SAME SONG

2-4-2013--Two fishermen limited in 15 minutes again.  Fished the rest of the morning hoping to catch trout but they didn't cooperate.  Did catch and release several more reds in process. It was a little warmer today with less wind, 56 degree air temperature and 48 degree water temperature.  Again we  used white Gulp shrimp and jerk shad for bait.

GORGING REDFISH

 2-3-2013--Strong north wind this morning.  Air temperature was a chilly 36 degrees with water temperature at 46 degrees.  Redfish were gorging on small minnows.  Picture is of the stomach contents of one of the reds.   All of them were equally full of bait.  It only took 15 minutes to limit out on reds ranging from 22 to 27 inches.  

FORTY-ONE INCH BLACK DRUM

1-19-2014.

BIG BLACK DRUM

11-27-2013--The water temperature was a cold 43 degrees this morning.  We fished three spots with no results before trying an oyster bed surrounded by deep mud.  Once the bite started it was consistent for over an hour during which time two very large sheepshead and 7 black drum up to 27 inches were boxed.

LATE REPORT FOR LAST FRIDAY

 

 11-22-2013--Had a good half day of fishing before the cold front hit.  Client limited on black drum and released keepers for quite awhile.  He also caught two nice trout and and a keeper sheepshead while releasing lots of undersized  reds.  The strong cold front and associated rain forced us off the water after about three hours of constant catching.

ARE HARDHEADS GOOD TO EAT?

11-12-2013--I'm not fishing today but wanted to publish some recent pictures and forward a text I received about the delicacy of hardhead catfish,




Several times during the fishing trip on Sunday, November 10, I was questioned about eating hardhead catfish.  They wanted to know if I had tried it, did I know anyone who had and why wouldn't it be good, etc.  Against all my negative input at least two of the three voted to keep some hardheads.  They even offered to clean them at their house so I wouldn't have to be seen with hardheads at the cleaning stand.  When we came in no one else was around the dock so I cleaned the hardheads for them.  It should be noted I cleaned them first just in case someone showed up. Here is the text I received:

     "Ron, this is Robert.  You fished with us Saturday and Sunday.  I wanted to give u a hardhead report.  We took our fish to the crab"n" like us suggested.  I told the folks there I had brown snapper so they would not laugh or throw it out.  We had it fried cajun style and everyone who tried it said it was delicious.  Everything else turned out great also.  You have a chance to get in on the ground floor of a fishing revolution and become a premier hardhead guide.  Had a great time, thanks."

As I write this a serious cold front is on it's way.  Hopefully, the resulting cooler water temperatures will cause bait and fish to leave the back bays and marshes and more trout and redfish where we can reach them with bay boats.  Lately we have found good numbers of trout in some areas but almost all have been small.  To get fish for the box we have targeted redfish and black drum. The black drum are biting shrimp dead or alive.  Cut perch cut mullet, shrimp and artificial lures have all worked for redfish.  The redfish are mostly around 20 inches or 28 inches with very few being mid-slot size fish in the 22 to 26 inch

range.  

  

BIG BLACK DRUM

10-20-2013--Only had one client today.  While drifting the flats for redfish and trout we were surprised when he hooked up a monster that turned out to be a 37 inch black drum.  On the next drift very nearby, he hooked up and landed an even larger black drum.  The second one measured 42 inches.  Of course both fish were quickly released after pictures were taken.