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I want to start off with a Merry Christmas to all of you out there. I hope you and your family have a great holiday and are looking forward to the new year. At the end of every year I look back, and it never ceases to amaze me. Having a real record lets me put things in perspective. It has been an interesting year for lots or reasons. A couple of great trips, some really big bass, and then a forced layoff, made it a different kind of year to say the least. Normally I fish Christmas day, but this year I am getting stuff organized for a trip to see the folks, and then the kids. We then finish out the year with a trip to Colorado for some snowmobiling and 4wheeling, along with a little fishing. So out with old and in with the new.
January
Killed them on the Bang O Lure this month.
My first Colorado Rainbow on the fly. Hope to repeat that this month.
And we did some dog sledding which as a blast.
February
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My Coast Ourdoors came on board with the Controlled Descent Lures.
The reds and trout cooperated on the bay.
And the lake continued hot.
And this my friends is a big one!
The lake was stupid good! No wonder I spent so much time there.
And there was a killing on the Neuces. It was a hell of a month!
March
POC remaind good and the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad smacked em’.
And a trip to Lake Travis was really good.
And the big fish on Coleto just kept on coming.
April
Coleto was seriously good all spring.
And the bay was hot.
It was hard to decide where to fish it was so consistent this month.
But Australia took the cake. What a trip!
My second blue marlin of the trip.
A Queenfish. A tarpon has nothing on this jumper!
The Boss won the crazy fish award. What a fight.
And several mackeral.
And I paid a visit to the holy grail of offshore fishing, the Cairns Big Game Fishing Club. This is why the little boy sat by the tv every weekend hoping to see some marlin fishing and dreaming about his turn. Where my dreams were made.
Half of Lee Marvin’s Grander mounted on the ceiling at the tackle store. Really the trip of a lifetime. That was a freakin’ fish!
MAY
I had a great 3 day trip to Amistad with lots of nice bass.
And of course some buzzbait fishing on Coleto.
They were eating the buzzbait. Never did figure out why this big one bled. The hook was in his jaw.
JUNE
Coleto kept spitting out the big ones.
No wonder I spent so much time bass fishing this year. Doing this gives me a real chance to see how it went, and as far as bass this spring it was good.
JULY
I had not been feeling well for a while, and then the dreaded news, surgery. Even better, on my birthday! It was ugly, but could have been so much worse. I am so thankful to the everyone who took care of me at Detar, and to the Boss who was there by my side the whole time. Thankfully things worked out so much better than I deserve, I know I skated by on that one. But the real problem, absolutely no boating for 6 weeks. So it was a rough month on me, the recovery not so much, the no boating was the worst of it all. But finally I was back in action in August.
AUGUST
I fished little this month as I recovered but did put a few in the boat.
And one of the best sunrises ever over Biloxi Bay.
SEPTEMBER
And the trip to Grand Isle LA was freakin’ redfish heaven.
The Controlled Descent Paddle Shad had it’s moments in a consistent month on the bay.
This one was a real one!
Of course I took some time out to catch a bass or two this month. It was a good month.
OCTOBER
The bass fishing slowed as the month went on but this one took a little of the sting out.
We had a great trip 4wheeling in New Mexico.
The Austin Boys came and we had a good trip. The bay fishing this month was consistent with a good topwater bite.
And it was great sunrises one after another this month.
NOVEMBER
Some good wading out of POC.
I have seen tons of gators but this guy was a real monster.
The Lavaca River and Garcitas Creek were like catching fish in a barrel.
And the Bang O Lure kept putting them in the boat.
DECEMBER
A hurricane and snow in the same year. It is true what they say about Texas weather.
We laid the smack down on some nice drum when the Austin Boys were here.
And this was the result of a twitch bait bite.
We finished a great trip off with a fish fry for 25.
Turn out the lights the party is over. So long to 2017.
So there you have it, what a grown boy did all year. It was different from years past for lots of reasons, and I look forward to a better year this year. I was fortunate enough to get to fish with some great new people, much less fish Amistad, Lake Travis, the Nueces, the Great Barrier Reef, Colorado, and Grand Isle Louisiana, along with my usual stomping grounds. The bass fishing this spring was so good, and the bay fishing rarely disappointed. Looking at it this way it was a heck of a year and I have no complaint.
2018 is looming and first up it will be some winter time trout fishing in Colorado. From there who knows. But I know there are a couple of things that are definitely happening. A 2 day offshore trip in Peru (Could we possibly add a 5th marlin to our life total?) and then time on the Amazon which should be right up there with some of the more interesting places we have been. Amistad and Falcon are definitely on the list this year, as is Baffin. (Not making it there this year is irritating.) And a striper trip to Lake Texoma will be awesome. While I did not fish the Gulf as much as usual, this year part of the plan is fishing on the bay with more new folks. Fishing with new folks keeps it fresh and I look forward to meeting more of you.
With everything that happened this year the blog at times was a chore. When I was down this summer it seemed like a good time to finally close this chapter in my life, but the new year has given me a renewed determination to keep it going. Your support has been appreciated. Every day we have a fishing rod in hand is a good day, and it is easy to lose sight of that. So this year I will try to balance the blog and the fishing, remember what this is all about. Spending time outdoors, meeting new folks, stretching some fishing stories, and even catching that occasional “big one.”
So a final thanks to those of you who have stayed with me. Faye, Joe, Jim, Aaron, Rusty, Rick, Billy, My Coast Outdoors, Coastal Fishing Gear, and all of the rest of you it would take a list a mile long to thank, you know who you are: Thanks! To everyone who sent a comment or a report, it makes this a much better blog so keep them coming. And finally to the Boss: You have made this possible, you never complain when I hitch the boat and head out, you let me be me and act like the spoiled brat that I am. I am forever grateful to the best wife a guy could have.
There is so much more to say but it is time to close the book on 2017. New water, new faces, and lots of new stories to tell, 2018 will be a new day. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
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The eagle encounter yesterday took the fun out of the day, and I never did recover. It was impossible to keep my mind on my business. Tomorrow will be another story. It is supposed to really warm up and be sunny, which might help the fishing. I decided to hit the lake because of the weather, and with the rest of the week looking rainy it will be some trout fishing.
Weather
77/59 Sunny with a 10% chance of rain. Wind WSW 5 – 10
Solunar Time
Best 11:31 am to 1:31 pm
Lake Level
97.04 msl (No change.)
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I took the skiff today so no water temp, but it has cleared maybe just a tiny bit. And I am so not on them. There have been some slow periods since starting to fish Coleto, but this fall takes the cake. Whatever the plan is the one I am following is just not working.
The plan was to head way up lake and see how it looked. It is obviously a little more off color, and colder. So starting with the swim jig made sense, and over the next 3 hours they bit, though not a one was worth a hoot.
Half smaller then #1, none bigger than #2.
About half were right on the bank in some form of cover, the other half came off the bank after a slow crank out, then a big hop, and they hit it on the fall. 7 fell for the crawdad color swim jig with a watermelon red trailer. One totally slack lined it, usually the bigger fish, and I just flat missed. I hate missing that kind of bite.
Occasionally I would toss the stick worm with a 1/4 ounce slip slinker Texas style at isolated wood. A small one ate it, and there was one miss, but other than that they were just not interested. So next it was time to try a crankbait. First problem, absolutely no wind, which is the kiss of death usually. Of course the opposite happened, I caught a small one on maybe my 3rd or 4th cast, and that definitely was the kiss of death as I did not have another bite fishing it on several types of banks. Both square bill and medium diver bumping bottom in 7 – 8 just did not produce.
Now it is about noon so down lake I go, and it went from tough to impossible. I fished main lake stuff down lake, coves, channels, etc and had exactly no bites. Not even a nibble. I even drug a football jig around and jerked a jerk bait some on a deeper bank, nothing. But no quitter here, so it was 3:30 before I called it a butt kicking with me on the losing end. Talk about tough, today was it. This is a continuation of a rough fall where I have just lost touch with them. I know it is time to keep changing places and techniques, but this is ridiculous. All on me though, there is a way to catch them.
And speaking of not catching them, today was big gator day. I saw the monster, he is easy to pattern, and in another cove the other big boy with a smaller one. What made it different is usually you can slide right up and get a good pic, but not today. Even knowing they would be, I had the good camera ready, but the minute they saw me it was that explosive entrance back in the water. They would not let me get anywhere near them today. Usually when they are laying in the sun like that in the afternoon they are feeling pretty lazy, not the case today. So no picture, but seeing them smash the water like that is cool.
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It is never to late to send along a comment or report, and it was good to hear from Aaron who has been a long time contributor.
Doug,
It’s been too long since I dropped you a line but your story about the eagle on Coleto really bummed me out. We see that pair of nesting eagles on Coleto from my parent’s house year round (my parents own the small floating dock on the far shoreline right there across the lake from the discharge… the only dock on that shoreline). They have a huge nest up in a tree way back on the hot water side of the discharge (other side of the dam). What a sad story.
I haven’t sent many fishing updates this year because I didn’t get out as much as usual. Some good days around POC over the summer and fall but nothing remarkable. Hunting out by Fredericksburg was really frustrating this fall. The good deer just disappeared at the beginning of October when the acorns started dropping and left me baffled for two straight months. Didn’t even get trail cam photos of the one I was after for over 60 days after regular appearances all summer. My luck finally changed the first weekend of December when he passed through at first light (pic attached). He’s a base 10 point with split brows and a 20” spread but he knocked off his G-3 on one side (and a good chunk of each main brow tine). His right side looks pretty funny without that G-3 so I have it getting repaired by the taxidermist.
On the ground!
As always, I enjoy the blog and hope you and the family have a great Christmas!
Aaron
It really is hard to describe how much it bummed me out. I stayed fishing waiting for the Wardens, but my heart was not in it. All I could think about was how he would not make the night. I will always feel bad about it, and if I had it to do all over again I would have followed him in the woods and kept an eye on him no matter how long it took. Live and learn.
And your fishing experience this year mirrors mine. With being sick this summer, and gone a lot, my fall was like that. A couple of great days and some so so. But like we all do we keep on throwing.
And congrats on the great deer. I am actually a fan of “different” looking deer, and a big fan of nontypicals. It has been a while since I chased them but I like eating them a lot more than shooting them, which kind of makes it hard! You seem to put a good one on the ground every year, it is all about going.
So thanks for the report and same to you and your family. I so appreciate your support. Merry Christmas!
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And speaking of Christmas day I want to say a little something about the Boss. Over the years she has graciously worked Christmas and other holidays so that her co-workers can spend time with their kids. She does that out of the goodness of her heart and I am the beneficiary in a round about way. This Christmas morning, like so many others in past decades, I will be heading to the water as folks are opening their presents. I love that day, not a soul around until the first folks start sneaking out, it is my present to me and I look forward to it every year.
Now my Christmas story, or, let me tell on myself. It was 6 or 7 years ago about 8:00 Christmas morning as I ran up lake. Not a soul in sight, freezing cold with barely a car on the road. So in my little pea brain that must mean I can go ahead and ignore the no wake buoy on the Coleto bridge and just run on through. Now if you know me I strive to keep the breaking of all boating and outdoor laws to an absolute minimum, like none, but that day the little devil on my shoulder took over.
As I ran on plane under the bridge I hear a Whoop Whoop, and low and behold there is a game warden, on Christmas morning, in uniform, hitting the siren as he crosses bridge. I slow to a crawl, wave, and head up lake. I worried about that all day, and it makes me nervous thinking about it now, why did I do that? I never do crap like that, and that encounter is the very reason. So be nice to folks this Christmas, don’t break any laws, and remember, they could be watching. Plus, respect the game and fish laws and the folks that enforce them. My bad!
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Not so sure what to do about all this no bass thing. Obviously whatever I have been doing is not the way to go. I am sure fishing smaller plastics on light line would probably boat more fish, so that will be next trip. Unfortunately I find that style of fishing boring, though if it is your thing have at it. There is something different going on this year, and apparently I have not adapted. But there is one fairly sure way to get out of a fishing slump, hit the Lavaca or Garcitas. And the potential benefit will be a fish fry, nothing like counting the fish before they are caught tomorrow. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
I was on my way to the lake by about 8:00. With the prime period midday and cool weather there was no hurry as I was expecting a late bite. The water level is still stable but the color still sucks. I have some thoughts on that which I will get to another day. The water temp was 60.5 at the ramp and the wind was light out of the north.
The first stop was the discharge just to see if they were running water, and they were, and to see what the temp was, 69.0, which was the highest anywhere. I gave plastics a quick go there with out success. I fished the channel side out and had 2 bites on Bang O Lure and landed a peanut. From there it was a big cove, and like basically everywhere I fished the water temp was low 60’s, cooler as you went back in them. Since I caught the small one I kept with the Bang O Lure and missed the only other bite on it.
All 5 today looked just like this.
I hit one more main lake bank on the way to the big cove on the right in the plant arm, where I did manage to catch one on a swim jig. As I started halfway back in the cove there was a bald eagle on down the bank that I figured was eating a fish. I thought about getting the camera out, it was raining, but figured he would fly away. As I got close it was apparent he was in real trouble. He was dragging one wing with no control over it. It was scared and started running in the woods and was banging and dragging it, no way it could fly. It was impossible to see if it had been shot or just an accident. Not having a clue what to do I called TPWD in Austin after the Boss texted me the number.
I explained where I was and what happened. She took my number and said she would contact someone. I could still see the eagle but it was getting further in the woods. Unfortunately I waited in the rain for almost 1 hr 1/2 and no one called. I did catch 3 on plastics in standing timber to pass the time, and they were small. So I called her back and she took the information again and in 1 minute a Warden from Victoria called and said he would be right out. At this point it was raining pretty good and I fished a couple of places without success waiting for them.
When they got there I led them to where it went in the woods and they started looking. They spent quite a while, it was thick, without success. So before I hit the road they told me they were going to troll the banks and look on the back side and see if they could spot it. I have always respected Game Wardens, and these guys are great examples of why. Someone calls and out they come. Raining, snowing, middle of the night, their birthday, doesn’t matter, they love their job and most of what comes with it. I apologized for getting them out there and of course their response was no problem.
So now that I am home it looks like I will never know what happened to that eagle. But it is a cruel world out there, and with the number of coyotes and bobcats on the lake little chance it will make the night. I felt bad seeing it like that, I just hope it was from an accident or fight, and not some knucklehead taking a pot shot at the symbol of America.
Today was not the way I wanted it to go. After hanging for a week I was looking forward to a great experience catching fish or not, unfortunately the plight of the eagle took all the fun out of it. I think it was the same one who has come the last 3 or 4 falls and usually hangs in that area. The ospreys always harass the crap out of it and I saw them at it last month and actually mentioned it on the blog. So who knows, might have lost the fight. They are just so magnificent, and from Canada to Florida I appreciate seeing every single one.
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I heard from Billy after our less than successful trip to POC last week.
Dam, it’s bad enough I have to claim him as my cousin, and you want to call him my brother. (When I said he and his brother were gigging some good flounder.)
Yep, most definitely believe the regulations have increased the average size of flounder.
As for the fishing, yes, you are right, there have been better days. Water was just too dam cold.
Any time you feel the urge to go on a weekend, give me a holler.
It’s the rare occasion that I don’t have at least one, if not both days open.
Sorry about getting it wrong. The way my fishing has gone the last 2 weeks I might take up knitting. But if I get a weekend hankering will drop you a note.
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And speaking of Coleto, Dustin dropped this comment.
I’m curious as to the temp as well, we are headed down for our New Years tradition. Last year we caught over 200 fish before I blew my motor, most of them were white bass. I hope it’s the same this year
The water temp is obviously way down from where it was just 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately I did not get to fish how and where I wanted today, so my results are not very helpful. But I will be back on the lake this week at least one day, hopefully the results will be different. Todays results were my fault. So thanks for the comment, I really appreciate hearing from any of you that have anything to say. I get tired of listening to me!
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The weather looks like it will remain this way for the week with off and on again rain. The river is calling so will hit it in the next day or two, then another day on the lake. It just might be crankbait time on the lake, and I definitely want to spend a little more time on the swim jig. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
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I just wanted to let you know I have not left the country, been abducted by aliens, or quit fishing. Unfortunately the great boat trailer and trolling motor shopping trip, along with a few days on Galveston Island, did not go as planned.
On the way we stopped at Kresta’s and got a quote on a trailer, easily the highest so far. Next up it was McClain Trailers in Houston, and it is the best deal by a good bit for basically the same product of the 4 quotes I have. So still mulling that over. From there it was out to the island and some good eats. That was the last well breath I took. I got the flu, and it has kept me down this whole week. In fact, we left the next morning and I have been laid up ever since. The Boss and I are not in agreement when I got the last flu shot, but whenever it did not take. And a big thanks to the hotel not charging us for the rest of the reservation, lots of places would have.
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So it has been sit in the house, read a few books, watch entirely to much tv, and do a little research on Pagosa Springs in Colorado. After a visit with the folks and then the kids over the holidays we will be heading out for some snowmobiling, dog sledding, and even a day of trout fishing. The weather looks great and I might actually land a couple of more on a fly rod. And to think how much fun we made of “those guys” when they first started showing up on the White River. Times change.
Tomorrow I will be giving the lake a go. It has been a while and I am interested in how much the water temp has declined, and what kind of fish are stacked at the outflow. If they are there hopefully the tilapia are there and I can get some big baits whenever I get a catfish hankering. Now is the time on big lakes to catch big blue cats drifting. I have done it a couple of times successfully on Coleto and hope to do it again. So it is back to fishing after a little forced lay off. Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
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After the rough weather cleared Friday afternoon it has gotten nicer and nicer each day. So I left it to the weekend folks, but that will be remedied tomorrow. Billy will be joining me, and other than the tide being somewhat crappy at least it will be falling all day. And it looks like the weather/wind will cooperate so no place should be out of play. Looking at one fishing forecast site they give tomorrow a no fish day, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Good 11:10 am to 1:10 pm (No other relevant time.)
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Thought for the Day
“The more I fish the luckier I get.”
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It was flat tough. Remember above, one site said it was a no fish day. In fact for the amount of time we spent in the water it was my worst wading day this year. So how did that happen? Let me count the ways. First Billy suggested the river, which I passed on wanting to get back in the water. I am a little bored with the river, but it looks like that was the best choice. but I digress.
We met at Froggie’s at 7:00 and headed to South Pass. The the water temperature when we fished there a week ago Saturday was 72. Today, it was a freakin’ cold 51 degrees at the first p webank fished. Now that in of it itself is not a complete deal breaker, but choose the wrong bank with that kind of temperature and water drop and it can easily go bad like it did today. When we wacked them last week was on a high tide, so of course I wanted to fish it first today. I thought there would be at least some water as it was 9 hours to low tide. Wrong again. At least the ride across to the South Pass area was a breeze. A nice chop, smooth sailing.
The tide was out and heading down, and I mean one of those winter tides where the bottom falls out and it clears up like drinking water. And once we got to that bank the tide had fallen a bunch and the good structure, the grass and shell, was only in a foot of water. We ended up working a big stretch of shoreline, along with a couple of reefs, and other than the drum below, we stuck out.
On 8lb line a good tussle!
Billy had a big fish wake his topwater, and I managed the drum on plastics, and that was about the only indication there was any life there. So great bank, wrong tide, you live and learn. The only redeeming aspect of going down there is I was able to mark the good stuff so when the tide is right it can be fished efficiently. South Pass itself was absolutely nuts with oyster boats.
Billy’s quick count was about 70 oyster boats on South Pass.
They were absolutely ripping the bottom to shreds. Big ones, medium ones, and small ones, all dancing around on the reef. It is by far the most I have ever seen there. There are multiple new regulations, which I think includes some area closures, and I wonder if that has anything to do with the competition. But no matter what it was something. Unfortunately I am not sure it is a good something for the bay.
After enough of that bank we head down to one of my favorite drains. When we got there it was so shallow that there was little hope of catching anything significant other than right in the drain so it was off to Barroom. Of course the water was a little dingier with the wind on it as it usually is in Barroom, but at least it was 56 degrees. And with good deep water close it seemed like a good alternative. As soon as we jumped out I caught a couple of rats and a trout on plastic, and then nothing. Billy managed a rat on plastic and a 18″ red on topwater. It was slow, the fish were just not having that super low tide. At this point it was around 2:00 and with both of us having cold feet we admitted defeat and called it a day after catching a total of 6.
So what to make of all that? First should have moved a heck of a lot quicker off the first place. Second, should have waded over the flat stuff and got right on the edge of the drain and fished just that, they were probably stacked in it. Last, should have had better socks, or in my case, my neopreme waders. Shoulda, woulda, coulda! If the nights stay cold from now on the water will stay cool, and today just illustrates what can happen with those winter super low tides. But it just requires some modification of tactics and I am looking forward to putting the hurt on them before the winter is over. And it was good to fish with Billy again, and hope to do it a time or two before the crowds return and I leave the weekends to the working folks.
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Billy had a couple of days off and he and his brother (I think.) have spent a few evenings flounder gigging. Of course the limit is 2 right now, but when you are sticking them over 7lbs you are getting some good eats. His average over a couple of nights was 5lb plus. It seems the regulations may actually be helping the flounder. Billy thinks that is the case and he has been gigging them for decades.
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The trailer search continues. We are off to Houston for a couple of days, and as part of that I will be stopping at several trailer places to see what is available. So far it seems a good aluminum trailer is about the same price everywhere. And since I need a new trolling motor that is on the schedule also. Where I am at right now with this whole boat thing is interesting. By time I get a trailer, trolling motor, do some other upkeep that needs doing including upholstery, we are looking at a pretty good chunk of change. So a decision is coming soon, either bite the bullet on repairs and upkeep, or just buy a new freakin’ boat. Of course I want a new boat, the bane of my fishing existence, but the Merc on the Mako purrs like a kitten and is a real winner that I have full confidence in. Ahhhhh the joys of being a fisherman.
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There was a hitch in the git-along this morning. Some fool managed to hit 3 mailboxes, including mine, with a mirror and knocked them off the posts, but no other real damage. Since they built schools on both sides of our neighborhood it is a cut through race every morning. And as a rule Momma is on the phone the whole time speeding through our neighborhood. Guess what Momma, there are kids here too and you sure as hell do not want people driving that fast in front of your house. So I vote either fool on phone, coffee mishap, or both. No matter what they did not stop but did leave the mirror. Stuff happens. (Note: After working tons of car wrecks, the Boss literally hundreds, in our past life, we are both all about no phone use period while driving. It is all good until the ambulance comes!)
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I really enjoyed fishing with Billy yesterday and hope we can get together a few more times this winter. Also the lake is calling me, that should be something with the influx of cold rain. Winter is here and the patterns both fresh and salt are changing, and it is time to change with it. And I will be checking the weather constantly for the perfect couple of days for the Upper Laguna, but at some point perfect may not be possible and I will just go anyway. Out the door to spend money like a drunken sailor, or maybe just be a drunken sailor washing down my boat misery with an adult beverage. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**
Thoughts for the Day.
I heard a great quote today: “Being a professional fisherman is about staying broke just long enough to get rich.” And basically you can say the same thing about guiding, except it is long enough to make a living, rich is probably not in a guide’s future. And speaking of guides, like Carmine said when she was still open down at POC: “There are so many guides in POC they have to wear badges so they do not guide each other!” The fishing business is a tough game and it takes commitment and perseverance to make a living.
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84 degrees a few days ago, and now ……………
It was a beautiful morning.
A hurricane and snow in the same year. It is true what they say about Texas weather.
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I just realized that folks assume I have an IPhone or some other super fancy phone. I figured that out when I got back from POC last weekend and there several messages on my Facebook. So sorry if you did not get answered, but I have a flip phone, for which I take a ton of guff from family and friends. But you know what? When it fell in a foot water at the ramp when I was putting in and did not know it, and then was found over an hour later, it still worked fine. So until this thing finally gives up the ghost I will continue to live in the old guy world. So know if you message me until I open facebook on my laptop I do not have a clue you sent me a message.
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I am watching Major League Fishing, which is my favorite fishing show. A guide once commented that catching 2 redfish in saltwater tournaments means nothing and Major League Fishing confirms his point. In most bass tourneys you need to catch 5, and that often requires fishing a specific way, and it is irrelevant how many fish you catch. In MLF you find out who can catch bass. Often it is decided by size, but numbers matter and it is interesting to see how they make decisions, when those decisions are usually different than they would make in a regular tournament. Obviously liking this show is a comment on my competitive nature, which I am trying to tamp down some as I get older.
Bass fisherman are the best at life jackets with kill switch attached, but they do one thing that is not the safest – They let go of the steering wheel while running. Several guys have done it while talking to the camera and it makes me cringe. I know the steering systems are so much better than they used to be, but letting go while running is asking for trouble. It happens.
Today they are on Lake Eustice, a part of the Harris Chain in Florida. As it looks like we will be ending there at some point I got a pretty good heads up on what I need to know. Bass are bass no matter where they are. And nothing like being right down the road from a great chain of lakes, and just a little over an hour from either coast. Which is about what I deal with right now. So not a bad trade when it happens.
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A random bass from 2014. That is a real one.
This is basically is the ramblings of a guy who has stayed in the house to long. Of course much of that had to do with the weekend, so as usual I left it to the weekend warriors. Tomorrow it is back to the bay. I will be meeting Billy around 7:30 at Froggie’s and from there who knows. The wind looks awesome, so by getting the long ride out of the way first thing we can fish back to POC from down the island. It will be interesting to see how much the water temperature dropped, and then figuring out how it will affect the fish. Throwing the twitch bait will be first up, and may even give the bigger one a go tomorrow. And with Billy being the topwater nut it shouldn’t take to long to get some kind of clue. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**
Better Days to Come.
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I am already bored sitting in the house, had an appointment in the middle of the day yesterday so I did not fish and now this. Winter has come to South Texas. When I got up it was 47 degrees and the wind was blowing pretty good out of the North. Now it is pouring, the wind is blowing, and it just might continue for 2 days. No matter what this is the warmest it will be until about 11:00 Friday morning. I love winter fishing but it is ugly enough I am not even thinking about sneaking out to the lake for a couple of hours.
The weather will keep me in the house a couple of days, but the folks that fished Monday and Tuesday had some success with some good trout posted online. And clearly the flounder are biting all along the coast right now, and some of them look pretty big. It is nice they are caught in the rivers and channels, many of which have bank fishing access, giving a lot more people a shot at the tastiest fish in the Gulf. In my case flounder are a bycatch from trout fishing and it is great when it happens. I can almost filet them properly.
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I got this comment from Terry who I fished with when his other plans fell through on his way to the coast.
Let me know when you want to come up this way. Texoma is still producing large numbers of fish daily. Fish over 20 inch are more than common . Actually 6 to 13 pound fish are becoming common again. Hope to see you soon !
Trophyhuntersguideservice
Those of you who read this stuff know I did my fair share of guiding for stripers during my misspent youth, and trust me, if you want to fill the boat give him a call. Now is the time to sack them up, and if you have not seen the catfish he puts in the boat they are something. And thanks for the offer Terry, believe me I have not forgotten and will definitely be heading that way. I might not have been the best replacement that day but I sure had a good time. So thanks for keeping in contact and those are some nice freakin’ strings! Check out his site if you want to see some big ass catfish, impressive.
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I really did enjoy fishing with David last week. A confirmed bass fisherman like me, he is on that saltwater journey. And his applying the Carolina Rig technique used in bass fishing for fishing shrimp was a hit. According to David there may be a couple of flaws in my photography skills………….
Doug,That was a great writeup! The picture of me is unflattering in 3 ways: bait bucket shown, my fat ass and I see my Sahara reel under water!!! What a loser!! Great seeing everyone and blessed to be in such good company, like Randy! DP
I know, friends don’t let friends fish shrimp! I actually think you are quite svelte for a loser, especially sopping wet, but only in a manly sort of way. And I never noticed the Sahara under water, nice job, so buy a Wade Right, who does not need more fishing stuff. (Time for a quick ad. This is the very reason the Wade Right is the best belt on the planet. It is hard enough to keep from dunking your stuff, and the Wade Right reduces that considerably. In terms of the lifetime of your high dollar reels it will pay for itself.) And last, sorry to Alan, guess I was making up another Austin Boy and I thought he looked like a Randy. And Todd says the group needs a Randy anyway. I just heard from Alan, he is ok with being Randy, so there. In fact from others comments, any of your group could be a “Randy” depending on how bad someone screws up. As far as good company, ain’t we all something. I enjoyed getting to fish with you again and look forward to the next trip. Port Mansfield here we come!
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I also wanted to respond to Vincents kind words.
Thanks For info… I feel a lot comfortable taking my boat into Powderhorn Bay with the information. Always wanted to fish it just having a boat now did not want to take into bays with out any information about. Thanks for the time you put into this and it is very appreciated. Thank you
Thanks for your kind words. Ahhhhhh, the Powderhorn. Just to make it clear that is where I hit a pipe running in the back end of it and gouged a couple of grand off the bottom of my boat. Please be careful, idle in and take the time to idle around. It has some deep water and just taking the time to idle and watching the locator can reduce the chance of mishaps. And as far as I am concerned if you are heading to any shoreline on the Texas coast take your time and idle in, safer that way and you won’t miss potential structure nor blow out a wad of fish. Last but not least, in fact number 1 on the list, go get a real map and study it, and combine that with Google Earth will really help solidify what you see on the map, and then on the water. Nothing is better than map study for a first trip anywhere, trust me, I do it everytime. So have a good time and let us know if you put any fish in the boat.
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I am currently trailer shopping for the Mako. I can not decide how I feel about buying a new one from them. It has the beginning of a couple of cracks on the cross members, a problem that must be dealt with. Also the axle has some rust visible on the inside, so the time has come, new trailer. Then I mull over doing a major overhall myself with the help of friends, and having messed with a few crappy trailers over the last 40 years I know what a hassle that is. So the hunt is on, Mako, Coastline, and who knows who else.
But one thing, hard to complain when it has been towed tens of thousands of miles. It has been on some serious long trips like the Everglades and Louisiana multiple times to name just a few. And when you add multiple trips to Amistad, Falcon, and some other places I can’t remember at the moment, you are talking some serious miles. Oh yea, who could forget at least a time or two a week, at a minimum, to local lakes and salt over 8 years. No wonder it’s pretty rough. So here we go. Break Out Another Thousand. (If not 2!)
Note: I called Bass Pro yesterday in Katy about a trailer and the salesman promised to call me back that afternoon, no response yesterday or today. What has happened to this company?
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On real motivator to get it done is the great trailer episode. The Boss and I were doing 70mph on I10 in Florida pulling the skiff when the trailer frame, not a weld, not a joint, broke in half. It immediately ripped off the tire and the fender, crap was flying everywhere. For some reason, I guess we were living right, it broke between the shackles holding the springs. which held the frame together. A nice deputy stopped and helped us change the tire and limp 3 miles to an exit. Looking at the phone book in the phone booth, remember them, a guy walks up and said looks like you need some help. He pointed out a welding shop only a mile down the road, and we were saved. He immediately welded it up with plates (Only $60.) and we finished our trip to Florida, and then bought a new trailer. You never know when towing long distances, which I have done regularly. Never a dull moment. (Like the time I hit a dead deer on the interstate in the middle of the night, and when I got to the motel parts of him were hanging off the trailer everywhere. Great.)
It does bring up one thing I have been wanting to rag on for a while, Louisiana you should be ashamed of your roads. Having just driven hundreds of miles in Florida where the roads are awesome it really highlighted how bad the roads are there. I know, I know, tax bases etc, but there is no excuse for the condition of many of Louisiana’s roads. I love fishing there, but the drive across south Louisiana on Hwy 90 is a nightmare on a boat trailer, much less your vehicle. I dread the drive every time I go, knowing how rough it is. Just wanted to bitch about it a little, I’m sure it will compel the Governor to issue an emergency proclamation and fix them pronto.
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And last but not least, I am also shopping for a new trolling motor for the Mako. So lets see, trailer, trolling motor, needs new upholstery, hell, might as well buy a new boat. For some reason the Boss is not down with that. She can be so mean. So I will spend he day spending play money until next week, and dreaming of being on the water. But after last weekends no complaints, but it is time to go fishing. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**
Up and atem’ Boys, times a wasting!
In anticipation of the Austin Boys coming next week I fished Wednesday to do some looking, and was planning on getting a few more days in before next Thursday. When I got home that afternoon, washed the stuff and got settled I checked my email, and there was one from Ken to the listserve: “I am taking off for POC.” Huh? Is he coming a week early? Am I reading that right? Oh no, it is this week! Yikes. I had my weeks confused and was meeting them tomorrow morning. So after mulling that brain fart over it was a quick pack job and I was more than ready to hit the bay. And a funny thing happened earlier when I took the boat out that morning. I asked a guy walking by what time it was, I don’t wear a watch, and while I was talking to him I said since I retired I don’t even know what day it is. Guess that turned out to be true. But no harm no foul, and I was looking forward to the get together.
This picture says everything you need to know about the trip! Thanks Ro.
I am again thankful the Austin Boys invited me along this year for their annual Fishmas. It has been going on for over 10 years, for some of them it is their annual trip to the salt, for others, they get to the salt somewhat regularly. But all look forward to it and not only do they fish hard, they are good fishermen to boot. It is good fishing, good food, good tunes, lots of totally truthful stories, an adult beverage or two, and whole pile of fishing poles, tackle, boats, waders, and on and on. And Jesse had his new to him boat there and Ken had a new Yama, so all was right in the boating world. There is somewhere this side of 20 of them who make the annual trek. A couple started Wednesday catching a few, and I met Todd, John, David, and Pete, who would be my wading partners at the Lavaca Thursday at noon. I brought my boat, John jumped in and the fishing began.
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We also saw Ken, who started early and had his limit, on our way down river. The first bank no bites, the second, it started. Something happened that does not happen often, and would happen later in the trip, a stretch of no throwbacks. John and I fished a short stretch 3 times, caught our 1o trout limit, and every fish we caught there made the grade with no shorts. We kept hunting around looking for reds and the only keeper was a red fish who chased my bait out of a slough. Love seeing them coming. We kept at it and had 2 more good trout runs, both with tons of smalls, though we were not measuring them by then.
Todd’s Shallow Sport and my Mako on the river. (Thanks for Ken for a few of his pictures.)
In one spot they were chasing finger mullet all over the place and we boated maybe a dozen in 15 minutes. Todd and them added 3 keepers to the pot and we were off and running. As the sun started down it was off to POC to clean fish and get in the house. We met the big bunch at their place later, feasted on prime rib, and shot the breeze and caught up. In my case the quest continued to remember everyone’s name. So if I get anything wrong with names, or anything else sorry, but I am an old man!
The fish fry waiting to happen.
Day 2.
Funny how day 2 was actually like other day 2’s I have had with them, it was a grind, which often comes before the success. But first let me talk about one of the worst cases of potlicking I have ever seen, and you know I hate the term, but this was almost unbelievable. Pete and John were on a wade inside the Pringle shoreline while we were drifting the lake. Keep in mind that there were only 3 boats in Pringle, 2 from our bunch, when a boat came in, dropped anchor, and hopped out. They had a boat with a name on the side that shall remain nameless, (Guide business?) (You know how that makes you bad to the bone, or is it bonehead.) which was parked in POC down from where we stayed, and they gave freakin’ rude a bad name. As we approached to check on Pete and John one of the assholes basically sprinted down the bank and literally cut them off at less than 30 yards from where they were headed. I have never seen anything like it. What a cheap punk ass thing to do, and the very reason I do not fish the weekends down there. There was only thousands of acres of water with not a boat and they do that? I call BS. But enough of that.
Don and the boys. This is the Majek that got in a small fight with my 4Runner 2 years ago. The 4Runner lost!
When I say the day was a grind, it is the perfect description. Pringle was slow by any terms, and that is Todd’s go-to place to drift while some of us wade. The day was so remarkable that I can not remember what we put in the box there, but it was in the 3 trout range maybe. We hit several more spots and had periods of action, and though in one drain I caught 10, none measured. In fact the lots of small one theme continued he whole weekend for most folks. We fished Pringle inside and outside, and then a couple of more banks, and the best I can say is we ended up with 7 keepers, and I could not tell you by who, what, or how, it was a true grind. The most memorable thing of the day was Todd’s Muffaletta sandwiches he brought for lunch. They were awesome and the size of your head. And the 5 or 6 boats in the group reported similar results that evening, one of those days that everyone struggled some but did all catch fish. We cleaned fish, and ourselves, and headed over to the their place for supper.
Thanks Ken and the boys for a couple from his boat on day 2.
That night Todd was back at it. Broiled redfish over rice smothered in his Cajun concoction. Talk about good, that boy can cook. Some folks like me make it, and it just does not get there, when Todd does it, it is amazing. And his assembly line got folks fed in nothing flat. And then the Flan. Ken is famous for his yearly Flan, not to mention his cheese balls, and he takes a massive amount of ribbing about it. But guess what? For some reason every last bit of it disappears every year. It was freaky good. So after a long day we headed back to our place looking forward to day 3.
Day 3.
We roll out of bed around 6:30, and after some water, a few Tylenol, coffee, finished off with a Speedy Stop breakfast taco, more beer, and some ice, we finally hit the water. We headed down to fish the reefs on the first chain. Of course when we got there 6 boats were where we wanted to fish so we switched reefs and made the first wade. It was a total strike out. As we rolled back in the boat low and behold the birds were getting after it. Those of you who fish POC know that is usually Gafftop hell, but this time it was trout. We made a couple of drifts before they quit and put 7 or 8 keepers in the boat. Todd was the man with everyone else catching a few. David started caroline rigging with shrimp, which would come into play for him later. Then Pete hooks up on plastic and can’t figure out what it is before it comes over the side, a Pompano. His first, which we all got a kick out of. I have only caught one on plastics since I have been here and we were all surprised to say the least. Things were looking up.
Pete’s Pompano, his first.
Fishing involves skill and planning, but nothing helps more than blind luck. One of our party needed to hit the bushes so we beached the boat and waited. I noticed a reef with water flowing over it and bait jumping, so I jumped in, and things were about to get interesting. My only real goal this weekend was to fish a twitch bait. It was Academy’s knock off corky style in a croaker color, which I thought looked killer, so I bought it. Good choice, and it actually ran perfect with a super slow sink on 10lb fluoro.
I was getting twitchy with it.
The bait looked mean, and my first bite was a 20″ trout that actually did the “smash it” thing. Pete and John jumped in and off we went. They liked it best twitched a couple of times and then stopped, I like the way it felt, not to mention the way they ate it. It should only get increasingly effective as winter wears on. I ended up adding a couple of 18″s and a 24″ red, who had that thing way down his throat. They kept with the plastics and added a few more trout, all keepers. That would be the theme in that area the rest of the afternoon. Todd and David had gone up to another reef in the boat, then came to get us so we headed above a couple of drains and it was every man for himself. It was not fast but it was freakin’ good. Catch one, add it to the stringer.
Pete’s drum that started the big bite.
As we started the second wade in that area Pete spotted a dark spot and made a couple of casts, got a couple of bites, but did not hook up. We were not sure what that spot was when we noticed when one rolled and it was a huge pod of drum. I could reach them so I tossed the twitch bait, turned the handle and was hooked up. It turned out to be a 28″ + red who had that twitch bait in his gut, so tagged and on the stringer. First one I have ever tagged, he was just to close to chance it and it is headed to Austin as redfish on the half shell.
Then Pete hooked up, then John, then Todd and David jumped in and the catching began. The bite was fast and furious with the pod moving around where we could occasionally see them, then you were immediately hooked up. We had a couple of doubles. One of those times when wading is king.
Drum Roll Please! Nice one John. I think he added 2 to the cooler.
Before it was over 5 drum and 3 reds joined the cooler, along with the trout, all nice keeper fish. As the tide began to rip and the wind began to blow they turned on and were steady for most of the afternoon.
David with a couple of good ones including a 27″ red. He put on his big boy pants after major wader failure.
Time for a couple of relevant stories. David’s waders literally fell apart day 2 and sieve might be the most appropriate word to describe them. The water was cool but he could not take it in the boat any more so he jumped in without them, and was a man about it. It must have been tough, but as you can see above it was well worth his effort. And of course with that many folks fishing of course there was another wading fubar.
Ken’s boat partner, Alan, with a 23″ + trout and a 17″+ flounder basically back to back. Nice job.
David was wading in Big Pocket with his boat partners when he stepped in a hole that was deeper than his waders, so full of water he was trudging to the boat and it actually happened again. So now his waders weigh a ton and he manages to get in the boat, the video of him laying on his back struggling to get his feet up in the air with the water pouring out of the waders, and over him, is hilarious. Additionally there was one trailer issue when one hit the concrete thing at a gas station. Unfortunately it is still down at POC and should have a new axle and fender in a couple of weeks. Luckily that was the size of the major happenings. Like the Boss always asks me when I get home: What did you break? But no one got hurt and with a crowd that size stuff can happen.
It is hard not to laugh. It was all in good fun at David’s expense. Thanks Tony for the video.
And last but not least I could not find my crappy stringer so I grabbed Todd’s on my last wade. I caught the big red and put it on. When he caught a couple of trout I strung them, them it came off and I did not have a clue. When Pete caught it one trout was gone and the other was making his escape. So for the rest of the day Todd decided I could not count a trout and he could count it, or some such nonsense! Dang fishermen. Either way it turned out just fine and I didn’t feel stupid, at least not much.
The last wade. Where do the days go?
The last wade was a long one. Halfway through it I took the long walk back to the boat and let them have at it. It had the feeling of more good fish, maybe the Big One on the way and I was hoping someone would get it done, and it almost happened. Todd jumped in the boat with me and kept tossing his shrimp while David fished a drain. John got into a good topwater bite and added a couple, using the bone Spook One Knocker slow, it was getting pretty rough. He strung a couple but unfortunately what I felt was coming did, but it did not happen. He had the big blow up, big trout written all over it. A heart pounding moment, one of those he will remember for a lifetime. Pete added another to his stringer on top, and at one point he had a trout boiling on it from below while at the same time a gull was attacking from above. It was one of those bites.
David ended his day by catching several rats and a puppy drum on shrimp, along with the ones above, then the trip was over. With Todd cooking the fish fry for the crowd we headed in. Believe me it took Pete and John a little to give it up with an hour of light left, but we left them biting. Of course the wind was up and the ride the usual bumpy mess to POC from South Pass. The afternoon stretch was one of the best bites I have had in a while. Of course we have all caught more, bigger, etc, but this stretch was hook a bite and put it on the stringer, the average was good and they were aggressive. It really was a great way to finish the fishing.
Turn out the lights, the parties (I mean the fishing!) is over. Our boat and Ken’s running to Froggie’s.
Luckily the house had a cleaning table because when we got to Froggie’s it was the Christmas Parade, which we crashed a couple of years ago, not to mention lots of folks cleaning fish. So on the trailer we went and we did them at the house. When we officially counted it was 21 trout, 5 blacks, and 3 reds for our boat. The biggest red 28″ 1/4 (tagged), a 20″ trout, and a 27″ drum. It was a good day and the best thing was everyone in the boat contributed by catching fish. As far as what we caught on, it is simplier to just list them in no particular order as far as success, each had a time: Lots of different plastics, several topwaters, a couple of twitch baits, and shrimp. David, who is a bass fisherman, actually fished his shrimp Carolina style, and once he got it down he sacked them. Todd stuck to his popping cork. It rarely lets him down and today it did not. The other boats also reported good catches, so it was a great finish to their weekend.
The Saturday haul.
The guys all showed up around 8:00 and the feast began. And let me say this about Todd, he is not only a fantastic cook, but he fixed supper 2 nights for 25 guys, including the redfish smother . The first night Ro made a giant prime rib, Todd fed the crowd the next 2 nights. The fish, hush puppies, and tator tots went faster than water out of a drain on a full moon falling tide. And the crowd cheered when Ken’s last cheese ball made it from their house and the trip was finished off, as well as a couple of players, when topped off with Margarita Night. Everyone was prettier, smarter, and funnier! Good times were had by all. And at each evening meal there were tons of fish caught, lots of “you had to be there” stories, and every bit of it was the truth.
Ken, David, and Todd doing fish like it is supposed to be done. And all are doing great in the work release program.
My major contribution to the last day’s pot. Nothing like catching them on 10lb line. Talk about eating a twitch bait!
I know I have forgot things, names, happenings, but all I can say is what a good time I had. There is so much more to say but this has to end somewhere. (Please excuse any grammer errors, though I could care less.) I have a couple of friends I need to start this with. Sometimes you just have to make time, and these guys did, and do, year after year. Their yearly get together is a testament to their friendship and their mutual love of fishing. So I consider myself lucky to horn in on such a cool thing. Fishing is all about the memories and it is never to late to make some with a fishing rod in your hand. I know how lucky I am to be able to spend time on the water with friends, to hear the owls, see the gators, the sunrise over the bay, all that south Texas has to offer. So after a day or two of rest it will be back out there making more. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff. And a special thanks to the Austin Boys, and my boat partners, Todd, David, John and Pete, every thing folks say about you is true!
**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**
All it took was one look at the weather report and it is POC here I come. Maybe I can start to get a clue for the weekends trip, at least maybe give us a little head start. Plus if I can not force feed those bass a topwater maybe a trout or two will cooperate. So it will be up early and on the water at daylight.
Weather
75/58 Sunny. Wind N 5 – 10 mph. 10% chance of rain.
Tides
Low 8:35 am -o.5 High 11:53 pm +0.8
Solunar Times
Best 6:32 am until 8:32 am (Only relevant period.)
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When the Boss said it was going to be foggy, she was so right. When I took off for POC it was fogged in fairly solid. I left early enough to account for that and I hit Froggie’s right before daylight. I was the second boat there, and after parking and getting ready it was apparent there was not going to be a big run.
The wind was light out of the north as I eased down the barge canal. This was not one of those times you could run, to foggy to trust the GPS, and you never know who else is out there. So discretion being the better part of valor. I idled out Fisherman Cut and headed down Barroom shoreline. While I could not go anywhere, starting there was fine, and it turned out to be exactly that. It was so foggy I could not even wear my glasses.
Big and small there were lots of reds moving around and they were wallowing on the topwater.
I started with a bone One Knocker Spook and had a follow and a wallow from a red, then another, and another. Initially I figured a bigger bait would be the ticket in the fog, for what reason I am not sure. In the first hour several came after it, making a big show of things but not hooking up. It was a little frustrating until I removed my head from you know where and downsized to the Bagley Knocker B and then they started eating it.
The Paddle Shad getting it done.
The tide was low and the fish were not up by the grass but our near the break where it dropped off. And I saw several tailing, which if you could get the plastic in front of them it was fish on. I was catching small ones and some nice ones on top when I started throwing the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad in Plum/Limetruese with a 1/16th weighted swim bait hook with a rattle inserted. The ones that ate thumped the snot out of it, both reds and trout. It would basically suspend, perfect in that really shallow water, and I used a side sweeping motion, pull stop, pull stop.
From that point on I alternated between the topwater, the Paddle Shad, and a smaller 3″ paddle tail. Somewhere around 10:00, I gave up the watch when I retired so I had not a clue what time it was, it started to clear just a little. I was wanting to head across to the fish island when here it comes again, sea fog. Having been out in a bad one that is something I would not want to repeat, and actually it helped extend the bite. So it fogged back up, see the boat above, and they kept biting. And then it clouded up for a while after the fog finally lifted so the bite kept up consistent until at least 11:00.
Even the little guys like the Paddle Shad.
Besides the Paddle Shad and the Knocker B I caught on small paddle tails using the 1/32 ounce jig head on 8lb. fluoro. That combination catches lots of fish, you just have to wade through small ones. Also a couple fell to a twitch bait, it was one of those mornings when if you got it in front of their face they would bite. Since it was after 11:00 when it started to clear, and they Austin Boys are coming, I just kept moving and tried several places all the way down the shoreline to Army Cut trying to find a few more. But the sky cleared, and once it got sunny and bright with the light North wind they quit. Of the last 3 places I tried not a bite, so at 1:30 I called it a day. The last couple of years when the boys come there is always a late fall bite, so things are looking good.
I caught lots of small reds and only 4 or 5 trout, and the few trout that took a pass at the topwater did not hook up. But if I missed one I tossed the plastic back at them successfully. I can not say it enough, the Wade Right belt is as important as the baits and the equipment, and is a major part of my wading arsenal. Being able to carry a casting rod for topwater and the spinning rod for plastics let me alternate, which today put fish in the boat. It easily let me put the bait and switch on the ones that missed the topwater. So a successful morning and with a great sign of things to come this weekend with the boys.
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SA Joe had this question.
Quick question. What i see from online the normal pool level at Coleto is 98ft? so the lake is about 1ft low? Thats pretty good for a lake.
Joe
That is about right. It got a lot lower than that last year, but never a ton higher except for a little while this spring. Over all it stays fairly stable compared to the wild swings the Corp of Engineers lakes had in Arkansas. The biggest swing I saw there was 27 feet in one year, and I can not remember the biggest one day rise, but we stayed up all night letting docks out so they did not get dragged under. We still have some cover in the lake, which if it remains fairly stable should set up the spring fishing. Thanks for the question.
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And from my favorite Metal Head.
Doug, Doug, Doug, it’s never hard to get excited about fishing saltwater.
Billy is a topwater maniac who never met a trout he did not like. And I notice on his Facebook he has been putting them on the stringer. And yes, yesterday got me excited, this weekend has a chance to be epic. With 6 or 7 boats and over 25 folks fishing someone will do something spectacular. Stay tuned.
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As soon as I post this I will load the boat and get the rest of my stuff together. I am meeting a group at the Lavaca River later today to start working on the fish fry, then down to POC for 3 days of some serious eating and fishing. After them bringing a major cold front the last 3 years the weather looks like it will be perfect. So let the tom foolery begin. Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
**For a super deal on your Wade Right use promo code FCT15 and get 15% off on your online order!**
One of the things I miss, sort of, is the ability to sleep in. That is going away faster than my hair color. I set the alarm for 6:00, no hurry to the lake this morning, so at 5:00 am my eyes popped open, time to go fishing. Not sure if the clouds will help the fishing this morning, but we shall see. The plan will be topwater and swim jig in some areas I have not fished lately, so many places, so little time. And as I prepare this report the wind and weather looks perfect later in the week so Thursday will be POC.
Weather
80/55 Partly Cloudy in the morning then sun. Wind SSE 10 – 20. 0% chance rain.
Lake Level
Yesterday 97.12 msl Today 97.10 msl
Solunar Times
Best 5:47 am to 7:47 Good 11:36 am to 1:36 pm
A beautiful morning that went down hill from this.
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I was on the water before the sun came up, and it was a typical late fall day with mist rising off the lake. The water temp at the ramp was 71 degrees and the wind was starting to blow a little. I was the only truck at the ramp, and there was only one when I quit. A sign? First up it was a big cove, the deep side, and 3 jumped on and I missed a couple. Things were looking up.
The next cove a couple more jumped on the Bang O Lure. All were on the bank with some cover close. They were all on the small side, which is why no pictures today but I was sure a bigger one was coming, but at least they were biting. From that point on things went downhill fast. If I had to guess, and I will, from around 8:00 until I quit at noon to work on the trailer bunks, I had one more bite. I caught one more on the senko, which they will bite, and no more on Bang O Lure or the swim jig. After the wind had time to blow fairly hard, which it did, it was a main lake bank to give spinnerbait a go without success. And as far as partly cloudy, there was never a wisp of a cloud all morning. It kind of reminded me of fishing the second day after a cold front, they were not having it.
So with some trailer work to do discretion ruled and I headed to the ramp. My trailer either needs some serious work or replacement, and the carpet was coming off the bunks. It took about an hour to take all 4 off, staple the carpet back down and put in all new bolts. So they should be good to go for the life of the trailer, which is rapidly moving to the top of spend some more money on the boat. It never ends. But it sure looks better and with all the fishing to come it needed to be done. Next will check the bearing grease and just generally prepare for the salt which will start tomorrow. And speaking of that, several of the guys are getting cranked up about going, the first fishing of the group will start on Wednesday, some will fish on Sunday, so there will be some stories to tell.
I just looked at the POC weather and it is supposed to blow 5 – 10 tomorrow, so that is a no brainer. Fishing light is around 6:30 give or take a little so I need an early start. And with sunny skies the topwater bite might not last that long in the morning. So in spite of a rough day of it on the lake it is hard not to get excited about some serious saltwater fishing. I am due for a big trout so let the hunt begin. I am headed outside to change fishing gear and get the wading stuff ready, should be interesting. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Killed them on the Bang O Lure this month.
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All 5 today looked just like this.
Pete’s drum that started the big bite.
