Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
- Saltshiner
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Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Beautiful sunrise from the ICW bridge leading into Surfside Beach. Ten tankers/ships all waiting to enter Freeport.
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? The weather was spectacular, but we are still fighting the low water conditions!
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? The weather was spectacular, but we are still fighting the low water conditions!
- Ron Mc
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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.
Flounder live in the mud with the worms, so I would expect them to have a few parasites.
Parasites on trout are very common.
- OldTownYakBoi
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Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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!Saltshiner wrote:Beautiful sunrise from the ICW bridge leading into Surfside Beach. Ten tankers/ships all waiting to enter Freeport.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? The weather was spectacular, but we are still fighting the low water conditions!
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- 2 Weight Willie
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Great report! Thanks for the pics
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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.
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.
- OldTownYakBoi
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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 Complexmwatson71 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.
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- Dandydon
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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!
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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!
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Thanks for the report. No keepers sounds like but good to get out all the same I'm sure.
Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
so there's still a path to launch at churchill between SLP county park(which is closed) and Xmas Bay?
- Saltshiner
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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.
Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
That road between churchill and the park has been blocked off for a few years now.
Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
I landed my PB trout from Churchill. 28.5 inches. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
- Dandydon
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Yessir. I took the photo of Shoffer's PB Trout that graced the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN. We had a fantastic Trout day.
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- Ron Mc
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
The stuff dreams are made of.
- OldTownYakBoi
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
I’d love to see a picture if you have one. Nothing quite like catching a big trout!shoffer wrote:I landed my PB trout from Churchill. 28.5 inches. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
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- Dandydon
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Here's Shoffer's PB Speckled Trout!
I got it published on the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN Magazine.
He was ebullient.
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I got it published on the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN Magazine.
He was ebullient.
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- Dandydon
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Pic looks crappy because I had to take a screenshot off my desktop computer screen.
I gave the actual magazine to Capt. Shoffer.
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I gave the actual magazine to Capt. Shoffer.
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- Saltshiner
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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?
Must've been in the winter based upon Shoffer's attire?
- OldTownYakBoi
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Pretty cool nonetheless. Good to know there are some gators being pulled in from a yak.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.
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- 2 Weight Willie
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Re: RE: Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
That's from Churchill?! DamnDandydon wrote:Here's Shoffer's PB Speckled Trout!
I got it published on the cover of GULF COAST FISHERMAN Magazine.
He was ebullient.
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- Ron Mc
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
I was going to ask what DD's camera was drinking?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.
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- Dandydon
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
Behold Shoffer's prize...
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- Ron Mc
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
^like^
We know why that man is smiling.
We know why that man is smiling.
- OldTownYakBoi
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
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.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?
Did I mention I hate this cold? Bring on the heat please!
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- OldTownYakBoi
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Re: Churchill Bayou fishing Sunday
So cool when their fins are all flared up. Healthy fishDandydon wrote:Behold Shoffer's prize...
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