PB Spec West Bay

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Drifting Yak
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PB Spec West Bay

Post by Drifting Yak »

Decided to take a rare solo trip yesterday morning. Plan was to hit some lights and then drift fish channels after sunrise. Hit the water at 4 AM to find great conditions - 5 MPH wind, dropping tide, air & water temps in the mid 50's and not a soul in sight!

Hit the first light and did not see any signs of fish. Thinking that they might be deeper I tossed a small (2") glow shad tandem and let it sink to bottom. Used a moderate retrieve with a few jerks and bam - landed a 15 inch spec. Second cast bam - had a double hook-up with a nice 25" red and a 15 " rat. Am now thinking "Man this might be a great morning!". Worked the light quietly and slowly for the next 30 minutes tossing back a half dozen lower slot specs and left the light with three more specs (17", 20" & 20").

Hit a second light and although I had a few very soft bumps, I wasn't hooking up. Decided to slow it down a bit and managed another 16 inch spec.

Move out to another light and for the first time actually saw a little bait scurrying about on the surface. Not much but enough to let you know something was there. Cast out into the shadows and again got soft bumps but no takers. Slowed it way, way down and jigged the tandem a little. Something hit and took off. Thought it was a red by the way it pulled and after a few seconds it surfaced. My heart raced as I saw the silver sides. Fought it for a little while longer and then she was in the net - a really nice and fat 25 inch spec! WOW! What a morning!

After sunrise I drifted some 3-5' channels landing several more specs and also landed a lower slot flounder for a slam! Was using a Gulp Chartreuse swimming mullet tandem which worked well for drifting.

All in all a very good day on the water!
PB Spec in front hatch.JPG
PB Spec with Red.JPG
Spec in channel Nov 18th 2018.JPG
Flounder Nov 28th 2018.JPG
Last edited by Drifting Yak on Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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karstopo
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by karstopo »

Super! Great night and morning you had. Congratulations on the big Speckled trout.
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Ron Mc
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Ron Mc »

you got them out of their warm cozy bed - nice report.
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Gage5602 »

Great morning did you get a limit or just shy nice day quality speckled trout a good 4 /12 to 5 pound speck nice .and always Tightlines
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by YakRunabout »

Excellent!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
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kickingback
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by kickingback »

That's what I call fishing! Well done! I hot the lights a few days ago at SLP and it was the same there. Couldn't see any fish in the lights but let the lure drop to bottom and slow drag back and BAM!
thanks for sharing! Great pics!
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by shoffer »

Way to Go, Drifting Yak. Action in the lights seems to slow down as we approach the cooler months, but you proved it does not have to.
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Drifting Yak »

Thanks everybody! It was one of those truly awesome mornings on the water!
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by jgg696 »

Drifting Yak wrote:Decided to take a rare solo trip yesterday morning. Plan was to hit some lights and then drift fish channels after sunrise. Hit the water at 4 AM to find great conditions - 5 MPH wind, dropping tide, air & water temps in the mid 50's and not a soul in sight!

Hit the first light and did not see any signs of fish. Thinking that they might be deeper I tossed a small (2") glow shad tandem and let it sink to bottom. Used a moderate retrieve with a few jerks and bam - landed a 15 inch spec. Second cast bam - had a double hook-up with a nice 25" red and a 15 " rat. Am now thinking "Man this might be a great morning!". Worked the light quietly and slowly for the next 30 minutes tossing back a half dozen lower slot specs and left the light with three more specs (17", 20" & 20").

Hit a second light and although I had a few very soft bumps, I wasn't hooking up. Decided to slow it down a bit and managed another 16 inch spec.

Move out to another light and for the first time actually saw a little bait scurrying about on the surface. Not much but enough to let you know something was there. Cast out into the shadows and again got soft bumps but no takers. Slowed it way, way down and jigged the tandem a little. Something hit and took off. Thought it was a red by the way it pulled and after a few seconds it surfaced. My heart raced as I saw the silver sides. Fought it for a little while longer and then she was in the net - a really nice and fat 25 inch spec! WOW! What a morning!

After sunrise I drifted some 3-5' channels landing several more specs and also landed a lower slot flounder for a slam! Was using a Gulp Chartreuse swimming mullet tandem which worked well for drifting.

All in all a very good day on the water!

PB Spec in front hatch.JPG
PB Spec with Red.JPG
Spec in channel Nov 18th 2018.JPG
Flounder Nov 28th 2018.JPG

Nice catch!! Just curious, by light do you mean dock/pier lights?? Thanks. Looks like I need to start waking up earlier and hitting the water. :lol:
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Drifting Yak »

Fishing can be good for any lights - green underwater lights or white surface dock lights. Ya just have to be quiet. Also best to cast beyond the light and bring your bait back thru the light (ie Try not to land your bait in the light because the splash can spook the fish.).
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Ron Mc »

There was a pretty good discussion of stealth when fishing lights on the Fly forum
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 0&t=248842
Dock fishing Arroyo last month, every night and every morning before first light for a week, I got really good at reading fish sign moving into our light. With my long-cast med-light steelhead spinning rod, by the end of the week, I could sit on the dock, watch fish sign, and get a schoolie spec limit in about 15 casts.
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by jgg696 »

Ron Mc wrote:There was a pretty good discussion of stealth when fishing lights on the Fly forum
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 0&t=248842
Dock fishing Arroyo last month, every night and every morning before first light for a week, I got really good at reading fish sign moving into our light. With my long-cast med-light steelhead spinning rod, by the end of the week, I could sit on the dock, watch fish sign, and get a schoolie spec limit in about 15 casts.

Nice Ron!! Do you mean arroyo city?? I need to take my yak down there next time I go down. What were you using?
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Ron Mc »

jgg696 wrote: Nice Ron!! Do you mean arroyo city?? I need to take my yak down there next time I go down. What were you using?
yes, were there for a week for the Nov new moon - http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 8&t=248845

Night fishing, caught the most fish on blue wildeye shad - actually the Japanese copy, Tsunami SS3 in color blue back, which come in a 6-pack instead of 3 for the same price - if I was stocking up on one lure for night fishing, this is it. This lure also brought snook and rat reds to the dock. (we also caught plenty ladyfish)
https://www.tackledirect.com/tsunami-ss ... -lure.html
Unless you're fishing glow, blue is the best color for night fishing (decades of white bass on blue flies before first light).

After that, in results priority, caught fish on TSL Grasswalker Bone Diamond, TTF Super Shad Rig, traditional spec rig, a small long-thin Westin minnow in silver(ShadTeez color Headlight), a few random paddle tails, my BIL caught a few on Shiney Hiney.
On the fly rod, I was fishing small whistlers and hi-ties.
Just about anything you threw out would get A fish. The trick for Arroyo dock fishing was changing up to keep the schoolies chasing your offering so they feed competitively. Otherwise, all you'd get were were random light bites and smaller nursery trout.
The more you stir up the water, the fewer and smaller trout you catch - let the schoolies do the stirring up, and present to them - ambush them.

If you do take your kayak to the arroyo for night fishing, listen for big feeding slashes along the dark docks next to the lights - that will be snook.
Also, check with Sanchez Bait Shop about his launch - this will put you on the best water:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... jdG5uojp7k
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by jgg696 »

Ron Mc wrote:
jgg696 wrote: Nice Ron!! Do you mean arroyo city?? I need to take my yak down there next time I go down. What were you using?
yes, were there for a week for the Nov new moon - http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 8&t=248845

Night fishing, caught the most fish on blue wildeye shad - actually the Japanese copy, Tsunami SS3 in color blue back, which come in a 6-pack instead of 3 for the same price - if I was stocking up on one lure for night fishing, this is it. This lure also brought snook and rat reds to the dock. (we also caught plenty ladyfish)
https://www.tackledirect.com/tsunami-ss ... -lure.html
Unless you're fishing glow, blue is the best color for night fishing (decades of white bass on blue flies before first light).

After that, in results priority, caught fish on TSL Grasswalker Bone Diamond, TTF Super Shad Rig, traditional spec rig, a small long-thin Westin minnow in silver(ShadTeez color Headlight), a few random paddle tails, my BIL caught a few on Shiney Hiney.
On the fly rod, I was fishing small whistlers and hi-ties.
Just about anything you threw out would get A fish. The trick for Arroyo dock fishing was changing up to keep the schoolies chasing your offering so they feed competitively. Otherwise, all you'd get were were random light bites and smaller nursery trout.
The more you stir up the water, the fewer and smaller trout you catch - let the schoolies do the stirring up, and present to them - ambush them.

If you do take your kayak to the arroyo for night fishing, listen for big feeding slashes along the dark docks next to the lights - that will be snook.
Also, check with Sanchez Bait Shop about his launch - this will put you on the best water:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... jdG5uojp7k

Sweet!!!! I'll try his launch when I head down in a few weeks. Appreciate the info!! Do you drift upstream or downstream? Also is it rough with all the cargo ships going through? Thanks again.
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by jgg696 »

Ron Mc wrote:
jgg696 wrote: Nice Ron!! Do you mean arroyo city?? I need to take my yak down there next time I go down. What were you using?
yes, were there for a week for the Nov new moon - http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 8&t=248845

Night fishing, caught the most fish on blue wildeye shad - actually the Japanese copy, Tsunami SS3 in color blue back, which come in a 6-pack instead of 3 for the same price - if I was stocking up on one lure for night fishing, this is it. This lure also brought snook and rat reds to the dock. (we also caught plenty ladyfish)
https://www.tackledirect.com/tsunami-ss ... -lure.html
Unless you're fishing glow, blue is the best color for night fishing (decades of white bass on blue flies before first light).

After that, in results priority, caught fish on TSL Grasswalker Bone Diamond, TTF Super Shad Rig, traditional spec rig, a small long-thin Westin minnow in silver(ShadTeez color Headlight), a few random paddle tails, my BIL caught a few on Shiney Hiney.
On the fly rod, I was fishing small whistlers and hi-ties.
Just about anything you threw out would get A fish. The trick for Arroyo dock fishing was changing up to keep the schoolies chasing your offering so they feed competitively. Otherwise, all you'd get were were random light bites and smaller nursery trout.
The more you stir up the water, the fewer and smaller trout you catch - let the schoolies do the stirring up, and present to them - ambush them.

If you do take your kayak to the arroyo for night fishing, listen for big feeding slashes along the dark docks next to the lights - that will be snook.
Also, check with Sanchez Bait Shop about his launch - this will put you on the best water:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... jdG5uojp7k
Also couldn't find you're lure with free shipping. Think this is an adequate sub?
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/tsunami ... soft-baits
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Re: PB Spec West Bay

Post by Ron Mc »

that's it, size 3" color Blue Back
jgg696 wrote: Sweet!!!! I'll try his launch when I head down in a few weeks. Appreciate the info!! Do you drift upstream or downstream? Also is it rough with all the cargo ships going through? Thanks again.
Barges in the Arroyo are random, and really not that common - where I showed you is the widest part, with room to get away from them. Though they call it a river, it's really a tide slough, and the only significant current is the tide current. Fishing is best when the tide is moving - either direction. But that said, there are always fish at the lights during night - they scatter at the hint of first light.
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