Day 1 Report: http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 8&t=252758
Talked to everyone the evening before to discuss our plan for this day. I had my better quality bites drifting grass flats with potholes and wanted to target an area that had plentiful. The Dagger and Ransom Flats offer quite a bit of this structure, so that's where we decided to fish the next day.
We were full strength out there with my sister, DeWitt, Dale, Witt, William, and myself. Another TKF'er, Jason A, reached out about joining us during the trip and he had launched sooner than we had. We split up with Whit, William, and Dale heading north to Ransom Flat while the rest of us went south to Dagger Flat.
Whit right off the bat nailed two keeper reds near the islands closest to the launch. We had a NWish wind so once we paddled a bit of distance onto Dagger my sister and I used the wind to drift in Dagger Islands. We were picking up some small fish here and there on topwaters.
As I drifted into the islands I got a slot red. I set up for more drifts without much luck drifting around the islands. I spoke to Jason as he had fished some on the outside of the the flats and he had landed a few undersized at that point. My sister and I decided to push out into more open waters drifting deeper water.
My sister, Nina, was throwing a pink Spook Jr. most of the morning and landed a solid trout.
Myself, at that point, had switched to soft plastics and it was dink central. I must have landed 30+ trout with only one measuring to keep. I burned through many, many soft plastics and it didn't matter what color I was throwing the dink trout were nailing it.
My sister had one of those days on the water. She had the hot hand but just had bad luck landing fish. She easily would had had her limit of reds (upper slotters) and maybe another trout on the stringer but either broke them off or they threw the lure at the kayak. Suffice to say a stop at Tackle Town for fresh line and a new net for her and more soft plastics for me was in order on our way back to the cabin.
Whit, after his quick one two punch within 10 minutes of fishing wasn't able to add to his stringer. Nina and I strung up a trout and red each. William and DeWitt each strung up a trout.
We got back to the cabin to clean fish and enjoy a brew or two. RonMc and his fishing friend Lou met us at the cabin to share in libations. As is tradition we went to Moon Dogs for dinner. Moon Dogs knowing our tradition gave us VIP status and sat our group at the best table; right on the harbor.
After a great meal all 8 of us went back to the cabin for more libations and cigars. Again the weather was perfect.
Meteorological Observations
Time: 7:15 am - 2:30 pm
Air Temp: 72°F - 77°F
Wind: 2-10 kn ENE - NNE
Barometric Pressure: 1018 mb (slightly rising)
Sky: Sunny
Water Clarity: 3 ft
Water Temp: 80°F
Structure: Grass with Sand Potholes
Solunar
Sunrise/set: 7:22 am/7:10 pm
Moonrise/set: 9:04 pm/9:40 am
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (92.4 %)
Predicted Tides @ Port Aransas (MLLW)
Low @ 12:03 am (0.70 ft)
High @ 4:00 am (0.84 ft)
Low @ 11:15 am (0.24 ft)
High @ 6:07 pm (0.86 ft)
Lures
Silver Mullet Spook Jr.
Pink/Chrome Spook Jr.
Dealer's Choice Burner Shad
Tackle Box
Fish
Trout: 4 Keepers, Several Dinks
Reds: 4 Slotters, Couple Rats
Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
- Neumie
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Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
Last edited by Neumie on Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Ron Mc
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Re: Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
this is a beautiful place Josh - maybe we should have arrived a day sooner...
I'm betting lizardfish were tearing up your lures - it's the season.
We arrived just in time to see Whit filleting those reds, but my camera was in the truck.
Really enjoyed Moondogs.
I'm betting lizardfish were tearing up your lures - it's the season.
We arrived just in time to see Whit filleting those reds, but my camera was in the truck.
Really enjoyed Moondogs.
- Neumie
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- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 10:10 pm
- Location: SA, Hallettsville, or Rockport
Re: Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
I was thinking that as my sister landed one earlier in the day, but it could have been spanish macks as well. I've caught them on the flats around AP this time of the year.Ron Mc wrote:this is a beautiful place Josh - maybe we should have arrived a day sooner...
I'm betting lizardfish were tearing up your lures - it's the season.
We arrived just in time to see Whit filleting those reds, but my camera was in the truck.
Really enjoyed Moondogs.
- Ron Mc
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- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
- Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
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Re: Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
I've seen both smacks and jacks ride big tides up both Aransas Channel and Lydia Ann channel - have caught them from the beaches on either side of Lighthouse Lakes, and they've been reported all the way to Corpus Bayou.
- Do It
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- Location: Garden Ridge,Tx./ CC, Hobie Quest, Tarpon 140
Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
It is a great spot and although it’s pretty open to the wind has had pretty water in it every time I’ve been there. This was by far the day I had the most action in numbers ( of course on the day I left my net in the truck ) catching 5 reds but all in the 17”-19” range. Lost one slot red at the yak as I had trouble landing it, no net. As for specs I had a few dinks and one keeper around 16”. Caught most on a Ghost White J- Walker and bone diamond Grass Walker. Another beautiful day on the water and the evenings with all the camaraderie and great food topped it off.
D.
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D.
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- Ron Mc
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- Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
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Re: Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
Dewitt, one nice thing about the plastic fish grips, they're small and always in your boat.
Even though I have mine in a permanent spot in my boat, I never use them - my idea of fun is reaching under their belly and sliding them into the boat.
Even though I have mine in a permanent spot in my boat, I never use them - my idea of fun is reaching under their belly and sliding them into the boat.
- spiny norman
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Re: Dagger/Ransom Flats - October 4, 2020
My best day of the trip if I'm just counting fish. The reds were caght on the 4th and 5th cast respectivly and I thought, "hell, this is going to be my fastest limit yet!"
JINX!
Worked that same water for the next 40 minutes with not a nibble. Worked around some of the other spoil islands than headed out to the middle Ransom to try some long drifts. Picked up rats and dinks on lots of offerings but could'nt string another keeper. Still a good day to stretch some paddling muscles that had'nt been used in a long while.
Silver lining; Caught both fish on my new Penn rig I bought just for throwing plastics in the bay. It worked exactly as planned.
JINX!
Worked that same water for the next 40 minutes with not a nibble. Worked around some of the other spoil islands than headed out to the middle Ransom to try some long drifts. Picked up rats and dinks on lots of offerings but could'nt string another keeper. Still a good day to stretch some paddling muscles that had'nt been used in a long while.
Silver lining; Caught both fish on my new Penn rig I bought just for throwing plastics in the bay. It worked exactly as planned.