FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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After taking the last 10 days off it is time to get back to the fishing, it was nice to take a little break..  But it was great to see the grandkids, they grow up fast.  Also my folks were doing well, good news for folks hanging around that 90 year old mark.  One interesting thing on the trip was I went to Cabela’s in Rogers Arkansas and they were busy putting all the Bass Pro stuff in and the signs outside had changed to Bass Pro.  The manager told me that it will be the only store which will be both.  And as a side note I find it funny to get Bass Pro flyers all the time and there is not one thing fishing.  Just saying.

As part of that Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana trek we saw almost everyone has plenty of water.  Of course central Texas is flooding hard with several lakes actually closed.  Lake Texoma has opened the floodgates and the Red River was high and muddy.  And in Oklahoma and Louisiana the ponds and rivers are all full.  To bad we can not do a better job of storing some of that water, it seems the big reservoirs end up super low after a while, Falcon and Travis are perfect examples.  But that is a small complaint, we all needed “some” rain.  And good luck to those folks in the Austin area, I feel for you and hope everything works out.

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A nice 8 point.  This guy was trailing a doe and other than stopping to look at us he kept his nose to the ground and did not pay us any mind.

We scared this guy!  Amazing how far they can jump.

And the little guys were trying to get in on the act.

And a grey fox stopped and took a look at us.  Great walk today.

*******************Redfish candy!

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In our pursuit of the big stringer we often think that the final result is the reason for the season, but watching Buccaneers and Bones reminded me of what is really important.

“Fishing is 90% who you are with and where you are doing it.”  Lefty Kreh.

So next time when you think you are all that because you caught a limit remember what one of the greatest men to ever hold a rod had to say about our sport.  For me it is, and has always been – “In the doing.”

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And speaking of rain, our forecast is for winds primarily out of the north up to 25mph for the next 3 days with rain chances as high as 90%.  Fall this year came in overnight and as soon as it settles down the fishing should be off the hook.  Though not sure it can get any better on the coast based on the reports I am seeing.

With that in mind I made my motel reservations for a 3 day trip to the Upper Laguna and the Baffin area next week.  It can be risky making them that far in advance using a 10 day out forecast, but it looks like that is about when this weather pattern will break.  And the tide forecast has it dropping all morning, though in reality I just do not have the experience to know what effect the tide actually has there.  So if the forecast is even close it will be 3 days of hard fishing trying to catch a big trout.  The best thing about fishing that area is the anticipation of that big bite, whether it comes or not.  Keeps you on your toes every cast.

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While I did not keep up with comments this week it was good to hear from Devin and Ashley.

Just came across your blog doug.. awesome read

Ashley says hi.

Hi to both of you, hope you and the kids are fine.  Lots of water under the bridge since we all met at Academy.  Good to hear from you and glad you like the blog.

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After finally getting new boards carpeted and ready for the skiff’s trailer it will be off to Coleto to fish the lake one day this week will it isn’t going to rain and get them mounted.  I would not have to replace them but on one side the 2″ x 6″ cracked in half for some crazy reason.  So once it needed fixing time to redo them all.  One of those projects that has hung around way to long.

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Tomorrow there is an 80% chance of rain in the afternoon, and the wind will be up to 25mph on the bay, so it will be off to Coleto to see how much further it has come up, and if the fish just might want to bite.  The next few days will be played by ear but it is not the most promising weather pattern I have seen in a while.  It will be good to be back on the water no matter how it comes out.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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

With the way the week fell there was not a whole lot of fishing around here.  Today I had the pleasure of replacing the boards and carpeting on the skiff’s trailer.  This year has been a true Break Out Another Thousand.  Seems like it has all happened lately.  But the best thing, everything is basically up to snuff so I am ready for the fall and winter fishing to come.  And as soon as I shake lose from a family visit it is going to be some serious fishing.

David last year at Fishmas, which is right around the corner.  We smacked them pretty good.

It should be an interesting day tomorrow as I am headed to Fayette County to fish with a couple of the Austin Boys.  David is a bass guy who has just started in the salt the last few years.  He has been fishing the lake for years, and I have a little, so we shall see how it goes.  No matter what it will be a good time.  And I appreciate not having to bring the boat!

Weather

85/68.  Sunny with a few clouds.  10% chance of rain.  Wind SE 5 – 10 mph.  (If you add both the 5 and the 10 plus a couple of more!)

Solunar Times

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

*******************Redfish candy!

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The best laid plans of mice and men are not always realized.  I met David and Joey at the ramp and we were on the water by 7:30.  Joey and I started with jerk bait, and not a one took a pass at it.  David was throwing a senko and though he had 3 or so bites, he only got the hook in 1 and it jumped off.

                                          The best we could do today.

As the morning went on we just could not find them.  At this point the wind was blowing straight out of the South and it was pushing his bay boat all over the places.  I threw the swim jig a while but did not get a bite so I finally went to crankbait.  I missed the first 2 and then lost a good one before I finally boated a fish.  David stuck with it and also boated one on crankbait the last pass.  All came on a bank and cove with the wind pounding in it.

Joey lookin’ good!

The bites were spread out all over the place with never more then 1 in an area.  We should have boated several more, but sometimes they just come off, and today was one of those days.  Finally about 2:30 we called it.  They are staying at the cabins and will be fishing tomorrow so maybe we learned just enough to help them have a good day tomorrow.  And as usual I enjoy fishing with David and the retelling of the big tarpon story from last years Fishmas got us all looking forward to this fall.  So while the fishing was slow the day was fun with plans made to give it a go later in the fall.

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After fishing hard for 45 years I am truly beginning to appreciate the time spent sharing the boat with friends and appreciating the simple pleasure of being outdoors.  So much of fishing is being corrupted by the must sack a wad mentality.  I’ve had that pressure and it detracts from the true experience.  Larry Dahlberg is probably the best multi-species fisherman on the planet and I love what he said about fishing.  First you just want to catch a fish.  Then you want to catch a lot of fish.  Then you want to catch a big fish.  And then the day comes when you just want to fish the way you want.  So true in my case.

I am so fortunate that the Boss has been at my side while I pursued my dreams.  Marlin on the Great Barrier Reef and the coast of Puerto Rico, sailfish in Costa Rica, tarpon, bonefish, and permit in Belize, I have been lucky enough to experience some great fishing in great places.  From guiding for stripers, bass, and crappie off and on for 20 years on the highland lakes of Arkansas, rainbows and browns on the White and Norfork, and catfish in the Skunk River in Iowa, it has been a trip.  The Everglades, the Keys, Pine Island Sound, Falcon, South Dakota, Louisiana, Colorado, Missouri, the list goes on and on.  The thrill of watching a musky eat a bait at boatside on Lake of the Woods, a tarpon hitting a topwater and launching at boatside, my first carp on my Zebco 202, all memories permanently imprinted in my brain.  I remember each and every bite.

Maybe with age you begin to realize what is really important in this world, and the size of the stringer at the end of the day ain’t it.  Seeing an alligator smash a duck, a giant sunfish off the coast of Peru, a fawn trying to get in my boat, thousands of dolphins following the boat, all memories which have squat to do with how many I caught that day.  Fishing is what we make it, to each his own.  In my case being lucky enough to do so many things, and now doing them my way, makes me the luckiest guy on earth.

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I am going to give it a rest for the next 10 days, a break is needed.  Time to give fishing, the blog, and my brain, a little time to rest and recharge before the serious fall fishing begins.  There are many more adventures waiting to be had, and whether it is bass, trout, crappie, catfish, or blue marlin every day with a rod in my hand is a blessing and I never take it for granted.  So see you next week.  Keep stopping in and I can not thank you enough for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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After taking a couple of days off, including 2 days with the Boss in Austin, I am ready to hit the water tomorrow.  After looking at the weather the lake was an easy choice.  The wind looks like it will be out of the north, so it remains to be seen how it might affect the lake.  Not sure it could hurt it the way the fishing has been.  But the fish have to bite sometime, you’d think.

Weather

85/61.  Cloudy early then sun with a 20% chance of stray showers.  Wind  N 10 – 15mph.

Lake Level

Today  97.15 msl.  10 days ago  97.01 msl.

Solunar Times

Best  6:08 am to 8:08 am.  Good  11:53 am to 1:53 pm.

Well no, they don’t have to bite, and did not, at least for me.  I was really surprised when I got to the ramp, it really is still coming up, and with that spreading all over the place.  The water is almost topping the piers.  The water temp at the ramp was 86, the lowest was up lake where it was 82 with the incoming water.  The lake still has lots of color to it.

As you get way up lake there is another color line coming down.  It was almost muddy, and I could not get a bite on anything in that water.  To make a bad story short, 3 on Bang o Lure, 1 on white swim jig.  If you placed them end to end they might have made a good one.  (Just like last time this happened I decided if I don’t want to see a pictures of that you sure don’t.)  I threw the book at them, the 3 on Bang o Lure came in the back end of a cove, one after another.  After having a big one blow up on the buzzbait, completely missing it, the back ends held some promise.  That was the only real bite today.

So maybe something to work with?  Nope.  3 more coves after that produced zip.  They are just not having the raise yet.  On the other hand the crappie are biting to beat the band.  I talked to a couple of people and they all did fine, and there were several other folks crappie fishing.  Minnows seems to be the thing right now.  The bass on the other hand have not come to the cover.  Flipping and pitching resulted in one bite, which I missed.   So all in all I give the fishing a big fat 0, but the weather sure was nice.

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Redfish love them!

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Now on the other hand Jeff Lowrance had a little better luck than I had today.  I met Jeff when I fished Lake Dunlap last month, great guy.  He was kind enough to let me leave my boat in the water at this dock and we shared a couple of cold ones on his deck overlooking the lake.  He and my buddy Vetter do a good bit of catfishing and it really paid off.  Jeff now holds the lake record for blue cat.

54.5 lbs.  Now that is a beast!

47″ long it was quickly weighed on a certified scale and confirmed by TPWD.

They did everything they could to keep her alive.  Everything was done quickly and efficiently.  They got her confirmed and took the time and care to keep her wet as much as possible and then spent the time to make sure she was good to go.  She swam off to hopefully spread those great genes.  Congrats on the lake record but a bigger congratulations on the CPR!

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The Boss was telling one of her co-workers about my results on the bay the other day when he got a call.  It was a friend of his telling him about “that guy’s” post.  Crazy.  Amazing how that has evolved into my nickname – That guy.  I have been asked that many times on the water, but hell, I answer to anything.  And it is nice to know folks are out there reading this.  Feedback is important to me, it keeps me writing.

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And I got this comment from Ed after my first POC report.

Thanks for the report for POC been long overdue and I’m glad you got on them.
Where about is that big bayou area? Is it big pocket ? By lighthouse cove? Just wondering. I’ll be going down in about 2 weeks and hope to find some of those red brutes. Thanks again. Always enjoy reading your “stuff”
Ed Soto

Big Bayou is the small chain of islands between Barroom and Bill Days reef, where the string of cabins are.  Most of it is definitely NOT a wade fishing area, lots of mud and some really deep water.  In fact there is a hole that is 13′ deep, give or take a hurricane.  Good luck on your trip and let us know how it goes.

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And Topwater sent along his .02 worth.

“sigh”, see what happens when you fish the correct water.
Remember, salt is for fishing, fresh is for drinking/cleansing.

While I may not agree with your freshwater premise, not sure our water is for drinking any more.  We are polluting our waters all over the earth including the oceans.  Unfortunately it is also happening to many wells where folks get their drinking water.  But I have to admit the fishing is sure better in the saltwater right now.  But when it is all said and done I love all fishing, fresh and salt, trolling and casting, big fish and small, and the great places where you catch them.  I consider myself fortunate getting to sample many different places for lots of different fish.  In fact, might be time to start a new bucket list because I only have a yellowfin tuna left on the last list.

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I have a friend fishing POC today and am waiting for her report.  The north wind continues so it will be very interesting to see how their day went.  A couple of the Austin Boys are planning on fishing Fayette this weekend and if nothing has changed I will be joining them on Friday.  Tomorrow is up in the air, but not sure there is any scenario where I will not be on the water.  So keep stopping in and thank 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!**

Beautiful!  The day was already a success before I even got in the water!

Weather

85/78. Isolated morning showers then partly cloudy later, 30% chance of showers. Wind ESE 10 – 15mph.

Tide

High 6:30 am. Low 8:17 pm.

Solunar Times

Best 6:08 am to 8:08 am. Good 11:53 am to 1:53 pm.

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

Redfish love them!

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The wind was out of the east around 15mph and the tide was high.  Since conditions were exactly the same as 2 days ago there was 3 places on the list and 2 new ones.  While the fishing was not quite as hot, fish were caught on all stops.  It was wading all morning then a couple of hours of boat fishing.

The topwater was good about an hour and then they slowed down.

Today it seemed the fish were a little farther off the bank.  It was 3 drains off the island and they were out where the channel kind of flattened out and quite a bit more scattered.  But like 2 days ago it was topwater, DOA Cal, and the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad in the Pumpkinseed/Chartreuse Glitter.  None of the places was loaded with fish, but keeping a bait in the water and fishing the area systematically caught fish everywhere.

I did manage one good trout today.

You could see some of the fish early making a half hearted run under the topwater without committing.  So I would just switch to plastics and catch some.  Before it was over I fished near South Pass, Army Hole, Big Bayou and some other drain I am not sure which lake it comes out of.  I covered some miles both in and on the water today.

This guy smoked the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad.

After I quit wading it was time to check on the school of reds in Big Bayou and they were there.  With the water so shallow and off color on that bank the “brown’ Paddle Shad seemed logical.  Just reeling it a little ways and then pulling it a couple of feet and stopping it produced 2 real nice ones and 2 smalls.  It was rigged on a 3/0, 1/16th ounce swimbait hook.  With no floating grass to deal with it is fine to leave the barb out, when they hit they are usually there.  Plus the lighter weight hook lets the tail vibrate even more.  The key just like the spinnerbait.

They were eating it.  The other good one there.

After catching 4 I left them.  Don’t hassle them to much and they should stick around.  So the day was a success.  I needed a few trout for the fry pan and actually kept a limit, rare for me.  Thinking about them sizzling in the pan has my mouth watering.

I rarely do the dead fish picture, and I even messed that up.

There were definitely more small trout and reds today, but there was just enough good ones to keep me fishing.  Plus as long as something is tugging on the end of the line I am happy.  And you never know when that good one is coming, in fact the trout above was the last fish of the day.  I finally called it a day at 3:00, and left them biting.

So here is what I have learned in 2 days this week.  The fish are biting, that in and of itself is great.  When combined with something different, a drain, some grass,  oysters, structure of some sort, they are there somewhere. Today it seemed wading was a waist deep thing throwing out.  This is one of the times when if you do what you are good at, or like to do, it will work right now.  And a popping cork with Gulp or a Marker 54 shrimp would hurt them right now.

One thing I found interesting is the drain I love so much on the island was really changed last year during the hurricane.  Mud ran out of the back lake and the down tide side is a lot softer and does not have nearly as many fish.  What were potholes are now mudholes.  The bay is a constantly changing underwater topography and nothing beats wading to learn when it happens.

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(Funny, I wrote this yesterday before I took a dead fish picture.)

I did want to let those of you new to the blog know that 99.9% of all the fish I catch are CPR’d.  When it is just me and the Boss a couple here or there, cooked fresh, is all we need.  As a result of that I have quit taking very many cooler dead fish pictures.  Of course it still happens when fishing with a crowd, then it is all about the pile.  And this is not a complaint on folks who do, they are your fish and as long as they end up simmering in the pan it is all good.  Plus, they are dead.  Taking them as they are caught when I generally do not keep them is the only way to give you a true picture on how the day went.  There is a downside to that, when it is slow the pictures do not lie.

And to go along with that I rarely measure or weigh a fish.  It seems as I get older it is a simple, it is big or not.  The numbers are really not that important, one day a 20″ trout is “big”, another it takes a 28″, it is all relative to how good the fishing is.  A perfect example, a 5lbers on Flacon is just another fish, out of your farm pond it is a hawg.  Often fishermen get so wrapped up in the numbers that we forget the reason we are out there – To enjoy being out there with a tug on the line,

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The bay is good right now and hopefully it is just the beginning of what will be an epic fall.  And the flounder should start showing up for us rod and reel folks.  And I do keep them!  Not sure what is next, though I feel like a trip to the lake in the morning.  But I am laughing right now as the news just gave the Coleto fishing report – Slow for everything.  But one thing can be said about my fishing habit, I am persistent.  Plus it definitely will not stay that way.  And as I have been saying all summer, when fall comes it is game on so let the games begin.  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!**

3 people in the last week have ragged on me about not fishing the coast.  But as I have said numerous times I was just waiting for 2 things, it is not so dang hot, and redfish time.  Plus it is my blog.  So here you go boys, does this qualify?  Plus even though the lake thing did not work out it was one of those things that could have been epic.  You never know unless you go.

Weather

84/78  Sunny/cloudy with a 20% chance of stray shower or thunderstorm.  Wind ESE 10 – 15 mph.

Tides

High  5:07 am.  Low  6:02 pm.

Solunar Times

Best  5:11 am to 7:11 am.  +  5:40 pm to 7:40 pm.

******************Get Inhaled!

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Launching at Froggie’s as it cracked daylight there was only a few trucks at the ramp.  The wind was light out of the SE, the water looked fairly clear, and the tide was super high.  It was short run out to the Pringle shoreline to set up near my favorite drain.  It took a little to get a bite, but from that point it was definitely a game on day.

First one on the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad.  And it made the morning.

They were blowing up on the Bone Spook Jr.

Starting with the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad and a topwater, neither was getting bit.  I was real shallow, seemed logical, so I moved out a little and got in position on a point with current and wind on it.  As the Paddle Shad hit the water on the point the first one blew up on it.  So figuring topwater just might be the ticket time to switch to the Spook.  Every once in a while I have a moment of clarity.

This is the size of the mullet they were chasing.  And a bonus black drum.

                              The last 2 worth a hoot on the wade.

Basically they were in the cut and on the point.  The bait was everywhere.  Most of the time I threw topwater, and while it was not fast, it was consistent for a couple of hours.  Changing it up with the Paddle Shad catch a small one or two, letting them “rest” on the topwater would get them going again.  They wanted the topwater at a medium speed and most stayed buttoned.  Several small ones added to the mix on both plastics and on top, but the topwater was by far the best.  Plus who does not like the way a trout hits a topwater?  And I never did get over waist deep.

Around 10:30 it was time to go and really work on the reds.  I will admit I spent less time on the bay this summer than ever, but the current fishing is the reason.  Hard to get excited about the “live bait” season when you are a lure fisherman.  Plus, no real competition.  The anticipation, plus the actual results, make fall on the bay the time to be there, and today set up perfect.

It was on!

It was straight to Big Bayou to fish out of the boat on a bank that is perfect.  Real shallow, oysters, and plenty of mullet as they make their fall run, it is one of those places reds just love.  And of course it was spinnerbait.  The water in there was quite a bit more off color than out at the island, perfect spinnerbait water, and the tide was still high, also important for that bank.  It was simply a matter of getting to a point where I could just reach the bank on a long cast.  From then just a steady retrieve, keeping it right off the bottom, resulted in some serious strikes.  When they want a spinnerbait they will not be denied.  This time of year you should be able to see them moving around, and today it was easy.

Four of the seven off that bank.  They were hammering that Redfish Magic spinnerbait.  And my thoughts on the different colors – they have been doing whatever they do, where ever they do it, all summer and their color reflects that.  Now they are ganging up.  Maybe?

After I beat them up it slowed considerably, and since it was about noon time to hit one more bank out of the boat.  The deepest bank in Big Bayou is a great fall and winter bank.  Once the trout get on it they stay for quite a while.  I wanted to hit it to see if they were there yet, and they were, small ones.  5 or 6 jumped on and none would have made the grade.  Most came on a DOA Cal with an 1/8th ounce jig head.  A smaller profile it falls quickly, important on a straight up and down bank with a 4 – 5′ drop.  The ones that bit came on a hop right off the bottom keeping it moving in the direction of the tide.  Also a couple of short reds also cooperated but nothing on that stretch would have kept.  So with that finish I called it a day at 2:00.

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And speaking of reds here is a couple from my buddy Todd, one of the notorious Austin Boys.

                                     Wade 1.  Wade 2.

He went to  Rockport last weekend and looks like they had a good trip.  Sorry to miss you next month but really looking forward to Fishmas.  Thanks for the pics.

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What a day.  To get a good topwater bite and then follow it with spinnerbait is heaven to an old bass fisherman.  I can only imagine what might have come fishing later in the day.  Tomorrow it will be hanging with the Boss and then back at it Thursday.  I promised the guy who details the Boss’s car a trip when he could catch a red.  He is just getting into fishing so a popping cork and Gulp and he will definitely get bit.  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!**

It is 6:00 am Monday morning as I write this.  I am watching the coast and POC is covered up right now with passing storms, with a 60% chance the rest of the day.  But what I am really watching is the North Padre area forecast as I just might head to the Upper Laguna tomorrow for a couple of days.  So with that happening it will be slip out to the lake and then check the weather when I get back.  South appears to be the way to go so we shall see.

And to make matters worse I just got a text from the Austin Boys who will be coming to POC the first weekend of November and I have a wedding in Iowa that there is now way in hell I can weasel out.  It just seems the Fishing Gods have been continually conspiring against me.  Another example of the conspiracy is I have been waiting for later this fall to head to Falcon.  Now there is more reported troubles with some folks in pangas toting  guns from the other side scoping out bass boats.  And there was a shots fired issue lately.  So now it is not recommended to fish the Mexican side.  So of course the Boss has decreed that there is no way I am going to Falcon by myself.

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Not a monster but a shooter.

The rut is coming.

And the girls were out today.  

*****************Get Inhaled!

Lake Level

Today  97.01 msl.   11 days ago  97.25 msl.  (Slowly falling.)

Coleto

After checking the weather POC is the destination tomorrow.  I decided to hit the lake at 9:00 for a couple of hours, and boy oh boy.  Other than the pure pleasure of cruising around the fishing is just perplexing.  It is as tough as ever, and after fishing it for 8 years I generally have a clue, but not now.  The fishing on the lake sucks, end of story.

The best of 6 or 7, all pitching to shallow cover on the stick worm.  Where are the good ones?  I do not have a clue.

The reason I included the stick worm comment below the picture is the box got thrown at them in all the “right” places and some of the “wrong” places.  Main lake banks with rock, points, coves, dirty water and “clear”, up lake and down.  Topwater, spinnerbait, swim jig, squarebill, but pitching to cover was the only place to get a bite.  And that was up lake in the really off color water.   Even a couple banks way up where there was little water all summer produced no bites.  The ones that did bite were super shallow and basically started swimming off with it.  At least the one above came out of a tangle and was a good tussle.   Other than that it is just like it has been since the big raise.

I made sure to try the right stuff depending on the bank, but they are just not there.  And obviously chasing a moving bait is not in their wheelhouse right now.  If i had stayed with pitching a few more would have come over the side.  The rise has been something, the lake is clearing but is still very off color with much of the lake 86 degrees.  So if you came here today hoping for some good news it just is not going to happen.  Over the years I have seen a time or two like this, a big raise when the fish just didn’t like it.  But it will be just a bad memory soon enough, at least I hope.

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After my rather meager results on the lake Topwater Billy sent along this comment.

Man, you just continue to pound that freshwater.
That stuff is for drinking and showering in.

And obviously this last week you might be right.  I was so sure that they would move shallow but it just has not happened yet.  Every time I think I know something about fishing I get taught a new lesson.  So the only way to fix poor results is head to the redfish.

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I enjoy the MLF fishing show and they just made a big announcement.  The professional bass fishing tournament game was changed forever when the MLF announced a new tournament series.  It is in direct conflict/competition with BASS and FLW.  And with that has come an exodus from the other 2 to MLF.  VanDam, Hackney, Grigsby, Martins, Klien and most of the really big names in bass fishing are switching with over 60 names released and another added today.  While there has been the usual online trolls ragging on them, as far as I am concerned that move is made in the interest of making a good living and taking care of their family.  And my guess is most of the trolling is wannabes.  The MLF will become the place to be and before it is over, if I was guessing and I am, FLW and BASS will become the minor leagues.

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And my usual reading the boat ads prompted this muse.  Why do folks take the cover off the engine and take a picture?  To prove it is there?  To prove it is not broken, or runs great, or just that it is clean?  Seems kind of pointless, especially for someone like me who knows there is nothing under that cowl that I have any business messing with and I sure do not have x-ray vision.  You don’t need to show me inside the cowl, a copy of the last scan ran on the engine when you did the required maintenance will do much better.  Anyone that would buy a used boat without having the numbers run and confirms the maintenance is just kidding themselves.  But hey, you could get lucky.

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As soon as I hit post it will be the tackle room and making sure the saltwater stuff is all ready to go.  It has been a while.  In fact my buddy Chris asked me the other day if I have given up the salt.  For a while that was actually the case, but there was good a trip to Grand Isle La a couple of weeks ago.  So it will be good to be waist deep in the bay in the morning as a redfish blows up on the topwater.  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!**

“Where the f*#* are the big fish?”

Now that would be fairly strong language for the title of a post, but it in this case it is right on point.  There were heavy clouds and it was humid when I got to the lake.  It was almost 10:30 when I started on the first bank.  So first up was the same color and size 2.5 squarebill that bit me yesterday.  And low and behold I caught a bass pretty quick, 1 bass, despite throwing it off and on all day.  The problem, he hit it right when it hit the water without a crank.  Now you would think if one hits it on top right on the bank that a topwater might work, not so much.  The water is still really off color and the temp is in the 84 and 85 degree range all over the lake.

The one and only on the squarebill.            The run of the mill swim jig fish.

As I fished a grassy bank a bass boat came around the corner and stop right next to me and yelled – “Where the f*#% are the big fish?”  Usually when folks stop and talk it is because of the blog, but not this time.  He is not a happy tournament fisherman.  Right off the bat I know the answer – “I don’t have a f’in clue.”  His club is here to fish a tournament this weekend and several boats from their club were out the last 2 days.  Yesterday and today, as a group not one of them caught a good one either day.  Exactly my sentiment, but he said it more eloquently than I can.    As usual love talking to any of you I meet on the water.

So it remains tough.  In about 4 2/2 hours I caught 6 or 7, and might have missed a good one on the swim jig along with several others.  Whatever, it was one of those bites that just swam up behind it and kept on going, often those are the big ones.  I hate missing that one, when I am fishing it regularly I generally stick those.  But that would be the size of it, one here, one there. It seems like you can catch one on this and one on that, but nothing particular suits their fancy.  And it seems the good fish have done a disappearing act.  Fishing is slow and it is probably one of those find the pattern, or more important right now location, find that and there is probably a wad of them.

When I got home I took all the freshwater stuff out of the boat.  Time to let someone else figure it out, I am ready for some redfish.  We are going to be wet a few days, and the nice thing about fall redfish is not sure they give a rats you know what about lowered salinity.  And according to the weatherman there may be another 3 or 4″ of rain on the way.

********************A new bait is coming!

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One thing that is going on right now is there are big bunches of carp all over the lake doing that mouth open thing on the surface.  Not sure if it has anything to do with maybe lower o2 in the lake, or just eating some kind of plankton type stuff.  If anyone has an opinion let me know because I sure do not have a clue what they are doing.  One of the few times I wish I had an o2 and ph meter, might be telling.

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I sure was pissed having to get off the water yesterday when it looked like they were about to get after it.  And to add a final stamp on the day, I ended up just mowing the lawn after getting home.  I should have just gone back out to the lake.  Dang it!  (I wrote this last night, after today I am not sure it matters what time you are on the lake.)

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I read the Falcon Lake Tackle fishing blog regularly.  Falcon has lots, and I do mean lots, of huge alligator gar.  I know, I caught one years ago that was a beast.  TPWD has been conducting yearly netting surveys to see just how many there are, and this year was something.  In one day placing nets in a approximate 100 acre area they netted 123 alligator gar.  Think about it, that lake is 40,000 acres depending on water level, so how many are in the lake?  I just know that I caught a bass over 9lbs that had a line of tooth marks on it, her lucky day when she escaped.

The “badder” news is there was an incident involving a panga  full of what can only be described as Mexican gangsters.  There were shots fired in the water close to the boat and the US boat bugged out.  You see them there all the time but lately there are reports of pangas full of guys with guns scoping out fishermen.  Most folks think they are lookout boats, probably to let their “friends” bring drugs across when there is no law enforcement close.  They are currently recommending that you not fish the Mexican side.  Apparently there is some kind of turf war going on across the border.   Might be time for law enforcement to return big time and see what can be done, if anything.  One suggestion to law enforcement, do not go out in your regular boats which scream police, try using a bass boat and wearing street clothes.  If they are doing it then it won’t be long until they approach you.  Plus you get to fish all day.  Sorry, don’t mean to make them bait but they might be surprised.  I know I have seen the pangas run across the lake into a cove real fast and then back out, not to mention them illegally running gill nets on the US side, which I have hung up on in the past.  Sad it has come to this, we have a right to be safe anywhere in the US with a fishing pole in our hand.

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 After my locator/bilge pump mounting extravaganza SA Joe sent along this comment

Love the repairs. Had a pump start leaking thru the canister. Went to replace and could not get out the canister without taking out center seat pole, move the fuel tank. So i decided to unscrew from inside the live well and moved it by angling it. Ordered 3 new canisters at $25 each. Whew I got a deal and it was easy–YEAH RIGHT !!!!

A whole setup cost $36. Go to tighten in the livewell, overtighten and the intake breaks. Now i have to order the outer casing at $22 ea. take the advice and replace the whole frickin thing. I got screwed paying an extra $11 ea x3=$33. Thats alot of beer. Take in the $15 for shipping. Their response, send them back and we’ll credit you. I misheard them thinking they were $18 ea for the casings.

I don’t mean to laugh but been there and feel your pain.  I went to Lowes and the auto parts store 3x’s before the job was done.  We all make fun of Break Out Another Thousand, but it seems like it can nickle and die you to death.  But we soldier on, and when flying across the water as day breaks it is worth every penny.   Thanks for your comment, every boat owner can sympathize.

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Football is on the schedule and the Hogs have A&M.  Though Bama whipped their butt last week A&M did ok.  It was one of those games where the outcome was apparent, it was a slow beat down.  The Hogs on the other hand suck, or worse if there is such a thing.  So unless we rise up A&M  should take it out on us tomorrow.  And the Cowboys,  as the kids say WTF?  Talk about offensive ineptitude, they are the epitome of ineffective.  This year “my” teams are just not playing that well.

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It was a little eye opening fishing the last few weeks without a functioning GPS.  Not sure I understood how much I rely on it.  But that problem is solved and the little short trips to the lake to confirm it all works are over.  Time to get off my rear end and back to wading.  So have a great weekend and be nice.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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

A Small Job Turns Big

You would think by now that I would have a clue about how some jobs go.  Before it was over it took parts of 2 days to take 2 locators off and mount 2 new ones, including a couple of trips to the store.

The Drangonfly Pro7 and Pro5 got here Monday afternoon late and I got started by putting the smaller one on the front deck with the transducer on the trolling motor.  The transducers on both are bigger than I have had before but I had the factory bracket and it fit fine.  That whole operation took that day and the next morning I was at it at 8:00 and spent the day doing it.

Of course none of the previous 2 different brands of locators had the same mounting holes which required all new.  Stringing the transducer with the cable running under the floor requires a rope to pull it through, which is permanently in the bilge.  On pulling it through it pulled a connection apart on the bilge pump which I found out later.

After getting both on it was out to the lake to check the transducers out and to finalize the functions, etc.  It took a little to figure it out, the view and functions are different than the other brands.  So with things set it was back to the house to finish the transducer mount.  When I hit the bilge switch nothing happened.  Going to the bilge I found the connection, which was 6 years old, had separated.  Instead of just rejoining the connection it was time for a total wiring replacement.

So off to the parts store for all new wiring, connectors, and switch.  By now it is 4:00 and it is freakin’ hot.  I put the switch on, over tighten it, and it comes apartt.  Nice.  So back to the store and get another.  All the wiring is almost inaccessible in the LTS and it takes a contortionist to get it done.  At that point I called it a day.

So today (Tuesday) it was finishing it all up good as new and off to the lake at noon to check it all out again.  Storms all around, it was hot and still.  The GPS and sonar work great.  This is the first time I can read the depth to 30′, all there is in Coleto, while running 30 mph.  Love that.  I did manage to fish for 45 minutes, 2 bites, before I heard thunder and saw some lightning in the distance.  Which was not unexpected but I hoped it would pour on the boat, it was dirty from putting on the locators, and it did, all the way home.

Doing stuff like that is always a small hassle and this time it was a little tougher.  But replacing the wiring in the bilge was the most work but was actually a good thing.  There may be a thing or two I would fish without, a bilge pump is definitely not one of them.  Will update you on the how they new GPS/locators work as it goes along.

********************A new bait is coming!

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I Did Catch My biggest Ever

The weather looked ok for the lake, but there was going to be a north wind.  At daylight it was blowing pretty good straight out of the north so I headed up the plant arm and started on a long channel bank.  Since it had been so slow shallow I started with a 5XD in a shad color and spent and hour banging rock, wood, and anything else down to 12′ without a bite.  That did surprise me as the shallow bite has been so slow.  After over an hour without a bite off it went.

From then on I fished lots of places I have not fished in a while and it was same old, same old.  One here and there, today all on swim jig.  They were not interested in spinnerbait or buzzbait but they did not get that big a go.  The ones that did bite were right on the edge of green stuff, but they just did not make the grade.  So up the main lake I went.

All 6 looked just like this.  At least it was not 4 like the last 2 trips.  I can not buy a big bite.

One did cooperate out of wood on the worm, but again small.  So time to make another change.  With the water color the way it is up lake it was time to try a red shad 2.5 square bill.  It was around 11:30 and it was just clearing when one slammed it after a couple of minutes.  It only took a second to figure out it was a catfish, it has been one good year for catfish on lures.  Then a case of head up butt stuck.

Wait for it!

I reached down and grabbed the crankbait.  Held it up for a quick pic, he flopped, and we were joined.  He was thrashing like mad.  It drove the big treble into my middle finger and then he thrashed some more before getting him corralled.  Of course the other treble was buried in his lips so we had a pretty good struggle getting him unhooked.  So I tossed him back, cut the line, and looked it over.

What a mess, it was buried.  I tried the hook out method but with one hand just could not get it done.  Of course the wire cutters I usually have in the boat are in the cabinet after using them wiring the locators, so no way to get the bait off the hook.  Those big Strike King Squarebill split rings are stout.  The only thing was to head back to the ramp, put it on the trailer, and head to see a friend.  I did call the Boss who was working in the ER, but they sounded like a bunch of vultures wanting to jerk it out at my expense, (Just Kidding!) so I went to see my buddy Chris.  He cut the bait off, and used the loop method, and it popped out with little pain.  If there had been someone with me we probably could have got it out, but by myself it was a one legged guy at an ass kicking contest.

Stupid!

The moral of the story, I know better than that.  Picking a fish up by the crankbait is just asking for trouble, especially a nice catfish.  I started fishing at 5 y/o, and have been at it for 60 years and never been hooked.  It is a good reminder that it can happen in an instant.

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Lately there has been lots of disturbing water issues in certain places in the country.  The red tide went nuts on the west coast of Florida this summer, which has led the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to implement new rules.  From way north of Tampa Bay to was south of Fort Myers, until May 10, 2019, snook and redfish are catch and release only.  Red tide has always been around but the bloom this year, and an ugly algae bloom last summer, were epic.  Why it was so large this year is still an open question, though the release of phosphates into the area waters is the likely culprit.  No matter what they need to figure it out.  The snook and reds will be fine, it will just take a while.  This time.  

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So there you have 3 eventful days.  It did not go perfect by any means but when you do it right it takes a little longer.  As far as getting hooked, 2 things, one I probably had it coming if you look at the odds.  Second, and the worst part, it felt like the fish were just starting to bite.  Stuff happens.   Beginning to get a feel for operation of the new stuff, and so far I like it.  The map is interesting and it will take visits to other bodies of water to see how they are presented.  Tomorrow if it does not rain, we have an 80% chance, I might get back on the water.  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!**

It is the usual Saturday fall morning.  Watching fishing and just waiting on football, and there is some really good games today.  Unfortunately the Hogs have Auburn, and the way we are playing it should be a massacre unless somehow the boys step up.  But after the last couple of weeks I hold no hope.  When your team literally stands there and lets a guy run 90 yards for no good reason you have some problems.

A&M has Bama today, and while I am no real fan of the Aggies, anyone who beats the Crimson Tide has my vote.  And the TCU vs. Texas game should be a barn burner.  TCU is one powerful football team and Texas is on the rise.  So let the games begin.

********************A new bait is coming!

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Nothing Astounding Today – Just a Bored Fisherman

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And to our resident Fayette/Bastrop expert Rusty, get back on your feet soon and back in that boat.  He had a knee done and will have a rod in his hand soon.  As I am learning, getting older is not for the faint of heart.  So here is to your quick recovery.

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It was a cool morning to be outdoors.

I wanted to thank Jerry for sending me this after I commented on wishing I had left the edge of the boat out.  So he edited it and it is cool.  I should carry my “real” camera with me all the time but I am always afraid of getting it wet.  And as far as the edit, most folks don’t know my undergrad degree is in photo journalism.  Just goes to show, I use a $100 digital camera and don’t bother to edit my pictures.  If it had been taken with a real camera and a great lens it would be one of those you could hang upside down and folks would barely notice.  Guess it really is all about the fishing with me.  Thanks again.

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With new electronics on the way I thought I would de-rig the 2 on the LTS to get ready for the new ones that will arrive on Monday.  It took a little longer than I suspected, and boy it was hot and humid out there.  Glad I got that done in advance, it will save an hour and half.  The power/transducer wire on the front locator had completely dry rotted and as soon as I took it off it completely shredded.  To bad as that one still worked, and I have another one but a different model (It is a basic GPS/locator that has basic mapping and no card slot.) where the same thing happened, so there are 2 locators in the pile that work but need cables.  And the Humminbird on the console, which has been turning off and on, is shot, but the coastal card is still ok.  But it is not a micro SD so unless someone has the bigger slot, the new ones all have the micro slot, a good $125 card is worthless.  The thing that was nice about that card is it had both the coast and Coleto on it.  So if you have a Humminbird that can use that card holler at me.

And while I was at it I fixed a trailer light wiring on the skiff and just generally did a tightening of assorted nots and bolts on both boats.  Having 2 is great when one is down, but the ongoing cost, and hassle, occasionally prompts me to sell the skiff and be a one boat guy.  Then I come to my senses.  The skiff will be 20 years old next year and it has served me well all over the country and I just can not part with it.  It is sure is nice to have a boat that can take a licking and keep on ticking.

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The redfish bite is on.  There are tons of online posts all over the coast with some really great catches, and I plan to join the crowd as soon as the rigging is done Monday.  And Dez, one of the Austin Boys was at POC this weekend and put the absolute hurt on them fishing the jetties and pass.  But I do want to comment on the fishing pictures that are posted, many of them from guide services.

I basically quit posting the old dead fish cooler pics a while ago.  Why I often show me holding 5 or 6 on the site.  And since I CPR 99.9% of the fish I catch it lets you know a general idea of how the day went.  When I see the fish on the front of the boat picture it is just that, a pile of dead fish.  It would be nicer to see more bent rod pics, maybe the over the shoulder stringer picture, something with some action.  And while I know piles of fish are the life blood of guides, the same thing can be achieved without the pile of dead fish.  But hey, each to his own.

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And an update on the Lew’s reels I bought last year.  I love them and they have held up better than any I have owned in a while.  Of course since they only get used in fresh water that is to be expected.  As soon as the current reels on the saltwater stuff craps out, and they will, I will transfer a couple to the salt rods.  That will be the true test.  But all I can say is they are worth every penny and have held up to hard use way better than the Shimano’s I used to use.

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I am very concerned with our waters.  They are the life blood of our sport and without clean water no fishing, and in the end, no life.  One affect of the hurricane in North Carolina is a huge overflow from a coal plants retention ponds into a major river.  It contains mercury among lots of other ugly things, and it will be while before the true affect on the river is known.  What irritated me is no state or local agencies are on the scene, though there are private entities taking samples and tracking the flow.  But what really pissed me off is the coal company is blocking people from using a public road to a popular public ramp.  Since when does the coal company have the right to stop anyone from using a public road?  Maybe when they have something to hide?  They are not law enforcement and have no right to do that, end of story.

And the Formosa plant in our area just got fined $20k for environmental violations.  $20k?  I am sure a world wide company like Formosa is going to be deterred with that “massive” fine.  Hey we need oil and gas, we need jobs,  but when our water is at stake time to take a little sterner action.  Heck there is 100’s of square mile of a floating garbage dump  in the Pacific.  Companies need to do what they need to do, but it is our water.  And if you are not happy with my opinion on that just head down Port Lavaca bay and eat some of the fish near the plants.

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And speaking of water, day 2 this week on Coleto did surprise me some.  I expected them to move shallow but so far they are not so inclined.  But with some cooler nights in our future it is coming.  And with more rain in the forecast the lake may have another little rise.  Falcon Lake is living proof what affect cover has on fry survival.  So if we are lucky the lake will come up a little more and stabilize over the winter.  Which will also make the fishing much more consistent when it does.

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I just got an offer to fish Fayette in a few weeks with a couple of the Austin Boys and so it went on my calendar immediately.  They have fished it quite a bit in the past and hopefully I will learn a new technique or two.  Fayette may, no is, one of my favorite bass lakes I have ever fished.  50 fish days happen there, and when they are all in the 3lb and up category there is nothing not to like.  So see you then boys.

Part 1 is on the video page.  It was a beatdown.

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The Hogs sucked, A&M did as well as could be expected, and Texas is getting scarier and scarier and may be on a roll.  Today the Cowboys take on the Seahawks and a win should be in the cards.  I am patiently waiting for tomorrow to get the new electronics mounted.  The last year has been a B.O.A.T. x alot on the LTS.  New trailer, upholstery, trolling motor, and now electronics.  That about taps out my allowance.  Nice to have Team Nancy as a sponsor.  Not only a great wife she “gets” this fishing thing.  I am about to take advantage of all our fall fishing has to offer!  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!**

I got so wrapped up in catching redfish that I forgot a major milestone in the life of fishcatchingtravel.com – My 1000th post!  That is freakin’ nuts.  It has been over 7 years now and who would have thunk that this thing would last this long.  But it gives me pleasure to write, it must, and the folks I have met, the trips I have shared with them, maybe just maybe someone learning something which makes it all worth it.   So here it is –

POST 1004. 

********************A new bait is coming!

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The plan was the bay but it is impossible for me to NOT go to the lake in the morning, especially with the possibility of some rough weather.  Plus better to be 1 minute from the ramp and 18 miles from the house if it gets ugly.  But clouds, maybe a little rain, and winds within reason, all pointing to a buzzbait beatdown.  So a trip to Academy and 3 new buzzbaits and I should be good to go.  Hopefully it will not be so hot and with the clouds should be better fishing in the afternoon.

Weather

89/76.  Cloudy in the morning with a 60% chance of thunderstorms developing later in the day.  Wind  SE 10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  97.25 msl.  Tuesday  97.23 msl.

Solunar Periods

Best 7:45 am to 9:45 am.  (Only relevant period but love the timing.)

It was just a little sketchy this morning.

Sometimes I think I know something, and then it is back to earth.

Let me get right to the point.  I caught the same 4 fish as Tuesday and I did not take any pictures, I don’t want to see them and neither do you.  They were all small.  I fished buzzbait – 1, spinnerbait -1, stick worm – 1, Bang o Lure – 1, white swim jig – 0, and bluegill swim jig – 0.  2 small ones came in the back of coves, one in main lake grass, and one off a stump.  Other than that it might have been one more bite.  I tried new places, old places, windy places, all with out success.  I did not find even a smell of a pattern.

I stuck around the ramp area until it was clear I was not going to be struck by the lightening I could see in some of the bigger clouds.

The lake is clearing just a tiny bit, but it is up in the stuff.  I was sure it would be better, shows what I know.  I guess the fish are just not acclimated to the new water, but hope springs eternal and they are coming.  When?  Not sure but maybe the cold front they are saying is coming next week may turn them on.  But maybe this will be one of those times I have seen in the past when it takes them a while to make the move after a big raise.

It was awesome looking this morning.

Finally at 1:30 with rain and dark clouds heading to the lake I called it a day.  It was disappointing, but I was still fishing so it was not the end of the world.  But it is time to put that stuff up and start thinking about the bay as soon as this rain pattern gets out of here in few days.  I hope to get out with Jess the neighbor next week and it is weather watching time.  The Upper Laguna is on the list and I plan to spend a couple of nights on North Padre and put in at the park as soon as it is stable or at least within reason and have at the big Laguna trout.

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I finally took the plunge and bought some new electronics for the LTS.  Over the decades I have used all kinds so it was time for a change.  Not being a big deep water fisherman other than trolling there is no need for the high $$$ stuff.  In my case the mapping is the issue, when you go places without a clue it is mandatory not only to decide where to fish, but to keep the boat in water and not on a reef.

So this time I am trying the Raymarine Dragonfly 7pro for the console and 5pro for the trolling motor.  And where I got them they threw in Navionics mapping for both.  They are not complicated, I am all about that, but the real kicker was the power/transducer cable is the same for both.  That means even if the one on console decides to crap out I can just move the front one and still have the depth and mapping.  Sad when you think about it, the expectation that it “will’ crap out just like all the other brands that have gone by the wayside.  Only time will tell how they work out but will keep you updated.

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And to all you serious hunters TPWD has the annual raffle for some of the finest hunting in the world.  Only $9 a chance for each, you could actually end up killing a Bighorn Sheep, what is to not like about that.  But you have to purchase your tickers by the 15th of October.  And apparently you can buy them at any license dealer or of course your local TPWD office.  Somebody has to win and it might as well be you.

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Today was a bust, just another lesson to be learned.  Not sure what I could have done differently other than fish deep but I was sure it would not be necessary.  Like I said, every time I think I know something they throw me a curve.  So hopefully you all are having a little better luck but like all good fishermen I will not throw in the towel.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines