water color.)  In all the years I have been slinging lures it might have been the worst I have ever seen it.

If it was a buzzbait, they barely tried to pull it under, a Controlled Descent Jerk Shad just roll on it, and the Bang O Lure, don’t want to eat it but they sure made a nice boil.  I caught a couple on everything, and missed 4 times as many.  No matter where I fished it was the same no matter the bait.  At least the better one above blew up on it, the only “real bite” I had all day.  To top off the day, I missed, or they did, the last 7 bites.  Hey I might not be KVD, but I didn’t just fall off the fishing truck.  It alternated between weird and irritating, at both me and the fish.

There was not a lot of warming if any, and there was no noticeable difference in the bite as the day went on.  And the lake came up just a touch, which I do not think is helping the color any.  Obviously the lake being so off color makes fishing the Bang O Lure and Jerk Shad a lot tougher, and I noticed one thing in some of the coves.  One side might be real dirty and the other side at least fishable.  And the side with more color – tilapia and carp everywhere.  That little addition did not help anything.  Just a reminder of how a good idea goes bad, Coleto needs a tilapia roundup.  There are to many, end of story.

I really did not expect the fishing to be all that different from the day before, but I was surprised it was not as good.  More bites, less takes.  But it was all good.  It gives me hope that the lake will get back on track, just need some stability, but most of all, no more dirty water.  It really does not matter to me if the temp drops, but off color dirty water is a bad thing when combined with cold water.  But hope springs eternal and when I finally checked the time I went where did the day go, even though slow still a great day to be alive.  When you love to fish time on the water is the reward, whatever comes along with that is the frosting.

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

The blog is getting spammed constantly (Over 100 every day.) by every kind of company and nutcase in the world.  As we are about to take a little time off starting  Christmas day I turned the comments off.  So you all that I hear from the comments will be back on after January 1 and we will be off and running on the new year.  I am hoping that having no where to spam for a couple of weeks it might slow it some.  So don’t give up on me, I am still here.

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

Today I did some “stuff” which took all morning and half the afternoon.  Back to that how did all this crap get done when I was working.  But at least my hair is pretty, the Boss said she is not taking some Texas redneck with her, and the passports are in hand.  The rest of the list was long and only done today as I had an appointment that needed keeping or I would be on the water.  Tomorrow, Thursday, our forecast is for a Gale Warning with gusts to 50mph, which is twice in exactly a week.  Nothing ruins a good day on the water like a gale!  Probably take tomorrow to get the fishing stuff organized and cleaned up, if I can’t go at least I can mess with the toys.  And I hope to get on the water at least once or twice before we hit the road.  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!**

Weather

66/53.  Overcast with a 20% chance of occasional showers.  Wind ENE 5 – 10mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.32 msl.  Last week  98.05 msl.  (Still feeling affect so the last rain.  Intersting to see if it has cleared any.)

Solunar Times

Good  11:34 am to 1:34 pm.  (Only relevant time.  And the day is classed as poor.)

Headed in last night.  It does not get any better than this! Thanks for the picture John.

******************The new bait is off the drawing board!  Hope to see it soon.

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

Curses!  Foiled again.

The post office was up first before I could hit the lake.  Good thing I went at 7:45, I was 4th in line.  If I had waited anymore time I would have been 24th in line.  A shout out to the lady at the post office.  She has worked there forever and is always smiling and nice.  A testament to her as the post office is a crazy place to work this month.  So getting that done it was off to the lake and fishing by 10:00.  And this is how I got fooled.

The lake is definitely way up, and the color is awful over the whole lake and I found out why.  The guy I talk to most days when I take out, he is often there looking out at the lake in the evenings, said that last week they really let the water out and a couple of roads in the area were closed as they got ahead of the flood.  Obviously it pulled all the dirty water down lake.  Now those areas that were at least clearing some are back to ugly.  But at least the water temp was in the low 60’s to 65 degrees in some places.  And I thought yesterday was calm, today was flat slick.

First up was a cove that has been consistent, and I put 2 in the boat on a buzzbait in the first five minutes.  We’re having fun now.  But no we are not.  It was the last bites on the buzzbait, and I tried it everywhere.

And that was the end of that.  I really thought I was in business.

From that point on I fished coves, main lake flats with grass, main lake channel banks with lots of cover, all places I have caught them the last couple of weeks, in both arms.  After a while it became clear the buzzbait was not happening.  So I went with the Controlled Descent pearl Jerk Shad with a rattle, walking the dog right below the surface where I could at least see it.  Until I quit at 3:30 I had 5 or 6 bites on it, landed 3 really small ones, and broke one off in the grass.

If I were guessing, and I am, since there was not a breath of wind it had them off, or the fishing forecast was correct that it was a poor day.  But it is not a bad thing.  It was sunny and calm which had the water warming rapidly.  I quit because of how slow the bite was, but if I had stayed until dark I am sure there would have been a bite near dark.  With the weather being really stable and warm one more day, and if it will clear just a little bit, the bite should be on.

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

Unfortunately I have an appointment Wednesday that I really need to keep, otherwise I would be fishing somewhere else right now.  And Thursday looks like a mini norther will roll in with NW winds 25 – 35 mph.  Great.  The temp will not drop a ton, and the majority will be blown out by Friday.  So what to do?  I will be checking weather and tides and make a decision about tomorrow later tonight.  The only hitch in the git along is the forecast is calling for big fog lasting later in the morning tomorrow.  It is always something.  And while the lake was slow this was one great weather day.  And seeing eagles, gators, ospreys, made it one great day to be alive.  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!**

Weather

65/54.  Intervals of clouds and sun with no chance of rain.  Wind NE 5 – 10mph.

Tides

High  1:35 am.   Low  5:26 pm.  (Falling all day.  Will be interested in how the water moves.)

Solunar Times

Best  9:42 am until 11:42 am.  (Only relevant period.  Like I mentioned the other day I do not include the general day forecast, excellent, good, fair, and poor.  Last trip the forecast was poor.  Sunday is supposed to be excellent.  We shall see.)

******************Going to feed some bass today on the pearl Jerk Shad.

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

While I did not get a chance to fish with the boys in Rockport, I will be meeting John 1, and maybe John 2, in POC in the morning.  It has been a while since I fished a weekend day at POC and it will be interesting to see how it goes.  And the boys had a good day today in Rockport, John said other than a couple of minor moves they fished in one place all day.

All the Rockport fish were harmed in the making of this picture.  And I am sure they tasted great!

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

POC

The boys made it to Froggie’s around 9:30 and we were headed out to the island by 10:00.  The tide had already fallen, hours ahead of the low.  The water temp was 56 degrees and in most places clear as a bell.

On our first wade near a drain John and John both had a couple of bites in the drain but did not hook up.  I stayed way out and did not have a smell.  That area has grass and mostly sand bottom and it did not take a mental giant to figure out that type of area was not only not hold fishing it was not warming at all.  It was interesting how the farther out I waded the cooler the water was.  So time for a move to a softer bottom.

Best we could manage of the 8 or so today.

Next up was the flat outside the old Coast Guard station.  We headed out to the point to fish the drop area, and other than a couple of weak bites they were not out there.  So as we waded back we headed in and at least had a few bites.  I did manage to catch a keeper black drum and 3 rat reds.  At this point I was not happy with our results so time for a big change, back to my warm and fuzzy spot, Big Bayou, and fishing out of the boat.

First up was my favorite bank and the trout were there.  One thing that was surprising, the water was coming up, even though it was still a couple of hours from high tide.  I guess that was the effect of the big north winds the last couple of days blowing water out of the bay, but that is my guess.

Headed to the grease in Austin.

The tide pushed the boat just right and the fish were on a drop where it went from 1 foot to 6 foot.  It took a heavier jig head and a big paddle tail, 5″ seemed to be the preferred size, to get them to bite.  It finally settled into a hop it up after the cast and then slow roll it down the drop.  I will give them credit, they were thumping it.  Everybody got in on the act and while it was not fast by any means, it was steady.  We batted about 1 keeper for every 3 or 4, and before it was over sacked 8 keepers.  We also did some red fishing in the Bayou, and though we caught a couple, my good bank was just to shallow and the reds were small.  At 5:30 we called it a day as they had to head back to Austin.

As usual I really enjoy fishing with the 2 Johns.  They are great guys and fish hard.  I wish we had gotten out earlier, and then I had made better choices on our first couple of places.  But we soldiered on and managed to get them a few to take to the house.  When we got to the cleaning table the TPWD guy checked our trout and they were all good.  But it was a good reminder of my general policy, if you have to measure it more than once, don’t keep it.  It was interesting fishing a weekend at POC.  I got the pleasure of parking in Seadrift, just kidding but it was close, and there was lots of traffic.  But though busy it did not affect where and how we fished.  And it has been a while since I fished the bay and come back at dark thirty.

The plan was to take a 3 day trip this week, somewhere.  Unfortunately I forgot I have an appointment on Wednesday, so this week be will work around that.  In a minute I will head out to mail a couple of packages, then clean up stuff from last night, and then if I am lucky it will be the lake for the rest of the day.  Then back to the bay for another go at it.  Maybe even a little earlier start.  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!**

My favorite fishing saying :

“First you want to catch a fish.  Then you want to catch a bunch of fish.  Then to catch big fish.  And finally you want to catch fish the way you want.”

It says a lot about the evolution of many good fishermen, and was said by one of the greats.  We could never master our sport, it is to big and broad.  But some do become masters at one thing, or one species, others become mutli-species guys. Some are happy in their warm and fuzzy spot and never change.  Some quest for more, something new, anything out of the same old, same old.  As I get older that is where I find my fishing day dreams.  Seeing new water, experiencing something completely new.  So as the year runs down time to sit back and take stock of the old year, and look to the new.  Time for some changes, I just have not puzzled them out yet.

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

I got up to head to the bay on Wednesday and felt like crap.  I will spare you the ugly details.  So Wednesday was spent on the couch, and Thursday was taken up with insurance and banking stuff.  But it seemed there was light at the end of the tunnel.  Unfortunately here I sit typing this instead of fishing.

The sun sets on the Austin Boys POC trip. Thanks to Alan for this picture.

******************The new bait is off the drawing board!  Hope to see it soon.

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

Several of that same bunch are in Rockport this weekend and I was hoping to fish with them today.  Yesterday they smacked a bunch of nice reds  but ended up getting blown off the water.  And it is expected to be worse today.

A nice sack full!

Unfortunately the forecast is for 25 – 35 mph winds with 40+ gust possible.  I spoke with them and they were not going to get carried away, read if it blows like it is supposed to we are hanging out, a good alternative to crossing that bay in 35 mph winds.  So discretion was the better part of valor and I opted out.  The screen door is banging, stuff is hitting the roof, and I can hear it blowing with the TV on.  So that about says it for my week.

Several of them will be going back to Austin on Sunday and 2 Johns will be coming over to fish with me.  The original plan was to fish the Lavaca, but with the high fresh water it does not look like a good choice.  So I will watch the weather and we will make  some kind of a decision Saturday night.  Looking at the forecast the wind is not going to blow much on Sunday so we have that going.

Not much else going on around here and I am sufficiently bored.  We will be leaving for Spain in 10 days so will try to pack as much fishing in as I can until then.  And it looks like the weather will be settling down for a while, hopefully the fish settle with it.  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!**

Tomorrow will be the lake.  The day will start out cold with some good warming in the afternoon.  I am a little puzzled that the lake is dropping with all the flooding around.  Not sure if they are letting some out in anticipation of more, or if we just did not get much at the lake, which I doubt.  And with the cold front that came through who knows what the water temp will be.  As usual, you only know if you go.  And I got my Controlled Descent pearl Jerk Shad supply replenished so it will get a serious go.  Hope they bite.

Weather

37/67.  Sunny with some afternoon clouds and a 10% chance of rain.  Wind S 10 – 20.

Lake Level

Today  98.05 msl.   5 days ago  98.16 msl.   (Interesting.  Dropping with the rivers flooding, who knows what I will find.)

Solunar Times

Good  7:39 am to 9:39 am.  Best  1:51 pm to 3:51 pm.

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

So much for hope, they did not bite!

So let us get right to the punch line, it sucked.  The water color is back to ugly, really bad up lake, but definitely a real deterioration down lake.  The temp has dropped from 6 – 12 degrees depending on where you are, but the whole lake temps are down significantly.

I was on the water at 9:30 hoping to catch some daytime warming.  The forecast was just plain wrong, it was basically cloudy all day and I never did find any area that warmed up.  Of course checked way up lake and it was back to dirty and the water temp was down 12 degrees.  Mid lake is all in the high 50s to low 60’s.

I fished where I had been catching them, and probably  4 places I have not fished lately, and nothing was worth a hoot.  The ugly totals, 1 about the size of the Bang O Lure and another took a pass at it and missed.  2 made a half hearted attempt at the Controlled Descent Jerk Shad, basically a grab the tail but not eat it.  No buzzbait, swim jig, or crankbait bites, they just were not having any of it.  At 4:00 I finally called no mas.  That is the day in a nut shell.

The lake will be going through the same pattern for the 3rd time in the last month.  Cold rain dropping temps and mudding thing up.  It will be another week, without rain, for it to settle back down again.  Unfortunately there is more rain coming, followed by a cold front.  So time to put the lake to bed for a while.  It just is not worth the effort right now.

Tomorrow it will be off to POC.  The wind might get up to 20mph but an early start will have me across the bay before it gets cranking.  Then the wind should be at my back as I wade places on the island, and with clouds who knows, the day has potential but you never know.  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!**

How in the Sam Hell does a retired guy have so much to do today that he does not go fishing?  Seriously.  And how in the world did we get all the “stuff” done while we were working?  But my AGM batteries finally came in so I had to take out the others and then head to the store, get the new ones, and put them back in.  And a shout out to the Interstate Battery store here in Victoria.  Since they did not have them in stock they let me have a pair of wet cell to get me through the couple of weeks until the AGM’s came in.  Great customer service.  The reason I finally went there is they are a battery store and this is their battery so if there is a warranty issue it is easy to address.  Now the question – Will they last longer than the 3 year full replacement warranty?  They will get a real workout and only time will tell.

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

It was nice to join my buddy Todd and his family and a few of the Austin Boys for their annual Fishmas.  Some of the Austin Boys were there and we gorged on a great fish fry, and maybe a few adult beverages.  (We had a great time in cold and windy Austin!)  And it gave me a chance to visit Cabela’s to get a re-arming kit for my self inflating life jacket.  I fish by myself often and as I get older I wear it more and more, always attached to the kill switch.  Having a pontoon boat on my head at one point in my life reminds me it can, and did, happen in the blink of an eye.  So if you do not want to wear it for you, wear it for those that love you.

 This was  on my head and when it hit me in the nose it hurt.  And there are the 2 life jackets that saved my life.

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

I thought it was interesting that when I fished Wednesday and Thursday there was one common denominator, everyone out there, which was only 3 boats at most, was old.  Mr Crappie 1 and 2 were out, (They are both in their 80’s.) and when I got to the ramp that evening the only other boat on the lake was taking out and it was a couple of old guys.  And Thursday the only guy I saw fishing, and chatted with at the ramp, was older than dirt.  Old guys rule – or more relevant, it is great to be retired.

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

Not may alligators out with this weather but I did have a pretty cool close encounter Thursday.  As my buzzbait plopped along out of a big grassy area a huge wake came charging out, apparently until it saw the boat.  Gators must think it is a duck, if I was guessing.  And they also like the frog, and I have had many smaller ones follow it to the boat.  Thank goodness I have never hooked one, but now that I have said that it will probably happen any time now.

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

If you are a snapper fisherman TPWD is taking public comments on setting seasons for 2019.  So put in your 2 cents worth if you are a snapper jerker.  All I know about it is from watching fishing shows, and one thing that has become abundantly clear, the snapper are back big time.  In fact some guides in the Gulf say some of the reefs are covered up and they do not catch other species that used to be there.  So it never hurts to check on their website to see what is in the works that affect all of us.  Plus they work for you, no matter how often they might forget, so if you do not express your opinion how would they know.

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

Big Brother is Watching

And remember when I advised folks to quit flashing the money on Facebook.  On this month’s TPWD Warder encounters report 2 folks who were caught after posting on Facebook and Snap Chat.  Trust me folks, Wardens are watching the social media sites.  The next issue that might come up is folks with huge stringers on their back.  They might just be bragging pictures, or you just might get a visit from the warden.  So think before you hit post.  As I said before, the internet is a dangerous place.

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

A Rant – Totally off topic.

Since we left Fort Worth apparently my phone number is being shared by lots of folks to secure electricity from various online companies, at least 5 different times involving multiple companies.  Then they skip out on the bill.  It has been ongoing and has taken some time to correct.  One company alone had 4 different accounts all with my number, which lead to the ugly we are going to ruin your credit type messages.  Think about it, the company has 4 different residential accounts at 4 different addresses with my number and they don’t find that funny?  But after complaints to the BBB and the Attorney General’s Office they have seen the light.  Most of it has been cleared up, I don’t give up on shit like that.  Then today I get an email saying the “Grace” should reply and her electric would be turned on today.  So I got to the company right away and they canceled them, and will be sending me a fraud report and a police report that I will fill out and send back.   One thing I learned representing criminals – Once a thief always a thief.  Maybe they will catch this piece of crap.

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

After getting it all done, actually was pretty efficient today, it will be back on the water tomorrow.  The plan is the lake tomorrow and POC Wednesday.  With Wednesday forecast to be cloudy and warm, along with a falling tide all morning, it has real potential.  And with some new Controlled Descent pearl Jerk Shads they will get a work out both days.  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!**

Weather

71/64.  Considerable cloudiness with 50% of occasional showers.  Wind SSE  10 – 15mph.

Lake Level

Today  98.16 msl.  Yesterday  98.16 msl.

Solunar Times

Best 9:11 am to 11:11 am.

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

Listen to the Fish!

This was one of those days I wait for all year.  Cloudy, off and on drizzle, light wind, water clearing fast, what more could a guy want.  It was 7:30 when I made my first cast.  The Bang O Lure was already on, and in the first little cove, 4, the next 6.  And the day went on from there.  Nothing big but they sure were willing.

They were eating the Bang O Lure.

Stayinig with the Bang O Lure, they kept biting so I kept throwing.  Most were small and came twitching it on top, or right below the surface.  As I exited a cove I made a cast right on the point, twitched it some, and then reeled it back to make another cast.  A really big fish followed it and blew up all over it at the boat and missed by a mile.  So hey, I didn’t just fall off the pumpkin truck, so I started twitching it about 1/3rd of the way back, and then just started reeling it.  And when they stopped it there was no doubt.  So I messed around with that a while and kept catching them but not the one I was looking for.  I finally headed way up lake.

There is a really flat point with grass on it and I worked one side of it with the Bang O Lure without a bite, and I knew they were there.  So I put down the power pole and grabbed another rod and picked up a buzzbait.  And caught one right off the bat.  Then another, and before I left to go back down lake caught another 5 or 6.  Then it was back down to fish the clear water.

They were barely pulling it under, you had to be quick.

So now I am in heaven.  Want to catch them on towater?  Go ahead.  Throw the buzzbait until your arm falls off?  Ok, I will.  For the rest of the afternoon I kept after it and they were on some really shallow stuff.  The buzzbait fish were bigger, but not as many bites.  But the couple above did blow up on it.  And then a funny thing happened.  It was around 3:00, I had kept the trolling motor on covering the miles hoping for a big fish, then nothing.  From then until I quit at 4:00 not another bite.  Wish I had started on the buzzbait earlier, but no complaints.  The fish told me what to do and so I kept doing it, always a good plan.  Just no big fish.

But I give the day a B+.  While I did not boat that big one, catching well over 30 on topwater and buzzbait, my 2 favorite baits, is my kind of day.  They basically bit for 8 hours almost everywhere I fished.  I still have no idea what the difference is from one cove to another, other than a big shallow side with cover and brush.   I never did throw the Jerk Shad today, they were eating and I was not looking a gift fish in the mouth.  But it would  have caught them right along.   And once I got on the buzzbait I basically threw my arm off.  Coleto is a good buzzbait lake, and with water temps in the mid 60’s it only made sense.  It was fun and this is my kind of weather.

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

When I got this question I had to really think about it.

I fish coleto about 3 to 4 times a year and have had some pretty good success i was wondering if you had any info on were i could wade or bank fish for speckled trout near Victoria. Thanks Gage

First would be the Indianola Marina area.  And the road runs along the beach leading to the marina and most of it is fishable.  There is another road that has some shore access around a back water, but seems to be strictly a redfish area.  The marina charges $5 I think, but you can fish quite a bit of shoreline near the campers, and of course the dock.  And the time to do that is now.  The big, and I mean hoss big black drum, will be caught this month, many at night.  Up to 50lbs which is a real fish.  Maybe an outgoing tide is better, but that is a guess, and crab is the preferred bait.  And a few big reds get added to the mix.  And occasionally they catch trout off the dock, though not as regular.

Other places are POC at the end of the road, people park there and wade.  And off Hwy 35 towards Rockport, the Aransas Wildlife Refuge road, o past Austwell, there is an old resort on the left,  sorry can’t remember the name.  You drive in to it and there is a little park at the end of the road.  Actually talked to a guy who was wading, and he catches fish.  And since it is pretty shallow there is lots of area to wade.

And last would be Olivia, off Hwy 35 right past the big plant at Port Comfort.  There is a park and several places you can drive to and fish off the bank.  And now that I think about it as you get to the end of the road some folks go off to the left somewhere, and wade out in the back end of that pocket.

That is about the size of it, but it is a start.  Most of the bank areas a popping cork is always a good choice, as you can toss it a mile.  So take a drive and scope them out and good luck.  Let us know if you catch a few.

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

And SA Joe had this question, I just do not know the answer.

Me again. Joe in San Antonio. You remember a story a little back that TPWD was having a big bass hatchery on someones private land and being fed prawns to beef them up.

The ranch charged alot of money to have people fish the other “ponds” but not the big bass ponds. Have you heard any more about them?.

Also do you think a group that gets injured vets “Heroes on the Water” onto kayaks and to fish would be able to have them fish those ponds? Give them a thrill to catch 8+ bass…

I don’t have a clue, but it never hurts to ask.  They and TWPD got it together and came up with a great plan that benefits us all.  In fact some of those fish were stocked in Falcon Lake.  Here is the link.  The worst they can say is no.  Good Luck.

http://www.laperlaranchresort.com/fishing1.html

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

I knew they would bite and if I had got on the buzzbait earlier I might have boated the big one, less bites but a better average.  So the problem?  The weather forecast.  They are talking big rain, flooding, all kinds of mayhem.  It is the last thing the lake needs right now.  It has finally straightened out some and a big rise and mud will ruin it.  But if it is not to bad it should remain consistent.  And I will be looking for the exact same weather for a serious wading run.  These are the days fish bite, and I am grateful my life has worked out that I get to take advantage of it.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines