Christmas Bay 3-Dec-2023

[deptrai]

I’ve been in Thailand so no fishing for the last month. It’s been several months since I’ve been back to Christmas Bay. Mosquitoes were thick at the launch, but never bothered me once I got going. It was nice not having to paddle 3 miles before making my first cast.
After missing one bite, I hooked and boated my first fish at 7:18. An 18” Red.

About a half hour later, I hooked this big guy. He fought harder than the 28 incher I boated on my last trip. I was staked out and he dove under the yak and wrapped around my stakeout pole. I quickly pulled the pole, unwrapped the line and stuck it back in the mud. I think he is going to be tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch.

Another 45 minutes or so and I hooked this barely legal Red in about 1’ of water in a very narrow ditch.

I was in some thick stuff today and had to get out a couple of times to drag the yak. Outbacks weren’t designed for 1” of water.
I saw two stingrays back in the marsh. I almost stuck the 2nd with my stakeout pole.

I passed by a Redfish that was just sitting on the bottom in about 18” of water. He didn’t even move as I passed within 2’ of him. I circled back around and made a few casts, but he wasn’t interested. I pulled back up alongside of him and he just sat there. The picture doesn’t show it well. When I reached for my net, he took off like I rocket. I think he finally woke up.
To finish off the morning, I boated this short flounder at 11:51.

[deptrai]

The bigger Red had been eating small shrimp.

Dave

[Kitsune]

Nice fish, they sure do look fat and full. The Reds I caught mid-November in Aransas were super fat too.

[Kayak Kid]

Was the fishing trip as much fun as Thailand?

Thanks for sharing the fishing trip (save Thailand for later).

Those tiny shrimp made me start reliving my fly fishing trips to the Christmas bay area during the fall.

[deptrai]

Thailand and fishing are equally very fun. I'm planning to retire there in a couple of years and am part of the Hua Hin Fishing Club Facebook page.

They do have Dorado, King Mackerel, Sailfish and Cobia in the gulf of Thailand. A lot more freshwater stuff to go after as well.

Surface temps in Xmas Bay Sunday varied from 62F - 64F and the winds were light all day.

Dave

[karstopo]

Beautiful. I still need to make a trip out to Christmas Bay. I miss that place. I like that redfish vary on their fights.

[Ron Mc]

Good food in Thailand.
Redfish are never the same. A few years ago, my trip fish was an 18" red, even bringing home a slot limit.
But the 18" red was crazy, fast, frenetic, running wide either side of my boat, and tough to bring to hand.

[karstopo]

Good food in Thailand.
Redfish are never the same. A few years ago, my trip fish was an 18" red, even bringing home a slot limit.
But the 18" red was crazy, fast, frenetic, running wide either side of my boat, and tough to bring to hand.

This is one reason I love these juvenile redfish, the variability on how they fight.

Honestly, I like how all these inshore fish fight. Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder, Sheepshead, Black Drum are all great. I’ve done a little, more than a little offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and I don’t necessarily need a fight with a fish to resemble hard labor to have a good time. Anything on fighting fish lasting more than ten minutes or so is getting too long for my tastes.