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

94/74  Partly cloudy with 20% chance stray shower.   Wind  S 10 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today  95.59 msl  Last Thursday  95.61   (Holding steady.)

Solunar Periods

Best  10:25 am to 12:25 pm.  (Only relevant period.)

************************Get inhaled!  

There is something innovative and new coming!  Stay tuned.

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

Part of the reason I have cut the fishing short the last 2 trips is to be able to respond when the adjuster calls concerning the car.  Of course he has not called yet, 5 days later, and I have not heard a word from the Hampton Downtown Dallas, Advantage Valet of the insurance company.  But that is another story.

What a beautiful morning!

The skiff had not seen the water in a month or more so it was time to run it a little.  Nothing worse than letting a boat sit to long.  And giving it credit, it started right up and did not miss a lick all day.  And occasionally when I am using it I am reminded of how simple has a lot to be said for it.  A 50hp Merc which is great on gas, and nothing more than a trolling motor and small locator.  You just can’t kill that hull, it will be 19 years old soon and has served me well.

I had 2 plans today.  One worked out great, one about like it has been.  The fish are still on the cover, but they are getting smaller, or maybe I have educated them.  But either way while it was 10 or so pitching I did quit that around 10:00 to do a little white bass trolling.

It is “Ground Hog” day pitching on the lake right now.

Today they seemed to bite off the cover a little bit.  With the sun not full out they were close to cover, but had not buried up in it yet.  One did manage to break my line, which is a hazard that comes with the territory.  I did not fish everywhere I have been catching them when I decided to catch some white bass.  Coleto is not that great a white bass lake, but they are in there and with just a little effort they can be caught.

What?  Eating a banana on the boat!  Not sure where that superstition came from but after catching around 30 it sure did not hurt anything.

White bass can usually be found on the lower end main lake this time of year and it took me a little while to find them.  In the process at least 10+ bass jumped on.  They bit just about everywhere I trolled and once I found the whites they were mixed in with them.  Using shad style baits that run 10 foot deep with 50 feet of line out, it was just a slow troll to get them.  And once I found them it was 8 or 10 fairly quick with several bass mixed in.

They were on the big flat point, way out, that separates the ramp cove from the fishing pier cove.  They tended to be in around 15 – 20 feet of water and most strikes came trolling over the end of the point and then down both sides.  Once thing about catching white bass that way, they smack it.

Nothing huge but boy it is fun and they were whacking it!

I kept after it until about noon and it was consistent.  Every year about this time I give it a go and rarely do I not catch a few, though today I fished lots of miles before I caught them.  But I will give trolling one thing, it catches fish and without our grass it has opened many places you could not troll before.  Simply take a shad style bait, toss it out behind the boat, and then troll slow.  Once you start seeing shad schools on the locator, and the lower end has lots, you will usually find the whites close.  Trolling like that is a great way to get kids on the fish, and put a few in the well for dinner.

They are one cool looking bird.

The wildlife was on the move today.  Plenty of deer moving around, saw a big pig, and an eagle.  But while I was up lake there were tons of the birds above, they look like a kind of stork, sitting  in the tall trees lining the bank.  As I fished down the bank they would take off out of the tree and fly down the bank to a great big tree.  Now that tree was full of turkeys, and every time the birds landed in the tree the turkeys went nuts and gobbled their rear end off.  Which set off the turkeys on the other side of the lake, for 15 minutes it was a turkey gooble  off.    Spend enough time in the outdoors and you never know what you will see.  Makes getting up in the morning worth it.

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It was a short morning but actually fairly productive.  I have caught tons of whites over the years trolling and it was nice to put some in the boat.  If we did not just eat some salmon and then some trout I would have kept a couple.  One tip with white bass, soak them overnight in 7Up, it takes the red out and no fishy taste.  It works.  As soon as I hit post I am going to get ahold of someone who I owe a fishing trip to and start to schedule the week.  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!**

Time for a mental health break.  Times of trouble?  A case of the blues?  There has been one constant fix in my life – being on the water.  It is Tuesday afternoon as I do the prep on this post and next it will be checking the weather and the tides.  The bay is looking awfully good and I just need to stand in the water and ratchet down.  So I think Keller Bay is in order for a nice quiet post birthday trip.  It has been a while and with the wind not so bad it should be fishable, and always a lot less crowded at the ramp and on the water.  Time to get the saltwater stuff out and make sure I am ready to go.  Hope springs eternal.

Weather

93/74  Periods of clouds and sun.  Chance rain 10%.  Wind S 5 – 10.

Tides

High  10:08 AM     0.6
Low  11:00 PM    -0.5

Solunar Times

Best  9:26 am to 11:26 am.

************************Get inhaled!  

There is something innovative and new coming!  Stay tuned.

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

Who said anything about Keller Bay.  When I got up it was dead calm and what wind there would be was going to be out of the SE so I had an epiphany, Indianola.  The Powderhorn Ranch shoreline should have some fish on it, and guess what?  The epiphany paid off.

A bite right off the bat on the bone Spook Jr.

When I got there at 7:00 a couple of boats were on the shoreline so I just headed down the bank and found a nice stretch with tons of bait rafting.  I dropped the anchor and went for the wading bag, you know, the one in the back of the truck.  And then I realized I went brain dead at the house and left my waders at home.  So I said heck with it, a little old school fishing out of the boat.

With bait light and variable I just positioned the boat with the trolling motor and let the breeze drift me along keeping close to the bait.  It did not take long to figure out thery were in the slots in the sand where it was just a little bit deeper.  And they were basically smoking a steady walk the dog.  And occasionally stopping it provoked a bite or two, the old toss it a foot in the air and not hookup thing.  It only took about an hour to catch what would have been a cleaning table limit.

They all looked like this.

The tide was slowly coming up and the fish moved closer to the bank.  It was surprising that only 1 redfish took a pass at it, it was a good one, but missed it by a mile.  Several of the better trout brought 1 or 2 with it, and for the first couple of hours the bite was steady.   The biggest of the morning did not make the pics today because the dang thing was bleeding all over the boat so it went right  back in.  I just cleaned it!  Then disaster struck.

We were both just resting seeing if it would settle down, it never did.

It has been a while since this happened.  Normally I am a little quicker than they are but this knucklehead came from behind and hit it about halfway back before I could pull it away.  So now I have this gull, and he is mad, on my line so I reel him close and the fight was on.  It could reach the bait so it was biting it and the rod as I tried to shake him off.  We struggled around some and I finally got the de-hooker on the bait and popped it off without it biting me.  It sat there a minute and off it went.  Unfortunately when I shook it off I broke the tip off the rod.  Wow I went almost 6 months without breaking one.  No good deed goes unpunished.

And than an interesting thing happened.  It was now around 10:00 and the tide was up and the water quit moving.  And then the trout would just boil on it, miss it, not sure why but nothing like a little seagull stink on it.  So I covered it with Pro Cure which did not help.  So obviously not seagull stink, just flat tide.  So what the heck, I wanted to see at least half of the soccer game so with an hour and half to go it was back in the Powderhorn to try a little red fishing with spinnerbait, something I have neglected the last couple of years.

But that did not work, not even a little.  The water color in the Powderhorn is not clear by any means.  There were lots of mullet in the first area, and not much back in as I fished the shallow banks next to grass in the places I always catch them.  After an hour it was time to call it a day.  Boy was it nice to have a good topwater bite.  I caught around 10 on top, and 3 or 4 on plastic, which I did not throw all that long.  No sense in that as long as they were smoking it.  One thing that I find interesting about trout and topwater, when they want it, and for a couple of hours today they did, they hook up.  As the bite slows you can almost tell by the way they start messing with it and not eating.  So good thing I was there fairly early but there is no doubt if I had not forgotten the stuff it would have been a killin’.

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Got lots of comments this week, first from Elaine.

Happy Birthday!

Thanks.  And to the rest of you who sent along wishes I appreciate it.  Your 65th birthday is a 2 edged sword.  Oh my God I am 65! –  or –  I am 65 in great health with a great boat, I mean wife, what more could a guy want.  Thanks for keeping in touch.

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And it is always good to hear from long time reader Rick.

A sincere Happy Birthday. Sorry about all your troubles in big D. As they said in Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates..You never know what you’re going to get.” And yes, you are a lucky man. I’ve only got to fish twice this year so far, but I get my fishing jollies through your blog, so keep up the good work and the great job you do telling us about your various adventures.

It really is, you never know.  I am actually “over” it and a little catching sure helped.  And when folks tell me they “come along” with me when I fish it warms my black heart.  The intention was always to share information and the love of the sport and if this is as close as you get to the water I am willing to “suffer” to help out.  Thanks.

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And fishfearllarry is still out there.

Happy Birthday! I am sorry to hear of all the problems you went through. Yes you are mad now, but after a little while, if like me, you will sit back and think about it all and realize that it could have been worse. The scum guy could have been sitting in the lobby and been an active shooter and killer! We live in a world with a lot of “sick” people. Once out on the water, you will forget all your worries! As my brother tells me…you know you have a fishing addiction when the day after you go, you are trying to make a plan for the next time you are off and able to go.

To go along with what could have been stay tuned, there is some interesting information on the way.  And you are right, we  could have been in the car, I could have left a pistol in the car, they could have got in a chase, and on and on.  A good detailing sure did help.  The fishing took it all away, it always does, and when they are smacking topwater there is nothing else on your mind.  I sure have the fishing addiction.  I just finished cleaning the boat and have not even unhooked from the trailer.  Not sure if I am going tomorrow but there is no such thing as to ready to go!

And I hope it is ok if I tell a little story about meeting you.  My partner and I were standing in line at a tournament when Larry introduced himself.  He had some reds, we stunk up the joint, and told me he caught them on one of the places I talked about on the blog.  That is exactly why I do this.  Guess what he caught some, I caught some, and you can go there today and catch some more.  So great to hear from you, hope you are  catching some fish.

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Due to the current brouhaha I decided to post this timely comment from Joe.

Doug,

Edit this as you see fit, even delete the bottom half. Just showing you how ignorant companies have gotten..

Glad you got your car back. Be thankful that scum bag didn’t carjack you while you were stopped at a light. All this money we spend on these big companies and they don’t offer anything back unless you go to the supervisor or higher to get things done.

Happened to me this past week. Drove back from Chicago to san antonio but then had to fly out 3july back at $500. Also had to emergency cancel a flight 5 july and move to 7july wife wasnt out of hospital. Southwest then charged me $1900 but deducted the funds from the 1st flight so $1200. But i had to make a new flight I asked the reservation rep(30 minutes on phone) for some help, said to call customer care. Next 37 minutes on hold and 20 with the guy saying all he can do is get a wheelchair at the counter. And that he was a stupidvisor and had the same powers his boss which seemed to be not a Frickin Thing. I hung up on him, not wasting time.

Later on logged into facebook and posted on Southwest. In 20 minutes not only a response but a solution. They honored the flight 7july with the price we paid 5july flight $750. But would add my fare regular $500 cuz i wasnt on original flight. I said DEAL. Come to find out they gave me a credit of $988 making the flight $245. Figured i suffered enough.

So why cant they do this across the board with employees knowing what they can do. If i could have reached thru the phone and choked the DUDE. I would have. The stress level from this was incredible. Let them be in our shoes when in a 4 week vacation, wife was in hospital 15 days.

joe

Boy I feel you pain as I am going through that right now.  Seems like so many telephone contacts are taught to do everything they can to make sure that something does NOT happen.  And then it is who is the most willing to fight until they win.  Makes you realize how many folks just give up and take the screwing.  And yes we were lucky, it could have been much worse.  As I have thought about it I am not that mad at the fool, he is headed to jail, and he will never change.  Hope the ride was worth it.  But the companies, we shall see how they handle it.  Good to hear from you and let us know how your next fishing trip comes out.

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It is always great to hear from readers, it keeps me writing.  I see the numbers and hundreds of folks stop here all the time, but nothing beats some feedback.  And speaking of feedback I have a really interesting comment from a gentleman who out of the goodness of his heart sent me some really interesting information.  Some of it will be shared with you when I wrap up the great car rip-off.

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

Today was a success.  Nice to actually catch some today on a good bite, and still made it home for the second half of the soccer game which was good,  Still do not know all that much about the rules but some of the finishes have been crazy.  Not sure what or where is next but the winds are supposed to be down for at least the next week which is a recipe for some bay fishing.  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 Should be My Happy Freakin’ Birthday!

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No fishing Monday or Tuesday because I get to spend the day dealing with the Hampton Inn, Advantage Valet, and everyone else involved in downtown Dallas who let some car thieves steal our car.  And it got worse.  If you own a Lexus like we do and have Lexus assist cancel right now, they were terrible.  And if you are thinking of buying a nice car consider an Audi, they know how to treat customers who’s car is stolen.  More on that in a little.  A long story short.  The valet company let criminals get access to keys of 3 cars, the guy sat in the lobby for an hour or so (on video) in the early morning hours without anyone asking him why he was there, before he broke into the key box when the valet dropped the ball.  (All on tape as the investigation has learned.) What if he was a rapist or armed robber?  Until changes are made your family is not safe in the Downtown Hampton Inn Dallas, end of story.

This happened around 6am, and neither hotel or valet called the police even though the crook broke in to the key box in their lobby.  Think about it, Advantage Valet and Hampton Inn downtown Dallas did not respond to a felony on their property or call the cops.  It could have stopped the whole thing and they should have immediately secured their “secure” lot we paid $32 a night for.  The Hotel let a scum bag sit in the lobby until he stole the keys.  Huh?  Then they left us sitting at the curb for almost 2 hours waiting for our car before they admitted it was stolen. (5 hours later when they finally called the police.) The hotel was “it is not our fault”, what a fiasco.  No one from the hotel ever apologized or offered to help, not one word from the hotel except it is not us. I forgot, the only thing said after the not our fault thing, the clerk came outside while it was still in an uproar and said we won’t charge you for the valet.  But still not an apology, nothing.  Wow, thanks!   The Hampton’s response was it is the contactor.  Puzzling, the hotel took our freakin’ money and let our keys be stolen from their front lobby but it is not their fault?  So finally after 10:00 am,  hours after the theft police were called.  They came and took a report from the 3 of us and gave us a report number.  The other dude called Audi and they located the car in 5 minutes and off the police went to recover it.

So we immediately call Lexus assist, give them the report number but they are acting like we are lying and they will not help immediately.  They want to speak with the cop. (He has the report with him and did not file it because they were off to recover the Audi.)  Remember, Audi the car company that gives a rats ass about customers – but guess what Lexus – they all hit the road to recover the Audi because Audi was on the ball.  The officer of course did not run to the station to file it, he went after the car thieves.  That is what the police do!  So by Lexus waiting hours our car ends up the hands of a gang banging maggot (Really!) for at least 4 maybe 8 hours who makes a dirty mess like  the animal he was in our car.  Much of which could have easily been avoided if they had immediately activated the vehicle tracker.   And when I asked to speak to a supervisor after 2 calls without results the last person I spoke to at Lexus was a %*&$^ and did not connect me.  They finally activated the GPS tracker hours later (Did not inform us.) as we were leaving town in a rental car.  Plus Advantage Valet of Dallas refused to help us with a rental, the old trust me, you pay for it and we will pay you back.  But then the police called and said we found the car.  So we go to the scene and there is a dreadlock wearing, pants below his ass, athletic shoes maggot cuffed and standing by the cop car.  Sorry Bro, if you do not want to be a classic stereotype don’t be one.  They smoked dope in the car, cigars, left a condom, and went through the paperwork, threw shit everywhere and put Hip Hop on our satellite radio and stole our garage door openers.  Can you say come and rip us off later?  I can see it now, the seats were set back and low, Hip Hop (A new station set on our radio.)  blasting with windows wide open, smoke billowing out as they partied in our car, prophylactic at the ready.  Makes us sick thinking about it.

The good thing – Props to the Dallas PD.  From the responding officer, the 3 who recovered our car, and the detective who spoke with us before interviewing the maggot to see how many lies he would tell him. (The officer’s words not mine, though I can hear it now.  After years of defending criminals it was – Someone gave it to me, I did not know it was stolen, the man is keeping me down, or the best, they are picking on me.)  The Dallas PD was professional and competent and really went above and beyond to assist us unlike the motel, valet, or Lexus.  Thanks guys, your superiors, mayor, and council members have heard from me.

Now the aftermath.  I spent Monday on the phone with all of them, got new reprogramed openers so these animals can not rip us off, the detail guy is coming tomorrow, the insurance company and on and on.  The Valet service is sorry, the hotel is sorry, Lexus assist is sorry.  (in fact they are correct, the whole bunch of them is sorry.)  Everybody is freakin’ sorry.  So whether that is nothing more than lip service remains to be seen.  But they were all nice when I spoke with all of them today (A new attitude today for some reason.)  and they indicated they will all take care of it.  And when I asked them the following question – especially Lexus assist – “Would you want to ride home a hundred miles in a car smelling like dope and cigars, that had a maggot driving and trashing it and leaving a condom when it was all preventable?”  All said they would not want that, but I guess it is ok for us.  So there will only be one more follow up post later detailing their responses.  Lets see what happens.  But boy am I freakin’ pissed.

Fun at the Ramp

When I got to the ramp Thursday morning there was a couple of guys with a fancy Skeeter about to put in.  They backed in and he kept gunning it but it would not go off the trailer, so they pulled it out, oops, forgot one side tie down.  So they pull out get it off and back it back in, and I slide past them and drop it in.  Meanwhile the dude turns on the bilge pump and water is rocketing out of the boat.  Oops, forgot the plug so the other guy goes and gets the truck and back on the trailer they go.  Meanwhile me, Mr. Awesome at launching a boat, starts to step off the pier, and slips, and I mean I am an instant from going in head first but I made the big save.  That would have been fitting.  Everyone made it on the water safely.

Then when I go to take out there is a trailer backed in and one of those big Shallow Sports, I think X3, which is fairly new, and he is having a hell of a time getting it on the trailer.  I offered to help but he said no problem, it is just a bad bunk as he cranks it up for all he is worth.  And that says it all about boat ownership.  That thing cost an easy $70K plus, is almost brand new, and something is already broke.  It never ends.

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Get inhaled!  

There is something innovative and new coming!  Stay tuned.

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

Dredge the cut at Charlie’s.

I have not been through that cut since some time last year when there was a couple of boats stuck.  And it happens to be the only place someone ever had to get out and push my boat so we could get off.  Now from what I understand, and please correct me if I am wrong, the cut is basically unusable unless you run on spit.  If that is the case it really needs to be dredged out to take some of the pressure off POC on the weekends.  Even staying at POC we have trailed to Charlie’s to get farther down the bay without having to fight the madness that is Froggie’s.  So if anyone knows whether the cut is usable I would appreciate hearing it.

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So that will be it today on my birthday.  But I should be able to get things done enough to fish tomorrow, or let’s put it this way, I am fishing tomorrow.  What gets me about this whole adventure is that everyone except the police dropped the ball, and it did not have to happen.  Think about how you would feel, thinking about them with your address and garage opener.  So I promise other than one follow up post when it is all done that subject is done.  So while the detail guy is here, the Boss has the truck at work, fishing will wait.  But I so appreciate all I have on my birthday.  The best wife and best friend a guy could have, getting to fish my life away, what more could a guy want?  I am the luckiest guy in the world.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff, and letting me vent.

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 

86/73.  Thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours.  Chance rain  80%.   Winds E 5 – 10.

Lake Level

Today  95.61 msl.    2 days ago  95.55 msl.

Solunar Times

No relevant period when I was out.

The One That Got Away

The weather forecast was pretty sketchy for today so I got up about 5:30, looked outside, and while it had rained last night, it was partly cloudy and calm.  So it looked like I could get in some fishing on the lake before it got here, and my timing turned out to be just right.  I fished from 7:15 until 1:00 when I heard thunder off in the distance.  So I  loaded up and headed home.  5 minutes after I got home it started coming down in buckets, so I got lucky.

I never, ever, get tired of this.  The morning ride across dead calm water with not a soul in sight makes me glad to be alive.

So being unsure how long I would be able to fish I headed right to the good stuff.  It was dead calm and the sun was coming out.  The bite was slow the first hour, I had 5 or 6 bites and only boated 1.  They were definitely pecking it and not eating.  But then it was like they threw a eat it switch and the bite was on.  From about 8:00 until 10:00 I boated 15 and missed half that many.  Today I decided to keep an accurate count to be sure that when I had been telling you it was 15 or 20 a morning it was not bullshit.

The bit the whole morning.

The wind was still under 10mph so it was time to head down lake and try some of those deeper banks that have had the wind blowing on them.  First it was a deep point, and I caught 1 and missed a couple that I should have caught.  Next was a channel turn and it was a couple more.  Then a long deep bank and 3 more made it over the side of the boat.  This is a place I have wanted to fish with plastics but the wind has been to hard on it for a couple of weeks.  Today it was possible to let the stick worm just fall down the face of the drop, and they were just swimming off with it.

20lb mono, a 4/0 Gamakatsu worm hook, 3/16th oz. tungsten slip sinker, 5″ Big Bite watermelon red stick worm.

At this point it was about noon so it was time for one more deep tree and then a deep bank  by the dam.  The tree produced 2, and it should have been 4.  Now I have caught another 7 since coming down lake, for a total of 22 for the day.  So I decided to hit one more deep bank by the dam, and disaster struck.  From starting off having them hit short, to catching them right along, this fish decided to hit it as I reeled up in about 10 foot of water and literally swam right at the boat.  I set the hook, up comes a huge mouth, and off goes a huge mouth.  All I have to say about that is dang it!

Nothing big but they sure were willing.

Today they were all about the same size with a couple of real small ones thrown in, other than the big one.  Cover is still the ticket, but on the channel banks they are on drops.  Both on the deeper point I fished and the long channel bank they were in about 10′.  As the lake drops the upper end will get tougher but the fish on the lower end should start bunching up and once you find some they should hang out in the general area for a while.

I still love the hand to hand combat of pulling them out of cover but a couple of “funny” things happened today.  2 were able to get tangled in line inside the bush and pull off.  It is so important that we make every effort to pick up our line as best we can.  It is hard to complain about the fishing with these kinds of numbers, and most days a shot at a good one like today, it is simply a matter of getting it in the boat.  It just did not happen today, but I had my chance.

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

I got this comment from Chad the Mad Trout Fisherman, who we had not heard from in a while.

Hey doug its been awhile since i dropped a line, i saw you at speedy stop in poc the other morning and said Gm captain but u said hello and jumped in the 4 runner.

A nice 28″ CPR’d.

Fishing in poc has been tough on the big moon for me and the sharks have been tough in the greens area, my son taylor did manage a 30” trout the other day only to have a 5 ft shark take more than 1/2 of it. What a bummer!!!

We took a pic with the leftovers beside a 17” trout. Croaker has been the ticket for us . I hope to get in the surf on friday. Thanks chad

It may be tough but like usual you sure have been laying the smack down on them.

Now I am embarrassed. Sorry if I was half asleep and it did not register who you were so please accept my apology. Heck, I would have pumped you for info, or a ride! Not saying I am glad you had a tough time on the moon, but it just makes me feel better to know I was not alone in my struggles. And if you struggled a little bit with the croakers it says a lot. (See his article on croaker fishing in the technique page of the blog.) Tell Taylor sorry about that but I am sure there are more 30″ coming in his lifetime. I could see him being a top guide in the future. (Don’t tell him that, try college first.) It is good to hear from you and next time just slap me a good one.

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Get inhaled!  

Michael tells me that the Controlled Descent line is about to expand.  Not sure exactly what is coming but he says it is something brand new.  Innovation in fishing lures comes on step at a time and I am excited to see what is coming!  Stay tuned.

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

And Topwater Billy had another comment.

SA Joe’s comment made me chuckle as well. As you said, cool that someone checked the link. Sorry that I disappointed him.

As to our statement, “And I guess we can fish again. Maybe!”…….gee, what a glowing endorsement for future fishing opportunities.

Whispering very softly, “topwaters all day, topwaters all day”…….lol.

Boy you do have a topwater problem.  I wonder if there are touchy feely groups where you could work out your feelings with other deeply sensitive fishermen.  You know, a group setting where you all pour out your deepest feelings and insecurities.  On the other hand, nah.

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Those of you who read this stuff know I look at boats for sale all over the state almost every day.  It is fun, informative, and often crazy what folks expect.  Lately there has been lots of really high dollar used boats for sale.  Some of them are easily in the $50k plus price range, even being a couple of years old.  Seems to be a lot of cases of someone’s eyes being bigger than their wallet.  And why in the world if you can justify spending that kind of $$$ would you buy a used boat?  And one other question – If it has been maintained like they say it has why not a compression check and the maintenance records available for inspection?  Would sure help sell the boat.  Just wondered.

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That will do it for today.  Saturday it will be joining the grandkids and family for a play in Dallas.  Not sure what the Lion King is all about, but everyone is pretty excited about going and it will be good to see the kids.  Next week is going to be some saltwater fishing.  The moon is on the wane and things should improve somewhat.  And anytime any of you feel the need to comment drop me a line, we all love hearing from you.  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!**

After weeks of cloudy mornings it was flat out fog and haze today.  Rain is on the way and the humidity is thick.

Weather

97/75  Partly cloudy.  0% chance of rain.  Wind SSW 10 – 20.  (Heat index 105 degrees today.)

Lake Level

Today  95.55 msl.   Yesterday  95.57 msl.

Solunar Times

Good  9:17 am to 11:17 am.

*********************Get inhaled!  

Michael tells me that the Controlled Descent line is about to expand.  Not sure exactly what is coming but he says it is something brand new.  Innovation in fishing lures comes on step at a time and I am excited to see what is coming!  Stay tuned.

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

I decided to switch gears some today and fish a little more main lake first instead of heading to the fish.  It was slow at first but looking at the Solunar times today they got it exactly right.  Only 3 small ones took a swing at it first thing this morning, and I caught all 3 of them, all out of cover of some sort.  There may be a good way to catch them in that clear water but I sure have not figured it out.

So after 9:00 I head up lake and started pitching.  Today I threw a watermelon red 6″ finesse worm most of the morning, and just like all the other plastics in that general color they liked it.  But the bite was not near as consistent today, but again the first few hours I stayed off the ones I have been catching.  But I finally gave in went back to the sure thing.

It is still a matter of working your way through the smaller fish to get a good bite.

I did learn several things today.  One, pitching inside a cove with cover produced exactly 1 fish.  Fishing an area way up the creek with real off color water did not produce a bite.  And since I was there super early I fished a long stretch of deeper water down lake with the buzzbait and that was a complete strike out.  Time to give it a rest so I cut it off the rod, the only way I will quit throwing it on the lake.

About half of the 10 or so this morning looked like this, the other  5 were small.

They were definitely not as shallow as they have been, which I suspect is a function of the slowly falling lake and rising water temps.  And they were really doing the swim with it thing today, but I am getting better at catching those.  You have to be sure reel up all your slack until the line is tight when they are swimming off the cover before you set the hook or you won’t get a solid hook set.   For some reason today they were pulling on the worm a lot more than the other baits, which are thicker and heavier.  Not sure what that was about but that is what happens when you run out of the other stuff.

It would be hard to calculate how many plastics I have gone through on the lake the last month.  It is imperative that whatever plastic you throw is streamlined and straight on the hook so you can get it through the cover.  Bury the barb and be sure the slip sinker goes down on the plastic and covers the nose.  (I occasionally peg the slip sinker, it helps.)  And don’t get all jerky with it.  When it hits bottom just shake it a little up and down, and when you feel a branch lightly shake it over.  And a side benefit of not getting hung, the occasional fish will take it right off for you, so be easy.  Nothing like making the perfect cast to cover and then hanging up before the fish get to it.

For the morning it was 10 – 12 give or take a fish.  The last 3 or 4 trips I have tried some new places and different techniques but pitching is still the most consistent.  But the big fish are showing up less and less shallow.  Falling water with a temp approaching 90 degrees plus has that effect on bass, so no big surprise.  All I know is it is time for a change of pace, and place.  Not sure where but one thing about South Texas, lots of opportunities.

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

And after I posted Topwater Billy’s comments a couple of more came in, the first from SA Joe.

And here i thought the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3afKw_mcY was TOPWATER BILLY getting a great catch on a top water !!!!!

Cant go wrong with Molly Hatchet !!!

Someone get me a beer !!!!!!

Your comment made me laugh.  Wondered who would actually check the link.  It really was about my Hogs and the game, and then collapse.  Good to know you are awake and I am down with the beer thing!

And Topwater Billy also commented.

Ah, there we go. I thought maybe I had pee’d in your Post Toasties. Now I understand why I am a “bad influence”…….lol. Hell, within those parameters, I’ll take that classification any day.
As for Molly Hatchet. I saw them last year opening for Lynrd Skynrd. Both of them brought the house down.
‘Til next time…….

Never at a loss for words and I appreciate it.  And I guess we can fish again.  Maybe!

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

And Faye and her hubby made it  to POC last week but had a little tougher time that last trip.

We fished Sunday & Monday. WIND – WIND – WIND!! We did manage one really nice trout off a drain in Big Bayou other than that is was 2 big blue crab (haha), 2 hard heads, small trout and a small red. We had to use croaker and soft plastics since everyone was out of shrimp. Hoping to go back down in a few weeks.

Hey it will go better next trip.  Just a little of the summer time blues.

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

Hope you all have a great 4th of July.  Our weather report is for rain, which we need, but hopefully our Victoria families get in the fireworks tonight.  We all remember what it was like to be young and excited about the fireworks.  So be safe today.  I have some more to post, including a comment and pictures from Chad the Mad Trout Fisherman.  And I am making tomorrow’s plan, it will be on the water somewhere.  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

96/74.  Mostly sunny.  0% chance rain.  Wind SSE 10 – 20.

Lake Level

Friday  95.70 msl.   Today  95.57 msl.  (You can see it starting to drop.)

Solunar Times

Good   8:27 am to 10:47 am.

*********************Get inhaled!  

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

It really is Ground Hog Day on the lake.  The mornings are the same, cloudy and calm.  The water temp was over 89 degrees at the ramp, rising to over 90 as the day wore on, so it is definitely on the rise.  There was no one at the ramp when I put in and headed up lake.  When I have it to myself I always wonder if I am the only nut around.

Humidity brought to you by the Gulf of Mexico.  It has been ugly.

I wish there was something astute or stunning to say but there ain’t.  The lake is basically stable and so is the fishing.  Today it was all wood, period.  Not a bite any other way.  And one thing that has been interesting is that they are rarely on the same piece of wood as the day before.  But they are on the wood.

For the summer doldrums I will take one like this any day.

I did try some different places again today, and if there is wood there just might be one close.  They do seem to prefer just a little bit deeper banks, but some of them have the least amount of cover.  So fishing off the bank on shallower places with wood will get you bit.

And there are just enough of these to make getting up worth it.

One thing that can be said for the numbers is they are consistent.  It was an easy dozen by time I quit at 12:30, and I caught one on the last place I fished.  Occasionally you will catch 2 or 3 in an area, but generally it is singles, and definitely the better fish are by themselves. And as far as cover, they definitely want the thicker stuff with branches.

Lots of smaller fish, some way smaller than these.  The second one is skinny like a few of them have been.

I find it interesting that the really steeper banks have not produced for me.  Again I cranked a deeper channel bank without a bite, surprising with the wind blowing.  But again, most of them lack enough good cover to make fishing them worth it.  That is where they should be and fishing slower and deeper might work.  And of course Carolina rigging on the big main lake points should be going strong but the wind has been a player.  Today, and the last few trips, it has started coming up around 8 – 9:00 and when it blows it has been getting after it.  But it is what it is.

They really seem to have no preference for the type of plastic, beaver style, senko, and I caught a few on worm today.  I thought that might work a little better but didn’t really make a difference.  Location, location, location.  I lost my last 3/8th tungsten weight so used a 1/8th which made the bait  fall slower, and that definitely did not help.  So I went to a 1/4 lead and they started hitting it again.  That slightly less difference gave them to much time to think about it without reacting, the heavier weight does get more bites.  No matter what lots of them are still swimming off with it and you never feel a “hit.”

Not a bad morning, though it really has been Ground Hog day all over again.  We are coming off a full moon so things will change a little the next week or so.  And with more rain coming in a couple of days we will have cloudy conditions which always helps.  Wednesday is the 4th so I will probably fish tomorrow and leave Wednesday to the rest of you.

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

I did forget to tell you another story about my buddy Todd.  It was his lower unit that went out, then the blown tire and fender shredding, when we were at Mansfield.  All of that ended up running about $5k.  But the best part of the story is the next day he sent me a text of his rear view mirror hanging off the windshield.  It just fell off while he was driving.  Told him he better just stay in the house!  So remember next time your day sucks, you always have company.

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

After posting about fishing POC with Billy I got this comment.

Three things.
A buddy of mine, may he R.I.P., didn’t call me Topwater Billy for nothing.
In reference to your Razorbacks statement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3afKw_mcY
It’s not a “good thing” to fish with me? What the hizzell…….lol(I think)?

First, from now on you will be Topwater Billy on the blog, if there was ever an appropriate nickname this is it.  And yes, my Hogs did flirt with disaster, and then disaster struck.  It will stick in their craw for a lifetime.  (Note:  Speaking of Flirting with Disaster I saw Molly Hatchett in Little Rock in the 80’s and they brought the house down.)  Fishing with you is fun but the last thing I need is someone enabling me to throw topwater all day.  I already have a buzzbait fetish.  But they sure did hit it all day last week and I definitely learned something.  We will do it again.

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

With the 4th around the corner be careful out there.  Have a safe holiday no matter what you do.  I will be on the weather watch which will dictate where next.  The trout are still calling me, but a little change of location and tactics is in order.  Both fresh and salt, we are in full blown summer and so are the fish.  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!**

The mornings have been carbon copies of each other the last month.

Weather

94/76  Partly cloudy and hot.  10% chance rain.  Wind SSE 15 – 25.

Lake Level

Today  95.70 msl   5 days ago  95.80 msl.  (On a slow decline again.)

Solunar Times

Good 6:01 am to 8:01 am   Best  11:49 am to 1:49 pm.

It was almost dead calm when I hit the water at daylight.  The water temp at the ramp was 86 degrees, as was most of the lake.  The water color has stabilized in both arms.   So I headed to a bank with lots of cover and started pitching.  And it was just as it has been, lots of smalls.

As you have seen the last month these are the run of the mill.  Looking kind of skinny but they are willing.

Of course the buzzbait got a little workout, and while it caught 3 later in the day in clear water they were definitely small.  I had one good one smoke it, while I had the phone pinned between my shoulder and ear talking to the Boss and casting.  Think about that for a minute – I can’t even stop casting 1 freakin’ minute to take a call.  You would think by now I would be ready for a good bite, that is just the way fishing is.  And the swim jig got tossed a little but with most of the fish tight to cover it is not the best choice right now.  I also fished a couple of banks with crankbait when the wind was up but obviously my bank or lure selection was not any good.

The best of the morning, I never felt her at all until she started swimming off.

But most of the morning, I quit at noon, it was pitching.  Today in honor of the Oregon State Beavers kicking my Hog’s ass I pitched a beaver plastic for the heck of it.  The green with red flake was a little better than the more red watermelon.  One thing about pitching it, they seemed to hit it a little more aggressively than they have been hitting the senko.  But of course the one above just started swimming with it.  There is still about a 40% chance that you will not feel the bite.  How they do that I do not know with so little line out, tricky.

Also today I lost 2 good ones in cover, it comes with the territory.  As I get a little more confident pitching more and more I am tossing it right in there.  Your bait has to be straight with the barb lightly stuck  back in the plastic so it will come through stuff and you have to be work it easy so as not to stay hung up.   The brushier the cover the better the chance there is a fish.   Additionally I even caught one on the 5th cast to a bigger piece of cover.  Just had to get the right angle to work it properly.

The wind finally came up and was blowing pretty good when I called it a day.  As it has been it was 10 or so pitching and several on buzzbait.  So while the good ones are few and far between there is fish to be caught.  And again I actually saw folks catching, not just fishing, for crappies.  If you want a great dinner they are biting.

*********************Get inhaled!  

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

It was good to hear from Aaron A.  He sent along a rather long post and in deference to his summer trials and tribulations with 2 small children we will get right to the good stuff.

Aaron with a nice river bass.  He catches his share.

I did manage to score a decent river bass on topwater earlier in the year (22”) and a good trout down near Rockport last weekend that matched my personal best (25”).  In  Rockport I was fishing with a buddy that had a boat.  You know I’m a kayak guy so this was a new experience.  All the water in the back of the shoreside bays was stained and fresh so we hit the mid bays rigs with croakers.  I’m also an artificial guy so croaker fishing took a little practice.  Seemed like all we could find was unders so they finally dropped me off on some shell to do my thing with artificial while they headed off to pop some shrimp under corks. When then came back an hour later I had a couple 22” trout, a great 25” trout, and a black drum.  I could get use to fishing with the benefit of a boat!

A nice solid!

Saturday the wind was terrible and we had a hard time finding any fishable spots but we still fared better than the boat we saw that had run into an artificial reef near Goose Island SP (see pic).  Talk about a bad (and dangerous) day.

That sucks, plain and simple.

One of these days I’m going to think ahead enough to give you a shout to buddy up on a trip.

I hope you’re doing well.

Good to hear from you and looks like your summer is going ok.  The Saturday you are talking about is when we fished the Upper Laguna and had a tough time, and it was rough.  But nice job pulling it out on the wade, that was a good string.  Nothing better than getting in them and making it happen wading.  But do try to avoid getting bitten by the boat bug, it is a incurable, expensive, disease, trust me.  Since you get down here fairly regularly just drop me a note, maybe we can work out a day.   And good luck with the kids, they will be fishing, chasing girls, and driving before you know it!  The Boss and I are doing well, thanks for asking.  Keep in touch.

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

SA Joe sent along this comment after I posted Tony’s best 5.

Was that 5 fish limit done on Coleto ??? What lake?

Just got back from my month trip thru Hot Springs and Chicago. Caught alot of fish in both areas. Thumb needs a long rest after lippin so many.. YEA RIGHT !!!!

Stopped at Lake Nanoniche, caught about 20 there and the lake has so much standing timber and laydowns. Dont know where to start and being in a kayak I stayed to the left of the boat launch. Very nice area and lake.

Tony did not say.  As you know if folks want to tell some, part, or none, it is their choice.  I am just happy to get the pictures and honor my word about keeping quiet.  No matter where he caught them it is a massive string, Falcon or Fork like.   And there are actually some fish in the Hot Springs area.  I fished it a lot when at the horse races, fish Hamilton in the morning and race in the afternoon.  In fact the Boss and I got married at the Little Wedding Chapel across the street from the track by a guy from Auckland NZ in a purple hounds tooth suit.  It was a touching little ceremony.   And Naconiche has an off and on again reputation, though I have not fished it there have been some big fish caught there.  As usual good to hear from you.

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

4th of July

Here comes my speech.  Time to check all the paperwork on the boat, make sure the trailer lights and tires are up to snuff.  Bearings grease?  Life jackets?  If you are headed out on the water be prepared.  Keep the brews to a minimum.  Don’t be “that guy.”  Law enforcement will be out in force, along with about a million other folks.  Remember about a third of them do not have a clue so be patient.  Be the bigger guy, be ready at the ramp, be courteous.  It will be a 5 day weekend for some folks and it will be busy as the weather forecast is great for the holiday.  There were multiple deaths and boating accidents Memorial Day so be careful, be safe, and have a freakin’ good time!

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

On a personal note my 65th birthday is in July.  I have never taken unemployment, food stamps, or any other benefit other than SSI on retirement.  So starting next month Medicare begins.  To bad the government has squandered all our money we have paid in over a lifetime.  I feel for the folks coming along later, talk about getting screwed, good luck.  The money will be gone.

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

This weekend will be a little trailer and boat work on the skiff.  There is always something that can be fixed, replaced, or changed.  It seems that once I start on something other things just follow.  It will keep me occupied until Monday, when it will be back on the water.  I appreciate all your comments and suggestions and all of you feel free to comment anytime.  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

87/81.  Partly cloudy with a 10% of rain.  Wind SSE 10 -15.

Tide

High 11:04 am.   (Only tide.)

Solunar Time

Best  10:27 am to 12:27 pm.    (Only relevant period.)

*********************Get inhaled!  

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

Today was one of those almost deals.  We almost caught some, other than shorts.  As we head into the full blown summer pattern the lure fishing is starting to get a little tougher as the croaker soakers start to put the hurt on them.  But that has not stopped us confirmed lure chunkers.  The wind was actually blowing pretty good and when we popped out of Army Cut it was a rough ride.  But once most of the way across the bay the wind was no problem, and it actually laid down the rest of the day.

The early morning pictures have all looked the same for a while now, beautiful.

We went over to the island and started wading near a big drain, the bait was literally every where.  Both Billy and I threw topwater, then I switched to plastics after a couple of hours after not boating a keeper.  But Billy throws topwater, and then topwater, and some more topwater, literally all day.  And guess what?  They hit (at) it pretty consistently all day, from when we started at 7:00 or so until we quit at 3:30.

We fished several places on the island, and then drifted one last place before we quit.  The one thing I took away from today, if you were not waist deep, you were not in fish.  The first bank had tons of bait, and once we waded into them Billy put a couple of 18′ on the stringer, after we moved out some and I continued my short fish domination.  But even with rafts of bait if they were shallow there just was not any fish to speak of.  And though we caught some short reds the good ones remained finicky.

Billy with a couple of topwater fish.

After that we made a move to the South Pass area and I actually caught a good one.  But they were clearly acting funny on the topwater.  The fish actually bit it from daylight until we quit, but it was a funny bite, there were tons of follows and hits, but many of the bigger “bites” we short.  By this time I was tossing plastic and continuing to catch smalls.  When the tide was up I decided to head back to the first place where we caught fish, and though we had some hits and caught some smalls it just was not happening.

I was wondering when I would catch a real one.

For our last stop we headed to Barroom for a couple of drifts in an area where I have caught them this time of year.  Again I caught a couple of smalls on plastic and Billy continued to get hits on top.  The water there was off color but it did not deter the from hitting the topwater, some in water 3′ plus, and Billy caught a couple more.  We finally called it a day when the last drift resulted in some gafftops, in other words, quit.

This time of year I have historically stuggled as the fish move deeper.  Today was no exception.  Of course that is on me and not the fish.  Much has to do with not spending more time on the bay.  Often this time of year it is more a question of where they are not, if that makes sense.  And in both places we waded there was tons of bait but it was not a slam dunk like it is earlier in the year.  So time for some changes to the plan.  What the change may be is to be determined, but my mastery of shorts is just not getting it.  Seems like I am in a little slump right now.  But there is a way to get out of it, fish more!

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

I got this comment from Billy yesterday, before we figured out we were fishing together.

Good God. That is one helluva five bass limit.

And you are so right.  Those days come very few times in a lifetime of fishing, and Tony put it together.  It is something when it all comes together.

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

Go Hogs

Well the boys won the first one in the finals of the College World Series, and then had a really tough loss last night.  Oregon State kept hitting and had lots of men on base during the game, and the Hogs kept flirting with disaster.  It was one of those games where you had that feeling it was just a matter of time, and when the roof caved in it was over.  So tonight it is on.  The Hogs have never won it all, Coach Van Horn deserves one, and it will be exciting no matter the outcome.

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

In spite of the lack of keepers, other than the ones headed to the plate tonight, it was a good time fishing with Billy.  One thing the blog has accomplished for me, is to meet some good fisherman and share a boat.  I try to fish with different folks as much as possible, you can and will always learn something different.  Fishing with Billy is probably not a “good thing”.  It just confirms to me that the topwater will get them all day, and of course I am down with that.  Next up who knows.  But I have a friend I am wanting to get with and I need to get out of this slump and find some good fish so I don’t embarrass myself!  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 am still trying to figure out why we did not catch any bigger trout.  They generally run in the same class but the small ones were every place we fished and we just did not touch any good ones.  Tomorrow it is off to the lake for what is my Monday morning routine.  If the Boss was not getting back in the afternoon I would have headed to Fayette, but that along with the possibility of serious rain rules out that drive.  So it will be up early and gone as soon as it is safe, don’t mind the rain but not interested in being the main course at a barbeque.

Weather

88/76  Cloudy with morning thundershowers.  80% chance.  Wind SSE 10 – 20 mph.

Lake Level

Today  95.81 msl  (It has already dropped a little.)  Last  Thursday  95.84 msl

Solunar Times

Best 9:06 am to 11:06 am.

*********************Get inhaled!  

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

It was dead calm when I got to the lake at 6:30.  The humidity was off the chart and the mosquitos, as the kids say, OMG.  They were thick and hungry.  Just getting the boat reading to launch, and I am fast, was something and there were a dozen in the truck when I headed home.  It just started to rain, and it would do so for most of the morning until I quit at noon.  At one point the thunder was getting close but it went around me, saving me a ride to hide under the bridge.

It has looked like this in the morning for the last couple of weeks.  Beautiful.

I went way up lake to see the water color and it had some color but was not muddy.  For the amount of rain we got it is surprising.  With it dead calm of course I started with a buzzbait and caught 4 0r 5, and they all looked like this.  They were just pulling it under with hardly a splash and I should have added a trailer hook, I would have caught a couple more.  Then the wind finally started, and from then on it was a good 20 mph with white caps near the dam and on and off rain.  So I switched to pitching, and today other than losing a good one in a bush, they all ran the same size, and I will spare you the pictures.

They were barely slurping it under this morning.

There was an interesting happening when I pitched to a deep log, one thumped it, and in the boat it came.  A crappie.  So I tossed it right back in there and thump, number 2.  So I left them alone, for now.  But there is definitely a fried crappie dinner in my future.  Not carrying a crappie rod with me is stupid as Coleto crappie are everywhere.

Been a while since I caught a couple, and it sure wasn’t pitching big plastics.

At this point, 10:00, the wind was blowing hard so I headed down lake to several deep main lake/channel banks and threw crankbait.  It was perfect conditions for it, to bad the fish were not having it.  I tried both a shad color and red crawdad without a bite.  So after a couple of hours, and 3 or 4 places, I called it a day.  There was another round of rain coming on the horizon and I got the boat loaded just in time, but not without the mosquito assault.

Wish I had the good camera with me, there were 4 or 5 more there.  Made me hungry!

Boy was the wildlife on the move.  The deer were eating that nice new grass and the big gators were cruising around looking for that last little bit to eat before calling it a night.  And something fairly unusual on Coleto, I saw a big water snake.  You see them occasionally but I have a feeling being a water snake is probably not the best career choice with the number of good fish in the lake.  And the last couple of times out the turkeys have been talking some, it was just a great day to be outdoors.

The fishing is consistent right now, mostly smalls for me with the occasional good one in the mix.  I definitely should have pitched all morning but it just looked like a buzzbait kinda day.  And not getting a bite on crankbait surprised me, but at least I tried.  So the 10 – 20 fish a trip continues, with one caveat, do not lose your good bite because that will probably be the only one you get.

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

The CCA mag, Tide, had an interesting article about the trout spawn. To make a long story short, I learned something. There are definite spawning areas that are used DAILY from mid April to mid September and it occurs in the evening. It basically debunks the old wife’s tale that spawning occurs on the full moon.  And according to the article they spawn on a variety of places, a mix of cover and places, but there are definite “spots”.  The gist of the article is our trout population is going strong.

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

On the travel front we just had a brush with awesome, but the timing is just not right.  My daughter and her husband contacted us wanting to know if we would go to South Africa with them in November.  Unfortunately we have a wedding, but it could have happened.  Round trip tickets right now are around $650, which is as cheap as it ever gets.  They are going to safari, and folks, if it has ever been on your bucket list check it out.  There is no time like the present.  It really is an eye opening experience.

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

My buddy Aaron really wants to catch a couple of red snapper.  Anyone out there need a couple of tag alongs?  Of course we would help with gas, cleaning, etc, all the stuff that goes with fishing offshore.  So if you are headed out give us a shout and maybe we can get together and sack a few.

Next week Baffin Bay Area. We had a great day today on bank I’m going back to next weekend. Top water was on.

From sunrises to sunsets keep a tight line

And speaking of Aaron, he and a friend did catch some good fish today in Baffin.  Just goes to show you, sometimes it is all in the timing.

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

I love it when folks send their pictures.  And Tommy V sent me his best one day 5 fish limit, and it is a nice one.

This is one big ass limit!

(Hope these came out ok, always have Problems downloading phone pics.)

My personal best 5 bass….fished an area of the lake where I  have caught some good bass….I am a kvd type fisherman,  I like to fish fast and cover as much water as possible….here are my top 5 bass that day..8.12,  8.1,  7.7,  7.1,  6.13….37lbs 15 oz.  All released to fight another day.

He did not say where or when, but that really is not the point.  That is a great string of fish and it is the kind that keeps us all coming back.  So congrats on an epic day.  And as far as the KVD thing, you sure have a KVD style limit!  Thanks for sharing and comment anytime.

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

Tomorrow will be a get stuff together day, then hopefully back on the water Wednesday.  The big thing tomorrow, get my AARP card and my insurance to go along with medicare.  (When you are young 65 is a lifetime away, and now here it is.  Never thought I would make it!)   Not sure where or how, but will have to see what the weather brings.  I can honestly say I am getting dang tired of the wind.  Of course it usually is a hassle for us, the fish don’t don’t seem to mind it near as 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!**

Not preparing anything before I fished today the conditions are basically a summation of the day.  In other words just another summer day on the Texas Coast.  But as usual we had a good time.

Weather

It blew like hell this morning, then really started blowing after noon.  25 mph straight out of the south made it tough.  And it was hot.  What’s new?

Tides

Basically irrelevant there.  The water was up and stayed up the 8 hours we fished.

Solunar Periods

7:45 am to 9:45 am.   (That was right on.)

*********************Get inhaled!  

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Times a wasting.

I met Aaron at Wal Mart in Flour Bluff at 5:20 am to head to the park and put in.  He told me it had been busy the last few times he fished there, and boy was he right.  The parking lot was already 80% full and the boat parade was on the way.  We dropped in no problem and were off.

And speaking of traffic, it did remind me why I try not to fish the weekend.  We saw lots of boats doing some marginal stuff, but as you will find out, we also found some good Samaritans.  And I still do not understand why folks burn the shoreline by running shallow.  Just because you can does not make it right, and when there are that many folks fishing why it is ok for you to burn up other folks areas but then get pissed when it happens to you.

We stopped on a point a few miles down the island, not a real clue where we were.  The bite was slow at first but then it picked up, and up.  The wind was making it a real hassle, but the trout were biting.  The bite was really consistent from about 8 until 11:00.  The only problem, we just did not find the good keepers.  In fact, we only ended up keeping 1, and both us threw back some right on the line.  My rule is it either measures right off the bat or it is going back.  But I digress.  We caught on numerous plastics, and Aaron has been adding a small pieced of fishbites to his.  We also had a couple of runs on reds, and managed to land a couple of good ones.

                         Aaron hooked up!                     Just made the under.

I managed to catch 3 or 4 trout on topwater, but it was just to rough.  If it had blown just a little less the topwater bite would have been good.  I mainly stuck with “pulling” the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad, and my biggest red came on the Pink Limeade.  The last few trips I have been fishing it, and some other plastics, differently than usual.  While it seems the reds like it worked that way more than the trout, if there are reds around they will eat it.  I am using a big rattle inserted with a 4/0, 1/16th or 1/8th ounce, swim bait hook.  Instead of hopping and dropping or reeling I am basically sweeping it, not fast, just pulllll enough to feel the tail vibrate a couple of feet then quickly picking up the slack.  Trying to keep it moving horizontally definitely evokes more strikes.  Something I am going to keep working on, it has caught fish the last few times out.

A half inch over.  This is when the fun began.

At this point in the morning we have boated an easy 30 – 40, mostly small trout and a few rats, and there were a few more to come.  The Shallow Sport is being held with the Power Pole, sort of.  The red above knocked the snot out of the Pink Limeade Paddle shad and the fight was on.  I land him and turn around to show Aaron and he yells, the boat!  And starts laughing and I join in.  Bye!

                               The boat.                                           The saviors.

The boat is hightailing it down the bay.  With a 25mph wind pushing that flat bottom it was gonna be at the ramp in no time.  Now at this point there had been boats running by us one after the other for hours, but not now.  The first one that comes by just does not see us waving.  Aaron starts splashing and waving like a lunatic, no offense to lunatics, and the next boat sees us and comes right over.  Great guys, they they take Aaron to get the boat.  They tell him they are fishing a tourney and their day has not been the best.  They get out and gone then a low engine oil alarm and they can not move.  With none on the boat they have to wait until someone comes and drops some off.  Then for some reason the large burn bar over the console just snaps off and hits one of the guys in the head.  And I don’t think they caught much.  So in our case no harm, no foul.  But we were violating one of my rules, anchor and Power Pole.  That could have been ugly.

The fish were basically right on the drops.  Wade a little to deep and you were in them, to shallow and no bites.  While I said no tide above, the water was moving hard with the wind and the fish were on the windy side drops, which of course made fishing technically sound a hassle.  Basically any little gut with some water had a fish in it.  While I was pulling my lure Aaron was almost fishing his plastics like a worm, slow with small twitches.  But no matter what we did we just did not hit the mother load, and we waded tons of water.  Finally about 2 the water was starting to really color up and we joined the steady stream of boats calling it a day.

The numbers were good, but the bigger trout eluded us.  It has been a while since I had one of those catch a ton of shorts days, and considering the numbers we should have had a few more good ones.  There is just no telling when it comes to fish.  One of the group of reds Aaron was on got busted by a boat that roared by us way to close.  But it was a good day and I always have a great time fishing with Aaron.  All it did was wet my whistle to go back.

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And here is a funny little side note.  I am so used to bringing the boat, and am so happy when someone takes me.  When you have been “in charge” of the boat most of the last 40 years I appreciate not having to think about it.  But guess what?  You can’t take the boat out of me.  On the couple of hours drive home I figure I checked the rear view mirror every half hour or so to be sure the boat was fine, except I did not have it on the back.  Old habits die hard.

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And Billy chimed in on the Laguna.

“chuckling”, for the most part, I’m just giving you a hard time with the grammar/spelling Nazi thing.
So, how did the knew trolling motor handle/work?
I will be shocked if the water conditions in the upper laguna have changed at all due to the rain. From there all the way south to Brownsville, there are no rivers that empty into any of the bays, to bring murky, fresh water.

No problem on the grammer, “eye no eye ain’t the bestest” as far as grammer, or maybe just getting lazier in my old age.  The trolling motor worked fine, but it is a little loud so will use it some more and see if it quiets down, but other than that it pulls the boat just fine.  80 pounds of thrust is plenty for an 18′ boat.  And you are correct.  The water was a little murkier than past trips, but with a 25 mph wind right down the pike it would be impossible to tell what affect, if any, all that rain had.  And let me tell you there was tons of standing water all the way to Corpus.  But I will say one thing, I am ready to go back and fish it again, but during the week!

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On a totally different note I start on Medicare (OMG!) next month.  Being an attorney, not saying I am all that, but I do know how to read.  But my God who thought up all the Medicare alternatives and crazy rules?  I read all the crap and went to the SSI office to get clarification, then got an answer that is no where in the material.  And by the way, is being rude a requirement for working there?  Just wondered, user friendly they are not.  No wonder folks get so confused.  There is absolutely no reason for it to be this complicated.  The only good thing, at least I will get some for all the $$$$ I paid in over my lifetime.  Those younger, you are about to be screwed.  Do not get me started on the government, I might rant for hours!

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The Boss has been out of town a few days doing girlie things so I will slip out to the lake for a few hours in the morning before she gets back.  Don’t tell her, but I miss her.  Then looking at the weather it could be off to POC.  The full moon is on the way and I have always  wanted to do some night wading with topwater, maybe the wind will cooperate.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines