Keep Moving
Keep Moving
So, I got out on my little bay this afternoon. It wasn't exactly foggy, but cloudy isn't the right word either. It was Floudy or Cloggy. And the water wasn't murky everywhere, but only where the tide was rolling in bringing what look to be some Brazos River water from places inland.
The plan was, well, there wasn't really one. Read the water was the plan. See where the life is. Nowhere was bait absent. I paddled and drifted along shorelines and reefs. If there were predator fish, I couldn't perceive them. At some point I see an unmistakeable rush of a red up against the grass. I cast my little gray over white baitfish streamer short, ten feet short, and I strip in fast for a better cast and strip set a red. Not the same red I saw, this one goes 19".
I move along and time is getting short. I come to a reef where water is pouring over it. On the down current side, there is bait, lots of bait, and the bait is getting put through the ringer. I set up a drift. The wind is light and perfect for it. I have no stakeout stick. I lost it the last time out. The bait is getting smoked everywhere. The water is 3+ feet, the reef lies about a foot under the surface. Somewhere in between, my mud minnow gets slammed. 19.5" trout, CPR. Second drift, 18" trout, CPR, third drift, 16.5" trout, released. Fourth drift, fourth drift my mud minnow get hit right at the cast. Whatever has it has taken off to the north but holds on long enough for me to strip set the hook. Well, the fish is now ticked off. I really don't know what I have. It takes line, feels heavy, shakes its head and I'm dreaming about that really special trout. It goes on another run that feels more like a redfish. Yes, it's a red. A hard fighting 23-24", I didn't measure it. I let it go. My time was up. Definitely left them biting.
The plan was, well, there wasn't really one. Read the water was the plan. See where the life is. Nowhere was bait absent. I paddled and drifted along shorelines and reefs. If there were predator fish, I couldn't perceive them. At some point I see an unmistakeable rush of a red up against the grass. I cast my little gray over white baitfish streamer short, ten feet short, and I strip in fast for a better cast and strip set a red. Not the same red I saw, this one goes 19".
I move along and time is getting short. I come to a reef where water is pouring over it. On the down current side, there is bait, lots of bait, and the bait is getting put through the ringer. I set up a drift. The wind is light and perfect for it. I have no stakeout stick. I lost it the last time out. The bait is getting smoked everywhere. The water is 3+ feet, the reef lies about a foot under the surface. Somewhere in between, my mud minnow gets slammed. 19.5" trout, CPR. Second drift, 18" trout, CPR, third drift, 16.5" trout, released. Fourth drift, fourth drift my mud minnow get hit right at the cast. Whatever has it has taken off to the north but holds on long enough for me to strip set the hook. Well, the fish is now ticked off. I really don't know what I have. It takes line, feels heavy, shakes its head and I'm dreaming about that really special trout. It goes on another run that feels more like a redfish. Yes, it's a red. A hard fighting 23-24", I didn't measure it. I let it go. My time was up. Definitely left them biting.
Re: Keep Moving
Nice little report karst. Good reminder to keep looking at each successive location with structure or water movement. Glad you found em.
- Drifting Yak
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Re: Keep Moving
Way to keep on the hunt - Mr. karstopo - and turn it into a very good outing!
- TexanBrewer
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Re: Keep Moving
Nice report!
See you out there Monday!
See you out there Monday!
- HtXfisherMan8706
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Re: Keep Moving
I felt like I was there. Nice write up!
- Johnny5455
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Re: Keep Moving
Great report! Thanks for sharing.
- YakRunabout
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Re: Keep Moving
Nice report and great fish, thanks
- MachewTexas
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Re: Keep Moving
Jealous. Great report and good pics
- SurfRunner
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Re: Keep Moving
Great report!
Re: Keep Moving
Nice report! Glad you found them. TFTR.
Re: Keep Moving
Nice! What baitfish pattern were you using?
Re: Keep Moving
The mud minnow that was included in the recent fly swap.StrykerDM wrote:Nice! What baitfish pattern were you using?
- Cuervo Jones
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Re: Keep Moving
Say. That fly looks familiar. Good thing I have a couple from the swap! Thanks again for the killer patterns Karst!
Re: Keep Moving
Awesome...gives me some ideas with things to play around with. Where'd you get those jig hooks from?
Re: Keep Moving
StrykerDM wrote:Awesome...gives me some ideas with things to play around with. Where'd you get those jig hooks from?
The eagle claw sz 2 I've been getting from saltwaterflies.com
The Mustad ones come from terminal tackle.
The eagle claw are initially sharper.
Re: Keep Moving
It's definitely a confidence fly for me. Good on those days you get out and the sight fishing isn't in the cards but you still want to sling a fly.Cuervo Jones wrote:Say. That fly looks familiar. Good thing I have a couple from the swap! Thanks again for the killer patterns Karst!
- ThePopinCorkKid
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Re: Keep Moving
Nice fish. mid slot reds are my favorite great fight and perfect for the grill.