Fishing Megathread: Looking For Big Girls Who swallow

[troph 24804]

yeah I enjoyed that video quite a bit. happy and healthy fish give me hope for the world (maybe ill-advised hope, and maybe all hope is ill-advised). happy fish, happy troph. it's kinda that simple.

[Sam Lin 3559]

I sweatergawd Surly can fuck up any thread.

[davidg 4038]

I bet you could catch a real nice bass if hooked one of them little trout through the lips and cast it out under some lilly pads.

[Chewbacca 7779]

On 8/5/2023 at 8:41 PM, MalibuSheriff said:

Spur of the moment cannonball run to the New Mexico high country with the kid…

First order of business was kid’s request  -Black Mesa hike to Oklahoma high point on the trip out.  Beautiful, vast empty mesa country brimming with all types of wildlife.  Hotter than hell and no shade but worth it.  I’d recommend this hike in cool seasons - Very nice Nature Conservancy property at trailhead.

 

On to the destination - High country of the northern New Mexico Sangre de Cristos and lots of Rio Grande cutts.

 

 

The Land of Enchantment still very enchanting.

I know I'll come off as the grumpy asshole (again), but please do not handle trout with dry hands.  It removes the slime layer off their skin that keeps them healthy.  They more easily contract diseases when improperly handled.

Otherwise, you get an A+.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

caught a little Permit today. Jumped a 100+ lb tarpon, but she came unbuttoned pretty quick. 

[RMac5 1551]

@MalibuSheriff congrats on the NM trip! Chile rellenos at Orlando’s? All of it looks fantastic.

[MalibuSheriff 1090]

2 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

I know I'll come off as the grumpy asshole (again), but please do not handle trout with dry hands.  It removes the slime layer off their skin that keeps them healthy.  They more easily contract diseases when improperly handled.

Otherwise, you get an A+.

No worries.  The photo looks like dry hands but my kid’s hands were wet each time.  I’ve pounded that in him at a young age.  Only had one net, otherwise they would have all been netted in the water but you have to do your best running to an excited kid catching his first cutthroats.

RMac - yes, chile rellenos at Orlando’s for the celebratory dinner.  I’m always a Christmas order but believe I actually prefer their red Chile best.  

[Braff Zacklin 13575]

1 hour ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Jumped a 100+ lb tarpon, but she came unbuttoned pretty quick. 

1 in 10, I hear. 1 in 10.

[Mac8111 2107]

[ohchaucer 1443]

caught a little Permit today. Jumped a 100+ lb tarpon, but she came unbuttoned pretty quick. 

Beautiful. Your hands look a little dry, but otherwise spot on!

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

little bit bigger one today. I assure you my hands were sufficiently wet. 

[Mac8111 2107]

Moist

[Braff Zacklin 13575]

1 hour ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

little bit bigger one today. I assure you my hands were sufficiently wet. 

Share the deets. That looks like it had to be one helluva fight.  We want gear, flies, technique, and a play-by-play breakdown.

Don't skimp on the minutiae, damnit.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

13 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Share the deets. That looks like it had to be one helluva fight.  We want gear, flies, technique, and a play-by-play breakdown.

Don't skimp on the minutiae, damnit.

Gear: Sage Salt HD 9wt, Tibor Riptide reel. Scientific Anglers Amplitude Grand Slam fly line. Strong Arm Merkin crab fly I tied myself. 

We were sitting off the beach looking for big Tarpon and Permit on the ocean side. There were plenty tarpon, but the jacks were swarming and would steal the fly as soon as it hit the water. The bow of the panga was probably 30' off the beach, and the stern was only maybe 10' off. Guide shouts "palometa! Behind you!" and sure enough, there were two Permit cruising like 5' off the water line in  maybe 18" of water. Put the fly in front of them and the back fish ate. Ran me well into my backing using the back draft from breaking waves to pull itself offshore. Guide got his hands on the leader 3 times and fish went for a run all three times. Finally got it to hand after about 10-15 minutes. 

Fed another much bigger one and it broke the hook on the fly when it ate.  

[Braff Zacklin 13575]

That's awesome, dude! However, you should've started with, "The sea was angry that day, my friends."

[Mac8111 2107]

That was my exact first tight thought.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

13 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Gear: Sage Salt HD 9wt, Tibor Riptide reel. Scientific Anglers Amplitude Grand Slam fly line. Strong Arm Merkin crab fly I tied myself. 

We were sitting off the beach looking for big Tarpon and Permit on the ocean side. There were plenty tarpon, but the jacks were swarming and would steal the fly as soon as it hit the water. The bow of the panga was probably 30' off the beach, and the stern was only maybe 10' off. Guide shouts "palometa! Behind you!" and sure enough, there were two Permit cruising like 5' off the water line in  maybe 18" of water. Put the fly in front of them and the back fish ate. Ran me well into my backing using the back draft from breaking waves to pull itself offshore. Guide got his hands on the leader 3 times and fish went for a run all three times. Finally got it to hand after about 10-15 minutes. 

Fed another much bigger one and it broke the hook on the fly when it ate.  

if you've notched 1 I'm assuming the googs has 3 to hand? 😗

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

1 minute ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

if you've notched 1 I'm assuming the googs has 3 to hand? 😗

I notched 2, thankyouverymuch. Poor goog has been fighting a sinus infection all week. Stayed in and slept all day Thursday. Nothing to show for the week but a few bonefish. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

1 minute ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I notched 2, thankyouverymuch. Poor goog has been fighting a sinus infection all week. Stayed in and slept all day Thursday. Nothing to show for the week but a few bonefish. 

damn, must have been gnarly to keep him down. poor guy. were there a lot of fish around? who were you fishing with?

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

5 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

if you've notched 1 I'm assuming the googs has 3 to hand? 😗

Also, signed us (including you) up for this week next year

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

Just now, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

damn, must have been gnarly to keep him down. poor guy. were there a lot of fish around? who were you fishing with?

Yea, it was bad. He could barely keep his eyes open from the swelling. Fished with Sappo and Chimy (Rafa Jr). We saw fish every day, but the fishing got better later in the week. Tons of big tarpon around. Got 5 eats, put two in the air, but can’t keep them on. Seemed like there were more Permit Oceanside than in the usual spots in the bay. I caught that little one way down the beach past Playa Blanca and the bigger one up the beach toward Tulum. (Almost all the way up to the river, but Oceanside)

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

7 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Yea, it was bad. He could barely keep his eyes open from the swelling. Fished with Sappo and Chimy (Rafa Jr). We saw fish every day, but the fishing got better later in the week. Tons of big tarpon around. Got 5 eats, put two in the air, but can’t keep them on. Seemed like there were more Permit Oceanside than in the usual spots in the bay. I caught that little one way down the beach past Playa Blanca and the bigger one up the beach toward Tulum. (Almost all the way up to the river, but Oceanside)

that's wild

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

3 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

that's wild

Hank got some cool video of us running up there. He caught two with Oscar before they had another fight and he fired him. They fished with Danny the rest of the week. 

[RMac5 1551]

On 8/10/2023 at 9:37 PM, MalibuSheriff said:

No worries.  The photo looks like dry hands but my kid’s hands were wet each time.  I’ve pounded that in him at a young age.  Only had one net, otherwise they would have all been netted in the water but you have to do your best running to an excited kid catching his first cutthroats.

RMac - yes, chile rellenos at Orlando’s for the celebratory dinner.  I’m always a Christmas order but believe I actually prefer their red Chile best.  

Freakin love Orlando’s! Haven’t been in a couple of years, need to correct that!

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

@fattyflattie @Mac8111 @4th and 5

Yesterday on the boat ride back up to Tulum, we passed a little cottage on the bay side that had a nice dock and palapa. Tied up on the dock was what looked like an absolutely spotless Flats Cat, complete with a jack plate and shaw wing...and a Johnson FICHT outboard. My first thought was "I wonder if that boat got stolen in S Texas and made its way down here, or if this is some old Texan's retirement villa?" My second thought was "How in the blue fuck do you keep a mid-90s FICHT outboard running in rural Mexico??" 

[troph 24804]

gonna be in Big Sur Sept 15-18, considering fishing if I can. Big Sur River is permanently closed east of HWY 1 it looks like and open west of HWY 1 (there's quite a bit of river west of HWY 1 in that part) but only open for fishing in the winter/very early spring.  Little Sur River appears open May to October, so that would likely be my my spot. Though it looks like the steelhead trout (very few of them anymore) spawn in the fall at mouth of the Little Sur River, so I may need to avoid that.

found this article: https://trickyfish.net/is-there-trout-fishing-in-big-sur/

emailed this shop: https://www.centralcoastflyfishing.com

we’ll see what comes back. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by troph
Edit links added

[fattyflattie 4639]

39 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

@fattyflattie @Mac8111 @4th and 5

Yesterday on the boat ride back up to Tulum, we passed a little cottage on the bay side that had a nice dock and palapa. Tied up on the dock was what looked like an absolutely spotless Flats Cat, complete with a jack plate and shaw wing...and a Johnson FICHT outboard. My first thought was "I wonder if that boat got stolen in S Texas and made its way down here, or if this is some old Texan's retirement villa?" My second thought was "How in the blue fuck do you keep a mid-90s FICHT outboard running in rural Mexico??" 

Having owned a Flatscat for a brief period, miss me with that too. But yeah, indexing spark plugs.  Pass. Even worse was the previous Gen to the FICHT were money, I know a bunch of guys that still run them.  Another 7.3 to 6.0 deal.  

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

1 minute ago, fattyflattie said:

Having owned a Flatscat for a brief period, miss me with that too. But yeah, indexing spark plugs.  Pass. Even worse was the previous Gen to the FICHT were money, I know a bunch of guys that still run them.  Another 7.3 to 6.0 deal.  

dude has maybe the only boat in Mexico that rides worse than a Panga. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

Just now, Pescado_Rojo said:

dude has maybe the only boat in Mexico that rides worse than a Panga. 

You’ll see an RFL show up at some point and take the cake I’m sure.  But yeah, that was a short ownership for me and went straight to a 23’ pad V.  Do I miss being able to run on dew, yes.  Do my teeth, spine, and patience miss it? Not at all.   
 

also, I need to start fishing Mexico. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

2 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

You’ll see an RFL show up at some point and take the cake I’m sure.  But yeah, that was a short ownership for me and went straight to a 23’ pad V.  Do I miss being able to run on dew, yes.  Do my teeth, spine, and patience miss it? Not at all.   
 

also, I need to start fishing Mexico. 

great winter snook fishing

[fattyflattie 4639]

4 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

great winter snook fishing

I lived in Cd de Carmen for a couple of years.  And just never took advantage between work and drinking too much. Any long time off I had I tried to get home because I had a newborn - 2 yo.  Was pretty much the opposite of the immigrants here, I was sending every (extra) dollar home.  And the group I was with was much more interested in chasing other sorts of game…

[4th and 5 4914]

We waded SPI yesterday, fish were a little tough to come by but we got two trout over 22 inches and four nice reds, all on topwaters. 

[Mac8111 2107]

I used to fish with a guy who had a RFL and my back still hasn’t recovered.

[Zwylde 812]

Finally said fuck the wind and gave it a shot this evening.  Looks like this girl was a slash and burn victim.  The bite wasn’t normal and neither was the fight.   Hopefully she’ll still be okay after the grill.  Are you midcoasters dealing with these insane low tides?  Its like its post front February here in Galveston.

[Lat22 4014]

I'm sick of these low tides.  Need that west wind to turn around.  I'm tired of scraping up my new lower unit in Jones.

[Mac8111 2107]

Sadly, we need a storm in the gulf to move some water around.

[BearSchlong 8097]

little bit bigger one today. I assure you my hands were sufficiently wet. 

WAP

Wet assed Permit

[Storm the Field 5294]

Some interesting data in a CCA email  I saw this morning regarding trout populations after the February 2021 freeze, and how they've recovered since.

An interesting nugget from the article said that, based on data from previous freezes, it takes 3 full years for the trout population to recover from a major die-off, but even longer for the size and age distributions of those fish to get back within historical averages.

So, if you're like me and fishing has been fairly slow the last few years, and you tend to catch a lot of undersized young-uns when they are biting, there ya go.

[troph 24804]

the geographical distribution of recovery is interesting too.

[Born to Run 6569]

If that chart doesn't suck enough shit for the midcoast, I'm hearing of large fish kills in Pringle and the Lagoon.

[troph 24804]

2 hours ago, Born to Run said:

If that chart doesn't suck enough shit for the midcoast, I'm hearing of large fish kills in Pringle and the Lagoon.

Because of the heat?

[fattyflattie 4639]

7 hours ago, Born to Run said:

If that chart doesn't suck enough shit for the midcoast, I'm hearing of large fish kills in Pringle and the Lagoon.

Pringle seems to get hammered every fucking time.  You’d think they’d mosey out to the pass and avoid the Wx but nope. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

21 hours ago, Storm the Field said:

Some interesting data in a CCA email  I saw this morning regarding trout populations after the February 2021 freeze, and how they've recovered since.

An interesting nugget from the article said that, based on data from previous freezes, it takes 3 full years for the trout population to recover from a major die-off, but even longer for the size and age distributions of those fish to get back within historical averages.

So, if you're like me and fishing has been fairly slow the last few years, and you tend to catch a lot of undersized young-uns when they are biting, there ya go.

Now overlay the same data for shrimp, crabs, and mullet. 

[Born to Run 6569]

Because of the heat?

Yes, plus typical low August tides during the new moon, made worse by more westerly wind direction instead of typical south east wind which keeps water in the bay.

[Mac8111 2107]

[fattyflattie 4639]

22 hours ago, Mac8111 said:

Y’all got the foundering down. 

[williemackgarza 1826]

Went up to Montana in late July. Hit up Yellowstone Nat Park.
Then me and my boy fished on the Missouri River near Cascade, MT.
Both our 1st time fly fishing.
Caught a ton of rainbows, browns and cut throats. The scenery was spectacular.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Also heading down to El Salto Mexico in mid Oct. Anyone been? Any tips?

[JCHIL 414]

8 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Went up to Montana in late July. Hit up Yellowstone Nat Park.
Then me and my boy fished on the Missouri River near Cascade, MT.
Both our 1st time fly fishing.
Caught a ton of rainbows, browns and cut throats. The scenery was spectacular.

Hard to beat MT! Big Hole River near Divide MT a few days ago….

[fattyflattie 4639]

11 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Also heading down to El Salto Mexico in mid Oct. Anyone been? Any tips?

Get ready to get wore the fuck out.