Fishing Megathread: Looking For Big Girls Who swallow

[troph 24851]

We caught a GRTU stocking today… 

 

 

Edited January 14 by troph

[justhookit 4191]

Made it back down to Costa Rica for the season about 2 weeks ago. Fished my new boat the first week and then combined my team with Game Plan and fished their boat this week for the Rockstar Tournament. Largest event in Central America and this year had 91 boats. It’s a two day tournament and we had an epic day on Day 1 totaling the most release points and winning the daily jackpots. Day 2 was slower but we still took home the second largest cash prize of all the boats. Really proud of my guys and our team.

[troph 24851]

Sloppy day on the guad. Wind was legit, coooooold at 4-5pm. Late start fished the river differently which was fun. Caught a DONKEY of a male. Young enough to sploooge all over the raft. Big as that one above maybe an inch bigger. Healthier too, that’s what she said. Pic sucked tho.  Took forever to revive him in the net I think he was taking a short nap. Then caught a walk off 20 inch female that ran on the reel and jumped like a tarpon. 
 

talked about about striped marlin on the fly rod in the sea of Cortez while shooting the shit. My spring guide is there now…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2St_RWu4O0/?igsh=MWZ0dXg5bW16YWp0Yw==

Edited January 20 by troph

[troph 24851]

Trout are coming from a different hatchery, kept outdoors, tails aren’t battered, look really really nice. They are also healthier and ready to fight. Some are harder to hook, just a better experience all around.
 

we were out late enough to maybe catch a caddis hatch and fish dries for half an hour but the wind and cold suppressed it. Oh well.  

[Born to Run 6569]

Nice work @troph

In my limited experience sloppy conditions make for great days and low crowds. Drizzle, windy etc.
I fished two weeks ago in gorgeous conditions and there a million mother fuckers on the river. Every decent spot was covered up. Wasn't hardly worth going to be honest.

Fish are looking great this year. A lot of holdovers! Lots of plus 20" fish. They are bunched up still and not in some of the runs.


I may have a spot available with a guide tomorrow as a buddy feels like he's getting sick. If anyone who isn't a total creepy weirdo wants to play hooky tomorrow-hit me up.

[Born to Run 6569]

Definitely have a spot on the boat

[troph 24851]

2 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

Definitely have a spot on the boat

I had an open spot Friday almost offered here but I was scared of being a CJK5H type victim. 

but us hard core fly rod types should meet up sometime. 

[Kennythetiger 9389]

9 hours ago, troph said:

I had an open spot Friday almost offered here but I was scared of being a CJK5H type victim. 

but us hard core fly rod types should meet up sometime. 

They don’t kill you if you’re not a hooker. 

[justhookit 4191]

Lol. My Shaggy fishing trip experience went really well, except somebody ended up pregnant. Troph even though your brother was there he wasn’t the one responsible.

[troph 24851]

9 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Lol. My Shaggy fishing trip experience went really well, except somebody ended up pregnant. Troph even though your brother was there he wasn’t the one responsible.

CJI5H? 

[Jerry Callo 8704]

It'll be a quick float today. Picture lifted from GRTU.

[Pescado_Rojo 19422]

3 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

They don’t kill you if you’re not a hooker. 

You know the bright side of having a hooker die on you? 

Spoiler

The second hour is free

 

[The Royal We 3072]

8 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

You know the bright side of having a hooker die on you? 

  Hide contents

The second hour is free

 

[Born to Run 6569]

Yeah, the runoff was worse than expected today. Muddy with lots of debree . Bailed early. Guide is going to give me 3/4 makeup up day soon. Only one other set of fools out there today.

[Jerry Callo 8704]

16 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

Yeah, the runoff was worse than expected today. Muddy with lots of debree . Bailed early. Guide is going to give me 3/4 makeup up day soon. Only one other set of fools out there today.

Wow.  I'm surprised the guide didn't call it before you started.  

*debris

[troph 24851]

Yeah totally surprised you went. Glad he gave you a freebie. 

[Born to Run 6569]

Wow.  I'm surprised the guide didn't call it before you started.  
*debris

Dammit. My phone keyboard toggles easily from Spanish to English so I get all kinds of auto correct fuckery that renders words erroneous in both languages.

Still learned a lot today, had fun and was back at work by 1.

[Born to Run 6569]

Yeah totally surprised you went. Glad he gave you a freebie. 

I've had some epic days when it's shitty. My brother and I site casted a pod of Redfish the day after a tropical storm with 2' or more of extreme high tides. Just taking turns with one rod until we had our fill. It was like a Tulip field except tails sprouting everywhere on a flat that's normally dry.

[troph 24851]

18 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

I've had some epic days when it's shitty. My brother and I site casted a pod of Redfish the day after a tropical storm with 2' or more of extreme high tides. Just taking turns with one rod until we had our fill. It was like a Tulip field except tails sprouting everywhere on a flat that's normally dry.

cold, windy, raining, no prob. I just can't see a swollen muddy river being very productive but maybe I'm wrong. now right after that? yes please.

[troph 24851]

Talk about bringing brown trout back to the guad, maybe a strain that’s more tolerant to warmer temps. 

[hookemATL 11758]

On 1/22/2024 at 10:07 PM, troph said:

cold, windy, raining, no prob. I just can't see a swollen muddy river being very productive but maybe I'm wrong. now right after that? yes please.

How many days do you think it makes sense to wait before hitting up Brushy Creek?  I’ve hit the sweet spot a few times after heavy rains and it’s a blast. Clear water, hungry fish. But I’ve also jumped the gun and had trouble with clarity/getting consistent action. 

[troph 24851]

12 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

How many days do you think it makes sense to wait before hitting up Brushy Creek?  I’ve hit the sweet spot a few times after heavy rains and it’s a blast. Clear water, hungry fish. But I’ve also jumped the gun and had trouble with clarity/getting consistent action. 

I'd call living waters in RR. I don't know with it being mostly a warm water creek and it's Jan/Feb, but I usually wait until the next weekend so this weekend?  that's just a guess. 

[Born to Run 6569]

Fished the Guad Friday with a guide. Took a client with me. As always, I learned a lot, came home, and made a few purchases online. His line was so much better for nymphing-it was like skinny dipping versus. swimming in jeans. Just So much more enjoyable. Guide refunded Monday's boat ride in the rain; nice of him.

My client had a better day, which was nice because I smoked him on the last trip we took together, so I was happy to see that for him. I think he had 10 fish. Biggest was roughly 17" but a few state fish also.
I landed maybe 8 fish; most all were 14-17. I had a rougher time with my hookset on nymphing and missed so many. I fish pretty hard, so I was underperforming. Fish were eating everything and also nothing, but we did best on Pheasant tail.

Water was up a bit and clear. We prefer moving water, but a lot of fish are clumped in slow stuff. The rain did spread them a bit.

Caught a few on streamers again, both swinging and fast stripping- best part of the day.

Crowds were ok.
I'm sure it is insanity this weekend.

General consensus is that it's not as good as years past, and we don't have the giant pellet hogs in the first three GRTU releases. I'm not seeing a lot of holdovers either, but some. The fish we have look great, though!

GRTU is doing the last release this coming Sat at 0730 if you want to volunteer. They historically have the least numbers of volunteers on the last release date.

[Jerry Callo 8704]

Talk about bringing brown trout back to the guad, maybe a strain that’s more tolerant to warmer temps. 

Browns cost twice as much as rainbows according to Chris Johnson of LWFF who is also the conservation chair for GRTU.  He said not to expect any browns being stocked in the Guad.  

[Born to Run 6569]

Anyone done the Devils River? Outfitter recs? Looking for Spring 25

[SimonBolivar 10958]

Is there a consensus on proper sunfish panfrying techniques?

1.) filleting and removing skin? seems like too much work for such little meat and losing some flavor?

2.) filleting and keeping skin? Is this the sweet spot for flavor and easy of eating?

3.) descale and remove guts? Best tasting but bones are small and annoying to eat around?

Edited January 30 by SimonBolivar

[Masshole Horn 775]

Scale, gut, remove heads.

Pan fry whole.

To eat, remove fins and sort of filet them with your fork. The only bones you gotta watch out for are the rib cage.

[troph 24851]

17 hours ago, Born to Run said:

Anyone done the Devils River? Outfitter recs? Looking for Spring 25

I'm on the wait list with all water guides. that's all I have.

[davidg 4038]

Anyone done the Devils River? Outfitter recs? Looking for Spring 25

The kayak thread has info and pics of kayak trips on the Devils. One of the ‘shanks I think have several posts on the how’s and what’s.

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

On 1/29/2024 at 11:04 PM, Born to Run said:

Anyone done the Devils River? Outfitter recs? Looking for Spring 25

You looking for just a shuttle or fully guided experience?

For a shuttle, Amistad is the best. 

https://www.amistadexpeditions.com/

Shoot me a DM if you want a guided experience.  I have a referral there but have never been with an actual guide / outfitter.  I've done the trip probably a dozen times in various forms and fashions.

[Born to Run 6569]

Thanks for the info, everyone. Let me see what level guiding my crew wants to go with.

[Lat22 4015]

On 1/30/2024 at 2:45 PM, SimonBolivar said:

Is there a consensus on proper sunfish panfrying techniques?

1.) filleting and removing skin? seems like too much work for such little meat and losing some flavor?

2.) filleting and keeping skin? Is this the sweet spot for flavor and easy of eating?

3.) descale and remove guts? Best tasting but bones are small and annoying to eat around?

We had a cabin on a lake in northern Minnesota for the first 54 years of my life so I’ve eaten my fair share of bluegills and crappies. If they’re big enough, choices 1 and 2 work pretty well. When they weren’t big enough (most of the time) we’d gut them, scale them and cut their heads off. You pick the meat off of the top  side, then lift the entire bone structure out and have a bone free bottom side. Good stuff. 

[justhookit 4191]

Great day on the new boat yesterday. After a slow morning with just a few sailfish we hooked a black marlin just before noon. Got the release 2.5 hours later. Lines back in the water and 5 minutes later caught a double header sailfish. Lines back in the water and 10 minutes later we hook another black marlin. This time it “only” takes about 2 hours. Run back in and barely make it to the marina by dark. Gotta brag on my girl she hooked both the marlin and fought them both the majority of the time. We’ve caught a ton of blue and striped marlin down here in 8 seasons, but those were the first 2 blacks ever.

[troph 24851]

On 1/27/2024 at 5:39 PM, Jerry Callo said:

Browns cost twice as much as rainbows according to Chris Johnson of LWFF who is also the conservation chair for GRTU.  He said not to expect any browns being stocked in the Guad.  
 

I saw a post on insta, might have been TPWD, can't find it or anything else, sounded like there was at least an ongoing conversation about it.

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 hours ago, justhookit said:

Great day on the new boat yesterday. After a slow morning with just a few sailfish we hooked a black marlin just before noon. Got the release 2.5 hours later. Lines back in the water and 5 minutes later caught a double header sailfish. Lines back in the water and 10 minutes later we hook another black marlin. This time it “only” takes about 2 hours. Run back in and barely make it to the marina by dark. Gotta brag on my girl she hooked both the marlin and fought them both the majority of the time. We’ve caught a ton of blue and striped marlin down here in 8 seasons, but those were the first 2 blacks ever.

My POC offshore buddies were down there about 2 weeks ago. Crushed the sails but no Marlin this trip.  Didn’t get all the details but know they had several 15-20 sail days, pretty decent days. 

[justhookit 4191]

17 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

My POC offshore buddies were down there about 2 weeks ago. Crushed the sails but no Marlin this trip.  Didn’t get all the details but know they had several 15-20 sail days, pretty decent days. 

Yup. 15-20 releases is at the top of the fleet most days and a few days some boats have done even better. Sailfish have been around in big numbers this season so far but very few marlin. It was the complete opposite last year.

[fattyflattie 4639]

Just now, justhookit said:

Yup. 15-20 releases is at the top of the fleet most days and a few days some boats have done even better. Sailfish have been around in big numbers this season so far but very few marlin. It was the complete opposite last year.

I asked them to look out for y’all’s ride. You’d know some folks from this group, having been involved (iirc) with POCO for so long. 

[DougO 5250]

I still haven't' been fishing, but I'm buying lots of nice fishing lures on clearance. Sort of a repeat of last year.

 

[justhookit 4191]

24 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I asked them to look out for y’all’s ride. You’d know some folks from this group, having been involved (iirc) with POCO for so long. 

What boat were they fishing down here?

[fattyflattie 4639]

20 minutes ago, justhookit said:

What boat were they fishing down here?

I didn’t get it. I asked but think it got swallowed up in a thread. Will find out next time I see them, if I can recall 

[justhookit 4191]

2 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I didn’t get it. I asked but think it got swallowed up in a thread. Will find out next time I see them, if I can recall 

No worries, just curious if I knew the guys. Honestly I don’t know too many of the Los Suenos boats real well and if I remember from last time we talked about this I think they fish out of there and not Quepos down the coast an hour where I am.

[fattyflattie 4639]

10 minutes ago, justhookit said:

No worries, just curious if I knew the guys. Honestly I don’t know too many of the Los Suenos boats real well and if I remember from last time we talked about this I think they fish out of there and not Quepos down the coast an hour where I am.

This was Quepos, at least this trip.   Boat was Double Nickel, it appears (could only see Double … in the pics).    

[Jerry Callo 8704]

5 hours ago, troph said:

I saw a post on insta, might have been TPWD, can't find it or anything else, sounded like there was at least an ongoing conversation about it.

TPWD stocked some brown trout in the Guad between 2015-2020.  They haven't stocked any since.  If they are a viable species for holding over, there should still be some in the river.  I think the current rainbow strain might be slightly more tolerant of warmer water temperatures than the browns (1-2 degrees).    

[justhookit 4191]

14 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

This was Quepos, at least this trip.   Boat was Double Nickel, it appears (could only see Double … in the pics).    

Haha. We were probably fishing near your friends and I bet I saw them around the dock.  That’s definitely the Double Nickel. Probably the best true charter boat in the Quepos marina currently.

[Kennythetiger 9389]

15 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

This was Quepos, at least this trip.   Boat was Double Nickel, it appears (could only see Double … in the pics).    

Might be the Double Douche. 

[Born to Run 6569]

Where the white (women) bass at?

Buddy has never caught one and it's on his bucket list. I looked at Reimers after a bike ride today; and that isn't happening yet again.

Narrows?
Any tips?

[Jerry Callo 8704]

Where the white (women) bass at?

Buddy has never caught one and it's on his bucket list. I looked at Reimers after a bike ride today; and that isn't happening yet again.

Narrows?
Any tips?

I've never fished the Narrows, but have heard good things.  I fished Shafer Bend last year and caught several female whites and some largemouth.  It was nice because there weren't any people fishing.
Yesterday, I went out to The Steps on the San Gabriel above Lake Granger.  Didn't catch anything and didn't see any fish caught.  There were some whites running early a couple weeks ago, but I think the two days of cold weather cut off the run.  This weekend should be okay with the increasing temps this week.
I only fly fish and have no problems catching fish if they are there.  I use minnow patterns like shallow water clousers and bc streamers.  For conventional tackle, I would use white, white/blue, white/silver crappie jigs.  I prefer 1/32 oz., but 1/16 should work as well.  Fish the jigs right off of the bottom.  You can also drift the jigs under a bobber, just make sure they are deep enough.
I try to find a concentration point as opposed to open water.  Once I locate the hole, I'll fish it over and over.  Eventually, a school will hit the hole and I can catch several in a row.
Good luck and be sure to give a report - good or bad.

Eta - looking at the aerial, I'm not sure the spawning whites can make it up to Shaffer Bend this year. The Narrow might not work either. The Slab at Kingsland might be a better bet.
 
 

[hookemATL 11758]

I am a 15 min drive to Camp Tejas, and would love to take a run at white bass this year.  I fucking HATE fishing around a bunch of people (who doesnt?), and typically just walk away from people until I find an area with fishable water with less crowds.  May try that soon, but I am wondering what timing would be best?  Early bird gets the worm I know, but am I to expect the place to be pretty busy already @ say 5:30-6:00am?

[Jerry Callo 8704]

I am a 15 min drive to Camp Tejas, and would love to take a run at white bass this year.  I fucking HATE fishing around a bunch of people (who doesnt?), and typically just walk away from people until I find an area with fishable water with less crowds.  May try that soon, but I am wondering what timing would be best?  Early bird gets the worm I know, but am I to expect the place to be pretty busy already @ say 5:30-6:00am?

I really like Camp Tejas when the lake is up and the fishing can be great.  Right now, you have to walk a mile and a half to get to farthest spot the spawning whites can get.  There is plenty of fishable water between the parking area and the spot I'm talking about, but the white bass cannot get there from the main lake since the water is so low.   The area they can reach isn't great for fly fishing, is mud bottomed as oppose to gravel, and lacks the concentration points I prefer to fish.  Since you are close, you should explore and report.

The blue mark is the farthest spot the spawning fish can go. Camp Tejas is marked with the tents.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

On 2/18/2024 at 6:40 PM, Born to Run said:

Where the white (women) bass at?

Buddy has never caught one and it's on his bucket list. I looked at Reimers after a bike ride today; and that isn't happening yet again.

Narrows?
Any tips?

Go here if you can.  Not a bad hike.  The hiking dude is where you start/park, sandbar to NE is where to fish.