Feathers and Fur

A Fine Mess!

2011-04-30T20:27:00.006-05:00

What do you call a bunch of cows? A herd.

What about a group of whales? A pod.

Generally when you consider a collection of fish they are called a school - that is unless they are on a stringer or in the ice chest after a good day of fishing - then they are called "a mess of fish".

We made our way to the river on Friday in time for a little topwater action before dark.

It's hard to beat the sight of a speckled trout hitting a dog-walking hard bait.

We ended up with three trout in the bag before turning in for the night but that was just the beginning of a banner weekend of catching.

We were using live shrimp and were fishing up the river in the new spot - Eagle's Cove. Shrimp is fun to fish with as you never know what you will catch.

We caught a nice variety of fish including this flounder. The gafftop were also bothersome but we were able to put up with them to get to the real target species.

We found that quite a few keeper specks were in the area and made their way into casting range as we stayed anchored up along the high bank out of the gusty wind.

Both of us caught fish and while Tracy's keepers were bigger and I had more in the box I think we ended up catching almost the same number and weight overall.

We had enough for a delicious meal and to give away to three families from church.

It was a lot of fun and a sign that with the warming of Spring comes better fishing.

Two Days Fishing

2011-04-23T21:33:00.001-05:00

The holiday weekend snuck up on us. Being out of town most of the week in SLC threw me off and when I returned I found out that everything scheduled for Friday had either been canceled or postponed so I decided to take the day off.

We stayed home Thursday night but got a fairly early start and made it to Matagorda before 8AM.

The swallows have returned to the boat slips and this photo and the next show how they can become a nusiance.

Makes you glad your boat is in a storage stall instead of hanging in the straps.

The wind was relentless and even though we tried to fish below the ICW we soon realized that we needed to find a spot up the river. We had seen a boat parked along a high bank near Selkirk where the river bends back to the west so we headed there hopeful that the spot would be open.

Sure enough not only was the spot available but it was productive as well. The bait shop at the Harbor had live shrimp and Tracy put them to work. She caught two keeper trout before lunch before the bite tapered off.

We went back up the river after lunch and I was determined to catch a keeper fish. I tried topwater, plastics, live and dead shrimp, and even cut up a croaker but only managed to catch small fish. Tracy caught several small fish including a flounder (no picture).

I finally hit the bottom of the food chain and caught this blue crab. OK - I'm not above chumming. This blue beauty was sacrificed and scattered in the current between the boat and the bank. I cast my baited hook and was finally rewarded with a nice red.

I may not be fast but I sure am slow! I guess I will do whatever it takes to catch fish. They say you have to be smarter than the fish but I sometimes think you just have to know what motivates them. With all the bait available right now these fish are full and not aggressively feeding. That being said, no self respecting redfish can turn down a free meal especially when the scent of fresh crab is everywhere!

We didn't try to fish under the lights but got to bed so we could get an early start in the morning.

The wind continued to blow all night and though we got the boat launched before sunup it was already building in velocity so we headed upriver to the new spot - "Eagle's Cove".

I connected with the keeper trout this time and Tracy thought she had a big red but instead it turned out to be a nice keeper black drum.

The namesake of our new spot was spotted sitting on the nest visible from the river then we watched as one of the bald eagles flew nearby trying to fish in the river. The crows were pestering the eagle so bad that he finally gave up. I was wishing for the big camera as the beautiful bird soared overhead.

We saw a lot of birds of prey while fishing in this spot including the Eagles, a Great Horned Owl (early in the morning), a pair of Mississippi Kites, several Osprey, and a some Mexican Falcons (Caracara).

When I saw this I thought it was a snake but after watching it bob along we decided that if it was a snake it was dead. Can you believe it turned out to be a stick?

We made it back home before dark on Saturday in time to prepare for a day of worship on Sunday. God is always worthy of our worship and it is a real privilige to be able to be with the church every Lord's Day.

Water Water Everywhere

2011-04-18T20:13:00.000-05:00

We are experiencing a pretty severe drought in Texas. The governor has requested a disaster declaration for the entire state due to recent brush and wildfires.

Utah on the other hand has a different problem. The snow melt combined with recent rains has swelled area rivers to the max.

I headed out to the beehive state on a work trip today with my ultralight and a weak expectation that I might get to visit an old friend in the near Midway. It was raining in the Salt Lake valley and snowing on Parley's Summit but once I got over the Wasatch the sky began to lighten up and hope began to grow.

I remember the first time I saw this sign and every time thereafter I'm thankful for Ken Probst and his generosity towards fishermen like me.

You can tell from this shot that it has been raining pretty steady here for some time.

The big swirly hole was full of runoff and rainwater and the flow was strong.

I tied on a baby brown trout Panther Martin and began searching the pool for my friend Mr. Brown. I caught several feisty fish in the 8-12" range but couldn't seem to locate "the one".

I soon took off downstream and tried the spinner in the smaller pools and runs along the way but to no avail.

The vegetation was not only present on the bottom of the creek but it was floating free which added a whole new degree of difficulty.

I crept along the lower end of the creek trying to blend in to the landscape but this flock of Yellow Headed Blackbirds made such a fuss I think every fish in the creek must have wondered what was up.

I picked up another small brown then finally found "the one" I was looking for. This hefty 18 incher put up a great fight on the ultralight.

I was really missing my photographer by now so I had to revert to the long armed fish picture.

I fished my way back upstream to the big riffle hoping to snag a rainbow. I fished hard near the tailout and had a couple of hits but couldn't seem to connect.

I finally worked my way back upstream to the big swirly hole only to find that someone else had claimed the spot. We had a nice chat and I decided to head in. I know it's hard to imagine me quitting with at least an hour of daylight left but sometimes you have to be satisfied with a successful outing even if you don't fish till dark.

Besides - there are road hazards to consider this time of year! Better to see these in the daylight than crossing the highway in the dark.

One Fish Day

2011-04-16T20:50:00.010-05:00

We hardly ever catch limits when we fish but most of the time we catch enough for dinner and to share with others. The Friday weather forecast looked good with cooler and drier temps prevailing after the little front that pushed through.

We arrived early enough for me to throw the cast net and I found some live shad in the river. We got an encouraging fishing report from Edie at Spoonbills. She said that the trout were in the river and were up under their lights on Thursday so we were hopeful for a repeat.

We got the light out before dark and I started fishing with the shad.

It wasn't too long before I found some "slimers" (gafftopsail catfish) like this bewhiskered one.

Tracy caught her share of hungry fish like this little red.

This "tater chip" flounder needs to grow up before he will fill a plate. I love the distinct mottled pattern of the Matagorda flounder.

We fished until nearly 11PM and even though the solunar data predicted a major feeding period I think the fish had other ideas. We put nothing in the box and had to settle for a nice cool evening on the river.

We got an early start on Saturday morning. The bait shops had no live shrimp for sale but we took some of the shad from the previous night and some fresh dead shrimp.

We got to the "Hole" early enough to get this nice sunrise shot across the channel. I rigged up a live shad and cast to the bank. The first bite I missed and quickly rigged up another shad and cast back to the same spot. I felt a tap-tap then set the hook.

What happened next can only be fully understood by someone who has had a similar experience. The fish I hooked came up to the surface but not out of the water. It was long and lean and seemed black as coal on it's back which was the only part visible to both Tracy and I. I thought it must be a mackerel or a shark the way it was streaking through the water on several blistering runs. This fish would change course and rush off in a new direction so fast I was struggling to keep up. I was fearful that I would lose it and never know what it was.

This big girl finally began to tire and we got to see a beautiful 23" trout come to the boat. Thanks to Tracy's expert net handling and photography I got to show off my best trout of 2011 (so far).

If you click this picture you will see the beautiful array colors in this saltwater superstar.

Here is the shot at the cleaning table. She makes my trout knife look small!

We came in for lunch then decided to head up river to see if we could find any fish near the nuke plant.

Fishing dead shrimp on the bottom predictable located some hungry reds. They were feisty but too small to keep.

The reds use their broad tail and beefy shoulders to great advantage.

In addition to supplying strength, the tail of these red drum can also be a beautiful blue adding contrast to the white and silver-gold color of the scales.

Not a bad adornment for a fish known as a "Mud Mule"!

The trout turned out to be the only fish we kept but we felt blessed to be able to have enough fish for a meal or two and to be able to be out enjoying God's creation.

Spooled then Schooled

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I got spooled by a big fish - this weekend I didn't come anywhere near one. My fishing wife however saved the day by putting a nice red in the box. We fished under the lights after supper and a short drive on the beach. I thought I was going to have a repeat of last week when a big gafftop took my live shad for a ride out to the middle of the river. I was able to stop his run and cranked him back to the bank. We each caught a few more "slimers" and Tracy caught two small specks on one cast. I caught one sand trout before we gave it up for the night. The wind has been brutal during the week so we got an early start. The bait shops all had the same story - "No live shrimp" so we resorted to using soft plastics, topwaters and Gulp. The sun was just peeking over the beach road as we crossed the ICW on the way out the Diversion Channel to the Redfish Hole. We saw plenty of boat traffic after anchoring up and I was able to catch this group kicking up a roostertail as they sped down the channel. After fishing all morning with nothing to show but a couple of Croaker and small black Drum we went in for lunch and took a break from the wind and headed down to the beach. I had a big idea to throw the cast net in a marsh drain but forgot the net at the trailer so we took a walk and looked for sea beans. Tracy found one - a Tropical Walnut. After our break, I bought a pound of "fresh dead" shrimp. Fresh in this case means not frozen - but not necessarily "fresh". This batch had been on ice for several days and was a little weak but we were getting desperate for some fish. We went back down the Channel to the Hole but once again could not seem to find the fish. Before it got too late I gave my First mate the "Heave Ho the anchor" signal and we headed upriver. We were blessed to see the Bald Eagle on the nest just south of Selkirk which made my day. Shortly after getting set up on our spot, Tracy caught this nice 21" red on her first cast. Looks like fish for supper after all!. We fished this spot for the next hour or so without catching anything but little throwbacks and bait stealers so we called it a day.

I may have to start asking Tracy for tips on her uncanny ability to come out on top...

Tracy's Slam

2011-04-03T21:46:00.004-05:00

The woman is on fire!

We had a church function on Saturday morning but managed to launch the boat and head to the "Hole" by about 2PM. It was a little breezy but overall the weather was nice - warm and sunny.

Tracy dropped her live shrimp into the sandy green water and watched as her pink cork drifted along near the interface of clear and cloudy water kicked up by the wake of passing boats. This interface coincided with a drop off and was a great place to find a waiting hungry fish. The first bite was a keeper flounder which promptly went in the box. Soon after, I connected with a keeper trout so the pressure was off and we settled in to a slow but steady bite.

Not long after we both had caught several trout including some keepers, Tracy commented that she needed a redfish to complete her slam. Well let me tell you she got her wish!

This shot shows her in full fight mode. Mr. Redfish put up a good fight but he had no idea who he was tangling with. This girl was on a mission!

Here is the happy slammer! There was no doubt about the smile that a 26" redfish can produce.

I had to take a shot to show that she caught and fought the beast with a #8 treble hook.
The evening sun put a silver sheen on the water as Tracy continued to search for more fish. After a slow period we decided to cross over to the other side of the channel and that turned out to be a great plan. The wind started to lay down and we found fish out in the channel near the outflow of the marsh drain. Tracy continued her tear with the live shrimp under the pink cork and connected with this 19" trout which was the biggest of the day.

Here we are at the cleaning table as the sun was slipping down below the horizon. A Texas saltwater fisherman's dream - The Slam! Tracy is now the official envy of all my fishing friends. We ended up with quite a haul of fish - 9 trout, one big red and a nice flounder. We got checked by the game warden on the way in but we were well within the legal limit on size and number of fish. I'm thankful to my dad for instilling in me a responsible attitude about game conservation and the importance of obeying game laws. He was a man of integrity and expected the same from us.

Priceless

2011-04-03T07:14:00.006-05:00

Every fishing trip needs a good fish story. Although some fishermen are accused of stretching the truth or exagerrating to senesationalize their tale, most of the time the what we experience on a typical outing needs no embelishment.

This time we were fishing in our usual spot, "The Redfish Hole" in the Diversion Channel of the Colorado River not far from where it empties into West Matagorda Bay.

We were out a little later than usual but the weather was beautiful and the fishing had already proven to be better than average. We both had fish in the box and I was looking for more.

We were fishing with live shrimp which usually means that you could catch a wide variety of fish from speckled trout to redfish or from gafftop to whiting.

There was a pretty stiff wind blowing from the SSE and I was trying to cast across the wind and upstream with my rig. I like to try different configurations but this time I was using the old standard - a live shrimp on a #8 treble hook suspended about 20" below a cork. We like to use the cigar style sliding cork with the weighted bead on the bottom.

I was twitching and popping the cork as it drifteds bacck towards the boat when the cork disappeared. I gave it a second before setting the hook and immediately knew I had a big fish on. The fish headed straight for the middle of the channel and was taking drag. I like to keep our drags set pretty light as most of the time we can fight our fish to the boat fairly quickly without risking breaking off or bending our small hooks.

This time though the game was slightly different. I kept waiting for the fish to stop and shake or to change direction but it never did. I tried putting pressure on the rod and after half of my line was gone I began increasing the pressure on my drag. I had a lot of confidence on my knots and in the line as I had just last week spooled up a new batch of 14lb Berkley Fireline - my weapon of choice.

Well to make a long story short I got spooled! Whatever I hooked never slowed down, changed direction, or looked back. Tracy estimated that the whole event took less than a minute and that even if we had the idea of chasing the screaming run with the boat, we likely wouldn't have even got the anchor pulled in time.

I wonder if I were in the kayak instead of the boat if I would still be on the sleigh ride. There were several big gar in the river near where we were fishing and I think that is the likely culprit. It is fun to consider though that it might have been a big jack or a king mackerel. Whatever it was it was fast and steady and likely still has a lot of line trailing behind it.

Keep your eyes peeled for a green cork that may show up somewhere in the Matagorda Bay system. It may still have something attached!

Quart of Shrimp - $20
Gas for Boat - $10
Snacks & Drinks - $5
125 yards of Fireline - $15

Getting spooled in less than 1 minute - Priceless

Dances With Fish

2011-03-25T19:21:00.001-05:00

Somebody had the fishing love this time and it wasn't me... I managed to get Friday off and that meant we were headed for PPRV #7 as soon as I could escape the city. I cast-netted up some mullet thinking we might be able to entice a flattie or a big trout before dark. It is really nice to see the sun go down after missing it for the last few months.

Well, the mullet was unsuccessful but there were plenty of shad in the river. Tracy requested the double glow shad rig shortly after dark and she promptly connected with a fat 19" trout.

We fished for a couple hours and caught only a few small specks and one more keeper caught by yours truely. I didn't know that would be my only keeper fish of the trip. The morning dawned cloudy and breezy. We headed out to the Redfish Hole with a quart of live shrimp and Tracy caught her second 19" trout on the first cast! While that was fun and a great way to start the day the real show was yet to come. After fishing the "hole" for an hour or so with no more action, Tracy suggested that we cross over the channel to the mouth of the cut. This spot was a little tricky to fish since we were contending with a south wind and an outgoing current. These two opposing forces caused the boat to move about the anchor rope and it was hard to hold a stationary position.

Tracy cast into the outflow and connected with a fat 25" red. This guy meant business and was really having his way with her while testing the limits of the equipment. My fishing partner put up a great battle and even exercised extreme patience when her big red got tangled up in the flooded timber.

The best part of the show was when the red finally came loose from the timber and began circling the boat causing "the dance". Tracy deftly steered the fish along the side of the Second Honeymoon, around the prop and motor, over me, my rod, and the net, and up the opposite side of the boat. Somehow she managed to keep from getting tangled up in the anchor rope. Finally the mighty fish gave up and allowed Tracy to lead him into the net.

Tracy caught several small flounder - one was only 1/8" short of legal. That is a tough way to miss a slam!

We fished a while longer and finally headed in for lunch. We fished off the bank after lunch and though we both caught some small fish, nothing went in the box.

Even though I didn't catch any keepers we had some great fish to cook and share.

God is good!

Slam and Mini-Slam

2011-03-12T21:24:00.000-06:00

They say size matters and that is especially true when talking with fishermen.

We got an early start on this Saturday the first official day of Spring Break.

We headed down the Diversion Channel to our favorite spot - The Redfish Hole. As you can see from the picture above it lived up to its name! This 25 incher put up a good fight.

We tried several spots including the cove and even headed up river as the wind began building. It's not much fun being exposed in a 15-20 mph wind. Tracy caught two of the keeper trout but her Mojo wore off early. She fished hard all morning but the fish just didn't cooperate.

After lunch I cleaned the morning's catch and the boat. I was still wanting to see my fishing partner redeem herself so I picked up another pint of live shrimp on the way back from dropping off the boat. Tracy caught a small flounder right away and before long I caught this nice keeper to complete my slam.

Earlier in the day I had caught a 14-incher which is technically the legal minimum but I didn't keep it as fish are known to shrink a little after being on ice. You can see my new springtime secret weapon - the 2" Bass Assassin Chicken on a Chain swim bait. This is a freshwater bass or crappie offering but after reading up on springtime flounder habits and realizing they are suckers for small finfish I thought it would be worth a try. Guess my hunch paid off!

Tracy fished hard all afternoon trying to find that keeper fish. The wind was from the SSE which made fishing off the rocks in front of our trailer the best spot as that put the wind at our backs.

In addition to the undersized flounder Tracy nailed several small reds.

She even found some trout but all were under the legal limit. Catching something is better than nothing but for some reason the big fish stayed away from her line almost all day.

As the day neared a close I thought of one more place we could try. We had recently caught some flounder off the boat dock so when the wind began to lay down near sunset we headed there for a few casts with our remaining bait.

Once again the big fish found my line instead of Tracy's. I added one more flounder to the bag just as the sun was dropping below the horizon.

We fished hard almost all day and caught our share of fish. It was fun to see some of all three target species caught by each of us but I hope next trip the pendulum doesn't swing all the way back.

The Perfect Predator

2011-03-12T07:02:00.000-06:00

Not everyone would put the Speckled Trout at the top of the list when describing the Perfect Predator. After what I observed on Friday night under the lights in the Colorado River, I would have to disagree.

The weather was cool and clear and I had some live mullet to offer up. Tracy was throwing the glow shad and the fishing was slow at best. I like to hook the mullet just behind the dorsal fin so they can swim and wiggle to attract the trout. Generally the light attracts bait and the bigger fish figure out that if they hang around near the lights they can make easy pickings of the unsuspecting shad, mullet, or glass minnows.

Trout like other fish have the ability to detect prey from a distance by smell or by sensing vibrations. To be a perfect predator though there must be the means to capture and kill the prey. Specks are fast and deadly, using their powerful tail to accelerate and overtake the fleeing baitfish and their formitable fangs to grasp and hold on to the struggling victim.

I freelined a three inch finger mullet beyond the circle of light and let it drift and struggle along through the light and down stream. Just as I was about to retrieve and recast I saw and heard a violent scene on the fringe of the light as this 21" trout busted the mullet off the surface and inhaled it. I had a nice fight and before Tracy could go back for the net I had her on the grass.

If the Speckled Traou aren't the Perfect Predator they are pretty close!

Big Wind Big Fish

2011-03-05T21:10:00.005-06:00

The weather was picture perfect all week - someone called it California weather. With the end of the week in sight though, a cold front was approaching which promised some much needed rain. It was also predicted to arrive with some serious wind so our normal fishing program would need to be modified if we wanted to eat fresh fish on Monday.

I lit a fire in the fire pit and set out the fishing light before we headed out for supper.

Spoonbills was closed on Friday as the staff was volunteering at the Matagorda County Fair. We have been wanting to try the River Bend Restaurant so this was our chance. We enjoyed some fresh seafood and began discussing whether or not the fish were going to cooperate.

There seemed to be some fish activity under the light when we got back to the trailer so I rigged Tracy up with a TTF 1/8 oz double glow shad rig and tied on the back half of clear mirrodine soft plastic mullet to my line.

Before long Tracy hooked something big and the fight was on. Thankfully we had her drag set just right and she was tenacious about getting this fish in.

Now that is a big redfish! This bad boy was 11 lbs and 28" long.

This is the slightly damaged but still intact jighead that was used to catch the big red. We fished for a couple of hours and caught small trout on the glow shad but nothing big enought to keep.

The front came through and the temperature dropped so we were fishing from the bank all day. Tracy continued to have the hot hand all morning and into the early afternoon. She caught a couple more reds and several small flounder. I had cast netted up some live mullet so we had several options.

I finally got into the game by combining cut mullet with chartruese Gulp to catch these two keeper flounder.

We both lost a couple of fish that we believe were big enough to keep but didn't let that minimize the happiness we felt at turning what should have been a blow out day into Monday's supper and a bag of fresh fish to give away. God is truely good!

Three Plus One

2011-02-23T20:50:00.003-06:00

This week's fishing was a little unconventional. I was able to work out a mid-week day off so we headed to PPRV on Tuesday evening.

We didn't see many other fisherman but this little guy was sharing the shoreline of the Diversion Channel with us.

Tracy caught this multi spot red at our old spot near the nuclear plant.

I call this a six by six red. We fished up the river for a while but decided to head down the channel to look for some keeper fish.

That decision turned out to be a good one. Tracy caught two keeper reds and I caught a nice red and a 20" trout. We fished the cove and the redfish hole with live shrimp and were off the water by lunchtime.

My buddy at the cleaning table posed for this parting shot.

We got the trailer washed, took a conference call, washed the boat, and cleaned the fish - all in time to get home and on to our mid-week Bible Study. It was a busy day but well worth the effort!

His and Her Flounder

2011-02-20T21:15:00.007-06:00

After our successful paddle last weekend, Tracy and I were ready to take advantage of the nice weather and decided to head up river in the Second Honeymoon to see if we could find some trout.

The long cold winter has finally come to an end (we think) and since Spoonbills is back open things are almost back to normal.

We lit a fire in the pit on Friday night and cooked some tasty marshmallows. We also set the light up at the river and caught several trout but alas they were all too small for the stringer. The fog was thick and there was plenty of tiny bait in the river but no big fish.

We launched about an hour later than we had planned in the morning due to the fog but had a nice quart of lively shrimp and the anticipation of finding some hungry fish upriver.

The fog got thicker the further upriver we went until we had to stop and fire up the running lights just to be on the safe side.

The fishing was pretty slow (understatement) even though Tracy managed to catch this 19" redfish that only an inch too short.

We gave up on our first spot and ran down to the Diversion Channel below the ICW.

Tracy found a keeper flounder and after some small black drum and jumbo sheepshead I managed one as well. These turned out to be our only two keepers of the day but will make the perfect Monday night meal.

Paul Sr. and Jr. had driven through the fog to paddle the marsh but after getting blown around and not finding the fish were ready to give up. I've been trying to get them out in the boat so Tracy and I came in and I took the Pauls upriver to see some scenery. We saw several Osprey (Paul had his long lens and got some shots) and four whitetail bucks running together up on the bluff above the riverbank.

On the way back we encountered a fellow captain whose twin 150's were dead in the water (turned out he had a load of bad fuel) and he was adrift and heading downstream.

We were able to tie on with our bowline and give him a tow back upriver to his dock.

The Second Honeymoon thought it was the Little Engine that Could.

After rescuing the disabled craft and crew, we headed down to a spot below the ICW and tried to get the boys on some fish. I managed a small red but that was it for this spot.

We crossed over to the other side near The Cove and Paul Jr. picked up a couple small fish before finally Paul Sr. connected with his first red of the day.

Paul Jr. went on to catch his personal best trout - a beautiful 20" speck.

Brother Paul matched him with a keeper flounder so they both had a fish in the box. It was a short trip but a successful one.

Tracy and I returned to this spot and to the redfish hole after lunch but the wind was up and the big fish were gone. We managed to catch several more flounder up to 13.5" which was encouraging. We used up the rest of the shrimp and headed for the cleaning table.

I had some company at the cleaning table when I was scaling the flounder.

The light was not the best but this guy had quite an attitude.

God's beauty is on display throughout his marvelous creation. All you have to do is look - it is everywhere.

Winter Birds

2011-02-13T16:39:00.008-06:00

Winter in Texas is a surprisingly good time to view and photograph birds. There are many migratory birds that either pass through the region or that reside here during the harsh winter months in their home range.

Tracy and I spent some time at Brazos Bend State Park recently and found some willing subjects.

It was a grey day but this pair of blue-winged teal seemed right at home in the in the overcast.

This Great Egret huddled against the chilly breeze on his perch among the leafless limbs.

This American White Ibis is a year round resident of this area and finds plenty of food in the park's waterways.

The Roseate Spoonbill explodes in a blur of pink.

Great Egrets hunt for small fish among the flooded lilies and other swamp vegetation.

For the past two weekends we have returned to Matagorda. The weather has been pretty cold and breezy which sometimes provides unique opportunities to approach birds as they are less prone to fly off when the weather is wintery.

This Osprey or fish hawk has secured his lunch and gives us a watchful eye as we approach.

I shot these action shots out the window of the Jeep and had some good luck and good light.

This majestic bird makes his home nearby and finds plenty of food in the river and wetlands.

Tracy captured these spoonbills out the window of the Jeep on the same day.

The unique shape of the bill is where this guy gets his name.

Spoonbills and Ibis feed together in the shallows.

While heading out on a fishing excursion this past Saturday I noticed a Belted Kingfisher hanging around near the launch. I always consider seeing this fisherman a harbinger of good things to come. If a Kingfisher is in the area, there are usually fish nearby too.

When I came in from fishing I found out why the slate blue bird may have been keeping such close proximity. This young bird - possibly a mate or an offspring - was injured and unable to fly.

I have never been up close to this species and it is a real beauty. Unfortunately, this one did not make it but these photos will allow others to see one up close.

When I was paddling in I saw this Double Crested Cormorant fishing in the creek.

These voracious fish eaters can sometimes decimate a local fish population.

They are not the most athletic birds and must run along the surface of the water to gain flight.

Winter is almost over (for some of us).

Keep the camera handy and be ready to shoot your favorite feathered friend when the opportunity presents itself!

Red is the color of Valentines Day

2011-02-13T15:28:00.005-06:00

Some folks look forward to red roses or heart-shaped cards for Valentine's Day.

We found a different kind of red for our Valentine's Day get away this year.

We headed down to PPRV #7 but found that the water had been shut off earlier in the week due to the hard freeze. We were already overdue for supper and the thought of eating and driving back home didn't appeal to either of us so we called the owners of Karankawa Village and secured a room at The Lodge.

The fish patterns on the teepee looked cool lit up at night.

We enjoyed the return of Edie & Maree from their month off and our meal at Spoonbills was everything we hoped it would be. Good food and conversation and the anticipation of receiving a gift of some sea beans collected on Fiji...stay tuned.

Despite the frosty morning (30 F) I loaded up the kayak and headed out for a paddle. The water level has been really low ever since the first of the year so I had no expectations of finding any fish on the way out to the lake. Boy was I wrong!

I fished at the first corner near the reefs with nary a bite and passed by the next corner without finding any hungry fish. I did spook one red that was resting in the 40ish degree water but didn't have any bites.

When I continued down to Trout Junction, I saw many big swirls ahead of me and thought they might be some big fat horse mullet. I started casting into the junction and before long I hooked and landed a nice upper slot red. Within one hour I had boated six big reds and lost a couple more - all from the same spot!

I took these three (my limit) back to the trailer and after a quick sandwich, we got Tracy's kayak loaded and headed back to the marsh for round 2.

We didn't mess around but headed straight for Trout Junction. I hooked up first with this red.

It is always nice to have a fishing partner with a camera and the skill to use it!

Here is afternoon red number 2. These were all big heavy fish in great condition. Before long Tracy got into the game and had her first big red on a string.

The sun had been up for a while and the sluggish fish were coming to life.

She fought hard and as I was taking pictures she got ready to put her fish in the net. The only problem was that the fish was too big!

I helped out and was able to get the fisherman and her fish in this picture.

Not long after Tracy hooked up again and this time she was in for a real battle. Note how she was staked out to keep from getting pulled into the hole and this big red was really pulling!

Once again I netted this big red and you can see the joy (relief) in Tracy's face. This was the biggest red either of us has ever caught at 30+ inches long.

I held her fish up for a parting shot before we let him go to fight another day.

This may not have been the romantic Valentine's getaway that everyone would appreciate but if you could have seen the smiles on our faces after boating 10 upper slot redfish and keeping our limit of six, you would have thought we had gone to Vegas or won the lottery instead of paddling around the Matagorda marsh!

We had to clean fish at the Harbor's public cleaning tables and our fish got some nice looks and comments by the locals. Looks like I'll be cooking fish on Monday.

Utah Trout Fishing

2011-02-09T21:58:00.000-06:00

Some say that Utah has the greatest snow on earth. Skiiers flock to the mountains near Salt Lake City to strap on the boards and go zipping down the slopes.

They can have it - I'll take fishing any day.

On a recent work trip my trusty photographer and number one wife accompanied me. She asked me to pose for a shot on my way to the big swirly hole. "Hurry up already - there are fish waiting!"

This time of year presents the fisherman with some unique challenges. Not only is it cold, the vegetation is gone in and around the stream so you really have to sneak up to keep from spooking the pool.

Tracy says I look like I am praying for fish - not a bad idea any time you want to ask God for His blessings or to thank Him for the opportunity to fish.

I found one willing fish. You can tell Tracy is keeping her distance with the camera.

Before long I caught another. This is a nice healthy German Brown.

And here is a happy fisherman!

It doesn't get any better than this. I don't even feel the cold at this point.

I continued to catch some small browns.

I even found this nice Rainbow down below the trestle in the big riffle.

Here is a shot looking back at the small stretch of Snake Creek - one of my favorite spots.

I had another meeting last week and this time I was flying solo.

It was only in the teens and I only had a short time before sundown so I'd better get to it.

Have you ever seen a Brown trout trying to make a snow angel?

I was using a 1/8 oz Panther Martin in the Brook Trout pattern. This seems to be the ticket on Snake Creek in the winter.

The snow covered mountains are beautiful but I don't think I'm ready to move back to the cold country anytime soon.

My final fish of the trip was a nice fat rainbow caught in the big riffle.

You would think that I would someday tire of fishing this small creek and want to graduate up to the Provo River. It's just a hundred yards or so away and there are undoubtedly more and larger fish in the Blue Ribbon river but I like the familiarity and the predictability of Snake Creek. I think I'll stay with it as long as it remains open to public fishing.

Bringing Home The Bacon

2011-01-28T22:50:00.001-06:00

I love it when Tracy catches fish - especially keeper fish. I do however also like it when we both catch fish.

Thankfully, at least one of us caught something we could keep the first two trips out this year.

We caught several small fish including some flounder which are always a treat.

Tracy caught the only keeper trout which made a nice supper.

Two weeks later and it was nearly the same story - lots of small fish but this time she caught a keeper flounder. I'm glad someone in the family can put fish in the box!

I caught several fish including this little red with a lure stuck in his throat. I managed to extract it before releasing him but caught another with a jighead lodged so deep I just left it there.

We were fishing down the Diversion Channel in our usual spot across from the Redfish Hole at the mouth of a side creek.

We caught some small flounder and sheepshead using live shrimp.

I'm ready for warmer weather and higher tides!

Slammed Again

2010-10-09T22:15:00.003-05:00

There was a fishing tournament this weekend on our home waters.

The Texas Three Some benefits an after school program for children in Matagorda. The winners must have the heaviest stringer of one trout, one red, and one flounder. There are also cash prizes for the heaviest of each type of fish. We are not "Tournament People" - just a couple of empty-nesters catching some fresh fish to eat and share with our friends.

We got on the water just a little before sunrise and this was the scene behind the boat on the way down the Diversion Channel.

Tracy had asked me earlier, "why are we getting up so early?" This picture of the sun breaking the eastern horizon should be enough of an explanation.

We had a pretty good morning - Tracy caught the red first and I followed up with a trout and a flounder. I'd call that a shared slam or a slam for the boat. The Second Honeymoon fishing team does it again! We caught enough small fish to use up most of the bait and overall had a great morning of fishing.

After lunch, cleaning the fish, and cleaning the boat I paddled out to McNab Lake to search for a hungry redfish. I found one! This guy took a live mullet and gave me a true Texas Sleigh Ride! I may have to rename McNab Lake to L.O.M.G. - Land Of Many Gators. I had a couple of close encounters and saw one nine-footer do a Shamu style belly flop off the bank but for the most part they avoided me and I did likewise.

I doubt that our morning stringer would have won any prizes in the tournament, but I would love to have had the big red to take to the weigh in.

Fish for the Retreat

2010-10-02T21:09:00.001-05:00

After being out of town all week and since Tracy could not accompany me, we were both ready for a little "trailer time" on Friday.

The weather had been beautiful all week as the summer heat finally relented and cooler temperatures and clear skies dominated the Southeast. I missed catching a flounder along the rocks before supper but still enjoyed this glorious Pelican Point sunset.

Our annual retreat for elders and ministers is scheduled for later this month and I volunteered to provide a fish supper on the first night. Since we have not been keeping any fish, the pressure is on to catch enough to feed everybody. We got off to an early start on Saturday morning. This sunrise picture was taken in our new spot along the Diversion Channel.

We had a pint of live shrimp and a couple dozen live finger mullet and were ready to test the waters of the West Matagorda Bay system.

After a long dry spell, we finally caught some keeper trout. This trio will find a new home in the deep fryer. Tracy caught a nice red in the morning with a kink in his tail - he was plenty big enough but would have measured about 23" if his spine was straight.

After lunch we went back out to see if there were any more hungry fish to be had. I cast netted up some more mullet around the boat slips and we took some shrimp we had in the freezer. Tracy fished the shrimp and said she felt a "nibble, nibble" then found herself hooked up with this two foot long red monster. At first the fish stayed deep and we couldn't see what it was - every once in a while we got a glimpse of this little gafftop but surely this little guy didn't have that much fight in him! Soon enough the mystery was solved. When the fish finally came to the net, it was evident that Tracy had caught two fish at once on a single hook. The slimer must have found the shrimp first just before big red had the same idea. Talk about a bad day for the little gafftop!

This will feed a few hungry retreaters. We still have two more Saturdays to catch a few more.

Calgary Work Trip

2010-09-29T19:46:00.001-05:00

You know how it is - work, work, work.

Every now and then though a work trip can have it's memorable moments.

I recently went to Calgary, Alberta to attend a work function and on one day of the meeting there was a choice between golf and a float trip down the Bow River with representatives from several companies.

I thought about golf and concluded that there were already enough golfers in the world.

Calgary is a nice city - too bad I'm not a city guy. I feel trapped when I'm surrounded by tall buildings, traffic, and masses of moving people.

I finally began to relax when we were on our way out of town to the launch site.

Our guides were organized by Bow River Hookers a guide service run by the Windsor brothers.

We saw some fish on the surface and offered them a Caddis imitation and a hopper or two but for most of the day we fished the "wire worm" below a strike indicator.

The three boats launched about 10AM with one guide and two fishermen per boat.

The leaves had already changed in this part of Canada but our weather was picture perfect.

The Hyde drift boats provide a stable fishing platform and the guides were knowledgeable and kept us in the fishy water.

We found lots of willing rainbows and a few browns during the morning float.

These fish were smart and experienced. When hooked, they would head straight for the shadow of the boat which made keeping them on the barbless hooks a challenge. "Strip! Strip!"

The shore lunch included a salad, rolls, and a hot meal (beef stroganoff) prepared by our guides. We had time to swap fish stories and compare notes before loading back up for the afternoon.

Bill Windsor had a well stocked fly box and the know how to go with it.

The scenery on the Bow was beautiful if you could pick your head up once in a while to see it. Since we were fishing subsurface most of the time we had our eyes glued to the strike indicator.

Our guide John took good care of the fish we caught even though he gave them a good talking to to convince them to stop falling for the wire worm. "Somebody will put you on the BBQ if you don't mend your ways!"

As the sun got lower in the sky, the scenery became even more stunning.

At one point in our journey down the river, John asked if we were up for a challenge. He said he knew a spot where the big fish lived but to catch them we had to get out of the boat and do a little wading.

My boat partner Darren and I were game so we beached the boat and headed out into the swift water. John lead the way breaking the force of the current and positioned us in the spot. "Now things get technical" he says. "Cast around me upstream as far as you can right into the swift water, then immediately throw a roll cast to get your line above the indicator, strip strip, strip, while keeping your rod tip pointed directly at the indicator and when you see the least little wiggle - set the hook. Oh yeah - all this happens in three seconds or less." He was not kidding. It took me three tries but when I finally got it all together I hooked up with this 21" rainbow.

After I landed my big one it was Darren's turn. The look on John's face tells it all.

Hooking a big fish in swift water can be challenging enough - fighting one can be a real test. If these fish make it to the main current it could be game over. Here Darren is trying to turn his fish towards the shore.

After a tough fight this beauty comes to hand - then is released to fight another day.

It was a tough day of work but we made the most of it!

From Hero to Zero

2010-09-25T22:00:00.002-05:00

After last week's meat haul we thought fall fishing was here to stay.

We hit it early armed with live bait and the belief that we would soon be filling the ice chest with fat fall fish.

We caught some small fish and one nearly-big-enough trout seen below but had to settle for a day of fun with out anything to show for it.

What's that saying about a bad day of fishing?

Boat Full of Reds

2010-09-17T19:22:00.003-05:00

The stormy weather continued as hurricane Karl was coming onshore in Mexico. There was some lightning during the night but when we got up it seemed that everything was looking pretty good and that the storms had calmed down.

I had cast netted some mullet the previous evening and picked up some live shrimp from Russels' in the Matagorda Harbor on my way to get the boat.

When we arrived at our usual spot the high tides had moved the sunken timber around so much that the mouth of the cut was blocked so we crossed the diversion channel and fished a new spot on the opposite bank.

It wans't long before Tracy connected with a nice red. This guy has some shoulders!

The early morning light really shows off the beauty of the fish and the fisher!

You might mistake this for the same fish but if you look closely you will see two spots on this slot red.

Tracy had the hot hands as she here shows off another keeper. She filled her limit of three and helped me with mine as well! Tracy preferred the shrimp and I think the fish did too!

I managed to catch a couple for the box on live mullet. We both caught several other species including gafftop, hardhead, black drum, sheepshead, croaker, and Tracy's new fav - ladyfish.

Once we filled two limits we were able to release several more reds before calling it a morning.

The weather started to turn late in the morning and we dodged a couple of storms before finally heading in just ahead of (well almost ahead of) the heavy stuff. We had to stay under cover for one storm to pass before loading the boat.

Tracy had a great day catching more than her share of reds and even some small trout.

Not a bad stringer for a couple of weekend anglers!

Everybody has a Limit

2010-09-11T19:46:00.000-05:00

Even me!

I have been pretty vocal about how I'm not bothered by alligators while kayaking in the salty marsh. Since Tracy was a little under the weather, I decided to leave the Second Honeymoon in dry dock and launch the plastic navy for an early morning assault on McNab Lake. It has been a while since I have paddled all the way in and I was looking forward to finding some willing reds or maybe a flounder or two.

I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise at the launch site. God is good! I saw two gators near the launch site but wasn't particularly bothered by them. There had been quite a bit of rain lately so they were venturing out further than normal.

I waited until full light before paddling out and was greeted by several more gators. In fact, I counted more than a dozen in the first two corners! I fished for about an hour and was contemplating going on to the lake when I spooked two more gators that were hiding on the bank just a few feet from the yak. (click the pic above to see two between me and the Jeep)

My better judgment finally kicked in and I realized that it would be foolish to risk a problem as I was paddling alone and the toothy reptiles were everywhere I looked. I turned back and started paddling for the launch when I got the real wake up call.

If you have never dug your kayak paddle into a submerged oyster reef and felt the jagged bite of the reef on your blade it probably won't seem like much but if you have, you can imagine how that felt when I did! I think I set a new record for sprinting to the launch with a fully loaded 14' kayak.

I wasn't going to give up that easily and after checking in with Tracy, I pointed the Mobile Tacklebox west and headed to Turtle Bay. Along the way, I did my good deed for the day by removing this little guy from the roadway and sure death.

From what I can tell it is an eastern mud turtle.

He looks quite content to stay hidden in his shell.

When I arrived at Turtle Bay the wind had picked up and I had a stiff paddle to the "tubes". The local sentry was keeping a close eye on me!

He and all his buddies weere perching on the old pier pilings which usually means there is bait close by.

I fished the strong outflow from the marsh with no success. This seemed pretty strange as this was almost identical conditions to the time earlier when Tracy and I had smacked the flounder.

I paddled down the shoreline to the small creek where I had scored on a flounder once before and I was rewarded with "supper" this time too. He took the Gulp Jerk Shad out in front of the mouth of the creek.

I went back to the tubes and fished a while longer and finally hooked up on a decent fish but he cut me off on the submerged rocks. I kept grinding and eventually landed a 19" red to call it a day.

Don't try lipping a flounder - you had better bring a net!

My Turn for a Slam

2010-09-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

Holiday weekend...Monday off...usually that means lots of extra folks on the water competing with us for peace and quiet. We had some fun with the trout under the lights on Friday night but all were too small to keep.

We started out the day on Saturday early enough to see this sunrise at the ICW bridge.

Tracy hadn't been catching her share lately so when she hooked up with this nice red I had to get a picture even though he was a little short for the box.

That soon changed when the next hookup was with this nice two spot keeper! I don't know who was happier - Tracy or the guide!

I added my contribution to the box as well with this healthy red. The picture makes it look big but it was no match for the two spot already in the box.

Tracy was being pestered by something small and finally figured out it was needlefish that were chomping and chasing her live shrimp.

We boxed three keepers with Tracy's big one in the middle. Somebody will be eating fresh fish soon!

This was my nemesis - a bob tailed stingray. I caught this guy twice! The first time he took the hook deep so I just cut the line and later that day I caught him again in nearly the same spot and he was still sporting the mono leader from earlier.

We went back home Saturday night so we could attend services on Sunday with the church. After returning on Sunday afternoon, Tracy scored off the bank with another keeper redfish.

I was slow-fishing some live mullet and shad and found my own keeper - this nice 19" flounder.

The hummers were active and as the clouds began to build behind the trailer, Tracy enjoyed taking pictures of the tiny emerald aerialists from the comfort of the deck.

We put the light out again after dark and after a couple hours of little fish, I finally caught a keeper speck on a live mullet. Tracy had already gone to bed and I had to get her up to take my picture. All I needed now was a red and I would have a slam!

Before long I caught not one but two reds including this big bad boy. I thought he might spool me before I was finally able to convince him that he needed to turn back from heading across the river. It was a good fight and likely would have made a good video as I struggled with the net and rod while trying not to fall in.

Monday morning found us heading down the Diversion channel to the entrance to the cut where we normally fish. We stopped along the way and tried a new spot as we waited for a small rain shower to pass.

We didn't find the fish there but I did get some great early morning pictures.

We eventually moved back to our spot near the ICW and found a couple of keepers. Tracy always catches the pretty multi-spot reds.

I imagine one day catching a couple of keeper reds may not seem all that special but for now it is still a thrill and provides the reason to go back another day. God continues to bless us with fish and this weekend we had quite a haul. We will be sharing with others and thanking the Creator for his bounty.

Our little boat has proven to be just the ticket for some relatively quick and easy access to fun times together. It takes some planning and a little effort but the rewards of getting up early and chasing around in the saltwater has opened up a whole new world to us. I'm so happy that Tracy seems to enjoy it as much as I do. Fish on!

May 2010

2010-08-29T16:32:00.006-05:00

May 7 Tracy and I did a little night fishing and caught a few small trout. Saturday found us in the diversion channel in the Second Honeymoon where we found these reds and a flounder. May 12 As the wedding was rapidly approaching we headed to Kansas where Regan took Matt and I to the Marshall family fishing hole. Everyone caught fish but me! May 17 Upon returning to Texas after Matt & Carly's wedding, I took the opportunity to visit with an old friend and discuss the finer points of bass fishing and boys becoming men. May 21 We celebrated 26 years of marriage this year. What better way to enjoy the time! Snapping turtle seen on the road to Palacios Stub tailed flounder - could this be the same one I caught before? Tracy and her little red.

April 2010

2010-08-29T16:02:00.005-05:00

Time to get caught up on my blogging. There won't be as much detail or as many pictures but I hope I can convey some of the fishing trips I have experienced since my last post.

April 10

We hit a few reds off the riverbank this weekend at PPRV #7.

April 15

I made a quick trip to Salt Lake City and was able to visit Snake Creek in the Heber Valley where I found some willing browns and bows.

August 2010

2010-08-28T20:18:00.007-05:00

"The fishing was great. The catching - not so much."

The month of August provided several opportunities for the Second Honeymoon Fishing Team but we like most other Matagorda anglers found this to be one of the most challenging months in recent history. The weather continues to be hotter than normal and all the rain we missed last summer has found us this summer. For the most part we were doing good to catch enough for a good meal for two however one member of the team was able to catch her first SLAM which of course deserves its own post.

August 7

This is one of the best sunsets I have been able to capture at the McNab launch. This was taken on Friday night after a delicious meal at Spoonbills. Edie had a new special - grilled quail!

Saturday morning found us greeted by this beautiful sunrise on the Colorado River on our way to our spot opposite Maree and Rick's place. We fished for over an hour with no luck.

Leaving Selkirk we headed down the Diversion Channel to try some of our spots. We finally ended up near the ICW catching small stuff and no keepers when this nasty little storm came blowing across West Matagorda Bay. It chased all the considerable boat traffic off the bay and eventually sent us packing as well. No fish for supper!

August 14

Another Saturday full of hope. We started out with a baitwell of live shrimp and high expectations. I took this hole-in-the-cloud picture early which should have been a sign of the times.

You never know what kind of boat you might see sailing down the ICW. This yacht was in full sail going through the locks.

I was able to box one lonesome red which will have to be enough for this trip.

August 21

Sometimes we do other things in Matagorda other than fish.... After supper we went to Jetty Park and ended up at the little Nature Trail that the LCRA built out into the marsh. The evening sun provided some nice light for a wild sunflower to really show off against the deep blue sky.

A nearby cattle working pen provided another nice shot of the close of the day.

With just enough light remaining I was able to shoot this bleached out exoskeleton of a fiddler crab.

Our fishing on Saturday morning did not yield many fish pics or other photos for that matter. I did catch this shot of the Texas Fish and Game officers after they checked us out. They were checking all boats near the ICW for PFDs and fire extinguishers - both required by the Coast Guard for fishing in the inshore waters of the Matagorda Bay system.

August 28

Ahhhh Fish at last! The day started out with bluebird skies and high barometric pressure which generally is a bad combination for a strong bite.

We hit them in a short window though and managed to catch these two keepers.

Tracy's was just shy of legal but if there was a prize for the prettiest red she would have won hands down with this multi-spotted beauty.

Tracy's Texas Slam

2010-08-08T18:51:00.004-05:00

Many Texas saltwater anglers dream about the time when they will catch one of each of the three most popular inshore gamefish - a Speckled Trout, a Redfish, and a Southern Flounder - all in one outing.

My fishing partner crossed that off her bucket list on Saturday.

We started the day fishing in the Diversion Channel near the ICW. We caught some small stuff and I hooked and lost a big fish but early on the day did not look too promising. At Tracy's suggestion, we decided to cross over to the opposite bank and try a new spot. I should listen to her more often! We no sooner arrived at a small cove when she hooked and landed a keeper red. We didn't take time for a picture but soon after that she connected again.

This time the fish was a keeper trout. Hey that's two thirds of a slam already.

We got chased back to the boat launch by a small t-storm and went in for lunch happy but thinking we might get some bonus fishing time in after lunch. This time of year the heat is brutal but the showers and clouds provide some relief in the middle of the day.

When we went back to the cove after lunch it was my turn. I found two keeper reds and we had a nice box of fish. That more than made up for the one I lost in the morning but the day was not over yet! We made one more pass at the grassy shoreline across the channel where we had started the day and on the first cast or two, Tracy dropped her shrimp (now dead) on the head of a keeper flounder.

SLAM!

I could have done a lot better job at photo-documenting this great event but here is the best I could come up with...

This shot is a little better and shows the entire day's catch.

I don't know who was happier about this milestone Tracy or me. All I know is that most of my fishing buddies can't believe that Tracy keeps catching the fish they can only dream about. Like this red, this trout, these flounder, and now the slam!

Cut Off

2010-04-03T19:42:00.000-05:00

I may have to give up being the guide. The river was fresh again this weekend even though there was no rain. We heard that the rice farmers upstream were flushing out their fields and deduced that that was the likely cause.

I finally got the opportunity to take my friend Kevin out to McNab to chase the reds. We found plenty of water and an incoming tide so expectations were high that we would find some willing fish.

Kevin spotted a fish with some shoulders chasing bait near one of the reefs and made a great cast with the Sugar Spice Glow Jerk Shad Gulp and it was on - for a few seconds. The fish made his first run along the oyster reef and cut the 12-lb mono instantly.

This was the spot of the tragic loss.

On the way out we saw another fisherman parked in the same spot. (click to enlarge)

It seemed that the warmer temps had brought several critters out of their winter slumber. We saw lots of fiddler crabs, tiny spiders, and at least one gator in all the good spots on the way to the lake. Here is one at the Trout Junction.

When we approached the next spot I call Triple Junction near Little Lake we saw this one just splayed out on the marsh grass sunning himself.

Play this video to see how they disappear before your very eyes.

Here is a closer shot. He didn't even move as we paddled by. The sun did feel good.....

I managed to save the day with this 23" red caught while drifting the south shoreline. I could tell that spring is in the air as he really put up a good fight.

If I could get this guy to pull in the right direction my paddle out against the wind would be a little easier.

New Species

2010-03-27T16:13:00.006-05:00

It's Saturday and the riverside rampage continues. We have caught a lot of different kinds of fish on the bank of the Colorado. Drum, redfish, trout, and snapper - ladyfish, eels, sharks, and jacks were all caught in the past year. There was still one fish that had not yet made the list.

Tracy was still catching the reds.

I managed to redeem myself somewhat with this bigger black drum.

The "Red killer" continued her run on the reds.

I finally added my own to the total.

This carp became the newest in the list of interesting species.

Tracy managed this brute which was in the neighborhood of 10 lbs and a full 24" long.

Reds on the Riverbank

2010-03-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

It's been a long fishless winter for my fishing partner. Tracy has not been in the fish for several months but that came to a close this weekend.

Give the girl a rod and some fresh-dead shrimp and look out!

These little reds were just the thing to help get the kinks out.

I was catching croaker and an occational yellowtail or baby black drum but Tracy was hot on the reds.

She wasn't satisfied with the run of the mill red. Soon she started targeting triple spots!

The river is coming back into its own after being too fresh all winter.

Soon we'll be seeing trout!

Low Water

2010-03-26T19:00:00.001-05:00

I tried to take a day off to get out and enjoy some nice spring weather, but got roped into a conference call that took up most of the morning. Tracy and I headed down to Matty so after lunch I took the yak out for a quick paddle.

The water was low once again and though I didn't catch any keepers I did manage to locate a couple of willing reds.

Kicking back on the yak.

Do you think the water was a little low?

Undersized red near a mud flat.

Portrait of a tough fighting fish.

Lady Bird Park

2010-03-19T19:02:00.001-05:00

This weekend we took a trip to Abilene to watch Fort Worth Christian compete in the One Act Play competition. It was great to see Robyn and her team.

We decided to stay in Fredericksburg, so on Friday evening I took out the sticks and checked out the creek at Lady Bird Park.

I started with a crayfish pattern on the fly rod and fished below the dam.

There were a lot of Spring Breakers wandering around the park and some kids were throwing rocks into the pool - not the best conditions.

Persistence finally paid off and I had a fish on. Lucky for me my photographer was near by!

I think I may be the first to catch a white crappie on a fly rod using a crayfish pattern!

I also found some willing baby bass with the same crayfish up near the golf course.

I switched over to the WRT on a spinning rig and found a few bigger bass.

The coloration of this one leads me to believe that it has some Guadalupe Bass in him.

Remember - it's not the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog!

I finally found some sunnies. They are not yet on their beds but were willing to hit the WRT.

It was a short lived fishing trip but well worth the time.

Springtime in the Marsh

2010-02-27T18:46:00.000-06:00

Looks like the "fast" is past.
I haven't caught a fish in the marsh all winter but now that spring has sprung my luck may have turned.

The water level was as low as I have seen it when I launched after lunch.

I fished the first corner without any success but when I reached Trout Junction, the reds started hitting the dead shrimp I was fishing along the bottom of the channel.

These fish weere too small to keep but plenty big enough to put up a fight. They also sported the familiar blue tail that is a distinctive feature of these beautiful creatures.

I paddled all the way back to the lake and almost got too shallow. All the fish were caught at the same corner but before long they will be chasing bait in the main lake at all the old go-to spots.

I can't wait!

Speed Fishing II

2010-02-04T19:16:00.003-06:00

The work schedule in Salt Lake City left little room for another trip to Heber, but I finally managed to break away on Wednesday afternoon with enough time to get in a little fishing time before heading back down to the valley.

Tracy and I had plans to attend Bible study with the Mid Valley Church of Christ in Sandy UT later that evening.

We worshiped with this group of Christians on Sunday and were glad to see that they are doing well in the Lord.

Some may say that driving up Parley's canyon and back just to fish for 40 minutes in the winter is a little extreme but my philosophy (borrowed from Kevin Wilson) is that you fish when you can not when you should.

I was glad to find some hungry browns and a few feisty rainbows which made the 1.5 hr round trip well worth it.

This was the first fish and it was a beautifully colored brown. Click on the picture and check out the red outline of the fins and tail.

After searching the upper end of the pool, I found a nice pod of rainbows near the tailout.

This brown had a silver sheen and was a fine jumper - something I've seen before on Snake Creek.

The rainbows weren't huge but were healthy and put up quite a fight.

I spent my short time at the big swirly pool and just a little downstream where I found this nice 15"er. I was hoping to get down below the trestle but that will have to wait until the next trip.

God surely blessed me with this trip and many others like it to this spot. I could have stayed longer and probably would have caught more fish. Instead, I left with enough time to have dinner with Tracy and to attend the services of the church where we studied about the Revelation of Christ given to the apostle John.

God gives me His best every day. He deserves my best efforts to serve Him and to grow in the knowledge of His word and the understanding of His will.

Dreaming up a Brown

2010-01-30T22:03:00.007-06:00

It's been too long since I've been tickling a white roostertail across the big swirly pool on Snake Creek in the Heber Valley of central Utah. As the work meeting was to start on Monday, Tracy and I made the trek out on Friday. We spent most of the day Saturday driving on some scenic drives around the areas north and east of Salt Lake City and somehow ended up in the Heber Valley!

I was dreaming of brown trout all day and the time had finally arrived to see if there were any left in the creek.

It never hurts to spend some time on your knees before, during, and after a fishing trip.

Looks like a little stealth and a well placed WRT paid off once again.

This healthy brown was the answer to a prayer and really made my day.

Many fish have been pulled from the depths of the big swirly pool, but each one deserves a picture and reminds me of the first time brother Paul and I found this spot.

I was thinking about Paul today and since he was unable to make this trip, I figured the next fish I caught would be for him. I cast a few more times and suddenly hooked a BIG trout.

Thanks to my personal photographer and a long lens I am able to post this series of action photos showing the fight and landing of the feisty Snake Creek brown.

I didn't put a tape on this fish but my conservative estimate is that it was easily over 20".

Here is your fish Paul! I put her back so next time it will be your turn!

Flounder for a Friend

2009-11-16T21:52:00.001-06:00

On Monday after Tracy's BD, it was too windy for a boat ride.

The little cold front that blew through in the morning demonstrated why the awning manufacturers recommend that you roll them up before the storm arrives.

Suffice it to say that we learned the hard way that even though it may be dead calm, some cold fronts can arrive with a bang and this one did just that.

After removing the remains of the destroyed awning, Tracy and I bundled up and went down to the boat slips to see if we could catch a flounder.

Some say flounder are not the prettiest saltwater fish but I find them appealing. They have cool green eyes and their mouth is shaped in a permanent sneer as if to say "Yeah - I'm cool".

Their skin is blotched and spotted for camouflage against the sandy or muddy bottom where they lie in wait for their prey to swim by. They love the shallows at night and when they are still are almost invisible.

With both eyes on the same side of their head and a mouth that works sideways you wouldn't think they could see or catch anything but when they decide to eat something, it rarely gets away.

I only managed to catch one flounder all afternoon and Tracy got skunked.

This one wasn't nearly as big as the one Tracy caught on Friday but was definitely big enough for a nice meal. Since we got to enjoy Edie's version of stuffed whole flounder for dinner, I gave her and Tommy this one for them to have after work.

Sharing fresh fish with friends makes the effort worthwhile.

Flounder on Deck and Reds in the Box

2009-11-14T19:45:00.001-06:00

Tracy's birthday weekend promised to be better for fishing as the rain had cleared out and the weather was beautiful. We were out of town all week and it was good to come "home" to Matagorda.

After supper at Spoonbills, we headed out to the PPRV boat slip for a little night fishing under the lights. I tagged a few trout and Tracy caught this beautiful 20" flounder.

Guess what we will be having for dinner? Monday night we took the flounder to Spoonbills and Edie stuffed it with crabmeat and served it with a nice salad and grilled asparagus. I think we both ate until we were the ones that were stuffed and enjoyed the meal and the special dessert.

On Saturday we headed up river to our usual spot and even though the trout didn't seem to be there, Tracy caught this nice redfish on a live shrimp.

On the way back down the river we spotted a pair of bald eagles waiting for a fish to rise.

We moved to a spot in the diversion channel halfway between the ICW and West Matagorda Bay and the fun really got going. We caught several redfish and though most of them were undersized, we were able to put four slot reds in the box.

Here is Captain John with a nice slot red. I was fishing lower in the water column and seemed to have the luck of the bigger fish in my corner for a while.

These fish are aggressive fighters and catching them in an anchored boat is different than catching them in a kayak where you can let them pull you around.

This was the big fish of the day. He already had a belly full of mullet when he took my shrimp.

This black drum put up a good fight but was released to grow some more.

Tracy has "fish on" and keeps the rod tip up (just like I taught her!).

Don't horse him!

The shoreline of this river delta is littered with tree trunks and logs. This white ibis was feeding nearby.

Here is the catch of the day at the cleaning table. Four reds is plenty!

South Texas Critters

2009-11-12T21:32:00.001-06:00

I like to photograph animals no matter how strange they may seem.

On my way out the door to hit the road for a work trip to South Texas, I nearly walked into this guy.

This wolf spider had stretched her net from the tree to the Jeep and to the house. That would have been quite a shock had I ended up with this big girl down my neck!

While giving a tour at one of our facilities, I noticed something under the right side of this CP rectifier.

A closer inspection showed that had we not been paying attention we might have payed a price!

Some say the mosquitoes are the state bird of South Texas. This "Purple Rain" variety was captured before I needed a transfusion.

One of our facilities sits on the Upper Laguna Madre just outside of Corpus Christi. This fine looking whitetail poses in front of the old CPL facility adjacent to our site.

Down in Falfurias they grow beetles big enough for a meal. They do make your fingers stink though!

Coaching

2009-11-12T21:07:00.000-06:00

A three day work trip to South Texas ended up with lunch at Kings Inn on Baffin Bay.

After lunch it was time for the manager to do some "coaching". I had brought along some fishing gear and promised to play guide for some new anglers.

We were properly licensed, and had purchased some fresh-dead shrimp. The weather was beautiful and the fish were willing!

The crew heads down the plank on the pier at SeaWind park.

Here is Alexandra with her first croaker. Now you know why they call them that!

Dharma caught this whiting and I think she also caught fishing fever.

Dharma's redfish thought he was a speckled trout.

Here we are with a triple - I had a small speck, Dharma had a whiting, and Alex had silver perch, aka yellow tail.

These guys are a pretty fish no matter what the size.

We all caught our share of reds. This little guy is showing off his spot.

Dharma even managed to hook the ultimate bait stealer - the pinfish.

We caught seven different species of fish and though they were small everyone had fun and caught fish. I'd say that would qualify it for a successful coaching session.

Catch n Release

2009-11-07T19:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the fish are willing but just don't "measure up".

Here we are heading for the best spot north of the ICW.

Tracy's skills have improved to the point where she quickly gets out in front.

You can almost see the gratitude in his eye as this red gets to live to fight another day.

Tracy scores again with a small speck and I got a workout paddling back and forth across the channel.

Look at the spots on this nice red. Just a little too short!

"Back you go little buddy".

This red was nearly in the slot.

Tracy is somewhat "reflective" about this catch and release thing.

Later as we escaped the wind I tied into another Cn'R candidate.

Anyone want to try wade fishing at 3-Mile Lake?

Team Building

2009-11-06T20:23:00.001-06:00

My friend and work counterpart in Salt Lake City had planned on fishing with me "someday" and finally that day arrived. Sergio stayed over an extra day after a three day meeting in Houston and we weere to meet in Matagorda for a day of paddling in the marsh.

Tracy and I spent the night at PPRV #7 and I found that a few trout had made it up the river.

The recent rains were slacking off and and what I had hoped for was coming to pass. The trout are making their way back up the river as trhe salinity increased.

Friday morning found me rigging the yaks and rods at the launch site as I waited for Sergio's arrival.

The tide was up which would make for easy paddling but may have the fish scattered.

The wind along the coast was calm and the time was right for a good paddle but there was fog inland and we got off a little later than wee planned.

Sergio took to the kayak in no time and we made our way down the channels towards the lake. We saw lots of birds and some mullet but the reds seemed to be hiding from us.

I located a feeding trout at the mouth of the channel as we came to the lake and I thought we were finally going to get into the fish.

We covered several miles of paddling all around the lake to all the famous spots where I had found fish before but by 11AM we were still without a fish on the stringer.

Here is Sergio calling home to SLC to give his wife the news - "Great paddling but no fish!"

The wind started to come up after we had exhausted our search and we headed back. I finally hooked up on a slot red in the channel and fought him to the boat. I was having trouble getting the frisky red in the net and on my third try he got my line tangled in the net and pulled hard enough to break off. Sergio and I watched the fish swim off with my 20lb leader hanging out of his mouth. ARRGGGHHHH!

Now it was my turn to call home and I told Tracy we were heading back to the launch and that I had just lost the only keeper fish of the day.

Believe it or not, as we began our paddle back my red floated to the surface! I quickly scooped him into my kayak and there was my leader and rig still stuck in his throat. We took him to the cleaning table at the Harbor and later to Spoonbills where Edie & Tommy fried him up for a great supper.

I was disappointed that I was unable to get Sergio on a fish but wee both enjoyed the day and the meal. We may have to do it again Sergio!

Monday in the Marsh

2009-11-02T21:31:00.002-06:00

After morning services on Sunday, we returned to Matagorda. I had scheduled to be off work on Monday so we had a bonus day at PPRV #7.

Check out the sunset at 3-Mile lake!

On Monday we headed out to East Matagorda Bay to see if we could use the tracks and experience we had gained with Captain Bill. Here we are at the pipeline crossing.

Unfortunately as we approached the cut into the bay, the wind started to kick up and we decided not to press our luck. We fished some spots on the ICW and headed in for lunch with no fish to speak of. After lunch we loaded the yaks and headed off to the marsh where we would be more protected from the wind.

The redfish were small but willing to take the live shrimp we were offering.

Our light wire hooks took a beating from the crushing force of the red's jaws.

Tracy shows off her little red.

They weren't all throwbacks though as Tracy displays the his n' hers redfish.

These two were a matched set with barely 1/2 inch separating them.

Here is a smile that's worth a million bucks. She is happily catching small fish!

Tracy caught this cool "three spotter" near the usual corner.

We should name this guy "domino".

Big John back at the launch as the sun is getting right.

Two hands of gold! The color on these fish was exceptional.

Can you say "supper"?

Birthday on the Bay

2009-10-31T22:50:00.001-05:00

This year for my birthday, Tracy and I went fishing with a guide. This was to be our first trip out into East Matagorda Bay.

It was a combo trip - part navagation and part fishing. Our guide, Captain Bill (Gold Tip Guide Service) agreed to help me mark some of the many shallow reefs and obstructions and was ready to chase the feeding birds whenever the opportunity presented itself.

We left the harbor at 7AM and got to see a beautiful sunrise as we headed east down the ICW.

Here is a short video of our trek to the bay. Watch that barge!

It wasn't freezing weather but the air had a snap to it this early and Captain Bill came prepared!

Here is Tracy and Captain Bill with one nice trout. Fishing over working birds is fast and furious - Tracy called it speed fishing. When the birds are feeding, the fish are just below pushing the bait to the surface. You have to be fast to keep up with Captain Bill!

We ended up with 20 fish in the box by 9:00AM and I got to mark some spots on the north shoreline for future reference. I'm especially thankful for the track in and out of the bay so I won't get hung up - or at least if I do I'll know what the name of the reef is!

Thanks Captain Bill for a memorable trip and thanks to Karen as well.

Later in the day we headed to the beach to look for beans. We got a nice unexpected suprise when we saw the migrating monarch butterflies sailing over the dunes.

While we didn't see huge concentrations of them, there were enough in the air to make it special.

Here is the sun setting across the mouth of the Colorado.

I had a great time celebrating my 49th with a day on the bay.

Mini Slam

2009-10-08T07:55:00.004-05:00

Catching the three most popular Texas inshore species constitutes a "Slam".

Tracy and I teamed up for a mini-slam by catching trout reds and a flounder in the river and diversion channel.

This pretty speck took the live shrimp offering along the river bank near Selkirk.

Tracy matched my trout with one of her own. I think this girl tops mine.

We moved down river and fished below the ICW where I caught this 14" flounder.

Back at the trailer while Tracy was taking a break, I found a hungry red that was a little short.

Two keeper trout was plenty for our supper and even though the other two were released, they may find their way back to the box one day in the future.

Little Red River

2009-09-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year brother Paul indicated that he had never been fortunate enough to fish for trout in the Little Red River near Heber Springs, Arkansas.

I had nearly worn him out with pictures and fish tales when I would make a side trip from visiting Robyn while she was earning her degrees at Harding University in Searcy, about 45 minutes south of the famous spot where the record Brown trout was caught in 1992.

Paul stayed after me all Spring but we were never able to put the trip together. A window of time finally appeared near the end of September which coincided with his 50th birthday so the trip was scheduled.

We headed out on Thursday afternoon and arrived at the Swinging Bridge Resort (aka fish camp) with a mind to fish.

Here we are on the first morning ready to find out if the rainbows and browns of the LRR were in the mood to come out and play. As you can see we were starting with UL spinning rods and white roostertails.

I think this was the money shot of the whole trip. Early morning fog and a nice view of Sugar Loaf mountain in the background makes a nice picture - even with a crusty old fisherman in the foreground..

Check out this video of the first fish of the day.

Here is the happy fisherman with his first LRR brown. Not a record but one for the books anyway.

We caught several rainbows in the 14"-15" range. They were feisty and colorful and not as easy to catch as you might think.

Click on the picture above to see the nice coloration of this fat brown.

Some of the rainbows were dark with lots of spots like this chunky one.

Others were light colored with bright fins and cheek patches.

On Saturday, the river level was down which made for better fishing but when they started generating electricty through the turbines, the water levels below the dam started to rise. The locals all headed down river to get in a few more hours of fishing so we followed.

"Go to Ramsey", we were told so after a quick bite we headed down to see what was happening. When we arrived, we were greeted by this little guy who apparently was a regular at the Ramsey boat ramp.

We nicknamed him "Reek-o" as his odor arrived long before he did. Man if I ever thought about getting a goat, this guy convinced me otherwise. Peeyou!

This was a pretty spot to fish and there were lots of geese to entertain us when the fish weren't biting. I shot some video which you can see by clicking HERE.

All that remains of the swinging bridge above Winkley Shoals is this spot. There was a terrible tragedy here 20 years ago when the bridge collapsed killing five members of a camping group.

There was a lot to see along the riverbank including this beautiful bush. The flowers looked like a wild orchid and the hummingbirds loved it.

Paul proved once again that he is a true fisherman. He caught his limit of five on Saturday.

It isn't hard to see the hand of God if you have your eyes open. This sunset over Sugar Loaf is a good example.

We had a great time and it was a trip to remember. We headed back on Sunday and I arrived home in time for evening worship. I sure had plenty to thank God for!

Next year I'm turning 50 - we are already thinking about possible destinations.

I wonder how late the Connecticut Lakes area stays open?

Seeing Red

2009-09-19T20:17:00.002-05:00

Saturday is the day - West Matagorda Bay or bust!

We arrived on Friday to be greeted by "The Swarm". The recent rain had hatched a serious wave of the little bloodsuckers and had changed the mix of water in the river. I made a few casts with the fly rod upon arrival but couldn't raise a ripple.

After a nice dinner and visit with the Wilson's I decided that even if the fish were biting it wouldn't be possible to fish with all the mosquitoes trying to suck the life out of us. There were some folks fishing under the lights off the boat dock but I think they were wondering who was really "getting bites", them or the mosquitoes.

The hummingbirds we had enjoyed last week were also gone. They were apparently just passing through on the annual migration. I caught some nice video and posted it at Front Yard Films for your viewing enjoyment.

We got an early start on Saturday morning and followed the track from last week with no problems. Our first spot was almost fish free so we moved to where we could cast our live shrimp without staring into the morning sun. We finally found some reds that were just under the 20" minimum size limit like this pretty "two spot".

Tracy was catching more than her share but couldn't seem to find that keeper.

I, on the other hand, was going for variety. I caught some little reds, hardheads, lady fish, and even this small sting ray.

Some fish get a bad rap as being ugly, but even this little black drum showed off his silver and turquoise sheen in the morning sun.

Tracy fished hard off the front deck of the Second Honeymoon and her efforts finally paid off big time.

Click on this video above to see Tracy in action!

Here she is with the catch of the day - 26" and 7.5 lbs. A fine redfish!

We had a little trouble getting back due to my lack of experience at boating in shallow water and inadvertently upset a fishing party that thought we were getting too close. Sorry! From their actions I think they were "seeing red" in a different way than we were.

We decided to go out again after lunch and stayed in the deeper water of the Diversion Channel and the river. We each caught a keeper trout along with several small fish when I got the idea to head upriver to our spot near Selkirk.

After fishing unsuccessfully under a cork, I thought that maybe the fresh water from the recent rains had pushed the fish down low. I thought I would drop a shrimp down to the bottom to get below the fresh water. I caught several small bait stealers and finally connected with a nice 20" trout confirming my suspicion that the trout were there - they were just not up high in the water column.

On the way back home we saw a pair of bald eagles soaring overhead and at least six osprey. I hope they are stopping for the winter and not just passing through.

We still have a lot to learn about Matagorda fishing but for now we are enjoying the blessings associated with being outside in God's creation and the joy of hearing the drag scream once in a while.

Personal Best Speck 2

2009-09-12T21:54:00.000-05:00

I spent a few hours volunteering at the nature center on Friday afternoon and had some time in the evening to wet a line.

I managed a nice speck - not my biggest but big enough for a meal!

Tracy answered the call with her own fat speck but this was only the beginning of her catch.

We had some fun with some throwbacks including this little red.

Tracy got a surprise from his juvenile jack - these guys are major league fighters. We caught a nice bag of fish and donated them to our friends at Spoonbills. They really enjoyed the fresh fish for supper after the restaurant closed for the night.

Saturday morning turned out to be stormy so our navigation cruise to West Matagorda Bay was questionable. In between the thunderstorms we tied on the tops and worked the riverfront in front of the trailer. This spot has produced a lot of big fat fish all summer and as we were about to find out there were still some big girls left to be tempted by a sashaying spook.

After several minutes of working her lure with only a couple of halfhearted takes, Tracy connected with her personal best speck to date.

Here I am holding the 24-1/2", 4.9 lb beast. I think even though this girl was 1/2" shorter than my big one, this one out weighed mine by nearly a pound.

We continued to fish through the weather and I had a nice red take my full sized spook off the top. Here Stephen is helping out with the net work.

I love the multi spot reds like this quad-spotted jumbo.

Stephen and Julie caught some nice specks and donated them to our fish bag. Note the spots on this speck compared to the one Tracy caught. This one is part leopard!

I pulled out the long rod and threw some flies out to see if I could fool a fish with some bucktail and flash or some sili-skin stretched over a hook in the shape of a minnow (gummy minnow) as this speck found out.

We did finally head out to West Bay and had a nice tour of the southeast corner. I got an electronic breadcrumb trail on my handheld GPS so we should be able to find our way out and back without getting hung up on an oyster reef or sandbar.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T21:28:00.001-05:00

Friday
The fair weather was holding up even though there had been some showers in the area and some predicted for the weekend. We made it to the condo-on-wheels in time for some R&R before supper. There weren't any takers for my topwater until after we had eaten.

This was a nice first addition to the ice chest.

These big predators are built for speed and can attack baitfish with a vengence.

God designed these creatures to be beautiful, efficient, and deadly all at the same time.

Saturday
We were up and on the water early enough that we needed the running lights on the boat. The river was slick and the ride up to Selkirk was smooth and uneventful.

This was Tracy's day to catch fish. She didn't score on a keeper on Friday off the bank or off the pier but this day was a different story. She let her first speck go as it was barely the legal length. She next caught a nice speck and then it was a free for all.

When you tie into a 23" redfish, you know you have something. This guy tested Tracy's skill at manipulating her line around the boat and anchor line. The guide got sloppy and almost lost the fish in the netting process but somehow we got him into the ice chest.

Not all Tracy's fish were keepers but they were all pretty special. This multi spot red was a good fighter and pretty flashy to boot.

My catch rate wasn't nearly as good as Tracy's to say the least but I managed my own little red for this nice early morning photo.

Tracy kept on catching quality fish like this nice speck.

Soon all the fish in the box were hers. This is a 70 quart ice chest so you can get some perspective on the size of the fish. She caught four nice trout and the big red. I managed one speck....

When we returned home for lunch I threw the topwater and connected with another big girl off the rocks. I love to catch trout at midday on topwaters!

After lunch we headed south down the diversion channel towards West Bay to the spot we had fished last week. We didn't see any fish activity and soon realized that either the fish weren't there or they weren't hungry for live shrimp.

The stormy weather was beginning to build and we moved back closer to home and fished the shoreline just south of the locks. We found some ladyfish and other small stuff but no keeper specks so we decided to head back up river to see if Marie was up for a little boat fishing.

Maree connected with some ladyfish and a small red. Do you think she is having fun?

I had fun passing shrimp to her and Tracy as I was manning the baitwell while Maree kept us laughing with her great sense of humor. I can't wait to see her with a big fish on the line!

The Second Honeymoon earned her keep this day and seems to be holding up to the frequent trips with ease. We headed back to Needville on Saturday evening so I could prepare for class on Sunday.

Sunday
We had a great morning of worship and study with the church in Rosenberg and after lunch we returned to Matagorda.

Our neighbors arrived and were talking about the beautiful water at the beach so we packed up and headed out for an evening of chasing fish in the surf.

The water indeed was beautiful - blue to the beach - and we even managed to catch a few fish.

Monday
The temps finally have started to moderate (low 90's) so we decided to head out in the kayaks early Monday morning to see if there were any redfish in the marsh. It had been a long spell since we had paddled and we were both anxious to get back to this form of fishing.

Click the video to see a paddler in action.

Early morning on the way to McNab

We paddled the whole lake and this little red was all we had to show for it.

We had some company as some of the locals got out ahead of us in a small aluminum boat with an outboard. They had to run pretty hard out through the channels to keep from getting hung up and I think any fish that might have been in the channel were spooked. I did see some flounder jumping out of the water chasing small shrimp. That was a thrill and a nightmare all at the same time as they would not bite anything I had to offer.

The catching had better improve or I might have trouble convincing Trcy that all that paddling is worth it even if just for a few nice pictures.

All in all it was a great weekend to enjoy God's blessings and to spend some time together on the water. The summer crowds are thinning and the heat of summer is almost gone. Looks like it's going to be a good fall!

Personal Best Speck

2009-08-30T15:04:00.005-05:00

Last weekend Tracy caught her biggest speck ever. This weekend it was my turn.

After supper I started throwing a Spook Jr. while Tracy went in the trailer to mix up some hummingbird nectar and change. On the second or third cast I got a solid fish on but didn't realize how big it was until later. There was a boat cruising down the river watching me so I acted like it was just another hardhead even though the whole time the fish was stripping line and making me move up and down the river bank to keep up.

Tracy finally came out and expertly netted the 25" big girl. I was pumped up as this beat my previous record by 2". This fish was easily over 4lbs and gave it her all before coming to hand.

The mosquitos chased us in at sundown but we were up early and headed upriver with our topwaters and a baitwell of live shrimp. Tracy had a big fish early on her topwater but after 30 seconds of drag screaming runs it came off. We didn't get our eyes on it but for the record we are going to call it a redfish otherwise she will continue to have nightmares about the big trout that got away. We caught lots of ladyfish and I managed a couple of sheepshead including this little guy.

His big brother showed some battle scars and had no trouble chomping the live shrimp.

Tracy caught this little redfish. These guys were bright copper colored and feisty.

I got in on the redfish action too!

This was the most unusual catch of the day - a needlefish on a topwater. Tracy caught three nice specks and I added one so when we headed back to PPRV for lunch we were already feeling pretty blessed.

I didn't manage the baitwell and we lost the remaining shrimp, so I decided to throw the topwater a few times before going in for lunch. Once again there was a big girl just waiting for a hapless mullet to swim by.

This 21 1/2 incher grabbed the dog walking lure and did a sumersault before crashing back into the river and the fight was on!

Tracy came out in time to help me land the nice speck and took some nice pictures.

I could see some more big specks in the river so after lunch I headed back to the bait shop for some more shrimp. We fished for a while but apparently the trout had moved. We hadn't yet washed the boat so I suggested another ride on the river to see if we could find some fish. It was plenty warm but we had enough cloud cover to keep the extreme heat of the direct sun off our necks.

This time we went down the river below the intracoastal. On the way down river we spotted two whitetail bucks on the edge of the water. Cool! We found a spot with a grassy shoreline and anchored the Second Honeymoon. Here Tracy is fighting a ladyfish.

We caught all kinds of fish - Tracy even added another 21" trout to the box. I hooked a big shark and played it to the boat but after we both got a few looks at it and decided not to bring it onboard I did a LDCR move which solved the problem. Wade fishing anyone?

We finished the day trying once again to temp a fish in the river in front of the trailer but the remaining shrimp ended up feeding the pinfish and hardheads along the rocks. We had a great day and boxed seven quality trout over the two days. I'll be making some friends happy with some fresh fish!

Tracy's Big Trout

2009-08-22T21:56:00.001-05:00

We were in for a short weekend, so after my volunteer activities at the nature center and dinner at Spoonbills with our new neighbors, Tracy and I spent a little time fishing under the lights off the boat slips. There was some stormy weather inland and we got chased off the water by wind and lightning. The rain pooped out before it made it to our location but some areas got some much needed moisture.

After the storm, the morning was cooler and pleasant. We decided that since we were going to leave after lunch we would just fish from the bank in front of the trailer. The topwaters didn't seem to draw any strikes so off we went to get some live shrimp.

Though we weren't seeing the big trout due to the lack of clarity in the river there were some big schools of mullet heading upstream. We could see a flash from time to time and my guess was that there were some predators down below the mullet school.

Tracy confirmed our suspicions when she hooked this big girl!

This was her biggest trout ever and the 22-1/2" speck matched the biggest trout we have caught in the river. Our neighbor Stephen had a picture of his big trout (29 - 1/2") caught a couple of weeks ago in the same spot.

This big yellowmouth had already spawned and came in without too much of a fight. Tracy is getting pretty good at handling fish on her line and she kept the big trout busy while I scampered off to get out long handled net.

I managed to find a couple of undersized reds under the mullet school.

Not long before we had to pick up, I finally caught a trout of my own.

My 19"+ trout looks small compared to the big girl.

Mine still had her eggs so she was a little more filled out but Tracy definitely had bragging rights.

I like to think her success is related to the fact that she has a great guide.

Fish On!

Summer's End

2009-08-16T14:23:00.007-05:00

The heat of summer is beginning to wear me down. This year has been especially harsh as there has been a lack of rain and weeks of temps above 95 degrees.

That being said, we have spent more time outdoors this year and have figured out how to beat the dog days of summer.

We arrived on Friday and after a delicious meal at Spoonbills we tossed our topwaters into the setting sun. While we didn't catch any keepers, we did see some big trout in the river.

In my opinion, we have the best spot on the river. We get to see scenes like this most every night. Pelican Point is accurately named!

We took the Second Honeymoon for a ride up the river on Saturday morning. Tracy scored early catching this redfish on a topwater. I brought some live shrimp and we managed to boat four trout by the time we arrived back at the launch.

We saw another alligator in the river on the way back. This one was between 12-14 feet and didn't look like anything I wanted to swim with. Anyone want to go skiing?

Here are the specks - all over 19". I know what we will be having for supper one day soon!

The colors on these predators are spectacular in natural sunlight.

Saturday afternoon saw us fishing live shrimp under popping corks out in front of the trailer. We caught mostly ladyfish and other small stuff until Tracy caught this nice fat speck.

The day ended with another beautiful sunset. The days are already starting to get shorter and before long the weather will moderate. I'm looking forward to the fall and the flounder run. We are also ready to launch the kayaks for a trip to the marsh as soon as we can do so without risking heat stroke.

Pelican Point RV & Boat slips has provided us a place to get away from the daily grind and an opportunity to spend some time together pursuing our fishing, beachcombing, and kayaking.

We are blessed to have found this spot and look forward by God's grace to many more enjoyable trips.

San Juan River

2009-08-10T22:19:00.003-05:00

I was asked to participate in a meeting in Durango, CO this week and since the closest Southwest flight was to Albuquerque NM, I felt obligated to visit the San Juan River for some aquatic sampling.

It just happened to be on the way!

This river is a favorite destination for "bug whippers" and is a classic tailwater fishery at the outlet to the Navajo Dam.

The rainbows and browns in this river are highly educated and pressured but I was hopeful we could find a blind or sick one that would fall for a poorly presented fly.

My co-worker Daniel showed that under the proper guidance even a beginner can learn to catch fish on a fly. If you click on the picture above you can see a nice midge hatch in progress.

Danny hooked all his fish on a Griffith's Gnat. This juvenile rainbow was small but feisty.

The Griffith's Gnat is a simple fly that looks like a group of hatching midges.

This pretty baby rainbow still has it's parr marks.

I tried several flies including the white wooly bugger and the river's namesake - the San Juan worm.

The midges were the bug de jour. Both the adult and the larva (above) were what the fish wanted.

All my fish came late and the dim light made for grainy pictures but no matter - I had a great time wading in the cold water watching the fish eat bugs on the surface and finally getting some to take my offering.

It was a nice way to spend the evening. Now it's time to get back to work!

Big Ugly

2009-08-08T19:22:00.007-05:00

The fishing was a little slow this weekend but there were some surprising catches made at PPRV #7. We got to see a picture of a 29 1/2" trout our neighbors caught off the rocks in front of our spot so we were eager to get in on some of that action.

Tracy (definitely NOT a big ugly) caught this nice 20" trout on a topwater on Friday evening.

The big girl had a cat eye on one side.

Here is the happy fisher and her catch. Catching a big trout is always fun!

After an unsuccessful trip up river in the boat, I managed to catch my own big trout on live shrimp off the bank in front of the trailer. I had two trout blow up on my topwater but both managed to perform a Houdini manuver and got loose before I could bring them to the boat.

After lots of slack time I hooked this huge black drum aka "Big Ugly". It was 41" long and weighed in at 36 lbs! We see these brutes working up the shoreline but since we normally fish with lures, we haven't caught one until now. I could have done a commercial for the light tackle industry as this guy really tested my graphite rod and 14lb line! After measurement and some pics it went back to the river.

We kept on fishing with the shrimp and I snagged this big sheepshead.

These guys have some chompers! They can be found nibbling barnacles off the rocks.

My dentist would have a field day with this mouth.

Tracy caught a few hardheads but couldn't seem to get into the variety of fish that were taking my shrimp. She fished hard all day but couldn't seem to find the trout.

Everything will eat shrimp - even this jack crevalle. You never know what you are going to catch in the Colorado river.

We were blessed with this beautiful sunset as the day cane to a close. We had enough trout for our dinner and to share with our neighbors. God is good.

Live Shrimp

2009-07-25T19:06:00.003-05:00

This week's trip to Pelican Point was full of new and exciting happenings.

I had some volunteer activities at the MBNP on Friday and was also able to participate in some conference calls while watching the Colorado River slip into the Gulf of Mexico.

That's what I call work-life balance!

We saw this small gator cruising down the river on Friday evening. That's the first one we have seen this close to the trailer. Our neighbor better watch her little dog!

We threw topwaters and other than a couple of ladyfish on Thursday evening, there seemed to be no fish interested in eating. On Friday morning, I watched several big trout hang out along the bank right in front of our spot but they just weren't interested in anything I had to offer. I even witnesses a redfish come up and put his mouth on my topwater and casually swim off. It looked like a kiss... I did also see a dolphin cruise by within 30 feet of my spot and when he spooked the trout I gave up.

On Friday night, I had an interesting experience not soon forgotten. I was fishing off the boat dock catching small trout under the lights when a BIG trout grabbed the small trout I was fighting. I was unable to get the hook in the big one but saw it several times with the 10" sand trout sticking out of it's mouth. I'm estimating the big one was over 24" based on what I could tell from my recent experience. It was quite a sight with the sand trout with a DOA shrimp in his mouth being carried around by the big speck. All that was visible of the sandy was his head. Even though I didn't get to land him it was one of the most exciting fishing experiences I've ever had.

We were going to take the boat out for a ride up the river on Saturday morning but since we had to leave early, we opted to fish from the bank instead. I saw this big black drum making his way along the rocks below.

We were out fishing before breakfast throwing tops, cranks, and plastics but again the big trout were there but would not commit. We got a few halfhearted blowups but none of the fish would take the lure in their mouth.

I finally had enough and decided that if we were going to catch fish I was going to have to change tactics. I headed off to get some live bait and came back with a bucket of live shrimp. I've heard a lot about fishing for specks with live shrimp but didn't have much experience at it. In this case I knew the big fish were there and live bait is nearly fool proof.

I laced up a Cajun Thunder cork with about four feet of 20lb mono leader and a single treble hook and stuck a big lively shrimp on by slipping one of the hooks under his horn. I made a short cast to where I'd been observing the trout and it was game on almost instantly!

My first fish was this 22" beast that proved to be the big one of the day.

I got Tracy rigged up and before long she had her first fish - a nice 20 incher.

This old girl showed evidence that she had been caught before as her bottom jaw was split. Apparently, it didn't keep her from feeding as she was nice and fat.

We caught six nice trout and ended up pretty even - we both caught one over 20", we each caught a 20 incher and a nineteen incher as well.

Tracy was on track to take the lead but her hook gave way on a nice fish. In the heat of the action, neither one of us had checked for nicks or wear in the leader and after several big trout had been chewing on it, the 20 lb mono gave way.

Blame it on the guide...

Fishing with live shrimp is as fun as I had heard but can be a little pricy if you don't catch fish. I figure that our catch cost about $1/pound live weight. I that is whhat it takes I guess it was worth it!

Boat Ride

2009-07-18T21:37:00.006-05:00

We took the boat out for a spin this morning.

The river was calm and there was rain predicted for later on in the day.

Hop in and let's take a ride...

First you have to launch successfully - watch out for the hidden sandbar!

Click on the video above to experience the ride.

Always slow down as you pass fellow fishermen to keep from creating a wake.
Once you get clear you can get back on plane and cruise at 25-30 mph.

Captain John at the helm.

We were up to our old game of chasing speckled trout with topwaters. We returned to the same spot up river where we had caught several specks. The big sows were hanging out near this concrete bank stabilization. We aren't sure if this is a feeding or spawning spot but all the big trout we have caught here are full of eggs.

We had a few pesky skipjack trying to hit our spooks.

This little guy got tangled up with a lure almost as big as himself.

Tracy struck silver on her first cast. She saw a fish working, made an accurate cast just beyond the fish and worked the lure right into the fish's strike zone.

I didn't get a picture of Tracy's first (or second) trout but she took this one of my first topwater trout of the morning.

In a couple of hours we had boxed four nice trout - one just under 20" and three over.

We each caught two fish - just enough for a nice meal for us and some to give away!

Now it's time to head back to the launch.

Here is the view of the boat slips - the ramp is on the right side.

After backing the trailer down the ramp, it's time to bring the boat in.

Once you get it lined up you can drive the boat right up on the trailer.

Most excellent photography by my First Mate, Tracy.

Thanks for visiting and for coming along for the ride!

Redfish in the Marsh

2009-07-11T22:37:00.003-05:00

There are several road hazards that graduates of the Smith Defensive Driver System are taught to avoid. Snakes in the road like this big rat snake didn't make the list but probably should have!

I encountered him while on the way to the boat storage to load up the kayak for an early morning paddle at McNab Lake. It was hot and still when I put in at 0600 but after 4 hours of paddling and "fish hunting" I managed to string up a limit of reds - two in the upper slot.

Check out the video below to get a small feel of what the day was like.

Topwater Trout at Noon?

2009-07-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

The past couple of weekends have been brutally hot. Temps in the triple digits and not much wind has made for some tough fishing conditions.

I recently read on a guide's fishing report that he was recommending throwing topwater lures near midday. I thought I would give it a try and was surprised with the results.

We have also been figuring out the trick to fishing in the "Second Honeymoon". We finally got some fish slime on her as we caught some nice trout in the river.

Tracy has really taken to fishing for trout with tops. She can really "walk the dog".

This 20" trout had an 8" mullet in it's belly and still wanted the spook jr.

Ken & Nelda's sign brought us good luck!

The boat earned it's keep today.

Tracy always catches the pretty ones.

Here is the first mate at the dock as I go to back the trailer down the ramp.

This 22 1/2", 3+lb trout hit a full sized super spook at noon. It was 100deg in the shade!

Go figure...

June Sharks

2009-06-30T19:54:00.000-05:00

Yes dear reader, there are sharks in Matagorda.

We caught them in the surf and in the river this year.

Check out Tracy's baby blacktip video:

I caught the bonnet nosed beauty below in the river out in front of our trailer. I was fishing with cut mullet and he was hungry!

Later that day, I was fishing with whole pinfish for gafftop and when I reeled this guy in I realized that there were still some sharks left in the river!

Nothing like a barge at sunset.

Matagorda Critters

2009-06-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

Never one to pass up a good nature shot, I had to grab the camera when we saw this big rat snake on the way in to Pelican Point.

This guy was about 6 feet long and was looking for his evening meal.

This beetle was seen near our boat storage building.

It is a wood borer and I'm glad I don't have a lot of teak on our boat!

Mark's recent pictures of the doe & fawn have put me on the ropes. I came up with a pretty good entry from my trip to PA but when I tried to catch these on the riverbank last weekend I couldn't quite get them all in the frame. If you click on the picture and look hard, you can see "Bambi" and the rest of the herd.

Matagorda Cattle Drive

2009-06-19T07:33:00.000-05:00

While in Matagorda for our anniversary week, Tracy and I got to witness part of the annual cattle drive. Local ranchers move the herd from the peninsula to the mainland in the Spring. Some of these had to swim across the mouth of the Colorado river.
Enjoy the video!

PA Trout Fishing

2009-06-16T20:43:00.000-05:00

I had a work trip to western central PA in June and brought along my fly rod "just in case".

This should have been a clue that I was in some pretty sweet country.

Click on the video above to get a feel for the "Fisherman's View".

This is Sinnemahoning Creek and though it is late in the season, there were still a few browns willing to rise to a caddis.

This is the money shot. Caught during the early afternoon.

Nice brown being released to grow up.

I had a coworker following me upstream who volunteered to take this shot.

Ready for the release.

Recovering after a tough battle.

I saw lots of wildlife including this family of hooded mergansers.

Another cool scene. This doe and nursing fawn came out along the river just upstream.

Parting shot.

May

2009-05-31T18:26:00.001-05:00

May was a busy month. Between Matt's birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary we had lots of travel and other activities.

I spent more time fishing than blogging so here is my attempt at getting caught up.

Technically this picture was from a trip in late April but is still a nice shot.

A good night on the 1st Street Pier in Palacios.

Rat red from the kayak.

Two thirds of a Texas Slam.

Ready for action.

Mangrove snapper
Ever wonder how they got their name? Watch the video below...

This looks like a juvenile bluefish complete with mini razor sharp teeth.

A pretty lady and her pretty redfish.

This ladyfish is the poor man's tarpon.

Ladyfish profile.

Slimer - aka Gafftop. This big guy took a whole pinfish.

Our anniversary boat ride wasn't all that enjoyable - windy & cold!

Nice McNab trout caught in the yak.

Spanish mackerel caught on the west jetty.

Lunchtime flounder. This guy hit a Gulp under a popping cork.

Spanish mack's toothy grin.

The west jetty - we had it all to ourselves this day.

A trio of flatties.

Weekend Warriors

2009-04-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

We had a short weekend at Matty due to a wedding but still managed to squeeze in a few more activities than you might expect.

We arrived to find a fresh hatch of mosquitoes and they were hungry!

After applying enough DEET to hold them off I tried a few casts being careful not to fall in off the rocks (that much bug spray can make you tipsy!)

We didn't find any hungry fish and it seemed the same for others we could see in nearby boats so we headed to the beach for some beaning.

Tracy found several keepers and I found a few... but we had fun just spending some time in the sand near the sounds of the Gulf. The weather was pleasantly warm and the beach wasn't too crowded. We were expecting the biggest crowds on Saturday.

After a quick supper we tried fishing under the light and were greeted by a tremendous bug hatch. In addition to the skeeters there were several other flying and buzzing critters willing to land on us or crawl into our shirts and under our hats.

Tracy once again had the hot hand and caught the biggest fish of the night. It turned out to be the biggest mullet we had seen in a while and she snagged it so it felt like a real bruiser.

How about a kiss?

I managed one small trout later but he did a self-release before I could get a picture. We fished some more in the morning with no success and finally gave up and went to Spoonbills for a chicken sandwich.

Edie and Tommy introduced us to one of the local guides and we talked about taking a ride out to West Matagorda bay with him next month. We need to get a tour before heading out or we will most surely find every sand bar and oyster reef there is.

After lunch we headed over to the storage building to install the lettering on the boat. It was quite a bit more tricky than the instructions led us to believe but we were both happy with the final results.

We made it home in time to get ready for the wedding.

It was a beautiful thing to see two young people make a lifetime commitment to each other. May God bless their marriage.

Three Day Weekend

2009-04-04T20:53:00.009-05:00

The weatherman was predicting great weather for Friday and I was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage by taking the day off work.

We made the trip to Matagorda on Thursday evening and once again confirmed that this is the place for us.

You never know what you will see in the Colorado River. Check out these dolphins that came swimming by:

Tracy got busy and and caught two nice trout.

This 21 incher was the biggest of the night and her personal best.

After setting up the light it was obvious that the river was full of bait as evidenced on the following video clip:

This beauty and the 18 incher she caught a little earlier made my two look like skinny underfed weaklings.

On Friday we launched the Second Honeymoon for the maiden voyage. We had a nice ride up the river and spotted several osprey including this big guy.

I didn't take many pics as I was getting used to the controls and navigation.

We didn't get into any fish from the boat but managed some more keeper trout under the lights.

We also took a ride on the beach and found some fresh beans. Click here to see for yourself.

On Saturday morning I caught some more on top. Note the guide in the background.

Here is the most fashionable fisherwoman on the river.

Another river traveler that we see from time to time.

Here is the same guide and his customer displaying a 30lb jack crevalle. It was a big fight (at least an hour) but he hung in there and the guide finally got it in the net. Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Another favorite past time at PPRV.

One evening we got to experience a beautiful sunset. This is my new desktop.

You could say it was a spectacular weekend at Matagorda!

Second Honeymoon

2009-03-30T20:41:00.002-05:00

Almost 25 years ago Tracy and I were joined in marriage. It's hard to believe it's been that long and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then.

With the recent engagement of our son Matt to his future bride Carly, we were reminded of how special it is to find the person God has prepared for you and to make a life together.

We have experienced the joy of watching our daughter and son-in-law find the same happiness and fulfillment of a happy marriage.

Our union was the culmination of an unconventional beginning but with the love and support of our families it turned out to be the perfect event at just the right time.

I always hoped that as Tracy and I got older, we would find more ways to spend time together and develop interests in things that we could share. Little did I know that somehow it would turn out to be camping in a travel trailer, boating and fishing that we both enjoyed!

When we first started talking about a special way to celebrate our 25th anniversary we thought about the usual things - a trip to an exotic location, a cruise, or some other special get away.

In the final analysis neither one of us was really all that interested in anything beyond spending the time in Matagorda. We hatched a new idea - "Let's buy a small boat and expand our ability to explore the Middle Texas Coast". So the idea for the Second Honeymoon was born.

After some weeks of research and a couple of false starts the dream has become a reality. Here are the pictures to prove it:

We have the lettering ordered. This is a Carolina Skiff J16 with an Evinrude 40 hp outboard.

The center console with a GPS / Sonar combo and a small compass I added.

The power plant has an integral oil reservoir and fuel injection. With no break in and no scheduled maintenance for 3 years, this engine is fuel efficient, has the lowest emissions of any 2-stroke, and the best weight to hp ratio of any engine in its class. (besides that it was on sale!)

The 18 gallon fuel tank is under the console. No oil mixing required.

There are two dry hatches under the bow casting platform.

This view from the bow shows the passenger seat in the front of the console and some rod holders we added. The driver seat is a 70 quart ice chest with a seat cushion and a flip flop back rest so you can face forward for driving and backwards for fishing off the stern.

This shot shows the aerated live well in the rear deck and the battery under the deck.

Here you can see the casting deck, the bow rail, and the socket for the bow running lights.

The live well is fed by a pump in the bilge area and has a valve to adjust the flow.

Matagorda may not be all that exotic to some people and a small boat driven by a novice captain may not be your idea of a cruise but for us it is the perfect event at just the right time in our life.

To all who may read this - May God bless your marriage as you seek His blessings.

Spring Break

2009-03-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

The weather looked promising for the weekend and we were eager to get back to McNab in the kayaks. It had been several weeks for me and a few months for Tracy.

We launched a little after 8AM on Saturday. The winds had been fairly stiff on Friday but were mostly calm at this hour. I rigged Tracy up with a double shot of Sugar Spice Glow Gulp shrimp on one rod and a crankbait on the other.

I started out with a new Spook Jr. topwater as we fished Oyster Reef Fork.

The chartreuse/silver lure fooled this nice 16" speck and I quickly had one on the string.

This would be a nice start to our supper tonight!

We paddled all the way back to the lake and didn't get another strike. I spotted a nice red crashing bait in the back channel we call Gator Cut. Since Tracy hadn't found her fish yet I tried to get her a shot but the red had other ideas and took off before she got a chance at him.

It was a tougher paddle on the way out as the wind had come up to about 10mph. Tracy took this great shot of my catch with a sky background when we made it back to the launch.

Tracy wasn't ready to accept a skunk for all of her hard paddling. We both enjoyed getting the plastic navy back into the marsh but there were still some fish in the river as we were about to soon find out.

The same lure that had fooled my trout in the morning proved to be the ticket for this fat speck. This one was an inch longer than mine and quite a bit heavier. We continued to thrash the top of the river until dark with a couple of half hearted strikes but no takers.

Here is the Fisherman's view as the sun slipped over the trees.

I finally hooked up one more time on this 14-incher. We will be back in a couple of weeks!

"T" is for Topwater

2009-03-01T21:16:00.003-06:00

Friday after a field trip to Markham with some of my co-workers, Tracy and I found ourselves at PPRV #7. The weather had been overcast and warm all day with a prevailing SSE breeze. After the fun we had last week with the topwater lures, we decided to try our luck again in the few hours remaining before sundown.

Conditions were right for some big fish to be feeding as there was a late season cold front on the way. This was my first fish and she was a beauty.

Tracy followed up with her own topwater trout. This was a beautifully colored speck.

We were feeling pretty happy with the first two fish caught on the stringer.

This is my "Dream Fish". I told Tracy that the night before I had dreamed of tying on my biggest Super Spook and catching a big trout. I tied it on and made two casts before hooking up with this nice fat speckled trout.

We had eight big specks on the string by the time it got dark. I had the light hooked up and after we at a quick supper, we were back at it catching several specks.

Everything we caught was too small at first. Then Tracy answered the call by adding #9 to the stringer.

We took these to the cleaning table about 9PM. When we returned I kept on fishing as Tracy went to take a shower and caught one more keeper before calling it a night.

Saturday morning the cold front came in with strong winds from the north.

I caught a couple of undersized specks early but for the most part, there wasn't any action on the tops all day. That's OK - We had enough fun on Friday to last all weekend!