Friday, September 28, 2012

9/27 - Jerkin my chain..

Had Tom and John and Jeremy aboard the Jettywolf for what I was hoping would be a big day of Redbass and Flounder.
Because that is what has been going on. But where are my Trout friends?

As I have been, I've traveled to my Mullet spot. And as we pulled up, there was thousands of mullet right there. Well, of course I wasn't yet ready with the castnet. So I pulled in and got ready. And here they came. I git a bunch, and didn't really get super loaded net fulls. But I figured it should do, so we took off.

I looked at a few spots close. The tide was ripping. So I said to myself, "Self, go, go ,go head out of here and get out of the hub."

So that's what we did. I made about a 6 mile run. Giit up on spot one and the tide was all wishy-washy. The boat swung back and forth. But the tide started to fall soon enough for us to feel the effects. So I adjusted.

We were all pitching live finger mullet, on my "knocker rigs". 1/2 oz. Bullet weights, atop a Owner Muti-light 3/0 circle hook. And we casted, and casted, and casted......WHAT???  not single "SNIFF".

Holy Moses. I run all the way here, after getting a boat load of finger mullet, set the guys up on a prime locale for Flounder, Trout and Redbass. And this is what I get for my efforts?

Yep. That's fishing!!

As I was helping one of the guys stuck in the bottom and hung into a toadfish or something. I set my "super fairy wand" AllStar rod in the rod holder. And that's when it happened. I look over and the super fairy wand is torqued and the drag is screaming. F-I-S-H-O-N, I yelled.

Tom, runs to the stern and grabs the rod. As he's getting smoked. I warn him, that the rod he has is the lightest baitcasting rod I could even find, so be aware......"That rods a noodle!"















But he expertly works the big fish to the boat on the light tackle. He did absolutely ZERO wrong. He took his time, let the Big Red just wear itself out. And up to the net comes a Beautiful Redbass.














32-1/8th inches. Of beautiful bronzeness. And one fantastic battle. I had to ask after the fish was released. "Tom, what would you rather do....Catch a Redbass that size on serios L.T. or a 40 pounder on heavy tackle in deep water with a 12 oz bank sinker?"

I kinda knew what his reply would be. He said, "I'd rather catch a fish just like that on tackle just like that!"

Me too.  I had to check. Because ya know I'm looking forward to winter and float-rig fishing live shrimp down the jetty rocks. And we don't use heavy tackle while doing that. So.....I may have a canidate for some winter Float-rig fishing trips with ole Tom here. Especially since he did so well with my "fairy wand" rod.

We fished and fished. We had a few Mullet get taken. We had a few Flounder bites. And even what seemed to be Flounder coming to the boat. But I don't believe they ever had the hook in their lips. I even had a serious bite from a flattie. So I thought, but every bite just let go of the Mullet.

Oh how these fish are "JERKIN MY CHAIN!"

We tried 3 other spots that should have produced. From shallow water to deep and Z-I-P.

So. What does a good fishing guide do if we just can't score on the BIG THREE (Trout, Redfish and Flounder). Go to plan B and sometimes even plan E.  I was fortunate I didn't have to go that far.

I told the guys. "Okay. It's time to go just get some BITES! And we ain't far from that spot. Just around the corner from where we were was the spot that was gonna make the day or break the day.

I pulled up, dropped the anchor, baited up some medium action tackle with dead shrimp. And it was....GAME ON.
CROAKERS, and YELLOWMOUTH TROUT, time.

Oh yes, and more than half of every Croak we caught were 12 inches. (My personal boat size limit) and I believe we had a good handful that were larger, too.
 

We ended up with at least 30 nice Croakers in the box and 4 Yellowmouth Trout. And in no time the shrimp was gone. So we packed it an and headed for the barn.

I had alot of Fillet knife duties to do!

 

 
 GLAD PLAN "B" WORKED OUT......DON'T LEAVE THE DOCK WITHOUT IT!