John Wayne Cut

[kickingback]

Went to SLP last night about 6 pm to see if i could find some nice flounder. Not a single flounder hit my lures or got on my hooks. They were hiding from me well. My trip plan is below.
Launched SLP Park and went west down Cold Pass to fish the lights in the houses. Only a few underwater green lights in the three channels but each had fish. Mostly sand trout. Caught a couple 12" sand trout int he lights. Moved down to the long pier further west and there were some people that had access tot he pier there with the lights were on. Anchored up for a bout 45 minutes and tried to get something to take my lure. Had many strikes on tandem rigged paddle tail soft plastic but no takers. The folks turned off the lights and left so did I. Went further west to Churchill Bayou. It was about 11 pm at this time and I decided to try John Wayne Cut and halfway down there is a drain into the cut and i fished at the convergence of the gut in that drain and the bait activity was unbelievable! Mullet jumping everywhere and shrimp battling to get out of the water at the shore edge. I parked it and threw some Yo-Zuri lures with no luck, Switched to tandem rig paddle tail and got a few hits but they wouldn't commit. I had bought some finger mullet and shrimp just in case so I threw a mullet out and got a big bite and run but the fish jumped the hook near the yak. Tied on a shrimp and got a hard head cat. At this point I thought I would try for flounder and drag the bait slowly through the gut but what I got was totally unexpected! I tied on a tandem rig with a bucktail and Gulp swimming mullet and threw it out it sat for about a minute and my reel screamed from the drag being taken out. First red for the night was over 22". Proceeded to catch red after red on bottom tandem rigged gulp. I would thrw it out and let it sit. The current would move it well and the reds were there to eat!
Caught about 10 or 11 total and kept the three biggest. 22", 22" and 20". All others released.
At 4 am I made my way back north and around Moody's Island and down through Titlum Tatlum. Lots of bait activity as well but couldn't get a bite. One of the docks had the owners there and they had a generator with lights. He invited me to fish it with him. Got a few bites on tandem rigged paddle tails but no takers. Fished until 730 am for flounder around the docks but they were not there this time like they were my last trip.
Started my way back to the launch and hit the marsh area in TitTat and found some birds and tailing reds! Video below. Tried to cast to them but they were on top of shell and I got hung up like you would not believe. Had to re-rig. Sat there watching the action as I re-rigged kicking myself in the butt for not having another set rigged and ready. Alas, they left the area and so did I. Headed home about 10 am. good night overall for SLP area.
Water temp was 64 degrees at midnight and the winds were light all night. Not too cold out. Only about 58 degrees. Tide was really moving so bait was displaced well causing the bites I got. Thanks for looking!
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Tailing reds....http://vid5.photobucket.com/albums/y177 ... G_5353.mp4
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[boikie]

Great report and with the map - trail track - gives a good context to go with the report. Seeing the video - that must have been maddening to hang up when they were clearly feeding.
Thanks for posting - haven't been at night yet - but must try

[Zool]

Thanks for the detailed report! it sounds like you had a great time on the water...

[Texas brine]

Thanks for the report. In my opinion, it's just as rewarding catching them on video as it is catching them on rod and reel. Now you can relive the moment many times!

[Neumie]

Great report! Thanks for putting all this together and posting.

[wavygravy]

Awesome report, you're a better man than I though, not sure I can log that much saddle time before my butt goes numb.

[kickingback]

Thanks guys.
I look at Google Earth before I go to a new location and decided to hit the spots where I caught the reds based on images from past years.
I start by looking for deep guts or holes in the marshes from the low tide images. I then look for patches of shell or rocks that can hold crustaceans. I also scan the past images for birds in those same areas. If you zoom all the way in to an area you may see white dots which are birds. Birds feed in the marshes and if there are birds then there may be fish there as well. The shell present at those locations (as well as the grass) hold the small bait that the birds and fish want and when that tide changes in or out it moves the bait off the shell and they get eaten. You can make out the shell by zooming in seeing it change colors over the years (from algae growth when tide is normal which attracts bait).
I also look at the bottom on the low tide images next to marsh drains where fish hold up. If you look you can see small depressions or holes dotted all around the opening of the gut or drain. These look to me to be old flounder landing spots where they buried int he bottom waiting for bait to flow out of drain. As you look at the images and see how the water covers that same area normally then I assume it may hold fish at present as well. Fish are truly instinctive and they will feed in these same areas over the years unless there is a drastic change in the environment around that area like from a storm.
I am always looking at Google Earth for new and exciting spots! Try it out. Look at all previous maps when you look at an area and you may be surprised at what you will see and find out about a spot you want to fish.
Oh and Gravy, since I like to go out for as long as possible so that I don't have to drive 2 hours there and back each time I have two inflatable cushions and a padded seat on top of those. My butt is always fine as I can stand up when I need. It's having to pee in layers of clothing for the cold standing in the yak that gets me sometimes.

[laxhuskie9]

Great report sir. Exciting area to fish with so much structure and variety of fishy areas from the same launch...keep it up!

[YakMack]

Good stuff!!

[cabajohw]

Sweet report! I have to ask you, how tired do you get making these long trips? I see this one is 11 miles and within a couple days you made a 14 mile trip

I'm debating on getting a peddle drive yak and you can most definitely cover some serious ground in one of these from what I can see here.

[kickingback]

Yes sir you can. The longest peddle trip I made was 12 miles. If I go over 10 miles I usually bring my homemade Watersnake 24 trolling motor to assist on the long trips. This trip I had the TM and used it half way. I like to get as much exercise as I can when I am out to stay healthy but sometime after a 12 hour trip my back gets to hurting and the TM is needed. I had back surgery a year ago and the doc said it's only a matter of time before i need it again so I am getting in as much time as I can before it goes out again.
The peddles make it so much easier and you can peddle as hard as you can to get out of strong current and winds better than you can paddling a yak. Yes the smaller yaks are easier to move by paddle but your legs are much stronger and can last longer for stamina.
The best thing about not having to paddle is the ease of fishing while moving. So much more time spent with a lure in the water means more fish in the boat.
If you can't afford a peddle drive then look at a TM to help on long trips.