Marsh Grass and Structure

[YakRunabout]

I was out recently in a West Bay cove and marsh area. I came home with two flounder, 17.5” and 19”+. Also had a lower slot red that went back into the water and a few other small flounder and rat reds. On heading out we were expecting, or hoping for, more action with Specs, but I had none. Ended up with more action from flounder than I have had in a long time.

Water temperature was about 80 and the winds, finally, were under 10 mph!! from the east. An incoming tide should be getting underway soon.

There was quite a bit of fish action, mainly mullet, on the way out and so while just casting about I hooked into a runner that also turned into a jumper – a skip jack! It has been a while that I caught one of these – added a bit of excitement to the morning. The jerk shad was knocked completely off the twist lock weedless hook and was twisting around the line – Turns out this was only the first bit of damage to this lure -

On approaching a reef area, hoping for trout, I was casting into the shallower waters, thought I had a hook-up, no wait – it is not moving – dang a snag. So I maneuver to the other side of the lure location, pulling occasionally to try and loosen the hook on the way. I got around to the other side and it still would not come free so I went up to the location to grab the line for a slow lift of whatever I had hooked. So just as I start lifting on the line, it starts to move a bit, a couple shakes, then the lure comes flying up at me!! I may have had a flounder all along and did not realize it!

So with the fish action light in the cove channels and reef areas we headed into a marsh area. I worked my way to a wide opening into a large lake area. The water was 1 ½ feet or so and very clear. There were lots of clumps of grass on the bottom with the top 4-6” or clear. I had some lures on jig heads rigged up but they would bring back too much grass. So I stayed with the jerk shad and tucked the hook point into the back of the lure and the weeds had no impact. I would give an occasional twitch of the lure and it would dart around among the clumps of grass, just like it was born there. With the water clarity I could easily see this lure movement. I had a small flounder take it as I first entered the lake area. I had a couple of rat reds come in and take it when only 10’ or so from the kayak. Somewhere during this action the jerk shad lost its split tail – I kept using this shorter version since it kept catching fish!

Along the bank on the far side of the lake I had seen some fish action a few times, so I slowly headed that direction. I am in a PA12, but can still flutter kick, but it is slow going into the wind. I am pleased when on the second cast to that bank I get a hook-up! It turns out to be a rat red but it is still satisfying to see it then to catch it! A few casts later along that same bank I get another hook-up that feels like another red, based on his run. Due to the shallow water I can soon see that, no, not a red – this one is a flounder, that likes to run. Course in a foot of water he has no place else to go other than to run. This is the 17 ½” flounder that comes home with me.

I continue on through the marsh, but the bite has stopped for me here. I move back into the cove and along some structure there. Though the jerk shad has served me well up till now, I make a change to a down south lure on a jig head, purple with chartreuse tail. There is some water movement from the bay into the cove, either from tide change or from the east wind that has picked up a bit. Anyway, I cast into some eddy areas from this flow and get a hookup in a bit under 3’ of water. It comes along nicely to the boat but then is tough to lift to the surface and soon the lure is flying up at me.
A bit further along I have the same hookup and reel to the boat with the same resistance to pull to the surface, but this time it does come along and when this flounder gets to the surface and sees the yak, off it goes. There is that redfish pull again. He makes a couple of runs but finally the 19”er is in the boat.

An enjoyable day overall – winds were down (20 gets annoying after a time), plenty of fish to take home and other fish action, plus some new environments to fish in.
One last bit – the lower slot red was caught early on in the lights on the down south lure mentioned above.

Enjoy your next outing.
So much for quiet!!

[kickingback]

LOL, I'll say! Getting loud in here!!!
Great report! You did good. Detailed report like that means you had a good time and remember most of it well. Some nice fish there for sure! Grats and thanks for sharing!

[crusher]

Well done - good descriptions and maybe a lesson or two in there to not sit around fishing dead water. Nice report, yakrunabout!

[Drifting Yak]

Nice write-up Ken. Gotta love catching flounder like that!

[YakRunabout]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

KB - you got it - a good time. A variety of things through the day

Time to get back out there - that's the key!