2019 Fishing - Bent rods and tight lines

[troph 23,963]

Feeling like you’ve been beaten with a tire iron is the best way I can describe the feeling you have waking up after a day long YF haul.  It’s a blast but there is a price to pay. 

I want that feeling. I’ve had a few of those on a long three set tennis match. Only thing that saved me was an ice bath. Of course if I won the soreness was my trophy. I’ll bring those fuckers in, and I’ll be glad to complain about my body feeling beaten by a tire iron. Yes please.

[4th and 5 4,903]

On 7/30/2020 at 12:15 PM, 4th and 5 said:

The weather's getting right fellas. It's time to burn up some vacation days on Monday and Tuesday and hit the surf.

Called my shot

The fishing was outstanding on Monday. We waded the bay and got a nice limit and kept fishing. The bite was strong during the midday major (moon underfoot)
 

Then it got better. We hit the same bay spot and picked up a few and then went to the surf and filled the cooler with a bunch of fat trout 22-24. 
 

Here are pics of the fires on Big Island, apparently started by kids shooting tracer rounds. 
 

and a pic of the surf

 

@Mac8111 will update with the Wednesday fishing report. He has the coordinates. 

[fattyflattie 4,631]

I had to work, so I missed this today.







Nothing behind the shrimp boats but kings.



35 miles or so. Supposedly lots of kingfish and state snapper. But water was blue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited August 6, 2020 by fattyflattie

[Dry Elbows 142]

"State snapper"

How much beer or weed did they take to trade with the shrimpers?

[fattyflattie 4,631]

Yes,  state snapper. Apparently my boat didn’t partake. Was just there for the kings and Ling.  
 

Always 2 cases. Apparently no one wanted to barter.  Another friend had same experience last week. Said he tried a half dozen of them and no one wanted beer.  So I just don’t know anymore.  

[Born to Run 6,186]

Yes,  state snapper. Apparently my boat didn’t partake. Was just there for the kings and Ling.  
 
Always 2 cases. Apparently no one wanted to barter.  Another friend had same experience last week. Said he tried a half dozen of them and no one wanted beer.  So I just don’t know anymore.  

It's gotten harder and harder to find a willing boat. Don't even bother with HEB boats.
I used to get 35 lbs for a joint or a case of beer and all the squid or Chum we wanted

[fattyflattie 4,631]

7 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

It's gotten harder and harder to find a willing boat. Don't even bother with HEB boats.
I used to get 35 lbs for a joint or a case of beer and all the squid or Chum we wanted

That is terrible news.  Last year, or year before maybe, we were able to get them for a case of Beast and a bottle of something someone had left at Josies that followed us home.  Got a big sack of shrimp and another sack of squid.    I havent been behind one culling in the AM in a looooooong time.  Now we hit them just to hit them, but seems like the success rate is way down than what it used to be.  Still plenty of kings around, but haven't pulled off any ling or blackfins (these were shallow tho) in I don't know how long.  

[davidg 4,015]

The best method for finding one to trade is to look for a trail of beer can and follow it up current until you hit the one leaving the trail.

We knew we were going to do good at the last one we traded when we swung in behind the shrimper, as they were blasting out Ozzy’s Boneyard on the Xm, and we saw they had a Forrest Gump sized catch pile on the rear deck. Gunnel to gunnel, at least 2 feet high.

They shoveled 2 or 3 scoops overboard and the water erupted. Tons of bonita and kings feeding on the catch and sharks feeding on them.

We got 3 big mesh bags of shrimp with just a little bit of bycatch mixed in with it all for a warm 12 pack. We played with the kings for a bit and I had on a 7’+ bull shark on for about while before he finally bit through the leader. Left there and continued running on our to our snapper rock to catch our limits.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,728]

@4th and 5 where was that fire again?

[Mac8111 2,096]

On Matagorda Island by the Big Jetties.

Then Tuesday night one of the big houses out there “exploded” and burnt to the ground.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fattyflattie 4,631]

Damn. Pirate country over there.

[justhookit 4,159]

Take the shrimpers Gatorade and cigarettes. Better yet, if you fish 2 days in a row just ask them what they want and take it back to them on day 2. Your results won’t vary.

also, the nearshore boats like that aren’t staying out very long so they generally won’t even need anything. Best trades are going to happen with the deep water guys that stay out a long time.

[bigshark88 388]

Man. In Florida we trade them beer for bycatch (for bait) but not much else

[justhookit 4,159]

Walk West weighed in a 737 pound blue tonight at midnight in the Texas Legends tournament. Still one day of fishing left but that’s a really big marlin for here and will be tough to beat.

 

Also very good social distancing and mask wearing.

Edited August 8, 2020 by justhookit

[Brisketexan 103,147]

Just spent a week down at the beach in Surfside.  We had kids with us, went out with a guide one day, had to grind hard to get some trout, a pompano, and a nice red and black drum.  One of the trout was pretty good size – 24 inches or so – and had a bite taken out of his back, which had healed.  That was pretty cool to see.  I’ll see if I can dig up the picture.  We ate well, though -- red and drum on the half shell, fried trout, and broiled pompano.  It was damned nice eating.

 

Otherwise, we mostly fished the surf right in front of our house – conditions were nice most of the week (cleaned up starting Monday, just started getting choppy again late yesterday).  We tossed some lures and got some fish, and my daughter’s lifelong friend and fishing buddy figured out his casting net in a surf full of finger mullet.  So in the afternoons, we’d hang out past the second bar, freelining finger mullet (and drinking beer – at least I was, as the “of age” member of the fishing crew.  Another buddy who wasn’t as big on fishing would just bob next to us, hanging on to a boogie board and enjoying a beverage.  He had it figured out).  My daughter fished hard.  She wanted to hook into a nice trout – and a fat 22 inch speck one morning made her happy.  But we were also having some fun catching 2-foot class spinner sharks….all of us except her, that is.  She really wanted a shark.  Couldn’t catch one, even when the rest of us were.  Finally, yesterday afternoon, she got her spinner shark.  And she was just so damned pleased.

 

 

But here’s the really cool angle of the whole week.  We were down at the beach in front of our house, and it was a public (vehicle access) beach, so we had folks at least nearby much of the time.  We were able to keep our relative distance, and there was sunshine and a decent breeze, so we feel like we kept the illness risk low.  But one crew we were near was the folks who were staying in the house next to us.  A couple of ex-marines and their wives and kids.  They were good guys, and great to talk fishing with.  And on Wednesday night, our crew of young folks decided they were going down the beach after dark to try to catch ghost crabs.  So, they knocked on the door next door, and took their two little girls out with them.  They ran around chasing ghost crabs with a flashlight, and snagged a bucket full (that they of course let go), as well as some small blue crabs at the edge of the surf (also released).  They came back all laughing and talking about what a blast they had, even our 19 yr olds.

 

And then the next day, the family next to us was Turkish – they fled Istanbul three years ago because they got crosswise with Erdogan.  As my daughter and her friend worked a seining net, their kids were drawn in, fascinated by what they caught.  She sat down in the sand, and taught them things like how to look at the underside of a crab to tell its gender, and how the little comb jellies feel (but don’t sting).  She grabbed some floating pieces of Sargasso to show them all the cool critters that use it for shelter.  She showed them the little coquinas that burrow in the sand at the surf line.  Her brother used a pump we have to dig up some ghost shrimp from their holes in the shallows. She showed them how trash in the water could hurt the things that live in the ocean.  By the end of the day, the kids were obsessed with sea life.

 

And then yesterday, she caught her shark.  She brought it in, and a crowd of kids (and adults) gathered to look at it. She let the kids touch it, feeling the smooth skin one way, and the rough skin the other way.  She showed them how they could tell it was a male (had claspers underneath).  Then, she showed them how to revive it and release it in the surf, watching it swim off.  One kid from the family next to us (a Mexican family, doing the whole awesome Mexican beach set up – grilling elotes and chicken, having a good time – and yep, when I complimented them on their chicken, they gave me a piece and it was f’n awesome) was around 5, and was asking her all about fishing.  So, she went up to the house and got one of our old push button reel setups we use for the younger kids to fish on bottom.  It was already rigged to fish dead shrimp on a treble hook.  So, she spent a few minutes teaching him how to cast, and then when he had it down, baited his hook and took him to cast into the first gut.  It took him a few tries, but after about 10 minutes, he hooked into a little 7 inch whiting.  And you’d have thought he caught Moby Dick.  He came back with the rod and fish held high.  His parents gasped and came down to the water, taking pictures of him with his first fish.  He held that fish up like a trophy, and had a grin bigger than Texas.  His siblings and cousins all gathered round, excited as hell.  Then, she helped him unhook it and release it back into the water, as all the kids gathered round and watched.

 

To see her share her joy and passion – she’s been fishing obsessed since she was 9 – and maybe to have turned on one or more other kids to fishing, goddamn.  I’m serious, I had to keep from tearing up.  It was just fucking awesome.  It was right, and good, and everything I want to see in this world.  And it made me reflect on both the diversity and shared experience of the past few days.  Our kiddos had run around catching crabs, fish, and other sea critters with the daughters of two Marines, the children of a Turkish family in exile, and a passel of kids from a Mexican family.  Every engagement was joy, and fascination, and the commonality of childhood.  And as they learned a little bit about the ocean, and all the life in it, and how it ebbs and flows, maybe some of them became fisherman (it’s something that happens to you, it just does), and they’ll remember this week as when it happened for them.  Maybe they grasped what an amazing ecosystem the sea is, and how it has to be taken care of.  I think that the best conservationists and environmentalists are created  by exposure, appreciation, and a balanced view, as opposed to dogma.  [it actually gave me the idea for CCA to spend some summer weekends down at beaches with volunteer crews, doing exactly what my daughter did – using nets to catch and show kids sea life, and explain the life cycles to them, and have basic fishing gear and bait for kids to try out fishing – maybe when they’re done, hand them a coupon for a discount on a Zebco setup or something.  If you want to create a new generation of fishermen and conservationists, that’s how you’d do it].

 

I fished, too.  I caught some trout, caught a couple of spinner sharks.  I cast, and hopped waves as they came in.  I let the waves do their thing, and I was at peace.  But if I’d never cast a line this week, if I’d never caught a single fish, it still would have been perfect.

 

And maybe I'm a little melancholy, and anxious, and venting here.  Because this coming weekend, she goes back to school in Canada.  And with the uncertainty of these COVID times, and quarantines (she has to quarantine for 14 days when she gets there), we don't know when we're going to be able to see her again.  It may not be feasible for her to come home for Christmas, or for us to go see her.  So I'm worried, and I'm going to miss her.  And I'm so glad I had a week to fish with her.  I wish I had another one.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Brisketexan

[tx 3 putt 74,769]

good fishing in canada 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12,301]

You can get crabs there, too.

[Pescado_Rojo 19,192]

On 8/8/2020 at 2:19 AM, justhookit said:

Walk West weighed in a 737 pound blue tonight at midnight in the Texas Legends tournament. Still one day of fishing left but that’s a really big marlin for here and will be tough to beat.

 

Also very good social distancing and mask wearing.

One of my buddies was on the boat that hung the 514. 

[Born to Run 6,186]

That is terrible news.  Last year, or year before maybe, we were able to get them for a case of Beast and a bottle of something someone had left at Josies that followed us home.  Got a big sack of shrimp and another sack of squid.    I havent been behind one culling in the AM in a looooooong time.  Now we hit them just to hit them, but seems like the success rate is way down than what it used to be.  Still plenty of kings around, but haven't pulled off any ling or blackfins (these were shallow tho) in I don't know how long.  

Yeah it sucks.

For Blackfins you need to be out a good 30-40 miles usually. This is the time of year is when it gets good into Sept.
For Ling we like to send some prop wash under the shrimp boat and some chum to try and get them to leave the shade. Fish the shady side of the boat. Live piggies fished close to the shrimp boat will catch fish you don't see. And of course any weedlines or floating debris. On site fishing them, I have them often bite a dead mullet with a piece of Alka Seltzer threaded above the hook. The fizz gets them interested. Ling are tasty but weird fish. And often frustrating AF. We have better luck earlier in the season for Ling.
However I've caught a few sails and plenty of mahi closer in this time of year including a sail only maybe 10 miles out. I thought it was a bunch of triple tail hanging around a trash bag until he lit up. Did not leader that one.

[Born to Run 6,186]

On Matagorda Island by the Big Jetties.

Then Tuesday night one of the big houses out there “exploded” and burnt to the ground.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Matagorda Peninsula to be accurate. Lot of disregard for bag limits over there on the pennisula. The Island starts at Pass Cavallo and is a state park. TXPW fly the island with a helo and blast hogs with extreme prejudice. It's a little unnerving when you are wading nearby.

[Your Mom 4,748]

Heading to the Llano tomorrow to fish with the boy.  The Kingsland Slab and maybe Castell Crossing upriver from Llano.  Never been to either spot.  Anything I should know about the area or any other place we should hit?  

[3shot 139]

5 hours ago, Your Mom said:

Heading to the Llano tomorrow to fish with the boy.  The Kingsland Slab and maybe Castell Crossing upriver from Llano.  Never been to either spot.  Anything I should know about the area or any other place we should hit?  

The water is pretty low right now.  It's easier walking down river at the slab than up, but you might have more luck if you are fishing worms under a bobber up river...up river has more discrete pools that will each hold fish due to the granite boulder fields and outcroppings.    

[troph 23,963]

Heading to the Llano tomorrow to fish with the boy.  The Kingsland Slab and maybe Castell Crossing upriver from Llano.  Never been to either spot.  Anything I should know about the area or any other place we should hit?  

We are new to fly fishing but didn’t have a lot of success at Castell in July - we went about three different times. I also fished near the damn. Same results - Decent amount of bites early evening even afternoons but only a few small guads and nothing to really get excited about.

[Your Mom 4,748]

Yeah the water was pretty low.  We took one look at the Slab and moved on to Castell.  Bad planning on my part because the general store was closed so my mid-day beers in the shade got canned.  But I did catch one bass (and our only bass) after my kid was talking shit to me about his fishing prowess compared to mine, so the day wasn't a total failure.  Pork ribs and apple cobbler at Coopers were good, brisket was not.  No less than 100 posters on this board can cook better brisket than they served today, but whatever.  It was a day outside with one of my kids... I'll take it.  

[Sbbruin 21,567]

The boy and I caught a bunch of calicos this morning. Only one keeper, but we should be able to get a few tacos out of it.

[Sbbruin 21,567]

Caught a nice ocean whitefish just goofing off with a little 2lb test rig off the side of the boat. Now plenty of fish for tacos tonight.

[Born to Run 6,186]

Any tips or spots for the Durango Silverton area? We can 4x4 or hike in. Fly and Tankara rods.


Tips on fly selection?

[Johnny Chimpo 477]

14 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

Any tips or spots for the Durango Silverton area? We can 4x4 or hike in. Fly and Tankara rods.


Tips on fly selection?

Check in with a local fly shop, they’ll likely help you out. My buddy caught about 15 fish on the Animas one morning  right in front of the doubletree in Durango after picking up 10 recommended flies from the shop. Mostly nymphing as I recall. We were staying a little outside of town at river bend ranch and the river there was muddy bottom with no structure. It seemed like there was a lot better structure through town. 

Edited August 14, 2020 by Johnny Chimpo

[Sbbruin 21,567]

Fish taco goodness

[texastough 1,085]

6 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Fish taco goodness

California fish tacos?

[Sbbruin 21,567]

59 minutes ago, texastough said:

California fish tacos?

As opposed to what?  That fish was as fresh as it gets.  They were both swimming this morning.

[Born to Run 6,186]

Check in with a local fly shop, they’ll likely help you out. My buddy caught about 15 fish on the Animas one morning  right in front of the doubletree in Durango after picking up 10 recommended flies from the shop. Mostly nymphing as I recall. We were staying a little outside of town at river bend ranch and the river there was muddy bottom with no structure. It seemed like there was a lot better structure through town. 

Thanks man!
We will be further up. Im mostly a dry fly or die kind of guy but if we post up in town it's good to know it's worth the effort to go.

[Johnny Chimpo 477]

15 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

Thanks man!
We will be further up. Im mostly a dry fly or die kind of guy but if we post up in town it's good to know it's worth the effort to go.

Right on man. I do hear ya on the dries. I didn’t see much hatch when we were out there but I’m sure there must be something. We were there around July 4. 

[Pescado_Rojo 19,192]

8 hours ago, Born to Run said:

Thanks man!
We will be further up. Im mostly a dry fly or die kind of guy but if we post up in town it's good to know it's worth the effort to go.

I was there a week ago. Check in with Duranglers fly shop in town. If you're going to be up around the Purgatory area, there's a creek up above the resort they told me was a good option. Road was closed about halfway up the mountain, though. Maybe the National Park service can tell you if it's open? Or maybe you could hike up the rest of the way. The boy told me he was done, so I didn't press it. I think it's called Hermosa Creek. If you look on google earth, you'll see the road I'm talking about. You basically turn into the resort, and the trail head is at the back of the large North parking area. Down lower they suggested Lime Creek. There's a Lime Creek road turn off from the highway between Purgatory and Silverton, the guys at the fly shop can show you where it is on their shop map and set you up with flies. The Animas was low and water temps are pretty high right now. If you're going to fish it, get there early and plan to be off the water by 9:00 AM or so. 

[Reagan1k 2,999]

On 8/11/2020 at 8:30 PM, Your Mom said:

Yeah the water was pretty low.  We took one look at the Slab and moved on to Castell.  Bad planning on my part because the general store was closed so my mid-day beers in the shade got canned.  But I did catch one bass (and our only bass) after my kid was talking shit to me about his fishing prowess compared to mine, so the day wasn't a total failure.  Pork ribs and apple cobbler at Coopers were good, brisket was not.  No less than 100 posters on this board can cook better brisket than they served today, but whatever.  It was a day outside with one of my kids... I'll take it.  

It's a shame but it's been like that consistently for some time now.  I travel back and forth to Fredericksburg and Llano several times a year and I stopped ordering brisket.  I'll get a pork chop, smoke ribeye or smoked prime rib but no more brisket for me.  

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12,301]

Headed up to Driggs next weekend. My intentions are to torture many fish on large foam flies.

[texastough 1,085]

21 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

As opposed to what?  That fish was as fresh as it gets.  They were both swimming this morning.

Just wanted to maintain clear boundaries for the Tex Mex vs Cali Mex debate (which is not a debate)

edit: the tacos look amazing

Edited August 15, 2020 by texastough

[Sbbruin 21,567]

1 hour ago, texastough said:

Just wanted to maintain clear boundaries for the Tex Mex vs Cali Mex debate (which is not a debate)

edit: the tacos look amazing

Agreed.  There is no debate. 

[Braff Zacklin 13,284]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Headed up to Driggs next weekend. My intentions are to torture many fish on large foam flies.

And no heads up. I see how it is.

[Masshole Horn 759]

Heading to the Androscoggin river in Maine on the 24th for 3 days of smallmouth and pike fishing. Super stoked. Haven't heard back from either guide, but I can DIY this one.

Also, I'm looking at the Yeti Loadout GoBox... seems to have good reviews, but think there must be something similar for less than $250. Anyone have a recommendation boat box/bag? Want to hold 3-4 3600 size boxes, 3-4 fly boxes, 3-4 large tippet spools, phone, small toolkit, first aid kit, and 3-5 fly reels.

[justhookit 4,159]

I’m just bored. Couple of 500ish pound blues from last summer.

 

[Masshole Horn 759]

I'm hoping to catch a 4 pound smallmouth.

[Teddyballgame 441]

Snoopy’s I wish it was about 20 degrees cooler

[justhookit 4,159]

59 minutes ago, Masshole Horn said:

I'm hoping to catch a 4 pound smallmouth.

We catch small fish too

 

[Masshole Horn 759]

45 minutes ago, justhookit said:

We catch small fish too

 

EA793F54-4835-485D-806B-32C40161A0F4.mov

omg... adorbs!!

[Damor 1,221]

I have developed a serious problem, but I don't want help. Upgraded my rig to what I was lusting after in Colorado and it's like mainlining heroin.



I also have a new fishing buddy. We could both quit our jobs and do this every day.

[Brisketexan 103,147]

I’m just bored. Couple of 500ish pound blues from last summer.
 

Man...when all this shit is over and done...I’m really gonna have a hard time not booking a trip with you guys.

[USCATX 1,063]

Just got back from our annual Alaska trip where we absolutely wrecked shop on the silver salmon.  This place is about an hour and a half from Juneau and we did some fishing there last year.  This year we didn’t bother with other locations other than scouting.  These pics are from four days where it took between 2:45 and 4:15 to catch 12+ salmon (excluding pinks) on two rods which is about all we like to process in a day.  I also racked up 4 Kings which is my best total since I was in college.  The Halibut is all bycatch from trolling or dropping lines while cleaning fish.  

[fattyflattie 4,631]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Man...when all this shit is over and done...I’m really gonna have a hard time not booking a trip with you guys.

Unless I’ve been reading this wrong forever, I don’t think @justhookit is an outfitter. Just a guy living the dream (when covid isn’t fucking everything up) 

Edited August 15, 2020 by fattyflattie

[Brisketexan 103,147]

Unless I’ve been reading this wrong forever, I don’t think [mention=2744]justhookit[/mention] is an outfitter. Just a guy living the dream (when covid isn’t fucking everything up) 

Honestly, I’m not sure exactly what the formal arrangement is - I just know that either way, it costs money to take a boat that far out and fish your ass off. So, I’ll carry some bills with me.