2018 Fishing - Year of the big one

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Smallies are amazing. I wish I had more access to them.

[UTEX90 589]

If anyone fly fishes for large mouth bass I would love to see some of the flies you use.  I catch a lot of small bass on small top waters but I would like to start trying to catch some larger fish.  I just started fly fishing last year and love it but I would to diversify my flies and I am almost exclusively fishing tanks and bayous.  Is there a good fly that imitates a worm, frog or crawfish.  I have googled that shit and don't see anything I really like.

[Masshole Horn 775]

For bass, I use:

• Clouser minnows in grey, or chartreuse
• Dahlberg Divers in Olive
• Wooly buggers in Olive, Black or White
• Experimenting with articulated streamers, similar to the Shultz Swingin' D

I don't really use crawfish flies.

[Brisketexan 105180]

Took some friends out on the Surfside jetties. Bitch of a west wind. Had em working shrimp under corks, coz we wanted action (kids involved). Got lots of action, but little good. Ribbon fish were going crazy. Also got into the bluefish. A couple of specks, just one keeper. Only keeper we saw all day.

Came back to the beach house. Went out to the beach. Drank a LOT of beer, a bit day drunk. A good day.

[fattyflattie 4638]

Crazy windy down there today. Tide way out this afternoon as well.  

[krevo 142]

21 hours ago, UTEX90 said:

If anyone fly fishes for large mouth bass I would love to see some of the flies you use.  I catch a lot of small bass on small top waters but I would like to start trying to catch some larger fish.  I just started fly fishing last year and love it but I would to diversify my flies and I am almost exclusively fishing tanks and bayous.  Is there a good fly that imitates a worm, frog or crawfish.  I have googled that shit and don't see anything I really like.

There are lots of awesome craw patterns, some of which are pretty easy ties.  There are also worms made with chenille which look a lot like senkos.  Frog poppers tied with deerhair are not easy to tie unless you know how to properly stack and cut deer hair (and you buy high quality hair)  The good news is that you can buy them for around 5 bucks a pop.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=deer+hair+frog&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS752US753&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=mkuaPyuMOR4T5M%3A%2CTYJsIz9xhLGbYM%2C_&usg=__QDa4e12l8Xard1pqq0RumP5H6qU%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7qdvbgrjcAhUKY6wKHRlGBOwQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=mkuaPyuMOR4T5M:

 

If I were fishing stocked tanks or bayous, I'd pickup a few larger clouser minnows, some topwater deer hair frog/baitfish imitators and a few beaded craws.  Also, you dont have to fish a polyleader or a sinking/intermediate line, but when targeting bass in the summer holding in deeper holes - I find it helps tremendously to get your fly down to them.  A lot of people think they can just tie on a subsurface streamer to a floating line and 12lb mono leader, but I've found that is not nearly as effective.

[UTEX90 589]

4 minutes ago, krevo said:

 Also, you dont have to fish a polyleader or a sinking/intermediate line, but when targeting bass in the summer holding in deeper holes - I find it helps tremendously to get your fly down to them.  A lot of people think they can just tie on a subsurface streamer to a floating line and 12lb mono leader, but I've found that is not nearly as effective.

This seems like sound advise. 

I am not at the point of tying my own flies yet.   But it does interest me.  I have watched a few videos on various ties but I am not committed enough to start buying the tie gear.

[krevo 142]

22 minutes ago, UTEX90 said:

This seems like sound advise. 

I am not at the point of tying my own flies yet.   But it does interest me.  I have watched a few videos on various ties but I am not committed enough to start buying the tie gear.

Trust me - it's expensive up front, but it'll save you a lot of money in the long run, when you consider what a box of 10 flies runs in most retail shops.  Bass flies are notoriously more expensive than you average dry trout fly. (sturdier hooks, more expensive, high volume of material, etc)

If you wanted to get started tying clousers and buggers, you can do so for around 250 bucks and end up with a solid vice and enough material to tie quite a few flies.  

 

[Ollie Slatt 289]

40 minutes ago, UTEX90 said:

This seems like sound advise. 

I am not at the point of tying my own flies yet.   But it does interest me.  I have watched a few videos on various ties but I am not committed enough to start buying the tie gear.

Its fun, even if you never get really good at it.  Definitely start with Clousers.  They are relatively easy to tie. Once you learn a basic Clouser, there are a ton of different variations/materials/color combinations you can experiment with. And its a pattern that will reliably catch bass and any Texas saltwater fish.

For bass in tanks, I like to use divers.  I either buy dahlberg divers (too much of a pain to tie) or tie something similar with a foam body.    The Lunch Money is another bass fly worth checking out (created by a bass fisherman in Austin for central tx waters).  

[justhookit 4191]

Haven’t posted much lately but I’m fishing the Texas tournaments this year on Rebecca. We just finished 5th in POCO with a 443 pond blue marlin. Good start to the season and now we have 4 tournaments to go over the next 5 weeks.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

3 hours ago, krevo said:

Trust me - it's expensive up front, but it'll save you a lot of money in the long run, when you consider what a box of 10 flies runs in most retail shops.  Bass flies are notoriously more expensive than you average dry trout fly. (sturdier hooks, more expensive, high volume of material, etc)

If you wanted to get started tying clousers and buggers, you can do so for around 250 bucks and end up with a solid vice and enough material to tie quite a few flies.  

 

 

3 hours ago, Ollie Slatt said:

Its fun, even if you never get really good at it.  Definitely start with Clousers.  They are relatively easy to tie. Once you learn a basic Clouser, there are a ton of different variations/materials/color combinations you can experiment with. And its a pattern that will reliably catch bass and any Texas saltwater fish.

y'all are evil.

[Mac8111 2107]

[fattyflattie 4638]

Surf is glass this AM. About 60-75 boats at bridge bait in surfside.  Annnnnnd I’m working. FML. 

[Braff Zacklin 13636]

On 7/23/2018 at 12:12 PM, Masshole Horn said:

For bass, I use:

• Clouser minnows in grey, or chartreuse
• Dahlberg Divers in Olive
• Wooly buggers in Olive, Black or White
• Experimenting with articulated streamers, similar to the Shultz Swingin' D

I don't really use crawfish flies.

Haven't seen anyone mention poppers. They work well for me and are my favorite--along with clousers--for catching bass on the fly. Regular or foam bodies, with or without rubber legs, etc.--they all seem to get results and are fun to fish.

Largemouth don't get very big here, though.

[Masshole Horn 775]

That's what I like about deer hair divers, you can fish them like a popper until they get too waterlogged.

[Lurch 5931]

I’m out on the beach last night with a few lines in the water and throwing my bait cast net, when I see a small Asian dude about 100 yards down throwing a huge net himself. I didn’t think much of it, other than noting that he didn’t seem to be getting anything whereas I was getting several pinfish with every throw plus a few mullet about 2-3”long which is the first time I’ve seen them here.

 

He gets closer and closer, trying different spots and getting nothing. He stops by me as he passes under my lines and asks if I’ve caught any mullet and I proudly say I have caught several and a ton of pinfish to which he gives a smile and nod. His English isn’t very good so we don’t say anything else and he keeps on going.

 

He gets about 50 yards past me and throws his net. I notice how slow he brings it in, which is odd because I try to pull my rope in quickly to keep whatever is inside from getting out. I start to think this may be his problem and proudly chuckle at this rube unable to catch bait.

 

I then see splashing from his net as he pulls it in. Holy shit! Did he catch a fish? Wait, did he catch MULTIPLE fish? Damn! There has to be 5 or 6 of them! What the fuck? I’ve never caught anything bigger than 3-4” with my net and he’s got a half dozen 1#+ fish with a single throw! Then he does it AGAIN! I see his even smaller wife calmly walk up and start collecting them in her bucket. He packs up and walks in, giving me a little wave as he goes.

 

I had no idea, but apparently 1) there are large mullet, 2) they hit our area around July, 3) are ether nasty or a delicacy depending on who you ask and 4) I can’t catch them with my bait net.

 

Just ordered a 12’ with bigger openings (presumably why he wasn’t catching bait) so I can give this a shot.

 

Some of the videos on YouTube of this are insane, btw

 

/csb

 

 

[Brisketexan 105180]

I’m out on the beach last night with a few lines in the water and throwing my bait cast net, when I see a small Asian dude about 100 yards down throwing a huge net himself. I didn’t think much of it, other than noting that he didn’t seem to be getting anything whereas I was getting several pinfish with every throw plus a few mullet about 2-3”long which is the first time I’ve seen them here.
 
He gets closer and closer, trying different spots and getting nothing. He stops by me as he passes under my lines and asks if I’ve caught any mullet and I proudly say I have caught several and a ton of pinfish to which he gives a smile and nod. His English isn’t very good so we don’t say anything else and he keeps on going.
 
He gets about 50 yards past me and throws his net. I notice how slow he brings it in, which is odd because I try to pull my rope in quickly to keep whatever is inside from getting out. I start to think this may be his problem and proudly chuckle at this rube unable to catch bait.
 
I then see splashing from his net as he pulls it in. Holy shit! Did he catch a fish? Wait, did he catch MULTIPLE fish? Damn! There has to be 5 or 6 of them! What the fuck? I’ve never caught anything bigger than 3-4” with my net and he’s got a half dozen 1#+ fish with a single throw! Then he does it AGAIN! I see his even smaller wife calmly walk up and start collecting them in her bucket. He packs up and walks in, giving me a little wave as he goes.
 
I had no idea, but apparently 1) there are large mullet, 2) they hit our area around July, 3) are ether nasty or a delicacy depending on who you ask and 4) I can’t catch them with my bait net.
 
Just ordered a 12’ with bigger openings (presumably why he wasn’t catching bait) so I can give this a shot.
 
Some of the videos on YouTube of this are insane, btw
 
/csb
 
 

Big horse mullet in the surf this morning. They’ll come within a few feet, if you have a cast net, you can catch a dozen a throw.

Got the kids out late, they’re fishing on bottom, lots of trash, but they were thrilled with two 25 inch bonnet heads.

[justhookit 4191]

[UTEX90 589]

3 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Haven't seen anyone mention poppers. They work well for me and are my favorite--along with clousers--for catching bass on the fly. Regular or foam bodies, with or without rubber legs, etc.--they all seem to get results and are fun to fish.

Largemouth don't get very big here, though.

This was kind of the reason for my original post.  I am trying to catch some large bass.  I have had most of my success on small poppers.  I am trying to find something bigger I can throw trying to catch 3-5 pounders.  I did catch a large blue/cat on a clouser minnow one morning.   Watched him take it and wondered if I would regret it but i landed him.    I avoided the next one.  I figured once was enough.

I don't know how well I can cast it but any recommendations on larger top waters.  I seem to have the best results with poppers as well.  Just catching small bass and pan fish mostly.

I did order some of Shultz Swingin' D flies Masshole recommended above.  Looks like something I would like to fish.

[Smax 3800]

On 7/25/2018 at 11:17 AM, fattyflattie said:

Surf is glass this AM. About 60-75 boats at bridge bait in surfside.  Annnnnnd I’m working. FML. 

 

Went with a friend and his son to jetty park yesterday morning and the water was nice, an amazing sunrise thanks to the african dust?  Not sure but it was like a movie

 

 

Neither of us are pro angler types so we didn't catch too much worth keeping, a few specks and spanish mackerel plus several smaller fish gaftops too many ribbon and what I was told is a jack fish?

 

We had a good time till a group of 4 started crowding on us, we had been there since 5 am and it just afternoon so we packed up and headed back to Houston.

 

This was my take homes, the small fish I meant to cut up and use for bait but forgot..

 

[justhookit 4191]

Pretty sure that’s a Pompano and it’s great eating

[Brisketexan 105180]

Pretty sure that’s a Pompano and it’s great eating

It is. We caught a couple of undersize ones in the surf yesterday, and I’ve caught a nice keeper at the jetties.

[Dry Elbows 142]

Fucking surf looked awesome on saltwater-recon this morning, and I'm stuck in my office.  Oh well, guess I'll just fish the backside of the full moon this weekend.

[huge 3795]

2 hours ago, justhookit said:

Pretty sure that’s a Pompano and it’s great eating

Yep.  I got one spearfishing in PV a couple of years ago.  Tasty.

[atomheartbevo 89759]

23 hours ago, UTEX90 said:

This was kind of the reason for my original post.  I am trying to catch some large bass.  I have had most of my success on small poppers.  I am trying to find something bigger I can throw trying to catch 3-5 pounders.  I did catch a large blue/cat on a clouser minnow one morning.   Watched him take it and wondered if I would regret it but i landed him.    I avoided the next one.  I figured once was enough.

I don't know how well I can cast it but any recommendations on larger top waters.  I seem to have the best results with poppers as well.  Just catching small bass and pan fish mostly.

I did order some of Shultz Swingin' D flies Masshole recommended above.  Looks like something I would like to fish.

It's been mentioned here before, but get the Fishbrain app for your phone, turn on location settings, and check the feed once or twice a day.  Also pick what you want to follow.  You'll see what people are using in your area (or the area you want to fish) to catch bass, etc.

It's been enlightening to me for a couple of reasons, mainly because there are a lot more areas with a lot more bass than I thought, but also because it's been interesting to see what people are using to catch them.

[4th and 5 4915]

the fish above is a pompano and it is damn good eating

[DougO 5253]

On 7/22/2018 at 11:17 AM, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Smallies are amazing. I wish I had more access to them.

I've caught some nice ones in Belton Lake...back in the days when I used to go fishing.  🙁

[Mac8111 2107]

Fucking surf looked awesome on saltwater-recon this morning, and I'm stuck in my office.  Oh well, guess I'll just fish the backside of the full moon this weekend.

Yep. Buddy of mine in POC said they limited out on trout in one spot in surf yesterday, then got out of the boat and caught 7 reds on top waters.

Today limited out on trout in surf and had couple reds.

[Spaulding Smails 1555]

On July 25, 2018 at 2:22 PM, Lurch said:

I’m out on the beach last night with a few lines in the water and throwing my bait cast net, when I see a small Asian dude about 100 yards down throwing a huge net himself. I didn’t think much of it, other than noting that he didn’t seem to be getting anything whereas I was getting several pinfish with every throw plus a few mullet about 2-3”long which is the first time I’ve seen them here.

 

He gets closer and closer, trying different spots and getting nothing. He stops by me as he passes under my lines and asks if I’ve caught any mullet and I proudly say I have caught several and a ton of pinfish to which he gives a smile and nod. His English isn’t very good so we don’t say anything else and he keeps on going.

 

He gets about 50 yards past me and throws his net. I notice how slow he brings it in, which is odd because I try to pull my rope in quickly to keep whatever is inside from getting out. I start to think this may be his problem and proudly chuckle at this rube unable to catch bait.

 

I then see splashing from his net as he pulls it in. Holy shit! Did he catch a fish? Wait, did he catch MULTIPLE fish? Damn! There has to be 5 or 6 of them! What the fuck? I’ve never caught anything bigger than 3-4” with my net and he’s got a half dozen 1#+ fish with a single throw! Then he does it AGAIN! I see his even smaller wife calmly walk up and start collecting them in her bucket. He packs up and walks in, giving me a little wave as he goes.

 

I had no idea, but apparently 1) there are large mullet, 2) they hit our area around July, 3) are ether nasty or a delicacy depending on who you ask and 4) I can’t catch them with my bait net.

 

Just ordered a 12’ with bigger openings (presumably why he wasn’t catching bait) so I can give this a shot.

 

Some of the videos on YouTube of this are insane, btw

 

/csb

 

 

The folks from Mobile to Pensacola would rather eat mullet than trout or redfish.  I guess it has a lot to depend on what the mullet are eating.  

[HouTex 1887]

16 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

The folks from Mobile to Pensacola would rather eat mullet than trout or redfish.  I guess it has a lot to depend on what the mullet are eating.  

The first time I went to a seafood restaurant in Mobile I learned about the Monday fried mullet tradition.  I asked if it was really mullet or something that we Texans know as something else.  No, it's mullet and they love it.  I would never try it.

[Spaulding Smails 1555]

1 minute ago, HouTex said:

The first time I went to a seafood restaurant in Mobile I learned about the Monday fried mullet tradition.  I asked if it was really mullet or something that we Texans know as something else.  No, it's mullet and they love it.  I would never try it.

I remember it being pretty good.  Nothing I'd go out of my way to eat again, but if in Mobile again, I'd order it.  

Kind of like "catan" or alligator gar in Laredo.  Not bad, but wouldn't make a point to seek it out again.  Kind of a "when in Rome" order for me on both of those fronts.

[atomheartbevo 89759]

Judging by the Fishbrain app, soil conservation reservoirs have some of the biggest bass in the Austin area. 

And...most of them are private access.  

[Lurch 5931]

Im pretty mortified right now.

Just discovered that the “pinfish” I’ve been catching with my cast net for bait are actually juvenile pompano! I had no idea they were so abundant and so easily caught from shore with a net.

It also means my ability to catch my own bait is significantly diminished. I catch other stuff, but probably at a 1:10 ratio with these juvenile pompano

[Lurch 5931]

I say that and then go out with my new mullet net and catch two of them on my 4th throw. These make killer cut bait

[Brew 3049]

Baby Pompano are going to be solid silver whereas pinfish are going to have the stripes even in the juvenile stages and also a different fin structure. Pinfish are also going to be more prevalent along grassy areas, piers, and other structures.

I have very rarely run into FWC officers along the beach in Florida, but there are some pretty hefty fines for undersized Pompano if one shows up. If you aren’t 100% sure on what you have and the size requirements, your best bet is to throw it back.

[4th and 5 4915]

Perch trap plus half eaten fried chicken. Catch bait while you drink beer. 

[Lurch 5931]

Baby Pompano are going to be solid silver whereas pinfish are going to have the stripes even in the juvenile stages and also a different fin structure. Pinfish are also going to be more prevalent along grassy areas, piers, and other structures.
I have very rarely run into FWC officers along the beach in Florida, but there are some pretty hefty fines for undersized Pompano if one shows up. If you aren’t 100% sure on what you have and the size requirements, your best bet is to throw it back.

No doubt. Lesson learned.

There’s another fish I catch with my bait net a lot that I’ll take a picture of next time so I can better research it.

[atomheartbevo 89759]

1 hour ago, Lurch said:

There’s another fish I catch with my bait net a lot that I’ll take a picture of next time so I can better research it.

 

This one?

Spoiler

If I were you, I’d let it go.  If you kill it, its mom will follow your ass to the Bahamas and try and kill you.

[Lurch 5931]

Living at the beach, Shark Week is much more compelling now

[hrmaddie 48]

I don’t fish like you guys, at least not since I lived on the coast.  Anyway, the last couple of years my BIL has been kayak fishing off the coast.  He paddles 2-3 miles offshore.  Couple of weekends ago he decides to start recording his catches.   He caught a tarpon that weekend.  Here’s his YouTube clip of it 

 

[Lurch 5931]

Ive thought about taking that up, but I’m pretty sure I’d get a few hundred yards out and have a panic attack

[Mac8111 2107]

I am not even sure I could get into the kayak from the beach and not fall out.

[Brew 3049]

Heading out to Sanibel tomorrow. Hopefully the red tide and shitty water don’t cancel my fishing plans. It’s looking pretty rough down there right now.

[Hugh G. Rection 156]

On 7/27/2018 at 4:42 PM, HouTex said:

The first time I went to a seafood restaurant in Mobile I learned about the Monday fried mullet tradition.  I asked if it was really mullet or something that we Texans know as something else.  No, it's mullet and they love it.  I would never try it.

They have mullet roe when it's available.  I'm not Stoops and have never eaten a bag of dicks, but I can imagine that's what it's like.

[Lurch 5931]

Figured out how to throw the 12’ cast net and now the mullet are easy bait. I threw into super murky surf where I thought there was a drop off and caught 5 w a single toss today. All probably 9-12”. I only needed 3 all day

[Brew 3049]

On 7/31/2018 at 8:39 PM, Brew said:

Heading out to Sanibel tomorrow. Hopefully the red tide and shitty water don’t cancel my fishing plans. It’s looking pretty rough down there right now.

Welp, no fishing due to the red tide. It’s worse than I’ve ever seen it. It just smells like death everywhere with dead fish piled up on the beaches and floating in the water. It’s f-ing sad and hopefully this state gets it’s head out of it’s ass and votes for new leadership. I signed a contract on a house while there, so hopefully the last 20 years are more indicative of the future than the last couple of months.

[BearSchlong 8105]

Man sorry to hear that, I spent most of my adolescence pulling snook out of those waters.

 

How can politicians fix red tide?

 

 

[Brew 3049]

There is some debate but most think the severity of it traces back to Lake O water releases and it keeping the water table nutrient rich. That combined with higher than normal water temps and too much rain is causing major problems. The lake and the water releases are causing problems up and down the coast at this point.

[Pescado_Rojo 19427]

On 8/3/2018 at 8:43 PM, BearSchlong said:

Man sorry to hear that, I spent most of my adolescence pulling snook out of those waters.

 

How can politicians fix red tide?

 

 

https://captainsforcleanwater.org/

 

[Brew 3049]

3 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

https://captainsforcleanwater.org/

 

Anyone that fishes regularly in Florida should be supporting that organization. The voters already passed Amendment 1 and US Sugar has already agreed to sell the land needed for the corrective actions, but everything is held up like usual.

https://www.mysanibel.com/Departments/Natural-Resources/Protecting-Our-Water-Quality/Sanibel-H2O-Matters

For those that want to see what the effect of the water releases are, go to the website above and view the current Lighthouse Beach Aerial images and then click the 2018 archives and view the February/March images. You'll also see the beaches empty in the current pictures because no one is going out.