We were planning on paddling East Matagorda Bay today but when Tracy ended up with the same cold I had earlier in the week it was time to go to "Plan B".
I got up early enough to get to the launch before the sun came up and was pleased to see that the tide was in and the wind was down. I had a fairly uneventful paddle in and enjoyed the birds and some fish activity but didn't see any signs of redfish until I got to the lake.
After fishing the mouth of the channel and a couple other spots that had recently held feeding fish, I headed to the back channel which leads to the next lake. This spot has been the most consistent producer and today was no exception.
I hooked and lost the first fish which took the white gulp shrimp. I was about to panic thinking about how many fish I had lost when I spotted another redfish chasing bait within casting distance. I made a nice long cast and he took the shrimp immediately. I was staked out and thought about turning loose to get the ride but soon realized this fish could be landed without too much trouble.
He was just a little undersized and was released to grow and fight another day.
Things quieted down and after I thoroughly fished the spot, I decided since the water was up I would paddle down the channel aways to see if I could find some fish.
When I rounded the first turn, I cast a new penny gulp to a protected cove and was soon rewarded by the thrilling "thump" of a big redfish. I waited a 10-count and set the hook. This was a good hookup and a big fish, the only trouble was that I was in a 14' long boat in a 16' wide channel. The fish would run down one direction then turn back and pass me or go under the kayak and spin me around. I counted four times I had to swap directions all the time thinking at some point he might break the rod tip, line, or leader.
Needless to say it was a relief to finally get him into the net.
With a keeper red on the stringer I felt vindicated after my disappointing losses.
The big 28 incher turned out to be the last fish of the day. When I checked his stomach contents at the cleaning table, I found only a single whole crab.
Nice breakfast!
Check out the video:
1 comment:
Hey John, nice fish to go with a nice trip out. Glad you had better luck with the terminal tackle. Better re-send the Video its not playing for me. Thanks for the tips on making my own!
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