Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post Reply
User avatar
Saltshiner
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:22 am

Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Saltshiner »

Beautiful sunrise from the ICW bridge leading into Surfside Beach. Ten tankers/ships all waiting to enter Freeport.
20210103_071406.jpg
The plan was to launch at the Brazoria County park at SLP and fish the deeper areas east of Mud Island, however I got there and the boat ramps are closed until Feb 1 due to a dredging operation. That launch basin had pretty much filled in with silt and only the skinniest boats were able to launch there, so they are opening up the channel again.


So I headed back to the kayak launch west of Churchill and put in there. Got on the water at 8 and the water temp was 50 and the air was 55. Tide was moving out quickly in some of the cuts leading into Cold Pass. Caught 3 flounder, all of which would have been legal back in August, but didn't quite make 15, and 3 smaller reds in the 13-16 inch range. I threw several lures, and a popping cork with gulp, but the only one which worked for me was the vudu shad in a light green color.

The flounder had some parasites on them which I may have seen before, but not to this extent. Is this typical?
20210104_185603.jpg
The weather was spectacular, but we are still fighting the low water conditions!
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Ron Mc »

what a great day to get out - thanks for the report.

Flounder live in the mud with the worms, so I would expect them to have a few parasites.
Parasites on trout are very common.
User avatar
OldTownYakBoi
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:46 am
Location: Galveston

Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

Saltshiner wrote:Beautiful sunrise from the ICW bridge leading into Surfside Beach. Ten tankers/ships all waiting to enter Freeport.
20210103_071406.jpg
The plan was to launch at the Brazoria County park at SLP and fish the deeper areas east of Mud Island, however I got there and the boat ramps are closed until Feb 1 due to a dredging operation. That launch basin had pretty much filled in with silt and only the skinniest boats were able to launch there, so they are opening up the channel again.


So I headed back to the kayak launch west of Churchill and put in there. Got on the water at 8 and the water temp was 50 and the air was 55. Tide was moving out quickly in some of the cuts leading into Cold Pass. Caught 3 flounder, all of which would have been legal back in August, but didn't quite make 15, and 3 smaller reds in the 13-16 inch range. I threw several lures, and a popping cork with gulp, but the only one which worked for me was the vudu shad in a light green color.

The flounder had some parasites on them which I may have seen before, but not to this extent. Is this typical?
20210104_185603.jpg
The weather was spectacular, but we are still fighting the low water conditions!
Good report, I was in the same area Sunday with my dad, we did ok. I managed to pull out one slot red on a ball tail shad and my dad managed a speck early on. Tide was ripping pretty good through there. Weather was beautiful!

Image



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
2 Weight Willie
Posts: 303
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:16 pm

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by 2 Weight Willie »

Great report! Thanks for the pics

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
mwatson71
Posts: 552
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:03 am
Location: 77005

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by mwatson71 »

Churchill is my first love of kayak fishing. I have probably pulled more trout of there than any other body of water I have fished except maybe Sabine, but that's just because the Louisiana daily bag limit is a million trout 14" and over and I have a great guide over there.

A few years ago friend of mine sat at an inlet on Churchill and caught three trout, each over 26", in a matter of thirty minutes. The largest was the biggest trout I have seen, maybe not the longest, but it looked like a damn salmon and was pretty close to 30" if not over. All were cpr'd and I have been trying to find them to this day.
User avatar
OldTownYakBoi
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:46 am
Location: Galveston

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

mwatson71 wrote:Churchill is my first love of kayak fishing. I have probably pulled more trout of there than any other body of water I have fished except maybe Sabine, but that's just because the Louisiana daily bag limit is a million trout 14" and over and I have a great guide over there.

A few years ago friend of mine sat at an inlet on Churchill and caught three trout, each over 26", in a matter of thirty minutes. The largest was the biggest trout I have seen, maybe not the longest, but it looked like a damn salmon and was pretty close to 30" if not over. All were cpr'd and I have been trying to find them to this day.
It was our first time in the area and we both loved it. There’s a ton of structure, drop offs, oyster, deep sloughs off the main channel, etc. the comment about trout doesn’t surprise me, the area has the qualities a big fish seeks out. Very pretty area too, not so industrial like other areas of the Galveston Bay Complex


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
Dandydon
TKF 1000 Club
TKF 1000 Club
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:26 pm
Location: The Heights, on my bayou

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Dandydon »

Great report, Saltshiner, and I agree with Watson's love of that Churchill Bayou area.

True story: About 25 years ago there was an old decaying baithouse ("Mama's) with broken piers at the entrance of Churchill Bayou into Christmas Bay.

I launched at Ernie's with a kayak buddy at sunrise and immediately saw storm clouds rolling in. So we headed for Mama's and tied up under the house to wait out the drenching rain.

After 45 minutes the rain stopped and the incoming tide started blasting through that bottleneck. I saw & smelled Trout slicks, so we walked onto that pier and started retrieving our 5" glow Bass Assassins across and under that narrow body of water.

We landed 20 Speckled Trout 18-25" within about 40 minutes. I had 5 on consecutive casts. As my old fishing mentor observed, "It was a Barber Shop!" The fish scales were flying. One of my best Trout days. And it's never been that good over there since... Oh well.

After that the rains turned back our direction, so we paddled the 10 minutes back to the launch with a load of nice specks. Thank you, Churchill Bayou!

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
User avatar
Chubs
Posts: 680
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:54 am

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Chubs »

Thanks for the report. No keepers sounds like but good to get out all the same I'm sure.
Da Rook
Posts: 393
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:19 pm
Location: tx

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Da Rook »

so there's still a path to launch at churchill between SLP county park(which is closed) and Xmas Bay?
User avatar
Saltshiner
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:22 am

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Saltshiner »

The closest launch I know of is the TPWD launch in Christmas Bay at the end of Amigo Lane across from the condos on the beach side of Bluewater Highway. It's probably a bit more than a 1/2 mile to the entrance to Churchill.
Ciguatera
Posts: 66
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:40 am

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Ciguatera »

That road between churchill and the park has been blocked off for a few years now.
User avatar
shoffer
TKF 1000 Club
TKF 1000 Club
Posts: 1468
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:41 am
Location: Bellaire, Texas

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by shoffer »

I landed my PB trout from Churchill. 28.5 inches. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
User avatar
Dandydon
TKF 1000 Club
TKF 1000 Club
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:26 pm
Location: The Heights, on my bayou

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Dandydon »

Yessir. I took the photo of Shoffer's PB Trout that graced the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN. We had a fantastic Trout day.
Image

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Ron Mc »

The stuff dreams are made of.
User avatar
OldTownYakBoi
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:46 am
Location: Galveston

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

shoffer wrote:I landed my PB trout from Churchill. 28.5 inches. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
I’d love to see a picture if you have one. Nothing quite like catching a big trout!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
Dandydon
TKF 1000 Club
TKF 1000 Club
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:26 pm
Location: The Heights, on my bayou

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Dandydon »

Here's Shoffer's PB Speckled Trout!

I got it published on the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN Magazine.

He was ebullient. Image

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
User avatar
Dandydon
TKF 1000 Club
TKF 1000 Club
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:26 pm
Location: The Heights, on my bayou

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Dandydon »

Pic looks crappy because I had to take a screenshot off my desktop computer screen.

I gave the actual magazine to Capt. Shoffer.

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
User avatar
Saltshiner
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:22 am

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Saltshiner »

Wow, that's a big beautiful girl! Maybe someday I'll get one close to that size...

Must've been in the winter based upon Shoffer's attire?
User avatar
OldTownYakBoi
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:46 am
Location: Galveston

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

Dandydon wrote:Pic looks crappy because I had to take a screenshot off my desktop computer screen.

I gave the actual magazine to Capt. Shoffer.

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
Pretty cool nonetheless. Good to know there are some gators being pulled in from a yak.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
2 Weight Willie
Posts: 303
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:16 pm

Re: RE: Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by 2 Weight Willie »

Dandydon wrote:Here's Shoffer's PB Speckled Trout!

I got it published on the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN Magazine.

He was ebullient. Image

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
That's from Churchill?! Damn

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Ron Mc »

Dandydon wrote:Pic looks crappy because I had to take a screenshot off my desktop computer screen.

I gave the actual magazine to Capt. Shoffer.

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
I was going to ask what DD's camera was drinking?
User avatar
Dandydon
TKF 1000 Club
TKF 1000 Club
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:26 pm
Location: The Heights, on my bayou

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Dandydon »

Behold Shoffer's prize... Image

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
User avatar
Ron Mc
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5675
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by Ron Mc »

^like^
We know why that man is smiling.
User avatar
OldTownYakBoi
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:46 am
Location: Galveston

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

Saltshiner wrote:Wow, that's a big beautiful girl! Maybe someday I'll get one close to that size...

Must've been in the winter based upon Shoffer's attire?
Keep with it Saltshiner, they are certainly worth the effort! So far I’ve learned I suck at winter fishing.... However, these big, busty, beautiful girls, can be found year round, and not just in the bays. Here’s a thicky I caught off the beachfront last June.
Image

Did I mention I hate this cold? Bring on the heat please!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
OldTownYakBoi
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:46 am
Location: Galveston

Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

Dandydon wrote:Behold Shoffer's prize... Image

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
So cool when their fins are all flared up. Healthy fish


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post Reply