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Anyone else have this madness? I'm not looking for a diagnosis or a fix this is more of an observation, but on more than one occasion like yesterday's outing I'll cast until I literally can't anymore. I like it when I exert myself until there is nothing left in the tank. See how far I can push it and push it a little more. It was 90-92 degrees sunny and humid. I was out in the blazing sun from 13:30 until almost 19:00 hours. Drank about 2 liters of water.

One thing I've noticed is that I think I'm gassed but then a fish shows itself and I can pull it together pretty well for the shot. When I start missing the shots by a mile, then I know I'm truly done.

These type of outings are combination structure and sight fishing with 5-9 weights, standing in my kayak. Used Weighted flies, floating line, and fished in depths of zero to 3 or 4 feet.

Sometimes fly fishing is as relaxing as anything I can think of. Other times, it's like an athletic endurance training.

Someone suggest I had signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Maybe so, but I feel better after these hot trips , sleep better, and feel better the next day.

All it takes is one hookup to make your day especially if you make the stalk and the perfect cast. Gotta luv the fly..

Dang karst. You were out there in the hottest part of the day. All I can say is to be careful out there. We've had a mild summer so far but things are starting to heat up. More fluids, cooling towels, a dip in the water, umbrella....you name it....they are your friends this time of year. And I hate to admit it but I've have found that the older I get the less tolerant my body is to heat. I am more cautious now so it's early mornings or nights for me. But then again....I hear ya....Nothing like the sound of your drag chirping to get the adrenaline pumping! Besides you know that the big ones are just about to turn on!
Be safe out there.

I've gotten where I feel great getting exhausted in the blazing heat. Off and on over the decades, I've had physically exhausting, hot jobs. I think I miss getting beat to a pulp by the heat! It's always so good when you come in afterwards.

I used to like to run in the heat. Mid day, 100+ heat index, bring it on. I can't run worth a hoot anymore, but I can paddle and cast.

Water was super hot yesterday. I went to a place to catch the failing tide. Chose it mainly for the secure launch. My strategy was to find shallow water next to deeper water while keeping an eye on a flat. Water got really low. At about 5pm, I caught my first fish, a 14" trout, next cast another 14" trout. Then the reds moved in. Cast had to be in a narrow zone near a reef. All reds were about 17-18". It was like I crashed some summer camp for redfish. Then a few started bombing bait up shallow. Coming up into 2-3" of water.

It was fun. I wanted some filets, but this is Texas not Louisiana, so not one made the cut. I'm a little mad at them for not going along with the plan.

I love the style of fishing we do in Ascencion bay. Two fisherman per boat plus, of course, the poling guide.

One man fishing at a time. When he catches a fish, or, has spent thirty minutes on the bow, then we switch.
When I first began fishing down there, I hoped my fishing partner would hurry and catch a fish so I could get back onto the bow. The past several years, however, I hoped he wouldn't catch one too soon. That half hour of sitting and sipping water is now like a little bit of heaven on earth.

When fishing for snook or tarpon around the mangroves, I used to never stop casting. Now, after eight or nine casts with that nine weight and a heavy tarpon lure, I'm exhausted.

It's too darn hot to fish the gulf coast for me now. Will have to wait till oct. I guess. This growing more mature thing is not good for my fishing.

Put forth your efforts on the jetties down south slinging a 10wt and you'll be rewarded with Tarpon this time of year

Jetty Tarpon are an endurance game...just keep casting and you'll eventually jump them.

i've been there. Usually it happens when I get into a place where trout are schooling. My hands start to cramp up, my shoulders burn, I guzzle water and tie on a new fly. Casting gets sloppy, a clouser hits me between the shoulder blades and then I wonder if I have the strength to paddle back to the launch. Then it's fish on and it all goes away.

I tip my hat to you, Karst.
I've pushed myself pretty hard all my life, but in a couple of weeks I'll turn 61.
Worked outside year round for 20 years.
61 is not that old, and I'm not decrepit by any means, but I'm finding that pushing the limits is getting harder and harder.
Really hate facing this new reality.
I'm afraid I'm with KK, I'll start fishing again in the fall.

NativeSon,
Keep pushing. You ain't even growed' up yet. When you get as close to 80 as I am, then you can narrow the fishing window a bit. Till then, get some sun screen, a gator aid cooler, a wide brimmed hat, and, a good umbrella...,and, go fishin'.

Seriously, there is no reason to slow up till you get past 75. And, even then, there is still plenty of spark in the battery....,just not quite as much as there used to be.

when you get tired of casting you can troll baits until you recov er

MobyYack wrote:when you get tired of casting you can troll baits until you recov er

I probably won't press it quite so hard in the heat. People have brought up excess heat type injuries and I do want to avoid those.

I've done a little unintentional trolling. Sometimes when I'm paddling around looking for fish I'll have the rod in one hand along with the paddle and some line out with the fly. I've picked up a fish or two that way. One time, I got a small red with the fly out and just the leader right next to the kayak. I wasn't moving at all or even fishing, just doing a little housekeeping on the kayak and the red picked up the shrimp off the bottom from the 15-18" of water I was staked out in.

karstopo wrote:

MobyYack wrote:when you get tired of casting you can troll baits until you recov er

I probably won't press it quite so hard in the heat. People have brought up excess heat type injuries and I do want to avoid those.

I've done a little unintentional trolling. Sometimes when I'm paddling around looking for fish I'll have the rod in one hand along with the paddle and some line out with the fly. I've picked up a fish or two that way. One time, I got a small red with the fly out and just the leader right next to the kayak. I wasn't moving at all or even fishing, just doing a little housekeeping on the kayak and the red picked up the shrimp off the bottom from the 15-18" of water I was staked out in.

It took me a while to believe a fish would bite in an area I just paddled over but now I never move without trolling

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

Someone on another board mentioned creating your own hatch and some Hank Patterson video about it. It got me thinking about how I like to fish sometimes which is basically tossing the fly into the same zone over and over again. It's not like I pick a random spot, but there is something about the structure or some history with the spot. I pick a target like some spot next to a reef and go for it. It's accuracy casting practice on the water. But many times, after several or many on target casts, I will catch a fish. Then it can be like a flood gate., fish every or every other cast. Usually it's reds in the 15-18" class, but I've also gotten into some good trout and bigger reds that way. Have you ever caught a redfish and one or more other redfish follow it as you fight the fish? Maybe fish don't want to miss out on the feed and that is why casts to the same spot over and over again can yield repeated hook ups.

Try it out sometime. It can't hurt to practice and what's better than on the water practice in real live conditions. It's way more fun than casting on the lawn. And, you might just get into a mess of fish. Don't tell me sight casting is more fun, I know it already. But it isn't blind casting out to nothing. Pick a target and try to hit it over and over again.

OK KK, you're probably right, I'll quit my whining and press on.
Still don't think I can keep up with karstopo in this miserable heat.
Funny, when I was younger, didn't bother me a bit, sort of liked it.

NativeSon wrote:OK KK, you're probably right, I'll quit my whining and press on.
Still don't think I can keep up with karstopo in this miserable heat.
Funny, when I was younger, didn't bother me a bit, sort of liked it.

I think the heat and heat tolerance is something you have to work into. I for years had a job where I was up in attics and out in the heat a lot doing physical labor and could take a supreme amount of heat without cratering. Then, I moved into more of a desk/office job environment and mowing the grass on a hot day kicked my tail. We recently moved to some acreage where there are constantly availabilities for hot work out in the heat. I'm coming up on 55 years old, but have found that I can rebuild much of the heat tolerance I once had. I agree that the heat is something I am starting to once again crave.

Playing or working outside in the heat is definitely something you need to work into.

When fishing, I cast so much sometimes that I can barely walk when I am done. Mainly due to a bad back. I am learning to pace myself now, but once I am fishing and get into that "zone", it is hard to get out of it.

I like getting into the heat, with plenty of fluids of course, because I think it does the body good from time to time.

I use fishing as part of an exercise routine. LOL! Seriously. I lift weights once a week, do some cardio once a week, and an activity once a week, which is usually fishing. It works for me!

Until i started flyfishing 3 years ago or so, I never fished fresh water. I would just make it down to the coast a couple of times a month. Now, I fish the bayous, and neighborhood, golf course, and park lakes weekly. My tolerance to heat and walking a bank has increased a lot!