Lights on the River

I keep trying to get some vacation days in before the end of the year but it seems like there is always something hot that needs attention. I worked half a day on Friday and shortly after I got home we were on the way to Matagorda. The plans included setting the light out right at dark and seeing if any specks would show up before it got too late.

Some of these excellent pictures were taken by my favorite photographer (Tracy).

Saturday was supposed to be mild so we brought the kayaks intending on an afternoon paddle at McNab.
The spot we selected for the trailer has turned out to be a good one. We have a nice view of the river and enough extension cords to reach from our electrical service to the water's edge.

Bank fishing has it's advantges but I must admit I'm watching those boaters with a little envy!

The light we bought is made in Bay City and has four 200W - 30V bulbs. Not quite as bright as a football stadium but I can attest that if you look directly into it you won't be right for a while. If you angle it just right on the water you can reflect a beam strong enough on the far bank to coon hunt!

I put together the "silver turtles" before we left Needville so I got in a little fishing before dinner. The sand trout that had been easy to catch were gone and other than a few nibbles from some yellowtail it was pretty dead.

I had the light set up and turned on well before sundown and I even tremembered a couple of PVC rod holders this time. "Come on fish! We are ready!"

We fished early without much success and spent some time inside. About 9:30PM I went back out and quickly caught several sandy's and a couple of small specks. Tracy came out to join me and soon had me busy taking fish off her line.

She caught a nice 15 1/2" speck and on the stringer he went. The bite died out before long and she headed in to get ready for bed. I hung on long enough to add my own contribution to the string - a 16" speck.

These two will make a nice meal and were fun to catch along with their smaller but feisty buddies.

We enjoyed a beautiful moon and the mild temperatures made for a pleasant night.

We hit the beach on Saturday and were surprised to find some of the best shelling we've ever experienced. The wind came up pretty strong and to avoid a similar experience to what Paul Sr. & Jr. enjoyed, we bagged the McNab paddle until next trip. For now it's back to Needville and to work.