Dos Pescado Rojo

Two redfish are better than one.

Today was one of those Texas December days. It turned out sunny and warm - I mean really warm like 80 deg.

After fighting the holiday traffic all week I decided to work from home today (1/2 day) and find a place to paddle this afternoon. I convinced Tracy to go with me and we made a plan to head to Matagorda around lunch time.

After a nice ride and lunch at Spoonbill's, it was time to launch.

I'm trying to simplify but hate to leave anything behind that I might need!

Heading out Rawlings Cut - 2:00pm

The wind was in my face as I headed out towards East Matagorda Bay with a plan to paddle along the west shoreline north looking for quiet water and tailing redfish.

This is what the back channels north of Rawlings Cut look like.

I cast a Super Spook top water, a TTF Flats Minnow, and a New Penny Gulp Shrimp under a cork with not so much as a tickle.

I did jump a flock of Roseatte Spoonbills and got a quick shot off at full zoom.

I finally found some quiet water and a redfish that was tailing and finning in a shallow flat. I had to work to sneak up on him as the breeze was just enough to keep me from sitting still. I finally got a cast off and missed by a few feet.

He didn't react to the splash so I retreived and cast again trying to get closer. My Gulp sailed over his back and when I tried to twitch it in front of his nose the cork or the line tickled his side and off he went! His escape route was right at the boat and when he was about 5 ft from me he really blew up and I knew that I'd better look elsewhere for a while.

I continued along the shoreline and found another red that was ambushing bait as it was carried around the point by the wind blown current. I dropped the Gulp in his kitchen and he took it immediately. I wasn't sure if it was a red or a flounder at first but before long I was having a good ride.

This 21" fish put up a harder fight than some of the much bigger fish I have caught.

I grabbed my net halfway into the fight only to realize that the treble hooks on Super Spook had become entangled in the webbing. I tried to juggle the fish on the line and the second rod and net when I realized that Mr. Redfish was about to tangle me up in a crab trap.

Somehow I managed to get the net free and return the second rod to the holder without losing the fish. I was more than thankful when he finally ended up on the stringer.

Tracy took this flash pic of me and my slot red at the launch.

I fished my way back and caught one more red in the canal on the way in.

I met up with a father-son team also returning to the launch.

Overall it was another great trip to East Matagorda Bay.

Here is one more picture -

Redfish Juggling!