'Strop 3/8

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jeff89
Posts: 111
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:36 pm

'Strop 3/8

Post by jeff89 »

Low winds and overcast conditions seemed like a good opportunity for LMBs and poppers. I just got off work with 7 days off and with the weather worsening (for fishing) for the next few days, I figured I'd better take advantage of it. Loaded up the Gheenoe in Austin and made the quick haul to Bastrop. I stuck with shallow coves and caught a few on poppers and a few on some deceiver speckled trout flies. Nothing really of size. The highlight of the trip was stalking carp on a sand flat. This flat is normally about 10" deep at normal levels. However, as you may know, Bastrop is a couple feet low right now. Longer boats/trailers should put in on the North Shore. Anyways, this sand flat is now covered with about 4-5" of water. I found some carp that were crawling along just like a redfish would. So I hopped out of the 'noe with a 7wt and small crawfish imitation and snuck up on her. When you're doing stuff like this, even with redfish, it's best to watch them for a bit...get an idea of how their feeding, place a soft-landing cast and wait for her to head towards your fly. It was textbook. Made the cast, she moved towards it, a couple slight twitches...well, $hit, it looks like she ate? Strip set - explosion. She flopped against the bottom like she was starving for water and went towards the deep. I followed and got back in the boat to finish the fight. Snapped a couple pictures and released the loose lipped gal. I looked back at the flat and saw another crawler.....back out of the boat I go. Essentially the same exact scenario presented itself. She ate and ran for deeper water. The hook pulled, but I got the eat..I got what I wanted haha.

The carp window like this is relatively short. It's warm enough for them to feed, but they're not spawning yet...Once they begin mating, it's damn near impossible to get them to eat. I'm ready for the salt though...
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