Salt Lake BNWR 11-17

[karstopo]

This trip’s destination was decided upon in about 10 seconds. That’s the kind of decision I make when I’m not clear about the pattern. I do believe We need another strong cold front or two to shift where the fish will be. I was driving up on the intersection where taking a right meant one set of launches and going straight meant another. The lack of wind might have been the tipping point. There were a lot of places I wanted to see and fish yesterday, but I haven’t yet mastered being in two or more places at once. Salt Lake is one of the least protected from the wind places ever and since the wind was tame…Anyway, I headed off to the BNWR.

Had some little bit of work in the am so I didn’t get out there til about 11. Two other trucks were at the launch. There’s noticeable changes to Salt Lake in the decade and a half I’ve been going out there. It’s a round lake that is gradually, but most surely expanding. The shoreline is eroding. I spent a lot of time on the shoreline looking for redfish. The first 1,000 yards of shoreline I did not see anything definitively predatory going on although I made a number of casts against my better instincts with both a paddle tail and a fly and got nada. Finally, I see a redfish crash some bait. Single redfish tight to the shoreline, moving clockwise at about one mph, essentially invisible, but every five or ten seconds the fish would explode on bait.

My plan was to paddle up ahead, stake out at an advantageous position and let the fish come to me, you know the drill. Everything went according to plan, all except when the hook pulling out as the fish was right at my kayak. Good looking upper slot. Hind sight being what it is, I don’t think I got the strip set on my borski slider quite right.

I saw two more reds tight to the shoreline, one about 17” that I caught and another I saw but then lost track of. By now the wind was coming up and hammering the shoreline with chop. I fished the deeper water around the cut to Nick’s to no avail. A boat was anchored right at the cut and I saw them battling something large that took a while to get in. I moved over to some shell and caught a 16” trout on my first cast.

I was going to fish the weir cut, but another boat beat me there. The tide was ripping out. I found a tiny drain, that I think is new, and saw a flounder breach after some small bait. There was enough chop and depth that maybe a redfish was there also, but nope, just the flounder.

Time to head in. Birds were working about 200-400 yards out from the cut at Nick’s. I predicted they’d be school trout and under the slot. They were, closest to the mark of the half dozen or so I caught was around 14”. Paddled against the wind and chop coming in. I fished the cut area around salt bayou for a few minutes, but got nary a sniff. Kayak all loaded up and out of there by 4. Had 18 million mosquitoes get into my cab when I foolishly left the windows open as I was driving out and had to slow down for some bird watchers.

Beautiful day. It was just over 10 years ago, November 11th, 2013 that I got my first slot redfish on the fly out at Salt Lake. 28” and Still might be the most memorable fish I ever caught and one of the most impressive battles a redfish and myself had been through together.

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Good to have some great memories when the fishing is a little slow.

[redruM4un]

Great Report
It was a wonderful weekend of fish so far

[karstopo]

Great Report
It was a wonderful weekend of fish so far

I hope to go a fair amount this week and throughout December, weather permitting. Going to hit some places I hadn’t been to in a while.

Late November into December has risen over the years as one of my favorite times of the year to fish. Winter, December, January and into February, has become in the last few years my favorite season overall for fishing.

[karstopo]

Took that sole 16” trout and made an air fryer pecan, panko and herb crusted delicious dinner. Arugula salad as a side. Grew that from saved seed and harvested moments before dinner.

More and more of our food is coming from the garden, foraging, fishing or hunting. My grown daughter is a good cheese maker, goat or cow milk, and animal husbandry type of person.

Having a few food production skills in an uncertain world isn’t such a bad thing

[Ron Mc]

good to get out, good report, good-looking plate.

I don't thing there's a risk of civilization failing anytime soon, but having hobbies is good for your sanity.