Sunday, November 15, 2009
Still Tough
Covered a lot of water today looking specifically for trout, Ended with six trout with the biggest about eighteen inches. About half on topwaters Super Spook Jr. and She Dog in various colors. The rest on red/white Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad. Fish mostly on shallow flat over grass and mud. A couple came off of deep rocks early.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Quality
I've always stated I would take quality over quantity any day. Well, the fishing gods on Baffin seem to be listening. We are still not picking up big numbers but with nice Fall conditions, we have been getting some nice trout. Here is my buddy John with a solid 25"er taken today on plum assassin. Click on pic to enlarge.
Slow bouncing dark plastics like plum Saltwater Assassins around deeper rocks. Filled the waders a couple of times today if that gives you any ideas where I might have been LOL. Since losing so many jigheads to the rocks, I have started using Flutter Hooks and have had very good success with them. Here is how they are rigged.
Slow bouncing dark plastics like plum Saltwater Assassins around deeper rocks. Filled the waders a couple of times today if that gives you any ideas where I might have been LOL. Since losing so many jigheads to the rocks, I have started using Flutter Hooks and have had very good success with them. Here is how they are rigged.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Hell Yeah!!!
Gotta bit of a story to tell. I have tried to keep my blog posts as short and to the point as possible. I figure its just easier reading and you don't want to hear about my life. But the past 4 days were just to eventful for a two paragraph report so please humor me.
My good friends Ray, Randy, Ray W., Don and Mike came down for a Cast & Blast weekend. I want to thank my dear friend Capt Sally Moffett ( www.captainsally.com ) and her labrador Kelly for their assistance. They made it very memorable. We all met around 2:30 on Thursday evening and headed to the dove fields. It was hot, I mean real hot. This was just before a frontal passage on Friday morning and it was absolutely stifling out there. The thermometer on the truck said it was 101 and I think it was just being kind.
The action started out a little slow but picked up and soon the dogs were working their tails off retrieving downed birds. Capt Sally and myself were busy handling the dogs and keeping everyone hydrated or something like that LOL. At sunset we loaded up our gear and headed home to clean birds and eat a scrunptious King Ranch Chicken casserole my wife had ready for us. Click on pics to enlarge.
We ate well and drank to excess but it was all good. Next morning we awoke to our newest cold front. Winds were whipping from the north at 25mph+ and it was overcast and pretty much a miserable looking day. We were still full of optimism and headed out with Big Girls on our minds. Capt. Sally had Don and Mike with her and I had Ray, Randy and Ray W. with me. The boat ride out was a little bumpy but the water was still warm so we waded wet. That'll probably be my last wet wade of the season. The temperature dropped steadily all day and so did the water temp.
As we expected, the fishing was slow for the most part. We managed quite a few small trout and a couple of reds but keepers were few and far between. By noonish, everyone was ready to take out their frustrations on the birds again. We had a sandwich lunch and headed for the dove fields again. The conditions were very different with the passage of the cold front. When we pulled out it was cool and overcast, by the time we began our hunt, the sun was out and we were having to deal with heat again. Not quite as bad as the day before but it was still plenty warm.
One other thing we had to deal with was the huge swarm of butterflies. They were every where. We even missed a few birds because it was difficult to spot them coming in with so many flapping wings around us. Fortunately they didn't stay too long and we had a great evening hunt. The birds were hot and heavy the last hour of the day and the dogs were put through their paces again.
We headed back to the house to clean birds again and set our tastebuds for a nice porterhouse steak with all the trimmings. We the waddled out to the front yard to enjoy some wine, drinks, and fellowship on a beautiful clear cool South Texas
night.
The calm was shattered by the dogs frantically growling and running towards us around the back of my truck. We were all a little perplexed about what might garner that type of reaction from the dogs when suddenly around the corner of my truck runs a full grown javelina not fifteen feet from where we were seated. I jumped up and the javelina whirled around to take off with the dogs in hot pursuit. Just as I rounded the bumper of my truck, the ticked off javelina turned the tables on the dogs and me and charged back my way. I didn't realize I could still move that fast LOL.
Well, it was good to see that all my buddies had my back because it seemed like instantly their was artillery everywhere. So now I know who has their CHL permit. Fortunately for the javelina, he decided to leave the premises before world war three broke out. We talked and laughed about it for quite a while before taking it to bed for the night.
Next morning we awoke to twenty mph north winds and very cool conditions. This bunch is hardcore to say the least and Capt Sally and I decided to give it a try. We headed out and made several long wades and drifts with little to show. A handful of keeper trout and Randy's topwater redfish were the highlights of the day. The camaraderie shared on the water was priceless however and very much welcomed. You just cant put a price on this kind of friendship.
We headed in one last time and cleaned our fish and ourselves before heading to Kingsville for a huge chicken fried steak. All was well with the world. Now this report doesn't sound like much to you I'm sure but some of the things that were said in parting proved prophetic.
We all talked about getting our trip kinda messed up by the front. I said it looked like Sunday or Monday would be a big fish day. "Might even catch a thirty incher" I said.
So roll the tape forward to this morning. I headed out with four more great guys and we rode out to cool but almost perfect conditions. The sun was just peaking over the horizon as we made our first wade. There were slicks all over the flat and dropoff we were wading. Not a lot of surface activity by baitfish but just enough to keep our attention. I was trying out a new rod that a good friend had made for me. The Swag Stick as he likes to call it was pretty in kind of a pimp daddy way. Metallic purple wraps don't exactly match my conservative style LOL. However, the results I got may move this rod right behind my Waterloos.
Second cast of the day with a plum Norton Sand Eel (woulda been a plum Devil Eye but I don't have anymore *hint*), was met with a resounding THUMP! I set the hook hard and felt instant resistance, a lot of it. I told Wes that this was a pretty good fish. I felt the power as she made for the rocks. I put the Swag Stick to the test and pulled back hard turning her away from her little haven. I worked her up on the flat with me and slowly played her out. She surfaced once and I said "Might go twenty-six or better". She made one more strong run with head down and I was thinking it was pulling pretty good for a twenty-six.
Just then she surfaced again and I exclaimed "Oh she's bigger than that, maybe twenty-eight or better". She finally played herself out and let me attach the Boga Grip to her bottom jaw, I lifted her from the water and the Boga pegged on seven and a quarter pounds. A quick measurement against the marks on the rod confirmed that she was indeed over twenty-eight inches by about half an inch. A heck of a way to start the day.
We continued probing the area and managed two more solid trout, a twenty incher and a fat twenty-four. I'll take it.
Fishing slowed so we headed to our next stop. We waded out to a small set of rocks and I made a couple of casts, probing the bottom for the little fish magnets we call Baffin rocks. On my third cast, I was greeted by yet another THUMP!! I again set back hard on the Swag Stick putting a hell of a bend on the rod trying to bury the hook in the fish's mouth. The water exploded in front of me and it was off to the races for this Big Girl. She quickly stripped twenty yards of line off my reel as she headed for deeper water. I turned the fish and patiently started the task of working her in and trying to land her.
She was having none of that and made two more hard charging powerful runs trying in vain to make good her escape. Finally, she rolled up to me in all her glory and I latched the Boga on her bottom lip. I immediately knew that I had to have an official measurement on this fish. I was only about thirty yards from the boat and quickly waded over to get my Check It Stick. I measured her and weighed her on the Boga before the pics and the release. She officially became number twelve for me personally to top the thirty inch mark at thirty and one quarter and weighed eight and a quarter pounds. A certifiable Baffin Big Girl.
Things slowed dramatically after that with several small trout and a nice keeper red. We managed another solid twenty-three inch trout on topwater right at the end of our day. On my final cast of the trip, I was greeted by a nice blow-up on my topwater there was a lot of thrashing but I didn't feel much weight. When I lifted the fish into the boat, I discovered I had hooked two fish!! One on each hook of my Super Spook Jr. What a way to end the day.
A great four day span in beautiful South Texas with good hunting, great fishing and even better friends. I can hardly wait to do it again.
My good friends Ray, Randy, Ray W., Don and Mike came down for a Cast & Blast weekend. I want to thank my dear friend Capt Sally Moffett ( www.captainsally.com ) and her labrador Kelly for their assistance. They made it very memorable. We all met around 2:30 on Thursday evening and headed to the dove fields. It was hot, I mean real hot. This was just before a frontal passage on Friday morning and it was absolutely stifling out there. The thermometer on the truck said it was 101 and I think it was just being kind.
The action started out a little slow but picked up and soon the dogs were working their tails off retrieving downed birds. Capt Sally and myself were busy handling the dogs and keeping everyone hydrated or something like that LOL. At sunset we loaded up our gear and headed home to clean birds and eat a scrunptious King Ranch Chicken casserole my wife had ready for us. Click on pics to enlarge.
We ate well and drank to excess but it was all good. Next morning we awoke to our newest cold front. Winds were whipping from the north at 25mph+ and it was overcast and pretty much a miserable looking day. We were still full of optimism and headed out with Big Girls on our minds. Capt. Sally had Don and Mike with her and I had Ray, Randy and Ray W. with me. The boat ride out was a little bumpy but the water was still warm so we waded wet. That'll probably be my last wet wade of the season. The temperature dropped steadily all day and so did the water temp.
As we expected, the fishing was slow for the most part. We managed quite a few small trout and a couple of reds but keepers were few and far between. By noonish, everyone was ready to take out their frustrations on the birds again. We had a sandwich lunch and headed for the dove fields again. The conditions were very different with the passage of the cold front. When we pulled out it was cool and overcast, by the time we began our hunt, the sun was out and we were having to deal with heat again. Not quite as bad as the day before but it was still plenty warm.
One other thing we had to deal with was the huge swarm of butterflies. They were every where. We even missed a few birds because it was difficult to spot them coming in with so many flapping wings around us. Fortunately they didn't stay too long and we had a great evening hunt. The birds were hot and heavy the last hour of the day and the dogs were put through their paces again.
We headed back to the house to clean birds again and set our tastebuds for a nice porterhouse steak with all the trimmings. We the waddled out to the front yard to enjoy some wine, drinks, and fellowship on a beautiful clear cool South Texas
night.
The calm was shattered by the dogs frantically growling and running towards us around the back of my truck. We were all a little perplexed about what might garner that type of reaction from the dogs when suddenly around the corner of my truck runs a full grown javelina not fifteen feet from where we were seated. I jumped up and the javelina whirled around to take off with the dogs in hot pursuit. Just as I rounded the bumper of my truck, the ticked off javelina turned the tables on the dogs and me and charged back my way. I didn't realize I could still move that fast LOL.
Well, it was good to see that all my buddies had my back because it seemed like instantly their was artillery everywhere. So now I know who has their CHL permit. Fortunately for the javelina, he decided to leave the premises before world war three broke out. We talked and laughed about it for quite a while before taking it to bed for the night.
Next morning we awoke to twenty mph north winds and very cool conditions. This bunch is hardcore to say the least and Capt Sally and I decided to give it a try. We headed out and made several long wades and drifts with little to show. A handful of keeper trout and Randy's topwater redfish were the highlights of the day. The camaraderie shared on the water was priceless however and very much welcomed. You just cant put a price on this kind of friendship.
We headed in one last time and cleaned our fish and ourselves before heading to Kingsville for a huge chicken fried steak. All was well with the world. Now this report doesn't sound like much to you I'm sure but some of the things that were said in parting proved prophetic.
We all talked about getting our trip kinda messed up by the front. I said it looked like Sunday or Monday would be a big fish day. "Might even catch a thirty incher" I said.
So roll the tape forward to this morning. I headed out with four more great guys and we rode out to cool but almost perfect conditions. The sun was just peaking over the horizon as we made our first wade. There were slicks all over the flat and dropoff we were wading. Not a lot of surface activity by baitfish but just enough to keep our attention. I was trying out a new rod that a good friend had made for me. The Swag Stick as he likes to call it was pretty in kind of a pimp daddy way. Metallic purple wraps don't exactly match my conservative style LOL. However, the results I got may move this rod right behind my Waterloos.
Second cast of the day with a plum Norton Sand Eel (woulda been a plum Devil Eye but I don't have anymore *hint*), was met with a resounding THUMP! I set the hook hard and felt instant resistance, a lot of it. I told Wes that this was a pretty good fish. I felt the power as she made for the rocks. I put the Swag Stick to the test and pulled back hard turning her away from her little haven. I worked her up on the flat with me and slowly played her out. She surfaced once and I said "Might go twenty-six or better". She made one more strong run with head down and I was thinking it was pulling pretty good for a twenty-six.
Just then she surfaced again and I exclaimed "Oh she's bigger than that, maybe twenty-eight or better". She finally played herself out and let me attach the Boga Grip to her bottom jaw, I lifted her from the water and the Boga pegged on seven and a quarter pounds. A quick measurement against the marks on the rod confirmed that she was indeed over twenty-eight inches by about half an inch. A heck of a way to start the day.
We continued probing the area and managed two more solid trout, a twenty incher and a fat twenty-four. I'll take it.
Fishing slowed so we headed to our next stop. We waded out to a small set of rocks and I made a couple of casts, probing the bottom for the little fish magnets we call Baffin rocks. On my third cast, I was greeted by yet another THUMP!! I again set back hard on the Swag Stick putting a hell of a bend on the rod trying to bury the hook in the fish's mouth. The water exploded in front of me and it was off to the races for this Big Girl. She quickly stripped twenty yards of line off my reel as she headed for deeper water. I turned the fish and patiently started the task of working her in and trying to land her.
She was having none of that and made two more hard charging powerful runs trying in vain to make good her escape. Finally, she rolled up to me in all her glory and I latched the Boga on her bottom lip. I immediately knew that I had to have an official measurement on this fish. I was only about thirty yards from the boat and quickly waded over to get my Check It Stick. I measured her and weighed her on the Boga before the pics and the release. She officially became number twelve for me personally to top the thirty inch mark at thirty and one quarter and weighed eight and a quarter pounds. A certifiable Baffin Big Girl.
Things slowed dramatically after that with several small trout and a nice keeper red. We managed another solid twenty-three inch trout on topwater right at the end of our day. On my final cast of the trip, I was greeted by a nice blow-up on my topwater there was a lot of thrashing but I didn't feel much weight. When I lifted the fish into the boat, I discovered I had hooked two fish!! One on each hook of my Super Spook Jr. What a way to end the day.
A great four day span in beautiful South Texas with good hunting, great fishing and even better friends. I can hardly wait to do it again.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fall Fishing??
I've been looking forward to our fall this year hoping for good things. Up until recently, I hadn't seen much to be excited about. However, the past few days have kinda brought a little hope. A good day with topwaters on reds and a few trout combined with a short half day trip today which produced 12 trout with a 23" and a
25" thrown in kinda made things a little brighter. Today it was plastics over deep rocks with the light winds helping slow things down the way I like it. Bloody white Sea Shad and Plum Saltwater Assassins did all the work. Click on pic to enlarge
25" thrown in kinda made things a little brighter. Today it was plastics over deep rocks with the light winds helping slow things down the way I like it. Bloody white Sea Shad and Plum Saltwater Assassins did all the work. Click on pic to enlarge
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wild Weather
Sorry for not updating regularly this week. Lotsa fishing and a big Cast & Blast weekend left little time to think much less write. The fishing is still a bit off but did improve with the frontal passage. We had a good topwater bite on Saturday with several slot reds and even a few nice trout falling for various Top Dogs, She Dogs and Skitterwalks. Potholes in 2 feet of water were key.
The dove hunting also proved rather interesting with the major change in the weather. We had some birds but they came in mini waves. Lotsa shooting and a few for the grill. Had an absolute blast with my good friends from San Antonio. Special thanks to my friend Capt Sally Moffett and her lab Kelly for their help with the Cast & Blast group. Saw our first flight of snow geese this morning and the front pushed a ton of ducks down here. Looks like we may have a decent openenr for a change.
The dove hunting also proved rather interesting with the major change in the weather. We had some birds but they came in mini waves. Lotsa shooting and a few for the grill. Had an absolute blast with my good friends from San Antonio. Special thanks to my friend Capt Sally Moffett and her lab Kelly for their help with the Cast & Blast group. Saw our first flight of snow geese this morning and the front pushed a ton of ducks down here. Looks like we may have a decent openenr for a change.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Baby Steps
After the past three or four trips, I was beginning to question whether I knew what I was doing or not. Things have been slow so today I was determined to work hard and get a little better outcome. We still didn't get the numbers I hoped for but our quality was respectable. We had three nice trout over twenty inches with the two biggest around 24". We caught about half of the fish on topwaters, Black Super Spook Jr in eighteen inches of water over grass and mud. The rest came on paddletail plastics in a variety of colors. six trout and two reds for the box today. It's better but we still have a ways to go. Now I'm mad at em. Click on pic to enlarge.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Scratch Two
Only marginally better today. Numbers still way down but we saw some decent size. I have a nice video of one of my guys losing a real nice trout on a topwater. We had enough for a big batch of ceviche but no fish fry. Topwaters did the most damage early over deep rocks. One day off and I'll hit it Monday. Its starting to get personal now.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Head Scratcher
Well, I vowed to be a "No Spin" reporter so here is the scoop for the day. We fished hard with a group of three from Houston today. We were in pre-frontal conditions with a mild southerly breeze this morning. The winds shifted around noon and blew hard out of the north. For the 5 hours between 7:00am and noon, conventional wisdom would dictate that this was going to be an off the charts morning. Only someone didn't tell the fish. We caught fish everywhere we went but no size. We finally picked up a couple of decent trout on the final wade of the day but all in all the fishing sucked. I will be out again tomorrow to try to prove it was a fluke.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Fall Reds
Fall is definitely in the air. The mornings are cool, flights of ducks are visible all over the Laguna Madre and redfish are on the move. Had a great group of repeat "friends" from San Antonio. I always say once you fish with someone a few times, they are no longer clients but friends. These guys are even more than that. I have an absolute blast with them every time they come down.
We hooked up with Capt Mike Hart and headed out for a day on the water. While the fishing was not as fast and furious as I had hoped, we did well. We ended with 15 reds and 2 trout. Bloody/white Sea Shad and Chartreuse Curl Tail Gulps under maulers were top producers. We did manage a bit of a topwater bite and a couple of the reds were sightcasted, my favorite. Looking forward to next time guys. Got a few openings this week and the conditions look great so give me a call 210-355-5091. Click on the pic to enlarge.
We hooked up with Capt Mike Hart and headed out for a day on the water. While the fishing was not as fast and furious as I had hoped, we did well. We ended with 15 reds and 2 trout. Bloody/white Sea Shad and Chartreuse Curl Tail Gulps under maulers were top producers. We did manage a bit of a topwater bite and a couple of the reds were sightcasted, my favorite. Looking forward to next time guys. Got a few openings this week and the conditions look great so give me a call 210-355-5091. Click on the pic to enlarge.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Good With The Bad
Had a bad day on the water but a great day in the dove fields. Picked up only three trout and three reds. Half on plastics and half on topwaters. It was painfully slow with the north winds blowing 15-20mph and drizzle. The water temps dropped from a balmy 85 degrees a few days ago to a chilly 67 today. To cool for this boy to wet wade.
We took out our frustrations on the birds and gave Rocksy a workout. Just over an hour and we had three limits. Left 'em flying. I was actually picky with my shots and had probably my best percentage shooting day. One limit (15 birds) 18 shots Woo Hoo. Bet I never do that again.
Weather man says a little warm up in the future so I'm thinking Saturday and Sunday should be killer. This ought to stack up the redfish for sure. Give me a call and lets go have an adventure.
We took out our frustrations on the birds and gave Rocksy a workout. Just over an hour and we had three limits. Left 'em flying. I was actually picky with my shots and had probably my best percentage shooting day. One limit (15 birds) 18 shots Woo Hoo. Bet I never do that again.
Weather man says a little warm up in the future so I'm thinking Saturday and Sunday should be killer. This ought to stack up the redfish for sure. Give me a call and lets go have an adventure.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Cast & Blast
Opening weekend of Cast & Blast for the south zone was officially a success here on Baffin Bay. The recent rains had me a little worried about what the birds might do but it turned out I worried needlessly. Friday afternoon hunt was very good. While we didn't limit out, it was not the fault of the birds LOL. Click on the pics to enlarge.
Saturday, we hit the water early and with the help of Capt. Tom Crouch and Capt Sally Moffett, we had a good day on the water. Capt Tom's boat had a great day and they captured the Big Trout pot with twin 28 1/2" Big Girls.
That evenings hunt was near Falfurrias and was very good as well. Capt Sally's new lab pup Kelly got a good work out as did my Rocksy. A few prickly pear thorns needed to be removed but the dogs proved their mettle and made our jobs easier.
The fishing the next morning was fantastic despite no winds. Trout up to 22" were good on topwaters and redfish were about as thick and aggressive as I have seen in quite a while. We caught and released beyond our limits and had several oversized reds as well all on topwaters. Super Spook Jr's, and MirroMullets in various colors did the job for us. Also, I saw more stingrays this weekend than I think I have ever seen so if you are wading in the Baffin, ULM area, please be careful.
Saturday, we hit the water early and with the help of Capt. Tom Crouch and Capt Sally Moffett, we had a good day on the water. Capt Tom's boat had a great day and they captured the Big Trout pot with twin 28 1/2" Big Girls.
That evenings hunt was near Falfurrias and was very good as well. Capt Sally's new lab pup Kelly got a good work out as did my Rocksy. A few prickly pear thorns needed to be removed but the dogs proved their mettle and made our jobs easier.
The fishing the next morning was fantastic despite no winds. Trout up to 22" were good on topwaters and redfish were about as thick and aggressive as I have seen in quite a while. We caught and released beyond our limits and had several oversized reds as well all on topwaters. Super Spook Jr's, and MirroMullets in various colors did the job for us. Also, I saw more stingrays this weekend than I think I have ever seen so if you are wading in the Baffin, ULM area, please be careful.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Vacation Time
Rumors of my passing are greatly exaggerated. After a fantastic August, I decided to spend some time with friends and family. Hope y'all don't get tired of seeing occasional pics of my grandson cause I am so attached to the little guy I can't hardly stand to be away more than a week or so. I always heard about how fast kids grow up but seeing it first hand like this, I can concur. They definitely grow up too fast. Click on pics to enlarge.
We visited family and squeezed in a dove hunt with the son in law and good friends before heading to Lake Amistad for an adventure with 5 other couples onboard a 70' houseboat. Forever Resorts on Lake Amistad has a very nice operation and the boats are absolutely fantastic. We took tons of pics and did a lot of sightseeing. Chinese built railroad tunnels through solid limestone (full of Mexican freetail bats incidentally), Indian pictographs on cave walls and deeply grooved canyons with fern growing out of the walls were just some of the highlights.
We did a little fishing and I found out that Brown Lures Devil Eyes work for Black Bass LOL. I was lucky and picked up the biggest bass of the trip on a black Super Spook Jr.
Back home now and gearing up for teal, dove and of course trout and redfish. The recent heavy rains have been wonderful and we are looking forward to an awesome fall. Hope to see many of you down here soon.
We visited family and squeezed in a dove hunt with the son in law and good friends before heading to Lake Amistad for an adventure with 5 other couples onboard a 70' houseboat. Forever Resorts on Lake Amistad has a very nice operation and the boats are absolutely fantastic. We took tons of pics and did a lot of sightseeing. Chinese built railroad tunnels through solid limestone (full of Mexican freetail bats incidentally), Indian pictographs on cave walls and deeply grooved canyons with fern growing out of the walls were just some of the highlights.
We did a little fishing and I found out that Brown Lures Devil Eyes work for Black Bass LOL. I was lucky and picked up the biggest bass of the trip on a black Super Spook Jr.
Back home now and gearing up for teal, dove and of course trout and redfish. The recent heavy rains have been wonderful and we are looking forward to an awesome fall. Hope to see many of you down here soon.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Once Again
Something resembling a thunderstorm rumbled through Baffin last night and it seemed to make the fishing even a little tougher than yesterday. However, I had a good crew and we worked our tails off and ended with a decent box of trout and one stray redfish. We topped it off with a Big Girl at around 3:00 on our last stop of the day. Congrats Rick on a new personal best 27"+. Click on pics to enlarge.
We picked up a few trout early on a shallow grass/mud flat on Bloody/white Sea Shad but the majority again came over rocks from waist deep to chest deep including the Big girl on Dark Strawberry and Morning Glory Devil Eyes as well as Plum and Rootbeer/ Red Glitter Saltwater Assassins on 1/16 oz. jigheads.
We picked up a few trout early on a shallow grass/mud flat on Bloody/white Sea Shad but the majority again came over rocks from waist deep to chest deep including the Big girl on Dark Strawberry and Morning Glory Devil Eyes as well as Plum and Rootbeer/ Red Glitter Saltwater Assassins on 1/16 oz. jigheads.
Grinding Again
Did some serious grinding today (Friday 29). Had beautiful ice cream conditions but just couldn't seem to find any concentrations of fish we picked up a couple here and a couple there. All fish came over rocks in waist deep to chest deep water on various dark colored baits. Mostly on Rootbeer/Red glitter and Plum Saltwater Assassins along with Cajun Pepper and Morning Glory Devil Eyes. Big fish of the day was a solid 26"+ Big Girl (released). Click on pics to enlarge.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Stoking The Fires
Had a day off but didn't get much rest. Took my wife up to visit with the new Grandbaby and I brought the older grandkids back with me for a little fishing excursion. Didn't get to fish with them last time because I was just plain wore out. So I promised them a trip this week. We got a little late start but that was fine. Things didn't go smoothly but that was fine too. The fishing gods showed a bit of compassion on us at the first stop as we quickly hooked up and landed half a dozen fish including these two solid eighteen inch plus trout. Bloody/white Sea Shad did the damage today. It was great to see the enthusiasm in their young eyes. Click on pics to enlarge.
I really wanted to hook them up to a couple of reds but it wasn't meant to be this day. We'll try it again tomorrow maybe a little earlier, maybe not. It was great to spend a little time on the water with the boys. Looking forward to tomorrow.......... just as soon as I rest up.
I really wanted to hook them up to a couple of reds but it wasn't meant to be this day. We'll try it again tomorrow maybe a little earlier, maybe not. It was great to spend a little time on the water with the boys. Looking forward to tomorrow.......... just as soon as I rest up.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Deja Vu
Great day on the water today. I knew it would be tough to top yesterdays trip but I think we did a more than respectable job. We got started early and hit some of the same areas as we did yesterday. Trout were still holding on the rocks in three to four foot of water. They were a bit more cooperative today. We had a noice box of fourteen trout and released a solid 27"+ Big Girl. Plumtreuse Devil Eyes were the hot ticket for trout. We also did quite well with the Cajun Pepper Devil Eyes. Click on the pics to enlarge.
Then we went outside the box and tried something a little different. I mentioned last week about the biggest school of black drum I had ever seen. Well, we went to look for them again and found them. This time we were prepared with some black 3" Berkley Gulp curl tails and had an absolute blast sightcasting to drum in six inches of water. We managed to trick fourteen into taking our offering. There is just something about sightcasting to fish in super skinny water that just gets your juices flowing. This isn't the greatest pic but will give you an idea of what we were catching all those drum out of.
On another note, the last four days I have seen numerous flights of blue wing teal on the bay. I'm getting pumped up about duck season and especially early teal. It looks like its going to be a great year.
Then we went outside the box and tried something a little different. I mentioned last week about the biggest school of black drum I had ever seen. Well, we went to look for them again and found them. This time we were prepared with some black 3" Berkley Gulp curl tails and had an absolute blast sightcasting to drum in six inches of water. We managed to trick fourteen into taking our offering. There is just something about sightcasting to fish in super skinny water that just gets your juices flowing. This isn't the greatest pic but will give you an idea of what we were catching all those drum out of.
On another note, the last four days I have seen numerous flights of blue wing teal on the bay. I'm getting pumped up about duck season and especially early teal. It looks like its going to be a great year.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Big Girl Sighting
We had great conditions this morning and a good bite on various plastics the first couple of hours this morning. Several nice trout made the box including a solid 22"er. Things dropped to a crawl as we continued to catch fish but not much size. At about eleven o'clock the winds laid down flat and the water greened up very well. We hit some spots we normally don't get to fish when the winds are blowing. Today it paid off. Dean went old school and broke out the Texas Roach Cocahoe minnow and worked around some belly deep rocks to pull out this Baffin Big Girl, a new personal best. Click on pic to enlarge.
A couple of quick pics and we released her back into the 87 degree waters. She swam off strong and a few high fives and congratulations were shared.
Things slowed down again as we tried several more likely spots. The winds kicked up out of the north and shifted to the east northeast before we finally decided to head in for the day. Ten fish for the box and the released Big Girl made for a successful day. Hot baits today were the Texas Roach Cocahoe, Royal Purple, Dark Strawberry, Rootbeer/red glitter and Cajun Pepper Devil Eyes rigged on 1/16 oz Tru-Lock jigheads were the ticket. All fish came in waist deep to chest deep water over rocks.
A couple of quick pics and we released her back into the 87 degree waters. She swam off strong and a few high fives and congratulations were shared.
Things slowed down again as we tried several more likely spots. The winds kicked up out of the north and shifted to the east northeast before we finally decided to head in for the day. Ten fish for the box and the released Big Girl made for a successful day. Hot baits today were the Texas Roach Cocahoe, Royal Purple, Dark Strawberry, Rootbeer/red glitter and Cajun Pepper Devil Eyes rigged on 1/16 oz Tru-Lock jigheads were the ticket. All fish came in waist deep to chest deep water over rocks.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tyler Strikes Again
Well, it was a grind again today. We had nice conditions and plenty of bait just about everywhere we went. Invasion of the dink trout it felt like, We managed a few for the box up to 20" and had one UFO (Unidentified Fishy Object) that stretched Wanda's line for a good while before pulling the hook out. Probably a big drum or bull red but we optimistically call it a 40" trout. Tyler got his first taste of sightcasting for redfish. I actually hooked up on the fish but Tyler helped me spot it. The kid has some pretty good tools for an eleven year old. I look forward to watching his progression as a fisherman. Cajun Pepper, Dark Strawberry Devil Eyes along with Plum Saltwater Assassin, Cajun Pepper Berkley Power mullet and Bloody/white Sea Shad all rigged on 1/16 Tru-Lock Jigheads. Deeper water (3'-4') for trout. Calf deep for the redfish. Click on pic to enlarge.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Scramble Time
The higher tides have really got the fish scattered right now. We are picking up a bunch of smaller fish and an occasional keeper at most places we go. Just can't seem to string together anything consistent. Better trout over deeper rocks on various plastics. Cajun Pepper Devil Eye and Power Mullet, Plum Saltwater Assassin and Bloody/white Sea Shad were the go-to baits today. We did spend way too much time pestering the largest school of black drum I have ever seen. Thousands and thousands of slot drum in six to eight inches of water. We managed to get three of them to chase plastics. Also, eleven year old Tyler got his first keeper red. I think he was surprised at how hard it fought. Wants to do it again tomorrow. Click on pic to enlarge.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fit To Be "Tide"
Tides still rising. They came up another two inches overnight. Sure makes it hard to locate concentrations of fish. We did manage some nice trout on a catch and release trip today. I picked up a chunky 6 1/4 pounder on our first stop over waist deep rocks and mud on a cajun/pepper Devil Eye. Low and slow was the retrieve that brought the most hits as we caught several seventeen to eighteen inch trout. Click om pic to enlarge.
We made several moves fishing various structure and found a few fish everywhere we went. Lots more dinks than keepers but our second spot did produce one nice twenty-four + incher.
Hot baits for the day are pictured below.
We made several moves fishing various structure and found a few fish everywhere we went. Lots more dinks than keepers but our second spot did produce one nice twenty-four + incher.
Hot baits for the day are pictured below.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Changing Conditions
Had the weekend and Monday off due to a cancellation. Finally got back on the water today and boy have things changed. Our water level is up about six inches since last Friday. Predictably the fish were scattered. Plus we almost had to do something we haven't done in what seems like forever....... dodge a thunderstorm. We stayed dry but Loyola Beach did get a trace of rain. Just enough to make the humidity unbearable when we got back in. Small box of trout today with three of the trout right at 20". Including this one caught by nine year old Will on the final drift of the day. Bloody/white Sea Shad and Cajun Pepper Devil Eyes were the ticket today. Click on pic to enlarge.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Seeing Red
Had a couple of grinders with me today and it showed. Fishing was a little tough over all but this group managed a nice box with limits of redfish. releasing seven more and even three black drum that decided to attack plastic. We also had five trout and released two 25"ers and this 27"+ Big Girl. Click on pic to enlarge.
Cajun Papper and Dark Strawberry Devil Eyes were the ticket for the trout while the usual bloody/white Sea Shad handled all the reds and drum. Off for the weekend to be with family (see: Grandson) I guess I'll have to deal with the rest of the family as well LOL. Back to the grind on Monday so stay tuned.
Cajun Papper and Dark Strawberry Devil Eyes were the ticket for the trout while the usual bloody/white Sea Shad handled all the reds and drum. Off for the weekend to be with family (see: Grandson) I guess I'll have to deal with the rest of the family as well LOL. Back to the grind on Monday so stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Shifting Gears
Well, the guys decided they had enough redfish action for this trip and wanted to focus on trout. We had pretty decent conditions this morning and I stuck my neck out and guaranteed a trout over twenty-five inches for these guys. Karl came real close with this 24"+ trout on a pumpkinseed/chartreuse Sea Shad. Click on the pic to enlarge.
Then Kyle bounced a Red Shad Saltwater Assassin around some waist deep rocks and was rewarded with a new personal best 26"er. We got several good pictures before releasing her.
All fish came on plastics today. The aforementioned Red Shad Assassin and Pumpkinseed/chartreuse Sea Shad as well as Royal Purple and Dark Strawberry Devil Eyes. All around rocks in waist deep to chest deep water.
Then Kyle bounced a Red Shad Saltwater Assassin around some waist deep rocks and was rewarded with a new personal best 26"er. We got several good pictures before releasing her.
All fish came on plastics today. The aforementioned Red Shad Assassin and Pumpkinseed/chartreuse Sea Shad as well as Royal Purple and Dark Strawberry Devil Eyes. All around rocks in waist deep to chest deep water.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Back In The Saddle
Not a great day but not too bad. We ended with 5 trout to 18" and 10 redfish with two oversize. All on the usual bloody/white Sea Shad on 1/16oz Title SHot jigs. Water is up slightly and most fish were in calf deep water around grass and potholes. Water temps are so warm that the fish are almost cooked when you land them LOL.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Well, I went fishing of course. Had the great opportunity and pleasure to fish with some good friends offshore for three days. The fishing was great and I am sore in places I didn't even know you could get sore. We trolled a five lure spread and I was the one in the chair when this big wahoo hit. Click on the photos to enlarge.
We deep dropped and caught a nice variety of fish. Chuck was catching them two at a time on knife jigs.
We did a little "chunking" at night near a deep water floating rig and got into some really nice yellowfin tuna. All in all it was a great time on the water. The weather cooperated nicely and we all got back safe and sound with just a couple of scratches LOL.
Looking forward to chasing some fish in somewhat shallower water. I'll be at it again starting tomorrow so stay tuned for a more "normal" report.
We deep dropped and caught a nice variety of fish. Chuck was catching them two at a time on knife jigs.
We did a little "chunking" at night near a deep water floating rig and got into some really nice yellowfin tuna. All in all it was a great time on the water. The weather cooperated nicely and we all got back safe and sound with just a couple of scratches LOL.
Looking forward to chasing some fish in somewhat shallower water. I'll be at it again starting tomorrow so stay tuned for a more "normal" report.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Confirmed
Took a wild bunch out today and had a blast. Traded insults and plenty of good natured ribbing. Put the new theory to the test and its confirmed. We started early out of habit but didn't really get into the fish until after noon. We ended up catching over twenty redfish and 5 or 6 nice trout. There were huge schools of drum on the flat with our redfish mixed in. Ankle to calf deep water using bloody/white Sea Shad and chartreuse Cocahoe minnows on 1/16 oz Title SHot jigs. All reds were sight cast and a couple of the trout were as well.
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Light Bulb Comes On
I may not be the sharpest pencil in the box but I can recognize a pattern when it slaps me in the face 5 or 6 times........ or can I?!?!
I mentioned that we have not had much of a morning bite recently. In fact it really killed one trip last week when the guys I was fishing with could only fish for the morning. See: Morning C&R Trip from July 30
Well, after discussing this with a few guide friends and a couple of other guys I know that have been fishing a lot lately, we all came to the same conclusion. The fish just are not biting very well until about noon or so.
I put the new found theory to the test yesterday. We had one red and 4 trout in the box at noon. Over the next three hours, we added six more trout to 19" and the redfish hordes came in waves until once again we were too tired to cast. Estimated 40 to 50 reds.
Ten trout to 19" and easy limits of redfish to just over 28" on Bloody/white Sea Shad and just about any red and white paddletail style baits we had. ankle deep to calf deep water over MUD and grass. Emphasis on the mud. I think I'll sleep late and try to recover. My calf and thigh muscles are aching today LOL.
I mentioned that we have not had much of a morning bite recently. In fact it really killed one trip last week when the guys I was fishing with could only fish for the morning. See: Morning C&R Trip from July 30
Well, after discussing this with a few guide friends and a couple of other guys I know that have been fishing a lot lately, we all came to the same conclusion. The fish just are not biting very well until about noon or so.
I put the new found theory to the test yesterday. We had one red and 4 trout in the box at noon. Over the next three hours, we added six more trout to 19" and the redfish hordes came in waves until once again we were too tired to cast. Estimated 40 to 50 reds.
Ten trout to 19" and easy limits of redfish to just over 28" on Bloody/white Sea Shad and just about any red and white paddletail style baits we had. ankle deep to calf deep water over MUD and grass. Emphasis on the mud. I think I'll sleep late and try to recover. My calf and thigh muscles are aching today LOL.
And August Begins
Had an exceptional day today with easy limits of redfish. We caught plenty of trout but they were on the small side for the most part. We only boxed one trout but the hot and heavy redfish action more than made up for it.
Quote of the day---Bert: In my 48 years on this earth, I've never caught so many reds that My arms just got too sore to fish".
We didn't start counting until we had over 10 reds but we guesstimated we caught and released between 50 and 60 reds from just keeper size to 30".
Bloody/white Sea Shad and red whie Cocahoe Minnows in ankle deep to calf deep water over mud and grass. One word to anyone wanting to try this. Make sure you don't have any health problems because this is one UGLY wade.
Quote of the day---Bert: In my 48 years on this earth, I've never caught so many reds that My arms just got too sore to fish".
We didn't start counting until we had over 10 reds but we guesstimated we caught and released between 50 and 60 reds from just keeper size to 30".
Bloody/white Sea Shad and red whie Cocahoe Minnows in ankle deep to calf deep water over mud and grass. One word to anyone wanting to try this. Make sure you don't have any health problems because this is one UGLY wade.
July Is Done...... Finally
Its been a hot one for sure and for about the third straight trip there just hasn't been much of a morning bite. We managed a few reds and trout for the box and released one nice 25" trout but eberything came in the last hour and a half. Bloody/white Sea Shad on 1/16oz. Title SHot jigs in knee deep water over mud and grass was the pattern.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Morning C&R Trip
Had a couple of gentlemen for a quick morning wade to try out a couple of new areas and help them with a few techniques. Not a lot of catching as we only ended up with three keeper trout and one really chunky 20" flounder. Seems like the flounder are still hot and heavy. Cajun Pepper Devil Eyes and Rootbeer/red glitter assassins did the most damage today.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Things That Make You Say .....Hmmm
Had nice conditions today with light winds until after noon. Fished basically the same pattern and baits as the past few days but struggld all day. Ended with 10 trout (biggest was 18") and one 19" flounder. Got a few days off to think it over and try again LOL.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Floundering In The Heat
Winds were somewhat lighter today and the fishing was still just as hot as the weather. We boxed 10 trout to 23" and 4 redfish to a perfect "tournament" size 28"er along with one oversize. We had numerous small trout and reds to keep the action steady and released several keeper size trout looking for the fatter ones to take home. We also managed these two hefty flounder on Rootbeer/ red glitter Saltwater Assassins on the spoil banks. Click on the pics for fullsize.
The reds and trout fell for a variety of 4" paddletail baits in just about every conceivable color. Grass and ptholes in thigh deep water was the ticket again.
The reds and trout fell for a variety of 4" paddletail baits in just about every conceivable color. Grass and ptholes in thigh deep water was the ticket again.
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