2018 Fishing - Year of the big one

[Dry Elbows 142]

Are you referring to the young man that swam after his boat that drifted away?  Sad deal.  I saw an article where the Calhoun County Sheriff stated there have been four similar instances in the past year. 

[immortal13 4059]

I know the family. My heart breaks for them. Never ever chase a drifting boat ...you can't catch up to it.

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

20 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

The boy and I went to the ranch to check on our pet bass. Ma, we need a rain. The water levels in the tanks are waaaay down, and the water looks "thick" if that makes sense. I told the boy we weren't going to fish it...I can't imagine what oxygen levels are, and if we caught one, it might not survive the release. Hoping for the best. 

I know the feeling.  My little honey hole on Onion Creek is low, low, low.  What's usually a dammed up section of the creek that's 15' deep and about 1000 yds long is now a small pond that's maybe 4' deep at most and 200 yds long.  Lots and lots of bass, catfish, bluegills and a few crappie are consolidated to that tiny little area.  I really want to check it out, but I'm scared to see what I'll find which is why I've stayed away.  We need rain in a bad way, and even with some rain, it may be years before that little fishery recovers.

[crash_davis 23107]

damn, sad to hear about the dude chasing the drifting boat.  i have a few rules on my boat.  if you are jumping in deep water, you must have on a life jacket.  the other rule is if we are just drifting and hanging out in the water, there are ropes hanging from the boat cleats.  someone is always holding onto the rope as the boat is drifting.  only take a few seconds to turn a great day on the lake into a tragedy.

[crash_davis 23107]

thinking about heading down the seadrift and yak fish out of charlies.  anyone have any water and grass reports from the lagoon or shoalwater close to coyote pass?  fishing those lakes is tough if there is too much grass.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

As of last weekend, there's a lot of grass. 

[crash_davis 23107]

hmmmm.  may have to rethink where i'll fish.  matty marsh?  barroom out of POC?  west matty shoreline from poc to indianola?  decisions decisions.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

We fished Powderhorn a couple weeks ago, and the south shoreline looked really good. Grass, but there's enough water in there that we weren't dragging it around. The water on that shoreline was gin clear, and we sight fished up a couple reds, and I got two shots at a Huuuuge Trout. There were also some bull black drum closer to that bulkhead that sticks out on the west end. I'm talking 40" class fish. 

[crash_davis 23107]

thanks.  regularly i've been hitting POC and seadrift for 12 years.  never once been to powderhorn.  i guess it's time to pop that cherry.

from my research, it seems to produce on moving tide.  lucky me, there's a good outgoing tide (new moon) all day tomorrow.  will anchor and wade the bay side cuts from powderhorn.  if i don't catch fish in those two cuts on an outgoing tide, then it wasn't meant to be.

[Lurch 5930]

Didn’t catch shit. Didn’t care.

[HouTex 1866]

Didn’t catch shit. Didn’t care.

I should post this in the trivial things that annoy thread, but when people go fishing and catch nothing and it ruins their week that drives me crazy. Same with hunting. It's getting out on the water or in the field that matters. Catching/killing something is gravy.

[Lurch 5930]

Yep. The people watching alone makes it worth it. Great weather, calming sound of the surf and the amazing view all add to the experience. Hell, I enjoy just throwing the castnet. When I land something on the rods, it’s just that much more special.

[fattyflattie 4639]

DE/immortal/crash, yes the kid from ATM is who I’m referring to. Dad a Dr in Victoria iirc. Sad deal, entirely too young  

I’m not implying it happened in that case, but I think we are seeing more of it because people have replaced their danforths with power poles. Not safe imo, can’t believe so many people rely on it. 

[Brisketexan 105093]

2 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

DE/immortal/crash, yes the kid from ATM is who I’m referring to. Dad a Dr in Victoria iirc. Sad deal, entirely too young  

I’m not implying it happened in that case, but I think we are seeing more of it because people have replaced their danforths with power poles. Not safe imo, can’t believe so many people rely on it. 

Power pole is fine if you're staying on the boat, and want to be fixed to one spot (that is, not drift).  Otherwise....use your damned anchor.

[bigshark88 388]

PP has changed some of their ad copy to reflect that it's not an anchoring system. I own two and had one on a former boat. I would never leave the boat based just on the PP being deployed.

I have had an anchor slip on me as well though so even that is no guarantee. Slowed the boat down enough to catch it though.

[BearSchlong 8083]

somewhere there's gotta be someone who uses the "anchor" button on their GPS enabled trolling motor and then goes wade fishing as well.

[Born to Run 6569]

Palomar and FG are my go-to knots.  I've always heard the saying though, "better to tie a decent knot great than to tie a great knot decently."  Practice in the garage until it becomes second nature so you can do it on a rocking boat or in bad light.

Same for inshore, except double Palomar with braid. Regular Palomar will pull through.
Lurch also test your knots by pulling on them right up to near breaking strength until you get dialed in.

[Dry Elbows 142]

4 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

I’m not implying it happened in that case, but I think we are seeing more of it because people have replaced their danforths with power poles. Not safe imo, can’t believe so many people rely on it. 

I have a PowerPole and an anchor on my boat.  If it is not too windy (or in a protected cove) or I'm not in strong current (San Luis Pass), I use my PowerPole.  But I know people who don't even carry an anchor on their boat.

PowerPole has changed its ads and reduced the range on the remotes.  Mine doesn't even have enough range to effective use it to drift the boat while I'm wading.  Seriously debating whether I'll get one on my next boat.  But they damn sure are nice to use around the dock and while picking people up when a wade is over. 

[crash_davis 23107]

Must be something in the water. I caught 2 trout, both 15. Tough going. Fish were there. They just weren't biting.

[Mac8111 2107]

Must be something in the water. I caught 2 trout, both 15. Tough going. Fish were there. They just weren't biting.

It’s not them, it’s you.

[crash_davis 23107]

indubitably.  summer fishing sucks.

 

or more accurately, i suck at summer fishing.

Edited August 22, 2018 by crash_davis

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

took the plunge and bought a trout spey rod. i feel like i'm about to get really deep into the 2 handed rod world.

[Braff Zacklin 13557]

Been using two hands on my rod since I was 13, bruh.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

took the plunge and bought a trout spey rod. i feel like i'm about to get really deep into the 2 handed rod world.

TWSS

[Smax 3800]

Buddy who I went to Surfside with a few weeks back took his son again this morning. Fishing off the jetty caught 8 keeper specs and 3 spanish macs, went to filet them and all had worms.

Thats not normal is it?

[Brisketexan 105093]

Buddy who I went to Surfside with a few weeks back took his son again this morning. Fishing off the jetty caught 8 keeper specs and 3 spanish macs, went to filet them and all had worms.

Thats not normal is it?

Yep, especially in a hot summer.

[immortal13 4059]

We caught a few specks with worms in them a couple of months ago in Sabine Pass

[pepper brooks 580]

Fished under the bridge on 331 leading to 30A in Rosemary a couple of weeks back.  Torn them up one day. Caught several slot reds, a 50lb black drum, a really nice blue fish that a rather large fucking bull shark devoured as we were about to net the thing, and some jacks.  That was all on one day. Went out two days later to big ass fish fail.  There was a storm rolling in and it was just brutal fishing. 

[bigshark88 388]

Got after a few big bluegill and some shellcracker at a buddy's neighborhood pond after school yesterday.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

does that shirt come in adult sizes?

[UTEX90 589]

Went bass fishing of  Fayette yesterday.  Didn't catch shit. 

But "Worst day fishing is better...."

[BearSchlong 8083]

This agitated my submechanaphobia.

Ducks but I can't see this ending well.

https://www.12newsnow.com/mobile/article/news/local/coast-guard-searching-for-65-year-old-nederland-man-missing-while-diving-off-sabine-pass/502-586899677

[BearSchlong 8083]

Buddy who I went to Surfside with a few weeks back took his son again this morning. Fishing off the jetty caught 8 keeper specs and 3 spanish macs, went to filet them and all had worms.

Thats not normal is it?

Very normal, but not a problem at all. Just cook them, or pick them out of the filet. Pretty sure all keeper specks and reds come with worms, even if you can't see them.

I was obsessed about this for a while and the intertrons reassured me that these parasites are harmless to humans.

[DCA_HORN 725]

I know this is pretty much rhetorical but why can't any commercial/tv show/movie get a fishing scene correct? the spinning reel upside down is a constant but the latest I saw was the spinning reel on a heavy duty baitcaster rod. Also one of the worst offenders is Academy. This probably should have gone in the trivial things that annoy the shit out of you thread.

[Lurch 5930]

I’ve been wanting to do this, but glad someone else took the risk first

[Braff Zacklin 13557]

We must watch similar videos, Lurch, cuz YouTube suggested that for me earlier today, as well.

Gotta be honest, though, the host seems to have some sort of functional impairment.

[Lurch 5930]

Yeah, he’s excessively happy.

[pevodog 14]

We went Saturday and kept 7 trout to 21 inches. Threw back about that many that were 14 7/8 inches. Caught them all on one well pad in Trinity Bay. We saw one big flock of birds working, but only small trout and slimers were underneath them. I think Trinity is going to be on fire this fall.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Masshole Horn 769]

Had a great day in the Harbor on Saturday. First time using a sabiki rig to catch bait. My biggest was 24 inches. Others caught a 33 and a 37. Next goal, false albies in Buzzard’s.

[Dry Elbows 142]

2 hours ago, pevodog said:

 I think Trinity is going to be on fire this fall.


 

Would be nice.  It's been washed out for so long. 

[huge 3793]

Decarb boat I went out on recently had a good weekend.

4 sails

2 whites

1 blue

15 dorado

[Masshole Horn 769]

No albies, but caught a dozen or so bass to 24”.

[Born to Run 6569]

I know this is pretty much rhetorical but why can't any commercial/tv show/movie get a fishing scene correct? the spinning reel upside down is a constant but the latest I saw was the spinning reel on a heavy duty baitcaster rod. Also one of the worst offenders is Academy. This probably should have gone in the trivial things that annoy the shit out of you thread.

That shit is cringe worthy. Magazine ads too.

Fished POC. Trout limits to 28 Sun/ Mon am in West Maddy. Bite lasted until 10 and was red hot sunday, and a slow grind Monday. Couldn’t find a keeper Red anywhere. Floating grass was unbearable in some of lakes and windward shorelines.
Fuck fishing Saturday, got run over by at least 60 airboats wading the shoreline near Pringle. Miserable.
Monday was awesome.

[Dry Elbows 142]

Hit East Matty today. Didn't get to fish last weekend and won't this weekend because I'm going to the Maryland game. Needed my fix. I didn't have high expectations because it's the backside of the full moon.  Wrong. The moon set minor was awesome. I probably released 20-25 fish in an hour and a half. Kept two reds and a trout from that wade. Once the minor was over so was the bite. 

[Dry Elbows 142]

34 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

 

That shit is cringe worthy. Magazine ads too.

Fished POC. Trout limits to 28 Sun/ Mon am in West Maddy. Bite lasted until 10 and was red hot sunday, and a slow grind Monday. Couldn’t find a keeper Red anywhere. Floating grass was unbearable in some of lakes and windward shorelines.
Fuck fishing Saturday, got run over by at least 60 airboats wading the shoreline near Pringle. Miserable.
Monday was awesome.

 

Nice. There was a big airboat gathering in POC last weekend. I fucking hate airboats. FUCKING HATE THEM. Never came across one that wasn't an asshole. Some buddies of mine were burned by one last weekend while they were fly fishing in a lake on St. Joe's island. Guide ran within 20 feet of them. 

[Born to Run 6569]

Nice. There was a big airboat gathering in POC last weekend. I fucking hate airboats. FUCKING HATE THEM. Never came across one that wasn't an asshole. Some buddies of mine were burned by one last weekend while they were fly fishing in a lake on St. Joe's island. Guide ran within 20 feet of them. 

Agreed excepting a few guides that only use them for ducks. I actually tied on a skitterwalk and narrowly missed a few of them - they were in range too. It’s hard to hit the driver and not also hit the passengers

[Mac8111 2107]

Fished today around Corpus. Was a serious grind. Only found a few keepers. Had a couple bites in Oso. Biggest trout was 22inches, caught at our last spot. Fishing on a Tuesday instead of working, #profit.

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/texan-bags-alligator-gar-that-could-be-new-world-record/

Cross-post with Kayak thread.  Back-to-back monster gars for the fellas at Amistad Expeditions out of Del Rio.  Good bunch of guys.  I'm sure they were stoked.

[Brisketexan 105093]

8 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/texan-bags-alligator-gar-that-could-be-new-world-record/

Cross-post with Kayak thread.  Back-to-back monster gars for the fellas at Amistad Expeditions out of Del Rio.  Good bunch of guys.  I'm sure they were stoked.

I know, I've said it before, and maybe folks don't agree....but it makes me sad when folks kill a big, OLD fish like that.  I catch and keep plenty of fish for eating, but I also do a whole lot of catch and release, and I think alligator gar are some of the coolest fish that we have in the state. They're prehistoric beasts.  And killing an old one like that just seems pointless.

I mean, I'm sure it was a cool and exhilarating experience, but I just wish they could weigh and measure the fish, and slip her back into the lake.

[Dry Elbows 142]

31 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

 

I mean, I'm sure it was a cool and exhilarating experience, but I just wish they could weigh and measure the fish, and slip her back into the lake.

But then they wouldn't be able to take a picture standing next to it hanging from a rope and post it on the intergoogles so everyone can see how cool they are.