2018 Fishing - Year of the big one

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

7 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

 Highlight #1 for me was watching BD catch that 36" on his 8wt. That was just a clinic on fighting big fish on light tackle.

he puts the heat on them, man. we were in oregon a couple of years ago and he connected with a HOT steelhead and just starts laying into it like it's 150 pound tarpon. our guide is just losing his mind...finally just relents and mutters 'this isn't going to end well'. it did not end well. 

this is the same trip where he wet waded the entire trip...in the middle of winter in oregon...with G3 waders sitting in the truck. the guide was completely baffled.

Edited November 27, 2018 by DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

oh @Pescado_Rojo speaking of horsing fish...the lowlight of the trip was Bulldog straightening the hook on that bull. i've got an entire box of shrimp and crabs tied on those hooks and am questioning everything. if by some miracle i stick a permit this winter and that happens, i will die.

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

58 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

oh @Pescado_Rojo speaking of horsing fish...the lowlight of the trip was Bulldog straightening the hook on that bull. i've got an entire box of shrimp and crabs tied on those hooks and am questioning everything. if by some miracle i stick a permit this winter and that happens, i will die.

yea, that was a drag. I wish we had more light that day. I think there were some bigger fish on the west side that we just couldn't see. I've been looking at Google Earth as usual, and there's another road/ramp a little west of where we were. H and I might go exploring next trip. 

[Dry Elbows 142]

10 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I have a few Lews I keep for the few times a year I Bass fish. They seem to be as quality as a curado. I’m not certain they are on the level of the Core/metanium/aldebaran but shimano has been pissing me off for awhile now so I’m migrating that way. 

I agree on Shimano. The 50Mg is still my favorite reel of all time. I picked up a Chronarch G and have been using it as my primary reel lately. So far I'm impressed. I also picked up a G. Loomis Conquest 782c. I used it a couple of weeks ago on my trip and was very impressed on initial outing. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

51Mg and Loomis CBR781 has been my go to since ‘08.   Love they reel, but I screwed up and skipped the Core. Wish I had one as I like them more than the Metanium/Aldebaran 

[Dry Elbows 142]

You didn't miss anything with the Core. Still have three 50Mgs I use on occasion. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

35 minutes ago, Dry Elbows said:

You didn't miss anything with the Core. Still have three 50Mgs I use on occasion. 

A lot better drag, no?   On paper I believe it has a much heavier drag, anyhow.  Only time I really need it is 2-3x a year during LOBI/TOBI/Classic when flipping is about 95% what we do  

But if I could find a NIB 51Mg I’d buy it without hesitation  

 

[crash_davis 23113]

i have the 51mg and a core 50.  i love the 51 due to nostalgia.  but the core 50 is a better reel.  those two are my go to reels.  switch between the too to give either arm a break.

[bigshark88 388]

Shimano just did RIGHT by a buddy of mine who's reels got submerged and inundated with canal mud during a storm surge. He shipped all reels back to Shimano in Irvine, CA. Repairable reels were cleaned up and many rebuilt for $25 each. Some of the reels MSRP for $400+. Some repair sheets he got back show that Shimano replaced basically everything but the frame. Other reels were too old for replacement parts (like old school Baitrunners and older Stradics). Shimano swapped them out with newer models (Sargoosa and newer Stradics) for cost.

I had no idea they had CS like that. If you lose a through hull and sink the boat or have a hurricane / flood at the boat house - it's good to know.

[crash_davis 23113]

beautiful morning.  light breeze, perfect fishing weather.  at 11, the wind picked up something fierce.  made for a hell of a 2 mile paddle back to launch.

found these about 1-1.5 ft of water, 10-20 years off the grass line over mix mud and shell.  caught a few more.  tops in the morning, trout killer II mid morning.  when the wind picked up, the bite died.

 

on drive down to the coast from austin, 5:13AM a buck tries to break into my tahoe doing 80.  did some pretty good damage to the suv.  all body damage, engine is fine.  can't wait for the estimate from the appraiser tomorrow.

 

 

 

[fattyflattie 4639]

Probably had something sweet waiting across the highway.  Remains undefeated. 

[CoTex 1160]

I'm really jealous of you Louisiana guys.  I fished yesterday out of Hopedale Louisiana.  If you want to go hunt big reds, go there.

Also sheepshead (Cajun Permit according to our guide) will chase a fly.

Also, when the guide tells you to practice with the fly rod before you get down there...practice with the fly rod before you get down there.  There is nothing like seeing two big bulls swimming 20 feet from the boat, and with your first cast, you line them so hard that they spook.  Guide quote "wow, you couldn't have fucked that up any worse."  Yeah, well that's why they call it fishing and not catching asshole.  I've got a few other choice guide quotes that I won't soon forget.

I'll see if I can figure out how to upload some pictures.

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

Glad to hear you had a good trip. The trick over there is you have to be accurate with close in shots, which sounds easy but isn't. Everyone practices for the 50 ft shot, but over there, 20 is actually fairly far. You gotta be able to hit that fish that shows up out of nowhere 15ft off the front of the boat with one or maybe two false casts, or it's going to be gone. The biggest fish caught on my skiff over there was 44" and the guy jigged the fly in front of it at arms length. 

[CoTex 1160]

Well put Rojo.  With the clouds yesterday, it was very difficult to see fish until they were right under the boat. 

My biggest struggle was with the pace and change of direction.  The guide would say "Ok, I'm pointing at him, he's 10 feet behind the boat - his head is facing away from you toward about 4 o'clock." 

So now I have to:

-do a 180;

-get the fly line untangled;

-strip in 5 feet because I have too much line out;

try to spot the fish (intermittent clouds make that harder); and

deliver a halfway decent cast.

As easy as I'm sure it is for everyone else in the world, that's a lot of shit to do.  After I would botch it the guide would say "that was pretty workable stuff but we need a sense of urgency, much too slow."

Give me a tailing fish, 25 feet out, at 10 o'clock, moving left to right slowly, and I'm Flip Pallot.  We didn't see too many of those.  We had a good enough trip that i'll be back again and again for that stuff.  Much fun.

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

Man, I feel like some guides just want to make sure you see some fish so you can't say they didn't put you on any, and don't give a shit if they put you in position to catch them or not. In that scenario I'd have told you up front "You're going to have to make a backhand shot, but there's a good fish back here...", or I'd have tried to kick out the stern of the boat to make it a little easier on you. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

Yesterday in Rockport

Edited December 3, 2018 by Pescado_Rojo

[CoTex 1160]

11 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Man, I feel like some guides just want to make sure you see some fish so you can't say they didn't put you on any, and don't give a shit if they put you in position to catch them or not. In that scenario I'd have told you up front "You're going to have to make a backhand shot, but there's a good fish back here...", or I'd have tried to kick out the stern of the boat to make it a little easier on you. 

Well, when you're ready to start the Surly guide service, I'll sign up for a few days each year.

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

2 hours ago, CoTex said:

Well, when you're ready to start the Surly guide service, I'll sign up for a few days each year.

You know the difference between a fishing guide and a large pizza?

 

the pizza can feed a family of four

[Masshole Horn 775]

Sweet, a fishing trip and a pizza!

Edited December 4, 2018 by Masshole Horn

[Lat22 4015]

17 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Yesterday in Rockport

Username checks out. 

[crash_davis 23113]

22 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Yesterday in Rockport

For people who do not fish skinny water for reds, they don't realize that 26-27", 7lb-ish red was sight casted to in about 6-8 inches of water.  It's amazing that fish that size live in that shallow water almost year round.  

Edited December 4, 2018 by crash_davis

[RMac5 1551]

What would be a typical bait or lure for sight casting to a red?

[CoTex 1160]

1 hour ago, RMac5 said:

What would be a typical bait or lure for sight casting to a red?

I don’t think they’re the pickiest of eaters.  Something that looks like a brown shrimp or something shiny, white  or lime colored that looks like bait.

[crash_davis 23113]

it sorta depends on their mood.  if they are eating, then literally anything.  there was an old poster, phil, in tkf who used to posed videos of him throwing olives, cigarette butts, empty hooks to actively feeding reds in the flats, and the reds would hit whatever was moving in front of their noses.

when they are picky, it has to be something small and doesn't cause much commotion (ie no paddle tails).  but if you cast it just right, you will get a reaction bite.  which leads me to the last most important point.

 

it's about really about placement and presentation.  in front and draw across his nose.  the less aggressive they are, the more pinpoint the placement and delicate the presentation need to be.

[crash_davis 23113]

11 hours ago, RMac5 said:

What would be a typical bait or lure for sight casting to a red?

to answer the question with a specific answers: paddle tail or jerk bait, slowly presented coming across his nose.  if it spooks, then i know to move to something like a buggs bait which is a softer, slower presentation.

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

I throw mostly flies at them. Redfish Crack, Redfish Kwan, Clouser Minnow, a few different crab patterns, Cactus Shrimp, and if all else fails a spoon fly. 

[Brisketexan 105158]

12 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I throw mostly flies at them. Redfish Crack, Redfish Kwan, Clouser Minnow, a few different crab patterns, Cactus Shrimp, and if all else fails a spoon fly. 

Didn't Redfish Kwan reject our offer and sign with OU?  F that guy.

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

36 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Didn't Redfish Kwan reject our offer and sign with OU?  F that guy.

I heard he was addicted to Redfish Crack anyway. 

[immortal13 4059]

22 hours ago, RMac5 said:

What would be a typical bait or lure for sight casting to a red?

I like to use a big chrome zara spook 

[crash_davis 23113]

3 minutes ago, immortal13 said:

I like to use a big chrome zara spook 

i figured that would spook the shit out of them if you dropped a big arse topwater on top of them.  may have to try that sometime.

[immortal13 4059]

21 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

i figured that would spook the shit out of them if you dropped a big arse topwater on top of them.  may have to try that sometime.

Just cast well beyond them and work it back over the top

[davidg 4038]

14 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

i figured that would spook the shit out of them if you dropped a big arse topwater on top of them.  may have to try that sometime.

Yeah, used to chunk the shit out of Spooks or Top Dogs but that was in knee to waist deep water, usually over shell.  For sight casting in less than knee deep water,  I like  a lightweight paddle/shrimp tails or my favorite,   a gold Johnson weedless silver minnow  spoon with short piece of shrimp tail.  You can chunk it  a mile and drag it through the thickest weeds. 

[immortal13 4059]

Had a pretty decent trip down to Sabine Pass back in Oct. Caught my personal best 44" red night fishing off of a bridge, and a few sharks and reds off the beach.

imgur

imgur

imgur

 

[Brew 3049]

Anyone have a recommendation for a good saltwater kayak? I’m looking for something to run a mangrove and backwater area that probably runs 4 feet at the deepest. My boat budget got blown on new windows, doors, siding, etc so I need something to get me through next year when I’m not going to be down there a lot anyways. 

[crash_davis 23113]

you want a sit on top.  it really depends on how far you are wanting to paddle.  just know these two factors:

- the longer the yak, the easier (less strokes to cover the same distance) to paddle 

- the a narrower the kayak, the easier (less strokes to cover the distance) to paddle.

Cons:

- longer yaks are heavier and more difficult to maneuver (turn) in tighter spaces

- narrower kayaks are less stable it is.  if you are intending to comfortably stand in your yak, the wider the bettter.  but wider means slower yak.  

other things to consider:

- cockpit design

- hull design

    - hull slap with waves.  hull slap matters if you are on a skinny flat where you don't want to spook fish with noise)

    - hull design also impacts tracking which is how straight the yak wants to go when you paddle.  are you paddling mostly a straight line or are you zigzagging your way to your destination?  shitty tracking can be mitigated with a rudder system, but they cost $200 new.

- cost

- pedal drives (way more costly, much easier than paddling, but limited in how shallow you can effectively use it)  

 

in summary, if you are going to paddle longer distances or paddling a lot during your trips, you may want to get a 13'+ yak.  you arms and back will thank you.  if you are wanting to stand in your yak a lot, then you want a wider yak, the wider the better.  always buy used.  if you are patient you can usually find great yaks with rudder for less that $7-800.  many of the new model yaks are wide and are made for standing and comfort.  paddling seems to be a secondary concern.

i'm old school.  i don't like the pedal drives, i paddle long distances for my fishing spots so i want a longer, skinnier yak which tracks well (but i get rudders so tracking is not an issue).  i always get wilderness systems tarpon series.  i have a tarpon 14', looking to maybe upgrade to a 16'.  if you are not going to paddle more than 2 or 3 miles one way in your trips, then a 12 foot works.

look on tkf, aidslist for used kayaks.

Edited December 6, 2018 by crash_davis

[Bojack 2081]

^^^^ Everything above is absolutely the truth.  I feel like my Tarpon 160 is the perfect kayak for fishing in Texas.  It does really well in shallow water.  Also, think about how you're going to transport it.  If you get a very big kayak, you'll need a solid roof rack.  

[Brew 3049]

Thanks for the info. I think i’m going to be looking at shorter distances. I’ll be able to pull straight into a nature preserve, drop it right into the water, and start fishing pretty quickly, so it will just depend on how far into it I want to get. I do need to look at the stand up option as I’ll be in shallow water most of the time and can sight fish. My main goal is to get away from the areas that have a lot of people and since it is a motorless preserve that shouldn’t be difficult. By the time I’m ready for open water, I should have a bay boat.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

I’d look for one that is alligator-proof

[Brew 3049]

I’d look for one that is alligator-proof

The funny part of that is that we have been going to this island for years and I’ve never seen one anywhere. There are signs up everywhere though. We were pulling back into our neighborhood a couple of weeks ago and this damn thing was just standing on the side of the road. Our house has water up to three sides of it after a lot of rain so my wife is a little concerned now.

[crash_davis 23113]

13 hours ago, Brew said:

Thanks for the info. I think i’m going to be looking at shorter distances. I’ll be able to pull straight into a nature preserve, drop it right into the water, and start fishing pretty quickly, so it will just depend on how far into it I want to get. I do need to look at the stand up option as I’ll be in shallow water most of the time and can sight fish. My main goal is to get away from the areas that have a lot of people and since it is a motorless preserve that shouldn’t be difficult. By the time I’m ready for open water, I should have a bay boat.

does the area get a lot of pressure from other yaks.  most people will only paddle up to a mile from launch.  if the immediate area is pressured, you will have to paddle to further places to consistently find fish.

[Brew 3049]

18 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

does the area get a lot of pressure from other yaks.  most people will only paddle up to a mile from launch.  if the immediate area is pressured, you will have to paddle to further places to consistently find fish.

Not that I have seen, there is too much easily accessible fishing on the beaches, piers, passes, roadway, etc. You will see a couple of people putting in kayaks, but it’s very few. It is an older population where we’re at, so they just set up wherever is easy.

Plus the bugs can be pretty intense when you get back in the shallow water part of the preserve.

Edited December 7, 2018 by Brew

[williemackgarza 1826]

https://m.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/travel-outdoors/article/video-alligators-remote-island-Laguna-Madre-Texas-13439503.php

Cool vidro. North of port isabel in laguna madre. Didnt know there were tons of gattahs that far south

[4th and 5 4914]

I spend a lot of time running the LLM and I can’t quite figure out where that is. She said it is in the bay, not the refuge. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

NotColt/Rojo,

So was helping Santa shop for me today at FTU and happened upon some lower end fly outfits they had marked half off, and thought what the hell.  They had a 4 pc 8wt that seemed like it would be fun to play with small trout in the lights.   I figured I could play in the neighborhood lake with it until I could do something, then play with it if I even get some reds hemmed up in a backlake.  One in particular we hit often in rockport is about a half acre and we pulled out something like 14 slots last time (all but 2 released, tournament).  We had them pushed up on the banks and they were on/off tailing and feeding  Something like that a few times a year was the thought and seemed...not impossible. Or less precise, we’ll say.  

Anyhow, where do I start?  Books, vids, anything in particular.  My regular gear is all high end. This rig is not, but figure for a few times a year was worth it for a “learner”.  

Any advise much appreciated.  

 

 

[bmbmd 1027]

Orvis.com has lots of videos, as does Youtube in general.  If you could scrape together a hundred bucks, though, a lesson is the best shortcut you can take. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

Yes, spring for a casting lesson. Some shops do free workshops, which are like group lessons. You could probably get the basics from that, then a lesson or two from a certified casting instructor. As for books, Lefty Kreh’s “Fly Fishin in Salt Water” is the Bible. Everything from casting, to fly tying, to how to read the water. My copy is 15 years old and I still pick it up on the regular. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19423]

Also search YouTube for Lefty Kreh casting videos. 

[The Royal We 3072]

Before I went fly fishing for the first time I had a casting lesson from someone that FTU introduced me to.  I think his name was Jose, but I'm not positive.  I think it saved me a lot of frustration and missed time on the water.  I could not keep my wrist locked until he broke out a leather strap and lashed the rod to my arm, after that I could feel the rod loading up and it changed everything for me.  If you have a place to wing it around under the lights for some trout that would probably be a lot of fun.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

16 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

NotColt/Rojo,

So was helping Santa shop for me today at FTU and happened upon some lower end fly outfits they had marked half off, and thought what the hell.  They had a 4 pc 8wt that seemed like it would be fun to play with small trout in the lights.   I figured I could play in the neighborhood lake with it until I could do something, then play with it if I even get some reds hemmed up in a backlake.  One in particular we hit often in rockport is about a half acre and we pulled out something like 14 slots last time (all but 2 released, tournament).  We had them pushed up on the banks and they were on/off tailing and feeding  Something like that a few times a year was the thought and seemed...not impossible. Or less precise, we’ll say.  

Anyhow, where do I start?  Books, vids, anything in particular.  My regular gear is all high end. This rig is not, but figure for a few times a year was worth it for a “learner”.  

Any advise much appreciated.  

 

 

do you live in houston? what's that huge shop that has a casting pond out back? gordy & sons? go in there and pretend like you're in the market for a mid-range set-up and and tell them you're a beginner.

if not, i'd highly recommend starting with a casting lesson, then parlaying that into instructional videos on youtube and a TON of time in a field getting your stroke down. it's really frustrating trying to learn how to cast on fish, especially if you can see them. everything breaks down and you end up trying to throw the fly like a baseball and the line collapses at your feet. 

[pepper brooks 580]

16 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

do you live in houston? what's that huge shop that has a casting pond out back? gordy & sons? go in there and pretend like you're in the market for a mid-range set-up and and tell them you're a beginner.

if not, i'd highly recommend starting with a casting lesson, then parlaying that into instructional videos on youtube and a TON of time in a field getting your stroke down. it's really frustrating trying to learn how to cast on fish, especially if you can see them. everything breaks down and you end up trying to throw the fly like a baseball and the line collapses at your feet. 

yes.  gordy and sons.  the nicest outfitter shop I have ever seen by a yuuuuge margin.  The damn gun inventory they have in there will blow your mind.  THe shit they have in the big bank vault room is absurd.  Neat fishing pond out front too.