Well,

Early morning trip 3-8 am Sat. What will the tide bring in?

The early bird

Bark at the moon!

If you consistently strive to understand the quarry you chase, then you must constantly
explore theory's and gut feelings about that games movement and safe zones. Weigh it all with weather, tide and moon. Then attempt to apply those theory's and proven instances to formulate logical and predictable times when your sacrifice of sleep and family is outweighed by potentially amazing opportunity.

What I'm trying to say is....do your homework. Although its usually the case that the sunrise or sunset brings with it an opportunity for success regardless of factors. The time you are betting on is only a couple of hours before the light or darkness moves fish from their safe feeding zones or into different patterns that might take more time and lost tidal movement to dial into. Thus reducing the total time on pattern and ultimately reducing your chance for success. I'm primarily addressing the early spring and summer patterns in this instance. For winter daylight brings warmth and can be your best friend.

During one of my recent fishing excursions I was facing highs in the mid 70's and a low of abut 60. The water was still a little chilly but warm enough that fish would be active and feeding pre dawn. Plus being a weekend and a slack tide at 7 am the morning/day bite wasn't in my time frame. The moon was setting at 4 am so I wanted to be fishing before then. I slipped into the water at 3 am and caught my first male trout at 3:30. I had enough action to call it a great trip in one hour. Gradually the topwater explosions became slaps and looks. At about 6:30 I caught my last trout. Which also coincided with an armada of boats and waders. I think I counted 11 waders right before I left at 9am. I didn't see another fish caught. I managed a small redfish on topwater before ALL the bait stopped showing at about 7 on the dot. I switched tactics and lucked into 4 1/2 pound flounder on a corky devil. And then no bites were had for two whole hours. Albeit the tide had stopped but if fish are in an area you can sometimes get some looks or taps to reassure you without their commitment. I was fishing a large sand flat to really just try and feel the fish out and I think I did. I stayed late and observed from the shore to see if the incoming brought more feeding fish but the high sky's were a bad combo with the gin clear water and the trout were scattered. Moved off to deeper sanctuary to most likely set up on a drop off and await glass minnows pushed by the tide and shrimp migrating in from the gulf. I might have just gotten lucky but I like to think that planning and understanding of conditions was the deciding factor to my success.

Early spring can be a tough nut to crack. Some fish have already moved onto the sand flats that will be used to spawn when the temps are right. these flats also double as vast roaming feeding zones. Although in the early part of the year when water temps aren't at their optimal level these areas mainly contain smaller male with the occasional eater female. Theirs always a chance to luck into a larger female if the conditions are in your favor. But before the first big spring full moon the larger fish are still mostly in transition. And your best chance to catch the pre spawn fatback trout or your dreams might be more of a reality if you concentrate on fishing more winter time haunts with springtime features nearby. Key in on the shallower shoreline areas with bait. Work slow. Move slow. Make a LOT of casts before you take a few steps and push forward. Be patient. If you don't get any bites try switching lures of move 30 yards down the shore. If big fish are around they might be on a slow cruise. Mingling with male suitors and trying to get an easy meal before their big date.

All in all I have had a good spring. I released a seven pound trout caught on a bomber long A in knee deep water and caught a five pound flounder on the same trip fishing a lunker candy colored gambler dipped with a chartruse tail. Hopefully I can get out and have some more success, but I will just hope to get out and let the cards fall where they may. You know what they say about a bad days fishing.

P.S. I bought the fucking glasses. We will see how long they last. Trying to just use them while driving and fishing. And I'm sticking to that. So maybe the last time I fall for it!

Curing problem plastics

Wether it be straight out of the bag or sitting in your tackle hoard for years soft plastic worms of all kind have one thing in common at one time or another. The bends.

Pardon the pics, I'm working through the blogger app on the ipad. Anyways. Theres a very simple solution to the seemingly lure ruining curves and twists that has been good to me. As simple as "cooking" them.

Now I don't mean simmer on high for 30 minutes. I'm talking abut a quick dip just to soften the plastic into remembering its original shape. This also works with flys that have mono weed guards. A speedy submersion into hot water and they will return back to the desired location. My technique is to boil the water in a pot and then turn off the heat. Let the water sit for about 30 seconds and then drop the problem children in. Let them sit for 20 or so seconds depending on plastic density. I like to stir them gently to ensure total submersion and effectiveness. Then lay them out either flat or hanging off an edge until dry. I like hanging them, I think it helps the plastic stretch. Don't worry about the surface being sticky. They will return to normal when dry and cool. They might be tacky, but if you put them back in the bag with the original oils you will never tell the difference. Just don't put them on a dusty surface or throw animal hair on them.

They might not be perfect all the time. But they will damn sure fish better!

Yeah.

https://www.costadelmar.com/press/costa-del-mar-fantail-sunglasses

If there were a pair of sunglasses that would fit right into this blog's mantra
then these right here would be the pair. Obviously green, making the best
out of water quality reguardless of the color. If I wasnt such a
cheap ass and only bought Academy Renegade polarised
sunglasses at $10-$15 a pop then I might invest in my personal attitude
 adjusters. I just lose glasses man, I scratch them, they get stolen, shit happens
 to my shades ya dig? But these spensive ones sure are nice....................
 before the inevitable.

Beautiful Fall

Fishing involves a lot of speculation. A lot of educated guesses. And then just a little bit of luck when you have a day off during a stretch of good weather. I rarely see the latter. But I'm always full of the previous! These two trips involved all three. A stellar day of flounder fishing in November(you can only keep 2 flounder in Texas in November) and another day about three weeks later with my daughter in Moses lake. We have been turning the Late October/early November trips with the kayak into a yearly ritual. When flounder are often plentiful along the shoreline and red fish working shrimp under small pods of seagulls a likely occurrence. I live the gulf coast in the fall. Its no doubt my favorite time of year. Hunters are tending their lease or in the blind, and anything is possible. Big fish are in shallow water all day usually because of the mild temps and plentiful forage. Perfect time for a wade fisherman. Although winter wading comes in a close second and summer night wades right behind, fall is just the most comfortable.  

 Some fish get lucky, the moss covered popping cork surfaced several yards in front of me and I snagged it, releasing this black drum to finally get a well deserved meal and have a fighting chance.

 After catching three flounder in fifteen minutes on gambler flappin shad, I quickly switched to my flyrod to try and land a saddle blanket the hard way. Too bad the fish pretty much stopped biting. I did manage a few smaller fish though! It was a real treat.
Below, the first of three quick flounders caught. 5 and 5 1/2 pound beauty's,  headed for the BBQ.

 Now for the next trip.

 My daughter Lily. She is a fish catching expert. Now to get her to fit into waders! Haha. She loves going in the kayak. I cant wait to be able to afford a small john boat. She will truly be hooked. We ended up with 3 nice reds and a couple small(16-17inch) flounders and one trout about 2 pounds. She reeled them all in. Daddy just hooks them.

Days not forgotten

I haven't forgotten about you. You beautiful little collection of memories. I just lost the cord to connect my camera with the computer. Which has put me back about 5-6 post. Don't worry, there are some good ones in there. They include guns, fishing and other manly shit. Big flounders, pig hunts, kids fishing. BTW, kids will just eat up all your alone time.


Until Santa comes, keep you money in a fense post and your guns loaded.

smarter fishers

 Wildflowers make the best corsages.

 I have tied this fly about 10 times and have yet to fish it. Hope it swims well.

 Fish on at San Luis Pass!

 The word of the morning was top water. The morning bite was a little off. Fish were in the area but from 5AM until about 8 I only had 3 bites. From 8 to 10 I caught probably 8 trout fan casting and wandering back and fourth on a knee to thigh deep flat that the incoming tide pushes onto. The flat is unique. It has a shallow point on one side and dead end bowl that is breaking through to a small drop off. The area that holds fish on normal tides starts in about waist to chest deep water and pushes up into shin deep. The best spot is about 40 yards long and 40 yards wide with the sweetest area as big as a school bus. This is the attention that is what makes finding and dialing in new spots a little easier. Walking the whole area and making a mental picture of the bottom and remembering that picture. In an area like a pass into the gulf the bottom changes all the time. Major changes might take years but subtle and more localized changes in bottom contour might be obvious during weeks or months during the season. Its important to a wade fisherman to pay fucking attention. In the scheme of things its not really a lot to remember. It will help you catch fish.

I love dolphins. Porpoise, whales, water mammals. Not sea lions. Fuck them. But dolphins are awesome. These were two different pods that were one family. They watched us fish a reef point and we watched them fish in the channel. On our way in we ran into them again and slowed down to take a picture. They sensed our curiosity and actually swam alongside the boat as we putted along at idle speed and watched us just as we watched them. It was amazing. I fucking love dolphins.