It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

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shoffer
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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by shoffer »

It was a frustrating night but a productive morning. DandyDon and I launched at a West Galveston Bay night spot on Thursday, 6/8/17, at 10:30 pm. Winds were from the south at 5 mph or less and temps were about 80 degrees, same as the water temp in the canals. It was a nearly full moon, with a strong incoming tide starting at 3:50 am until 7 am the next morning. Tides4fishing showed a major solunar feed from 1:07 to 3:07 am, and a strong minor from 6:30 to 7:30 am to coincide with sunrise. On paper, it looked fantastic.

When we got into the bay, 7 bayside surface lights were on, but all were occupied by homeowners. We fished the darker sides further out from where they were, with no takers. We then went into a canal, where there was less fish activity than I expected. I caught a couple rat reds and a dink trout here and there. Water was super calm, which might have made them a little spookier than usual. After two hours and no keepers, I was excited for the major solunar feed to turn on, so we hit the bayside surface lights again, where one was still on but not occupied by homeowners. There were trout EVERYWHERE. They were coming up, hitting the surface, and then going back down. For a solid hour, I threw topwaters, a wake bait, soft plastics (paddle tail and rat tails on three different jig sizes, worked every way possible, with fishbites and without), tandem shrimp and even a small Mirrolure. A couple bites, but no fish – not even a dink! Don had the same results. The fish were feeding on very small shrimp jumping out the water, and we had nothing that could match the hatch. Some nearby homeowners were using live shrimp on a popping cork under the surface lights and getting some fish, but not many and very few keepers.

Don surmised that the 3:50 am tide movement might stir things up, and he was right, to some degree. We caught a couple of dinks in the surface lights (even as they were swirling all around us), but still not the action we expected. Then we decided to head into another canal where a 19 inch speck ate my glo/chartreuse Down South 4 inch paddle tail on a 1/8 oz jig worked low and slow through a green light that seemed dead. Things might be turning around, I thought.

A few minutes later, a 17 inch red I hooked somehow managed to snap my one day old, brand new BoneDaddy Rod from Academy. I was stunned. I still have the receipt so that won’t be an issue, but I was shocked that such a small fish could snap a brand new $99 rod.

We then hit the surface lights again, as the homeowners had now gone to bed. It was 3 am. Again, same results. After an hour of nothing, we decided to park the yaks where our morning spot would be, and catch something we knew we could land - a famous “man-nap.”

We awoke about 1.5 hours later, to first light. I worked a Bone Super Spook Jr. topwater bait in an area with submerged grass and got a nice strike from a 15 inch trout right by the boat. Into the bag he went. Things might be turning around, I thought.

We ran across two boys in their own kayaks – maybe 9-10 years old. One was standing and fishing and the other was throwing a cast net. We said hello, and I secretly thought how much fun it would be to be 10 years old again, starting a summer, with my own kayak and ability to get out there and fish with a buddy. I snapped a nice photo that the kid's dad would presumably be proud to have:
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Then we made our way into an area with 5 feet of depth and about a foot of visibility. Water temps were 78 degrees in the bay. We trolled and threw soft plastics with no takers. Then the minor solunar hit and slicks started popping all around us. We were in 2.5 feet of water – on a hump in the bay. It was steady action thereafter for the next hour. I landed 3 specks in quick succession, from 18 to 21 inches, using a white/silver Down South 4 inch paddle tail on a 1/8 oz jighead tipped with Shrimp Fishbites. Missed 2-3 more strikes in the interim. Don got in on the action as well, landing a 21 inch speck that he swore was a red given the way it fought.
2017-06-09 07.05.39.jpg
After that, we headed in, and Don hooked a keeper flattie while trolling a gulp swimming mullet.

Overall, it was an uber frustrating night. We had ideal conditions on paper and feeding fish all around us, with nothing to show for it. We surmised that the flat clam conditions, plus the hordes of small shrimp in the water, caused the fish to ignore our offerings and feast at the buffet that Mother Nature was providing them. Fortunately, we decided to “keep calm and fish on”, and Mother Nature provided for us as well.
IMG_4100.JPG
Tight lines to all!
Last edited by shoffer on Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Cuervo Jones
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Re: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Stunted, fussy fish was the name of the game for me on full moon Friday too. Don't hurt their feelings! Tell them they matter too!


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shoffer
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Re: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by shoffer »

Cuevo - thanks for the advice, but I was giving them the drill sgt. approach, and unleashed a tirade of four letter bombs at which Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and George Carlin, singularly or collectively, would blush. Thankfully, the message got to their bigger sibilings and cousins, who came out to play during the minor feed, and saved what would have been a huge disappointment.
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Dandydon
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Re: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by Dandydon »

Shoffer & I were freaked out for that 2-hour nighttime period of NO bites while surrounded by splashing, popping speckled trout! Usually we catch more fish with aid of lights, but our real action turned on with sunrise & that incoming tide.
We keyed on a series of fish-slicks popping up near a drop-off in about 4-5 ft. depth. It's intoxicating to catch multiple solid specks while breathing in that sweet watermelon fragrance!
My flounder hooked on the way in was a tasty bonus. Here's hoping the winds lighten up for awhile. Tight lines & fresh slicks to all...
--Dandydon


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flydoc
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Re: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by flydoc »

Sometimes the flyrod is the only effective weapon. Sounds like small white streamers or a shrimp imitation would get a look.
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YakRunabout
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Re: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by YakRunabout »

Your trip sounds like a Jonny Lang song:
- Yeah it's been a long time coming
- Never thought it'd take so long

After the wait you ended up with some nice ones to take home. Congrats and thanks for the report
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mmwaggie
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Re: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Post by mmwaggie »

TFTR.

Our friday night light outting was very slow as well. Pulled one 22" red that was the only keeper for the night. I think the full moon and lights don't mix well.
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