FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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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!  

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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!**

First, I am going fishing first thing Thursday morning raining or not.  I have spent about as much time in the house as I can stand.  I am really interested to see what changes all this rain has made to the fishing.  One thing I am pretty sure of is that the upper ends will be muddy so I will have to change my game plan no matter what.  It will be one of those days where I have no preconceived notions as to what I might find so it will take an open mind tomorrow.  Plus want to put the new trolling motor through it’s paces and be sure all is good with that.

The rain has finally slacked off some this afternoon.  Our area has had from 5″ to over 10″ of rain, we have had 6″ plus, but it will be slowly moving out of here with the low tomorrow afternoon.  So we sure needed it but hope the damages are to a minimum.

Weather

89/75  Scattered thunderstorms in the morning then cloudy.  40% chance  Wind SE 10 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today  (Wednesday evening.)  95.64msl    Last Friday   94.98 msl  (It is charging up.)  This morning as I get ready to hit the lake  95.75 msl.   Home at 1:30 now  95.79 msl.  Friday morning as I finish this:  95.84 msl.

Solunar Times

Best  6:13 am to 8:13 am.   (Only relevant time.)

*********************Get inhaled!  

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

When I got up at 5:30 it was lightly drizzling.  I checked the radar and the lake level and off I went.  Before we talk about the fishing lets get the lake condition report out of the way, and in a form that won’t be disjointed.

The water temp was 83 at the ramp, down about 4 degrees or so from before it rained.  Way up either arm the temp was in the low 80’s, and 80 in one place.  The water color is clear down lake except a place or two that had runoff, even that was not muddy.  What surprised me in both arms, there is no distinct mud line full of trash that I expected from this much rain.  Now it is possible that it is still coming but it was a gradual coloring up, but not muddy where I have been fishing.  Which is around the plant in that arm, and past the big bend in the other arm.   And looking at the bank the water is clearly on the way up, and should continue to do so.  So if you are thinking of fishing have at it.

I started pitching at the color change and this was the first one, which turned out to be the best for the morning.

It was not raining when I started, which did not last long as it rained the rest of the morning.  Starting where I have been fishing I really did alternate between pitching the plastic, swim jig, and buzzbait.  Today I did that in all kinds of different places specifically to see if there was any major change, and basically there isn’t.  The fish have been in the shallow cover, and there was no change.  Again pitching was still the ticket and 5 or 6 made it over the side before I moved on.

This is the buzzbait size, and other than getting broke off, none have been any better than this.  The first one was in 2″s of water on one of those bushes with lots of cover.

I left them biting where I have been fishing to head all the way down and then up to the plant area.  Like the creek arm, the color change is gradual.  The only thing that was different in the plant arm is I did not have a bite in 3 places, one where I have been catching the better ones.  From there it was the long channel bank and several took a swipe at the buzzbait, 2 made the boat, and a big one (maybe?) broke my line.  That is what I get for not re-trying.  It should be a mandatory practice every time you hit the water, but I digress.

On the way I stopped at a main lake point in sight of the ramp, it has stumps, and boated a couple on buzzbait, but they were really small.  I also hit a main lake bank with pretty good water on it with swim jig, nothing.  And before I continued on to the plant I made one pass in a big clear cove with buzzbait, not a bite.

The fishing today was ok.  It was not the 20+ fish mornings I have been having, around 10 today, but that had a lot to do with trying new places and moving even when they were biting.  But the goal, figure out what the rain might have done to the fishing was accomplished.  The answer: Nothing much.  Fishing was just like it has been and with the water still coming up I expect it to maybe even get a little better as more cover floods.

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I can always count on Billy to respond to my musings.

You will never be a true TEXAN. Sorry, that’s just how it is.
Cheaters…….SUCK!!!
Someone posted a picture of a boat in Port A. At first glance, everything seems normal. Looks like it’s sitting in the bay. Wrong, it was in a yard.
It’s “accept” responsibility. Yes, I’m a grammar/spelling nerd…….lol.

I figured that on being a Texan.  And cheaters do suck and more should be done when found.  One thing I learned from years of practicing criminal law, once a cheater, always a cheater.  And yep, Port A had another round but looks like we are out of the rain pattern.  Tough on them but we sure needed it.  And the “accept” thing, I know, I just get lazy on the editing.  I decided a long time ago since I do not do this for money that those kinds of mistake, while I am sure to some readers are quite distracting, it is what it is.  Plus I am usually tired and just want to get it done.  As usual thanks for your input, I always enjoy it.

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GO HOGS!

The Hogs are one win away from the championship round at the College World Series.  They have Florida tonight, and then tomorrow should Florida win.  So here we go, win 1 out of 2 and we are in.  Yahoo!

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I really was surprised that there was not more of a mud line with the accompanying trash.  My theory?  It was so freakin’ dry around here that much of it soaked in which kept the rise to a dull roar.  I hope this is right and the fishing just gets better.  So my advice – Go fishing!

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As soon as I post this I will pack and do a few things and head down to Corpus to meet Aaron for a little Upper Laguna fishing.  He has been whacking them so it will interesting to see if that continues.  They got more rain in that area so we shall see what effect it might have had.  But no matter what a trip there always includes a stop at Roy’s, one of my favorite tackle stores I have ever been in.  I promise not to buy anything, NOT.  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!**

Here I sit, completely bored, boat ready to go fish a rainy day, and it is just not going to happen.  It is really pouring, and I mean buckets.  In fact, I have been up the last 3 mornings at 5:00 in an attempt to go, but it has been back to bed.  We were 11″ down but that is rapidly being replaced, but flooding will soon be a real issue from Brownsville to North of Houston.  Some areas have had 5 – 10 inches in the last day, with one area south of Corpus that got 6 inches in a little over an hour.  Our house is on a high point in our neighborhood and we have lots of standing water in the front yard, which is a sign it is getting pretty wet.

Lake Level

5 days ago  94.98 msl    Today  95.43 msl    (That is a half a foot since it started, and the really heavy rain is here with more coming over the next couple of days so the rise may be epic.  I just checked it 2 hours after I initially started working on this post and it is now 95.58 msl.  It is on the rise bigtime.)

It looks like our drought may be over, but it is a tough way to get there.  The last year we have experienced some of the most extreme weather I have seen in the 10 years we have been here.  Just think, Harvey, then snow, and now major flooding in the last year alone.  But one thing you can say about Texans, they just keep on rolling.  So with 2 more days of steady rain to go only time will tell what the end result will be.  No matter what it will be a big change to both fresh and salt.

*********************Get inhaled!  

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On the fishing front, TPWD has come out with new regs that I assume  (I am not sure.) will become law when the book comes out, but if you fish any of these lakes, and there are a bunch, you might want to check the list.  The regs change some slot lakes to the statewide limits, and one in particular in our area, Fayette and a couple of others, will change from a 14″ to 24″ slot to a 16″ to 24″.  So whenever it goes in affect you can keep them up to 16″.  That is a good change that will only help.

One thing “bass fisherman” are guilty of is NOT taking a few to eat.  As long as folks primarily practice catch and release the resource can take it.  There is no doubt that catch and release over the last couple of decades definitely made today’s bass fishing what it is, and that is thanks to bass fishermen.  (This is from a guy who before real length limits won a bass tournament with a 10 fish limit that weighed 9lbs.)  But the time to release everything caught has passed.  The fishing is as good as it has ever been, keeping a few bass for the plate is good for the resource.  Remember that our lakes, no matter the make up, can support so many pounds of fish per acre, so taking the small ones only helps.  Now I have to admit I have been willing to criticize TPWD when I feel they are wrong on an issue, but at some point we have to trust the biologists recommendations.  If they think we can keep a few more we need to trust their judgment, if it turns out to be wrong it won’t take long to figure it out.

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And speaking of Texans I have a question.  How long before a transplant can one call themselves a Texan, if they ever can?  My daughter was born in Arkansas after I moved there.  Now according to her she is an Arkansawyer (Actually correct.) and I could never be since I was not born there.  What in ingrate!  Should have taken her to some other place to be born, like Mississipi.  (Just kidding about Mississipi, but not the ingrate.)  Just wondering.

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A cheater, or a poor excuse for a fisherman, was caught cheating  (How many times has he done this?  And if he has any past wins they should be taken off the books.)  in a kayak tournament, it is the reason no matter how much fun fishing tournaments can be I have fished very few in the past years.  Any tournament that relies on the honesty of tournament anglers with no checks in the system is suspect.  And that is sad.  About the only way a tournament can be as reliable as possible is team tournaments with a draw or mandatory polygraphs.  With partner tourneys each team has 1 boater and 1 no boater.  I know it won’t work with kayak tourneys but is easily applicable to other tournaments.  Then they draw another team and the no boaters fishes with the other boater as a safeguard.  My only comment is it should not only have big penalties for cheating, including fines and jail time, it is theft, but a lifetime fishing and hunting ban.  It may not deter all cheating but it will remove some of the slime balls from the sport.

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One thing I really enjoy about soccer, the devastating injuries.  These guys take flopping to new heights.  A guy is bumped and he falls to the ground, flops like a bass on the deck, moans and groans, and then looks out of the corner of his eye to see if he will get the call.  These guys make basketball players look like tough guys.  I am not sure yet of what the contact rules are and why some is a foul and some isn’t.  (Oh No.  While I am actually typing there is a guy suffering  horribly and rolling around, but wait, like magic he is headed down the field at full speed.  A miracle!)  But I am thankful that after they suffer such a serious injury they are able to hop up when they don’t get the call and run on downfield.  Brave competitors.  (Can you tell I am bored yet?)

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And since I am rambling on some unrelated issues, let me comment on a couple of commercials on the radio that drive me nuts.  They are both from companies that will help you make a settlement for less than you owe on both taxes and credit cards.  Now before some of you go all cranky on me I know stuff happens.  Life does throw some people curves resulting in money issues, it happened to us in the past.  My problem is that you had the $$$ when you did not pay your taxes, and you enjoyed the use of your credit cards to buy lots of stuff that you could not pay for, and now you don’t want to pay it all back?  Sometimes it is just necessary to except responsibility, realize you messed up, and it is your duty to pay it back no matter how hard it is, or how long it takes.  By shirking your duties you make the rest of us pay for your irresponsibility.   Sorry, but sometimes I just do not get “it”.

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I have just seen the video posted on facebook of Port Aransas where it is really starting to flood, and the rain keeps on coming.  Those folks have had enough, many places are already not re-opening, and some are still repairing or have just opened.  If anyone needed a break it is those folks.  Looking at the forecast the end is not quite in sight.  All I can say is give those poor folks a break.

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So that is it for today.  I am going in the morning and I could give a heck whether it is raining or not.  I can only imagine what the lake will look like and I will head up both arms and give you a fresh report.  It obviously will be really muddy, it will just depend on far down each arm it is, and what the water temp is.  Then Friday it is off to Corpus to meet Aaron as we head to Bird Island Saturday to lay the smack down on the trout he has been whipping on.  As far as fishing goes the coming days will be interesting.  This is a lot of rain and there will be changes, it waits to be seen what they are.  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!**

There’s a storm a comin’!

While watching the weather at 10:30  Thursday night it dawned on me, if he is right, that tomorrow might be the last fishable day for the next 4 or 5.  So with not a bit of thought or preparation I was up and gone to the lake before daylight.

Weather

92/75  Partly cloudy with stay thunderstorms.  20% chance.  Wind SE 15 – 25.

Lake Levels

Today  94.98 msl   Yesterday 95.01  (The steady decline continues.)

Solunar Times

Good  6:41 am to 8:51 am  (Definitely biting during this period.)   Best  12:57 pm to 2:57 pm.

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Get inhaled!  

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The lake continues it’s downward spiral.  There is color at both upper ends, otherwise it is fairly clear.  The water temp was 85 in the morning and moving to 90 when I quit at 1:00.  The wind was just starting to come up, and I got rained on twice.  What finally drove me off was a big black cloud coming and it was raining pretty good.  Of course by time I got home it had quit in town.  Man we need it to rain, then rain some more.

I know it may be getting boring but the fishing was consistent again today, a few on swim jig, a couple on buzzbait, and 20+ pitching the watermelon red plastic.  It has boiled down to pitching any wood, using the swim jig on straight stretches, and throwing the buzzbait when ever the mood strikes me.

The best on a buzzbait today.  Came out of a patch of shade in a foot of water.

The best wood continues to be that with branches or tangles.  Not that there is not the occasional fish on a stump, but if there is a tangle you can usually get a bite with a good cast.  Even some of that in a foot of water has a fish on it.  And anything that “looks good” deserves at least a couple of casts, and I caught 4 or 5 after the first cast on several pieces of structure today.

This is the kind that has been biting this week.

And be prepared for the swim off.  Some knock it pretty good, but just as many start swimming with it.  It definitely is not a good time to get in a feeling contest with them, you will usually lose, plus they have it anyway.  I missed at least a half a dozen today by not just setting the hook the minute I felt anything, kind of like a defensive back taking a peak into the backfield, you will get burned.  And one thing I learned from Aaron, try to give it as many shakes as you can close to cover, very few of them hit more than a hop or two outside the cover.  And be sure to have your plastic straight and as streamlined as possible so you can work it over the wood.  If you hook point is not buried you will be getting hung up with a good pitch.  Better to be hung on a fish.

I have been using 20lb. Big Game.  It is fairly tough stiff and does not fray or nick like fluorocarbon, and I break less fish off with it. And then there is no need to use the same leader with braid.  Plus it is a cheap option that allows for continued line changes.  In fact today I brought a couple to the boat with the stick they were wrapped around.  And as far as feel, when you are only pitching it 10 feet or less from the boat you should be able to discern a bite and the fish sure do not care.  And I am not using some heavy rod, just a MH 6 1/2 foot, it is all in the pitch.

It has been a good week when you throw in the last 7 days, lots of trout and bass.  When the fishing is this good it is hard to decided what is next.  The big question – What will happen on the lake if we get the amount of rain we are supposed to?  Over the decades I have seen the fish respond several ways on a lake, they seem to either come up with the raise, or hold right where they were when it came up.  Additionally if we get a gully washer then the bay will also feel the effects, or it may turn out to be a whole lot of nothing.

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 Mike, who I believe is with tacklejak, sent along this comment.

This is epic! Being a fishing info fanatic, I can relate. I’m going to save this and send to a few of my friends.

Thanks, not sure it deserves all that but I appreciate you sharing my blog with your buddies.  I don’t advertise or promote like is should but actually that is what I am most proud of.  The blog started with a few folks and has spread slowly but surely, much of it after being shared with friends.  And since this comment was on a How To article it is the best compliment.  Sharing information makes us all better fishermen.  Thanks for commenting.

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I love my boat.  It may not be the best crossing the bay in 25mph winds, but it is a great bass boat, bay boat, and an easy tow.  Today I put on a new trolling motor and I am continually amazed at the absolutely shitty way this boat was rigged.  Seriously, some of it was stupid, ie: a splice in the bilge, the console was not nailed down, the wrong breaker on the trolling motor, and the list went on and on. (Note: They did fix most of it.)  So beware if you buy a boat from Katy Bass Pro.  So when I go to put on the trolling motor I have to remove the rod tubes, bad design, and then find only 3 of 6 bolts had a nut and washer on them.  Now do not get me wrong, mounting the trolling motor was the biggest hassle I have had ever, which is saying a lot as I could fill a boat with old motors.  So I have it mounted properly and can not wait to give it a go.  The old one would just start running, never a good thing.

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KVD is the best bass fisherman who ever lived.  $6.5 million in earnings, 4 Bassmaster Championships, 25 tour wins, over 100 tour top 10’s, and now the 2018 Major League  championship, for a 3rd time.  What stands out to me most is how he can do what needs to be done.  Is it a catch as many as you can?  Ok.  Or is it a 5 fish biggest limit?  Ok.  And all against the best in the world.  Every once in a while we see an athlete come along who is dominate, and in a sport as tough as professional bass fishing it may be a while before another “KVD” comes along.

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I confess to watching some of the World Cup.  Actually a couple of the games have been exciting.  What makes it stand out is those of us who watch sports have “home” teams.  In the World Cup the whole country gets behind one team, and folks go ape snot nuts.  At some point guess I will read the rules.

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And how about those Hogs beating the pants of Texas.  Sorry Longhorns.  They are loaded both offensively and pitching and they are playing well.  Go Hogs.

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This morning it is off to the store to buy more stuff, and I should get the trolling motor finished up today.  Now it will just be a matter of waiting for the rain that we have been promised.  They moved the big rain back a couple of days and so I will be watching closely and get out as soon as I can.  And this weekend it will be Rockport with Aaron for some trout, and if his pattern and place holds there is a smack down coming.  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!**

Thought I would slide in one more lake morning before the rain gets here.  According to the weather dude, he is not all that reliable, it is going to start raining soon and keep on raining on and off for days.  We can only hope.

Weather

94/74  Scattered rain and thunderstorms.  50% chance.  (It sprinkled)  Wind SE 10 – 20mph.

Lake Level

Today  95.01 msl   Tuesday  95.10 msl   (And the drop continues.)

Solunar Periods

Good  5:35 am to 7:35 am.  (Yep)   Best  11:19 am to 1:19 pm.  (Yep)

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

Get inhaled!  Dealing with grass, nothing beats the Controlled Descent fished weedless, it comes through like a champ.

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

As I headed up lake at daylight it was just about dead calm.  The water is clearly about to really get low, the drop was visible from just 2 days ago.  The temp was 87 at the ramp and was 91 on the main lake at 12:30 when there was thunder on both sides of me and I called it a morning.  First up was swim jig, and before I got done with the first bank 5 jumped on, and it would continue like that off and on all morning.

There are a few good ones out there if you keep after it.  Caught pitching to wood.  A big head slim body girl.

Basically from daylight until 10:30 or so I stayed with the swim jig and whenever a piece of cover, they are getting few and far between, presented itself I pitched the 5″ watermelon red stick worm with a 3/8th tungsten weight.  About half of them just started swimming with it, so if it moves, hit it!  Unlike Tuesday the fish were clearly up and active everywhere and there were very few periods where I was not catching fish, though like usual most were small.

Later in the morning I headed up the other arm and of all things ran into a reader.  He was just on a boat ride and asked if I was that guy.  Guilty as charged.  It is so nice to meet folks who read this blog.  At times I wonder if anyone is out there and it is nice to know you are.

Pitching was clearly the way to go today, Especially when the sun was out.

The first bank I fished up that arm was where the swim jig had been working and it was surprising to not get a bite.  So I re-fished it with a buzzbait and caught one and missed another.  The wind was finally up a little, not near what the forecast said, so I stuck with the buzzbait for a while.  I caught 5 or 6 on it, but still can not get that bite from a big girl.  You would think I would give it up, but until they stop hitting it I will not stop throwing it.  Especially on one of the cloudy rainy days coming.  But again, see the one on the left, whenever I got to a good piece of cover I would pitch.  And cover with good deep water nearby is clearly better than the shallow stuff.  The way the lake is falling they are not having that type of places right now.  And of course points, always points this time of year.

Basically the little deeper cover was the best, and while most were small, and I caught a bunch, it was good fishing.  It was an easy 20+ this morning.  Taking into account the current falling water and high temps the fishing was pretty good.  Some of that may have to do with the coming front.  The deer and hogs were out, I saw several gators and even a racoon on the shoreline eating something that was fairly crunchy from the sounds of it.

Also they were jerking crappie all over the lake and I actually saw several folks actually catching them.  And from what I am seeing the crappie are biting all over the lake, just pick a place.  And one string I know of was caught out of 20′ so they are out there.  And for you hard core bass fishermen the big long points on the lower end of the lake should be hot right now if you like to fish deep.  So in spite of the weather and conditions fishing on the lake is not to bad.  To bad it is so freakin’ hot.

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Tommie V, after sending me the pic when he and his girlfriend won the Coleto Bassmaster Tournament, sent me this very cool picture.

Broke the sheldon lake record using my flyrod.  I was catching crappie using a bass popper when I noticed a big swirl.  I maneuvered the boat in order to make a perfect cast….well she liked the presentation….I think I’m still shaking.

It was caught 4/11/18.  24″  9.23 lbs.

All I can say about that is wow!  That is a hoss!  Where preparation and opportunity intersect and you got the job done.  Nothing like that memory, way to go.  Thanks for sharing and as this is an open forum for anyone to send me stuff, feel free to keep it up.  And it looks like you have had a pretty good spring.

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I have been slowly updating some things on the flats boat, and the trolling motor is next.  Over the decades I have settled on Minnkota but they do have 2 flaws, one is the way the head is mounted on the shaft.  Basically it gets shook loose and I do not understand why they do not have a better way.  And when you get the variable speed if you leave the handle extended it slowly shakes and then turns on.  I have had mine fixed twice by 2 different places and it is still shaking loose and starts running as I drive, so time for a change.  I must admit since it has been on the boat for 8 years and lived a hard life there really is not much to complain about.   Just break out another grand!  I have the new one but it looks like unlike past boats this is a mounting nightmare.  It is always something.

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I heard from my buddy Aaron and he has been smoking the trout somewhere near Rockport.  If you remember I posted that giant he caught a month ago, and he is still on a roll.  Give that boy some water and a rod and he is the best fisherman I know by a good bit.  So he has them found and it looks like next weekend he is going to take me to the promise land.  In an interesting aside, he reports that he is adding fish bites to his plastics and they are slamming it.  Fishing with him both fresh and salt he is always looking for that little extra, and when he finds it, and he usually does, it is game on.  Can’t wait!

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This has been an interesting stretch when you consider all the different fish and places I have been after the last 6 weeks.  Now with a trip with Aaron next week, and maybe a trip to Falcon if the weather will cooperate, it is a good run and I hope it continues.  And I hope to fish with Michael from Controlled Descent in the near future.  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!**

Today’s Tip

I constantly harp here on keeping a close watch on your trailer.  Todd’s flat tire just reinforced this.  Make sure you check your spare occasionally, if it is under inflated you may not make it another 10 miles, and make sure you have a good 4 way and extra tools.  Having had a fender ripped off myself a few tools in the trunk beats sitting beside the road trying to figure out what the heck to do some Sunday morning at 5:00 am.

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My usual beginning of the week, today does not count as it was a get my stuff together day, will be fishing Coleto.  With a good dose of trout fishing this weekend I am interested to see if the fish have completely abandoned the shallows yet.  So I will be on the water at daylight, just have to see how long I can take it.  And it will definitely be a Mako day because when the wind is blowing the skiff gets blown all over the place, definitely not conducive to pitching.  Just have to see how it goes.

Weather

96/74  Partly Cloudy.  Wind SSE 15 – 25 mph.  10% chance rain.  (The wind is projected to blow for at least a  week, even to 30 mph in a couple of days.  We need rain.)

Lake Level

Today  95.10 msl   8 days ago  95.35  (The drop continues.)

Solunar Times

9:44 am to 11:44 am.  (Should be awesome other than super hot, high winds, falling lake level.)  

********************Get inhaled!  If you fish Port Mansfield do not go without a couple of packages.  Fishing it weedless it handles floating and shallow grass like a champ. 

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Some days you do – and today I didn’t!

After catching a big bass last trip I was up and raring to go.  I got out at daylight, there was a light breeze, a few clouds and the water temp was in the mid 80’s over the whole lake, and I fished both ends.  It is definitely on the way down, but still not as low as 3 or 4 years ago, but it might not be long.  First up was a shallow bank, one of the few with some vegetation on it, and 3 jumped on the bluegill color swim jig with a craw trailer.  They were smacking it, but just did not make the grade.  Next was a deeper bank and another ate the swim jig, but again small.  So being about 8:00 it was time to turn around and run to the other end.

I finally took some pictures when it was apparent they might not get any bigger.  And they didn’t, but the swim jig fish were a little bigger than the buzzbait fish.

Once I got up there the water was fairly clear and the wind was blowing so it was time to fish the buzzbait.  Unfortunately while they were hitting it, they were nothing to talk about.  I finally got smart and put it down, sometimes I just can not help myself.  At this point with the wind it was tough to pitch.  In fact out of one brushy spot I could not get a bite in the wood because I could not make a good pitch, so I picked up the buzzbait and caught one first cast.  So with them running small I went back to the swim jig.

They were willing and I kept waiting for the big bite which never came.

In one spot I caught 1 and missed several, then I broke my line on what would have been the best fish of the day.  There is such a give and take when using 10 – 12lb line.  After setting the hook thousands of times in my life there are times when I set the hook before I “know” it.  Pure muscle memory, and definitely to hard apparently.   Then it was down lake and trying a little crankbait, but no results. By noon they were not having it.  I ended up catching 9, the 4 above were all they amounted to, most on the swim jig.  But I did see several pigs, lots of deer, birds, and a couple of big gators, which makes every day on the water worth living.

So being hot and blowing I headed to the ramp.  There was one at the ramp when I left, and 2 when I took out.  And the few other boats I saw were crappie fishing, which is still the best choice on Coleto.  But hey, it is summer and there is always tomorrow.

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I got this interesting question from Bruce and I had to think about it for a minute.

If I put in at 1289 and go toward the big part of powderhorn do you have any advice on good spots.

First I have never put in by the bridge, for me the Indianola Marina is it, and I am not sure you can launch there unless you are talking a kayak or maybe a Ghenno, or know something I don’t.  Which is highly possible.  Since they redid the bridge not sure there is anywhere to launch, I never have looked.  But generally when you head from the bridge down the channel out to the main bay it is really shallow depending on the tide until in the open bay, you have to be really careful.  A perfect example of why: my $3,500 repair bill after hitting a pipe.

But that being said the back end usually has some good reds in it and I have caught lots on spinnerbait back there.  The left bank coming out seems to usually hold them, and though shallow you can follow that bank almost all the way to the boat lane near the marina.  And as the bay opens there is a small pocket/cove, which I believe they called Mail Box on the opposite side, it is really shallow, really muddy, stick to the left idling in or use the trolling motor.  Both sides going in and out have reds, you just have to stay off the bank, again depending on the tide.  Generally the trout are harder to find in the Powderhorn, but I generally do better in the front end on the east side after the old point sticking out.  And at the end of the pipes lining the boat lane coming from the marina there is an oyster bar you can see on the map and that place has produced trout for me.

It really is not the easiest place to fish but it can have it’s moments.  No matter what take it easy as you learn it.  It is not that big and caution will go a long way.  I am not trying to scare you, just a word to the wise.  It can be a fun place to fish and rarely has traffic that is an issue.  I would suggest you get the hard map, and do a little study, and if you have any other questions let me know or know something I don’t drop me a line.  Good luck and let us know how it goes.  And thanks for reading.

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And I got this good report and a question from Tommy.

Hey redfishlaw, I really enjoy all your coleto creek reports…..I fishes the coleto bassmasters tournament with my girlfriend as my partner….we took 1st place in some terrible weather….at times I would like to post pics to the blog, how do I go about doing that?

Email on the way.  Listen folks, anytime you want to share anything drop me a comment and I will forward my email address to you.  We don’t care if it is one trout that squeaks 15″ or a 10lb bass.  And when we can get a little more participation from “girls” instead of old smelly guys that is a plus.  (Except for my buddy Faye!  fishcatchingtravel’s resident best girl.)  So send them along.

And listen the rest of you, you do not have to be Hemingway to send a report, we love them just the way we get them.  This is not an exercise in the proper written word, this is a place for fishing stories in our own words.  So thanks Tommy and I will be looking forward to your pictures and reports anytime you want.  And one thing if you do not know, I have one rule with reports.  If you do not want me to “tell” where, etc. let me know, your choice.

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And before I got this posted here is his picture.

Had around 35 fish,  weight was only 13.22lbs….for the win of 40 teams….winds reached 30+mph multiple times and hailed on us twice….at one point the weather was bad enough to beach the boat and take cover in some thick woods….I was not going to try to run into the hail and chance it….

Tommy Vinas and Melissa Duncan

Congrats to you and your girlfriend on a real grinder of a day.  Coleto has been fishing like this off and on, more off, quite often this spring.  (See today.)  The big fish are still there but come few and far between.  And as far as I am concerned hiding in the trees when it is hailing sounds good to me, running in it is not all it is cracked up to be.  Been there, done that.  So thanks for the picture, anytime you want to chime in feel free.  And if you get the urge to write something, on a technique, method, pattern, whatever, give it a go.  I try to make this a place where we can share and all learn something.

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Doing a little reflecting on the Port Mansfield report one thing that I found interesting was the size of the trout.  They were really pretty living in that grass, definitely different than other areas I have fished.  But I was somewhat confused as to the body size.  We had plenty that were in the 16′ range with a few bigger but they definitely did not have the bulk and body size of the ones in the POC area.  Lots of real skinny trout.  That could have been what and where we fished, but the difference was notable.

Now on the area itself it was easy to see why it is a trout factory.  Acres and acres of grass with some pretty good depth in places makes it what it is.  And not blowing smoke here, using the Controlled Descent Lures weedless made it so much easier to fish. I never did figure out, and the trout refused to tell me, what color was best, or whether they preferred the Paddle Shad or the Jerk Shad.  Additionally finding the right swim bait hook (1/16th) and adding a rattle kept the bait above the bottom grass and below the surface grass.  And if you remember my last day at POC they wanted it ripped/pulled right along, and that worked.  I fished beside David and we alternated retrieves from straight steady, slow jerk, fast jerks, hopping and dropping, but were never able to find “the” retrieve.  Guess I will have to go back and see if I can remedy that.  It was a cool place to fish.

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One thing that is irritating me right now is stupid, or tone deaf, best I can tell.  Here we are, possibly in a drought and the state will be hearing a petition from GBRA to sell more water upstream from Victoria.  Any day now we will be in rationing and they want to sell upstream water for oil and gas.  Hey, I love oil, it keeps my motor from blowing up, and I love gas, but selling more water out of the Guadalupe is nuts.  Just my .02 worth.

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I just spent the last hour checking on the weather in lots of places from POC to Zapata to Texoma to Del Rio, and all are about the same, some real big wind coming any day next week and according to the weather dude it is going to pour down rain here.  Man we need it.   I kind of have another travel itch, but looking at it I am not feeling inspired.  So I will sit back and see if anything changes.  The wind will not stop me from fishing, but it will play a role in where.  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!**

Port Mansfield

I always enjoy fishing with whatever variation of the Austin Boys show up for a fishing extravaganza and this time was no exception.  Ro, his son Michael, John and other John, Todd, David, Pete and I made up this bunch and it was some weekend in all respects.  I spent the weekend with Ro, Michael, and David, the other 4 were in Todd’s boat.  But the tail of 2 boats includes the caveat – “So you want to own a boat?”   More on that was we go along.

What is not to like about this?  Curtesy of Todd.

We met Thursday afternoon, unloaded the stuff, and boy was there stuff, and we were in the water by 6:00 for a couple of hours.  The wind was blowing almost 20mph and it never did slow down the whole weekend.  The water temp was around 87 degrees and there was tons of floating grass, which really was a problem most of the weekend.

To bad the grass was so thick.

If memory serves me I think it was maybe a total  3 or 4 keepers wading the grass flats off East Cut for both boats.  Most of us caught at least a fish or two and  my mastery of the short began and continued most of the weekend.  But not a bad start.  But the floating grass was everywhere thanks to the wind and never let up.  And though I caught my one and only on a topwater that evening, I did not throw it much the rest of the weekend.  So here was my first take away dealing with the grass, the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad, in any color, caught as many fish as anyone all weekend because I could make it almost completely weedless.  I used it with a rattle and a 1/16 ounce weighted swim bait hook, tipping the hook lightly in the body sure made fishing easier.

What a way to end the day.

********************Get inhaled!  If you fish Port Mansfield do not go without a couple of packages.  Fishing it weedless it handles floating and shallow grass like a champ. 

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The next morning we were gone at daylight.  We went north to an area known as some “hump”, I have already forgot most of the names of where we fished, so bear with me.  We stopped on the west side of the bay first thing, you had to fish that side first thing because by 9:00 the wind was pounding on it and it was chocolate.  On the first wade I lost a really big fish on the Controlled Descent, obviously a great red.

Michael with a nice 19″

So we pulled up and headed further up the bay when a disaster struck.  Ever had something happen before your eyes and there was nothing you could do about it?  Apparently the trolling motor did not get locked in place, it is one of those digital remote controlled jobs, when it rose up as we were running along in 5 foot of murky water and deployed.  And in slow motion, really the blink of an eye, it ripped right off the front of the boat.  The motor hit it on the way by, and was gone.  Gone, Gone!  All I have to say about that, is boy that sucked!  But we soldiered on.  This was the beginning, but not the end, of the 2 boat tale.

We picked up Ro and the rest of his limit.  The man is one mad wader!

Next stop was a nice ditch next to an island where Ro has caught flounder in the past and we added a couple of keeper flounder wading.  By this time it was starting to color up pretty good so we decided to drift and it took us about an hour to find some, and boy did we.  The water was boob deep, (Would have been neck deep on me.) but Ro wanted to wade so he hopped in, and we continued to drift and everyone started catching them.  Before it was over we limited, and Ro probably caught 30 or more so it was a beat down.  Most of the fish were in 3 – 4ft of water, and from noon until 2:00 the bite was on and when we went to lunch we left them biting.  One comment on the trout in that area, they are a cool color thanks to living in all that grass.  But as far as size went they were long and lean, not sure why, but who notices when they are frying in the pan.

And kudos to his son Michael.  He was consistent all weekend and caught his share of good ones.  In fact he was the man.  We gave him just tons of grief as he starts A&M in the fall.  There are enough good A&M jokes to last a weekend, but it was all in good fun, and his results sure shut us up.  He is a good young man and I sure enjoyed fishing with him and his dad.  (You too David.)  I stuck with the Controlled Descent and caught fish most of the day, but lots of mine were small.  But when you break 4 off during the day it is obviously operator error, or bad line, so the next day I switched to a spinning rod and solved that problem.  So we ended the morning with a limit of 20 trout and 2 flounder.  And here comes the second part of this 2 boat tale.

A nice box full.

For some reason, it happens, the other boat was only able to boat 4 keepers.  Sometimes it just does not go your way and it was tough for them.  We met them for a late lunch and my boat folks took a nap.  So I went out with the other guys for a short evening wade near the East Cut.  We caught a few, John actually caught 9 shorts without moving, the rest of us a few, and other John lost a big black drum.   So we called it a day and headed back for our usual ridiculous evening feed.

I told him skip the A&M, just head straight to the guiding!  Not sure Dad was down with that advice.

Saturday there was tons of traffic, but it did not turn out to be that big a deal for a weekend, and we headed back up to the “spot”.  It was definitely tougher today as the wind was thumping right along and the water was coloring up fast.  Like yesterday the fish were near the color change, but both days they were basically in the really clear water, most in around 3 foot.  Though we struggled, I think we had 10 keepers that morning, and we caught lots of smalls. Ro put several in the boat on a chartreuse looking Skitter Walk slowly twitching it, I stuck with the Controlled Descent.  One we found interesting is there was no consistent way to retrieve, and the color preference varied constantly.  It was hard to develop a consistent pattern.  We only made one wade that day as we drifted looking for fish.  The other boat had a another tough morning, they only had a couple of keepers, so they headed in for an early lunch.  Unfortunately the 2 boat tale was about to add to their pain as they headed back.

As they idled away David and I both heard something in their engine, faint, but one of those noises you don’t ever want to hear.  They got a couple of miles from Port M when the lower unit started clanking and banging, and they could not go one rpm over idle.  Their day, and weekend, was done.  Whatever gave out was only in forward, but boy was it hurt.  So Todd backed his trailer in and I drove it to the ramp and loaded up.  A really tough break and another addition to the tale, but the tale was not complete.  So after a little lunch our bunch went out for one more run at it.  We headed south to Hole and Saucer and Michael continued to smack em’, and I continued to lose big fish.  Michael added a couple of keeper reds and a nice trout, giving us around 13 or so for the day, not bad as we called it a trip.

See, I actually caught a fish.  Like most for the weekend on the Paddle Shad.

Michael, Ro, and David took off for Austin that evening, to bad for them.  Todd is a great cook, and if you read this stuff you know he always does something spectacular in the kitchen.  In his younger days he worked in restaurants and he cooked us a recipe he learned from a place in Louisiana, Redfish Ponchartrain.  So without further ado, one of the highlights of the weekend as usual.

A filet, some great crab dressing, another filet, all topped with hollandaise.  To freakin’ die for!  We never go hungry.  Thanks Todd.

So what a weekend.  But wait, the 2 boats tale is not quite over.  Sunday morning we had some breakfast and I hit the road.  Todd, Pete and the 2 Johns finished packing up and headed home a little while later.  I was driving along when I got this text, adding insult to their injury.

Nothing like a blow out to add to the weekend after your lower unit gives up the ghost.

They were rolling along when they had a major blow out, which also shredded the fender while it was at it.  But they were able to quickly change the tire and get back on the road.  So for the weekend, one trolling motor, one lower unit, one boat out fished the other by a good bit,  then finished off with a blow out and fender shred.  So you want to own a boat huh?  All of us boat owners can sympathize, shit happens, it just sucks when it is you.

But none of that ruined the weekend.  Plenty of good eats and drinks, enough fish to keep everyone happy, nobody got hurt or arrested, and we did not have to call an ambulance.  The wind added to the confusion, but there was good water, it just took some time to find them.  The Port Mansfield area has huge flats with tons of grass with miles and miles of  places to hide.  Thanks to Ro having fished it a lot in the past we were able to grind it out.  I think our boat total was 34 keepers, which I will gladly take for 2 days.  And though the other boat struggled, these trips are not all about the catching.

The house was great, a 1 minute ride to the bay.  And there is a lot to be said for boat lifts,  a cleaning table and hoses everywhere you need one.   We set on the upper deck and watched the parade of high dollar boats, and being across from a marina we were entertained watching Game and Fish checking boats and fishermen.  (I did note he spent a little more time on one boat, I am sure the hot chicks in bikinis had nothing to do with that.)  The place also had a green light, and though I did not fish it any John caught some smalls the last night.  As far as comfort and convenience this place was perfect.

When things do not work out perfectly you only really have 2 choices, go nuts or keep on keeping on, and everyone did.  Nice to fish with folks who take it in stride, happenings like that can ruin it for everyone.  This is a great group to fish with and I appreciate being invited along.  It really is not all about the catching and I could not fish with a better bunch of guys.  So while it was a Tale of 2 Boats it really is nothing more than memories and we will all laugh about it in the days to come.

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I have to apologize for the pictures on the last post.  I have nothing but trouble with pictures from I phones, and have not quite figured it out yet.  Thank goodness I was at Jeffish’s house and he asked what was up.  So if you have not seen them scroll down and they should be there.  Funny I could see them on my page.  Oh well, for someone doing this as long as I have you would think I might get it all figured out.  Not sure why it is so much trouble with some iPhone pictures.

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After I teased Metalhead Billy about his snacks he dropped this comment.

Well, I wouldn’t say Cheetos and apple juice are my favorite.
I mean, you’ve got Fritos and bean dip, peanut butter and dark Karo syrup, milk and Oreos/Graham crackers, and butter and sugar sandwiches.

Catch a good one in Mansfield. I’ve been there a handful of times. It’s a different environment. Sand/grass flats forever and a mile.

The rest of those snacks sound a little better than the Cheetos and apple juice.  And I ate butter and sugar sandwiches as a kid, or made cinnamon toast in the oven by adding the cinnamon.  I hoped to catch a good one, but that is every day, but at least the numbers were there.  But Port Mansfield was one cool place, and I will definitely be back, hopefully with a little less wind.

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And I had not heard from Rick in a while.

I really enjoy your ramblings, and your reports. Good luck in Port Mansfield.

Thanks and it is always good to hear from you.

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That is not all, but it is all I can remember.  Thanks to Ro for his knowledge of the area, and to the rest of them for a great time.  This is the 3rd trip in the last 6 weeks and all of them have had their moments.  This weekend will be memorable for several reasons and I hope when repairs are made it is not to expensive.  What is next for me is up in the air as tomorrow will be a get my stuff together day.  There are a few things to get to on the blog and will do that as soon as I can.  And  I am looking forward to more trout fishing, this weekend whetted my appetite, and since I got the boat ready to go, and then did not need it, I am fairly organized in that department.  So keep stopping and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Brought to you by

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My buddy Jeffish makes every attempt to keep his son Korbin on the water.  Korbin, the future 2030 Bassmaster Champion, just got his own kayak and they have been hard at it.  And they threw a little limb lining in to the mix.

Styling!

The mighty sheephead.  And look at his face, priceless.

Hey.  That’s my boat!

Here kitty, kitty.

A nice 30lber, almost as big as Korbin

I really love it when dads take the time to introduce their children to fishing.  My dad worked his butt off to keep 5 kids fed, but he somehow made time to take me fishing even though he was not a fisherman.  So I guess I can blame dad for making me what I am today.  Thanks Dad!  So take your kids fishing, once they have a love of the outdoors it should stick with them the rest of their lives.

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Here are the TPWD stats for the holiday weekend.  Like I continue to preach, be careful out there.

8 water related fatalities.

19 boating accidents.

28 search and rescues.

108 arrests.

55 for Boating While Intoxicated.

It always puzzles me why on the holiday weekend, when the police and game wardens are all out in force, people act so stupid.  So next holiday weekend remember these statistics and plan accordingly.  It is up to all of us to not add to the confusion on the holiday weekends.  Like the old saying goes – “It is all fun and games until the cops come.”

********************Get inhaled!  Bill Clinton would not inhale it but redfish sure do!  (Just kidding.)

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I am constantly amazed at the number of assholes out there on the internet. Michael from Controlled Descent Lures posted a report and the only comment was from someone who felt the need to comment with the name of another lure company. Why? Does it make you a bigger fisherman? A bigger person?  Man I do not get it.

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It is always good to hear from Rusty, our Fayette and Bastrop guru.

Hey Doug!! Costa Rica was awesome!!! We were in the Nosara area and we caught sailfish, marlin, dorado and tuna. My wife was able to scratch off sailfish off her bucket list. Fayette lake has been very good last couple weeks. Early and late they have been hitting shad color anything!! Really nice sized fish. If you can take the heat, they are in 12-18’ on Black/ bluetail lizards, senkos or power worms. Stay safe and tight lines
Rusty

Forgot to mention that there were 3-4 large logs floating on the lake this morning. We were very lucky we didn’t hit one running in dark this morning!!

First congratulations on a great Costa Rica trip.  Looks like you caught the whole 9 yards.  Of all the places I have fished Costa Rica is by far the best bang for your buck.  And congrats to the wife.  Sounds like the fishing on Fayette is up to it’s usual snuff and worth the drive.  I just may try to give it a go when I get back from Port Mansfield.  As usual thanks for your report.

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As you all know I am a lure guy, just a preference not a snob thing about using live bait.  But live bait is in full swing on the Texas coast.  There are some really big strings of trout being caught right now on live bait.  And one thing I have noticed with the online posts is there seems to be lots of big fish being caught right now, and it seems the POC area is producing some of those bigger fish.  (At least in the 28″+ fish.)  I am no biologist but the 5 fish limit seems to be driving this, and though it was fought tooth and nail when initially proposed, it seems to be working.

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I wanted to share this picture from Billy.  Our resident Headbanger sent me a pic of a catfish he caught on topwater.

He rarely puts topwater down and he sent this to me after what has been my big catfish run this spring.  You just never know.  Keep in mind this is the guy who’s favorite snack is Cheetos and Apple Juice.  Interesting!

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When we were fishing Falcon last month there were white bass being caught by the truckload.  The bite is still on big time and from online reports it is still a no brainer.  I don’t eat them much but I sure like catching them.  When you can sit in one spot and catch 40 or 50 without moving that is good fishing.  Man I want to get back down there, to bad it is going to be 105 degrees.

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Time to Dredge

I do not know anyone who is a higher up mucky muck in CCA but it sure would be nice if they, or someone else, would find some funds to dredge the cut at Charlie’s.  It has been causing problems for quite a while and from what I hear, I have avoided the cut, it is basically impassable.  So if you know anyone or agency that would be good to approach to find an answer give them a shout.  It sure would be nice to have it safely open again.

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That above covers it for today.  Tomorrow it is off to Port Mansfield for 3 days of it.  Got all my shopping and packing done and am really starting to get excited.  Since I boated a big bass this week time to top that with a big trout.  The weather looks like it will cooperate, the highs will be in the low 90’s, but it looks like the wind will blow.  Oh well, can’t have everything no matter how much we try.  I am unsure if there is wi-fi at the house but if there is I will post a few updates.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

One More Thing:  Just perused the news this morning and found the article on the new Wyoming largemouth bass.  The state record had been around 7 1/2 and was broken in a small pond.  The new record is 11 1/2, which is a huge bass for the north country.  According to the article it would be the state record in 11 states.  That is a huge bass and if I were guessing, and I will, it will never be broken.