JustGoFishin.com BLOG

Rene Canales Blue Marlin Catch

2012-01-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

Nice Blue Marlin catch by Rene Canales! This beauty was caught in Kona, Hawaii last April,2011. Spring is just around the corner again! This Blue Marlin was 12 feet long and 470 lbs. Y'all have a great 2012 Fishin Season!

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com

Instrument Navigation to the Land Cut

2011-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

December has been a difficult month for fishing due to several Northern fronts moving into our area and making it difficult for the fair weather fishermen [me]. Yesterday morning on the 30th of December we had a window of opportunity to take a trip to the Land Cut for some fishing. Stopped by Clems Marina for some bait and learned that live shrimp was not available anywhere. So we picked up some live mullet and dead shrimp for the trip. Weather forecast said the morning fog would be burned off by 8:00am with south winds.

Mark, Charlie and I headed south about 7:30 in the morning only to find visibility to be about 20 to 30 feet ahead. Our GPS came in handy and aloud me to navigate by instrument and watching for the markers on the ICW. Cruising at about 30 mph I was able to determine approximately when I would see the next marker by using our GPS. As we got closer to Baffin Bay the fog became even thicker and visibility became more like about 10 feet in-front of us which forced me to reduce speed to 10 mph and losing my boat plain. Finally after getting close to rocky slough the fog became thinner and visibility aloud me to crank the boat up to about 40 mph. As we finally made it to our fishing spot at about 9:50am which made our boat ride almost 2 1/2 hours.

The fishing wasn't happening this day. The winds were coming out of the south which scatters the bait fish at the cut and the fish just were not biting. We moved around with similar results only catching a few under sized redfish.

Finally the wind gave us a break about 3:00 in the afternoon and shifted to Southeast winds. Just like clock work the fish were biting and we started to catch fish almost on every cast. And we caught about everything; redfish, black drum, speckled trout, and flounder all mostly on dead shrimp. They were all just under sized.

We had to pull up anchor and head back home while we still had daylight and left the Land Cut at 4:15pm. We made it home right at sunset. The day was a nice adventure using instrument navigation through the fog as the day turned into a sunny blue sky. Hm, Hm, Hm.

We'll get'em next time.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Cooks, Cookin at the Texas Land Cut

2011-11-30T15:39:00.001-08:00

Had a great time fishing the Land Cut with the Cooks. Elder and Sister Cook serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints enjoyed a day of fishing from their labors. I wasn't sure how the day might work out with Northeastern winds but we took a chance on it and paid off. We bundled up for the 55 minute trip to the land cut by boat. The weather was just beautiful to enjoy the great Texas outdoors.

Sister Cook caught this nice 22 inch black drum using live shrimp from Clems Marina. She sure kept a steady hand while landing this beauty on board our vessel.

Elder Cook was catching speckled trout right and left all day long. Many of these were undersized trout and released them back as soon as we caught them. Pictured above is one of the many Specks caught.

Watching where sister Cook caught her black drum, I took advantage of the same spot and landed this nice 26 inch black drum while Elder Cook was eating a sandwich. Then later Elder Cook caught a nice Speckled trout while I was eating a sandwich. There just isn't time to take a break ;o)

Great time with a lot of laughs! We were very happy with the action we had today. Northern winds can be difficult for a successful day. We felt like we were a day early for the great fishing since Thursday [next day] had expected southwest winds which are more desirable.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Dolphin at the Texas Land Cut

2011-10-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Lamont Larson, Attorney from Denver Colorado, Visited Corpus Christi this past week with his family. It was great to see them again since it had been awhile. During their stay we planned a high adventure fishing trip with his two oldest boys to the Texas Land Cut and we had a great time. The weather was great and the wildlife show of birds feeding and dolphin swimming was an added bonus.

Lamont's boys handled a 3 hours round trip boat ride to get to the Texas Land Cut and back for a great day of fishin. Speckled trout were the catches of the day while Carter and McKay caught their biggest fish ever. The wildlife show was terrific as well with several Dolphin swimming the channel while we were fishing. We used live shrimp from Billings bait.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Land Cut Trophy Speckled Trout

2011-09-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

Now that's a Texas Land Cut Speckled Trout!

Last Friday the 16th of September we set out to fish the Texas Land Cut. Stopped by Billings Bait and picked up some piggy perch for the days fishing trip. The forecast had 20 percent chance of thunder showers with some nice cloud cover. The wind was coming out of the southeast and made for a very nice day of fishin. The birds were singing and the dolphins were dancing!

The bite was slow and tested our patience as we had occasional bites that managed to slowly fill up our live well with speckled trout. Bryan Weatherston was quite surprised with the speckled trout he managed to hook up with... she turned out to be 27 1/2 inches long and about 5 lbs. This was a new Speckled Trout record for Texas JustGoFishin trips!

Travis had a nice day of catching some nice trout for the dinner table.

Just a tremendous day to enjoy some good company, the great outdoors, and of course... Fishin.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Guy Katz Speckled Trout Catch

2011-09-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Guy Katz sends in this pic on a recent trip to the Land Cut. Using croakers from Clems Marina he shows one of his speckled trout catches at 23 1/2 inches. It's always good when your catchen.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com

Dr Russell Hill Fishing the Land Cut

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Great time at the Land Cut with Dr Russell Hill. This trip was last August on Monday the 22nd. Just a beautiful day to be on the water. Russell and I caught speckled trout using live shrimp. One of the most unusual catches of the day was this small Jack Crevelle. I've seen these at the Land Cut before but much bigger. lol.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Carmen's BIG Day of Fishin

2011-09-19T07:00:00.001-07:00

31 3/4" Redfish

26 1/2" Redfish

CCA had a great family even for kids Labor Day weekend. Carmen had a great day catching a couple of very nice redfish at the Flour Bluff fish hatchery. Thanks for sending in the pictures Manual!

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Recent Sail Boat Race over Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

These are photo's of a recent sail boat race over Labor Day weekend that ended early due to heavy winds near Baffin Bay. Cesar White was at his cabin for a weekend of fishing and was kind enough to lend a hand rescuing several boat that had capsized. Manual Lara sent over pictures. The fishing was good, but not the sailing on this day.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Weatherston's at the Land Cut

2011-08-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Conditions were terrific last Thursday for a fishing trip to the land cut. Not a cloud in the ski and a nice breeze to keep it cool. The winds were coming from the Southeast making the water current just right. Fishing was bound to be good. This trip I had the pleasure of going out with a great friend and his boy's.

Armed with live shrimp we cast our hooks in the water near the shoreline and Travis hooked up a nice 28 1/2 inch redfish. Very nice struggle as the redfish took Travis around the boat before finally landing this bull. He was just barely outside the slot so we released her help keep the estuary in good stock.

This was a new Texas JustGoFishin Trips Record.

Very interesting day as we caught several different kinds of species, redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, and sand trout on the edible side. We also caught your usual hard head, skip jack, dog fish, and an occasional blue crab refusing to let go of bait. I wonder witch is the hard head? (catfish or crab). Anyway the fish we caught were all made in about 90 minutes as we ran out of bait. Sorry, my bad... rookie mistake. We would have easily caught much more on this day!

Just great fishing with an awesome family... from left to right in pic above: Joshua, David, Travis, and Bryan.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Bouchard's at the Lant Cut

2011-07-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Guy and Amy Bouchard sent this photo in from a recent trip to the Land Cut. Using croaker from Clems Marina they were able to limit out on Speckled Trout.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com

VX-30 Bloodhounds Fishing Texas Land Cut

2011-06-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

The VX-30 Bloodhounds come to Corpus Christi and squeezed in a fishing trip with JustGoFishin. Commander James P Borghardt, Jay Rodriguez and Shane Skopak were on a mission to observe and photograph the entry on the Space Shuttle Endeavour as it entered Earth's atmosphere for the last time on June 1st, 2011. The Bloodhounds landed in Corpus Christi after completing their mission and decided to JustGoFishin.

It was truly an honor to take these young men out fishing for a little R and R for all the great work they do in serving their country and protecting our freedom. It was great to here there impressions of the how fast the space shuttle was moving as they manuvered into postion to observe Endeavour.

We got together at about 7:00am and headed south to the famous Texas Land Cut in hopes of a good day of fishin. We anchored up and placed some nice live shrimp from Clems Marina on our hooks to see how the day would start.

Jay Rodriguez who had never before gone fishing caught this ugly dog fish right off the bat. Course it's usually a good sign that fish are biting. We hung in there for something more edible.

Jay found a nice speckled trout looking for a quick meal and landed his first "Keeper" speckled trout.

No, Jay is not showing off the bait he was using. He actual snagged this "bait size" pin purch through the eye while thinking he had a big one! Way to go, smallest fish landed with a #2 hook!

Matt Skopak landed a nice speckled trout. Below he catches the only redfish of the day. turned out to be just short of a keeper. But the fight was fun.

CDR James Borghardt had a great time pulling in some terrific speckled trout. I had no idea the "Borg" was on our vessel... you know... Resistance is futile, at least for these specks.

What a terrific group of guy's working for Uncle Sam and taking a quick break to go fishin. The weather was great and just awesome to be outside catch-in a few fish.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com

Offshore Fishin Party with Port CC Cold Storage

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Port Corpus Christi Cold Storage went on a nice offshore fishing expedition. They went out on the Scat Cat party boat at Fisherman's Warf. Taking the 10:00pm to 10:00am trip they were able to catch several Bline Snapper. They were very impressed by the deck hand service they received while fishing. This really made things simple for the novice angler. They were able to catch some of the larger red snapper but they were catch and release only.

Congratulations on a great day of fishin to: Catherine, Manuel, Joe, Diana, Irma, Steve, And Guy

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Just a "Little" Off Shore Fishing Trip!

2011-05-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Captain John Little joined some of his buddies for a "Little Offshore Fishing Trip". As you can see there is nothing little about these beauts! John's comments to us as he sent these pictures to JustGoFishin were. "Offshore fish are a helluva lot meaner than them bay fish!!"

Their fishin trip produced 4 Amber Jack, 1 Grouper, 3 Shark and a couple snapper = One heck of a fishin trip!

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Blue Heron Rescue

2011-05-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

This blue heron was rescued today by my wife and her daughter Jana Badger and her son Breyton as they were getting ready for a swim in the canal. They spotted the blue heron across the canal. The blue heron was halfway submerged underwater and fighting to get ontop of the deck to survive. We got into our kayak and paddled over the the bird and she gladly accepted my paddle to stand on to raise her out of water and onto the deck. Once on the deck she was somewhat wobbly and exhausted from the fight to save her own life.

I called up my favorite Texas Game Warden and he gave me a contact phone number. Guy Davis, 361-688-5159, who lives on the island was glad to stop by and rescue the bird to get rehabilitated for release back into the wild. He said it had been the second blue heron he had rescued for the day. Guy said that they most likely got into trouble with the recent heavy winds and thunder showers we experienced the night before.

Y'all have a great day of fishing,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Rumor.... Possible State Record on Speckled Trout?

2011-05-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Joe and Susie Blankenship sent this Picture over to us today... is there any truth to the rumor of a new Texas state record on speckled trout 36 inches 18 pounds? Hopeful on details soon... ;o)

We called the Rockport Coastal Fisheries for any confirmation. And they hadn't heard anything yet and would followup with Austin.

Turns out that this picture was a clever hoax sent in by someone anonymous. Not a bad photoshop! If you look closely the fingers are missing on the pic. Anyway... it was fun to post anyway! lol

Y'all have a great day of fishing,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Canadian's Fishing Texas, Land Cut

2011-05-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Great to see John again and returning to South Texas where he served his LDS mission. Traveling from Ontario Canada with his wife Amanda they've been taking in the beautiful outdoors of Texas. I was excited to have an opportunity to take the newly weds out on a fishing trip to the Land Cut. The pressure was on since Amanda had never gone fishin let alone catch one. So I was hoping that faith followed by action would produce results.

Picking up live shrimp at Billings Bait we started out early to get a jump on the day. Winds were coming out of the Northeast which made it cooler than usual but still enjoyed eastern winds. Things turned out great.

As soon as we arrived to our fishing spot we placed our hooks in the water and within about 10 minutes we had fish on! Amanda caught her first fish... it was a speckled trout.

Above is Amanda's picture with a sheepshead.

Caps the day off with a nice slot speckled trout.

John has a great day as well with this nice speckled trout catch.

John gets the catch of the day... a nice 21 inch black drum. John's previous largest ever was a 4 inch perch he caught as a kid. This shreds the tape with a new personal record.

We had several small nibbles that would steel our bait. At first I thought it was perch or something of that nature. I was close. I happen to snag this small sheepshead just outside the mouth steeling my bait. I just haven't seen so many sheepshead this far down at the Land Cut.

(John Clarke, Me, Amanda Clarke)

Just a great day of fishing with my friends from Ontario Canada!

Y'all come on back now... Eh!

Y'all have a great day of fishing... Eh,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

40 inch Bull Redfish

2011-05-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

James sends in this nice 40 inch bull redfish he caught recently. Nice Catch!

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Speckled Trout at the Land Cut

2011-05-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Fishing the Land Cut has just been great this year. Went fishing with a good friend of mine Scott Smith and his visiting Family. His Dad Wayne from Mississippi and his Brother Matt and Nephew Carter from Nebraska. Great time on the water inspite of heavey winds. We were lucky to get the last of the available shrimp at Billings Bait in the early morning.

Carter (5 years old) pulled in the first speckled trout of the day in just about the first 10 mins of getting his hook in the water. We new it would be a good day after this nice catch.

Carter and is dad (Matt) teamed up to pull in this nice speckled trout. I think the sun glasses might have had a lot to do with their strategy.

Then Carter teamed up with is uncle Scott to land this nice sheepshead on the boat. She gave them a nice fight but they proved to be just to much for this wiggler.

Scott seems to have his groove on for the day catching several specks along the shoreline of the land cut.

Matt certainly didn't want to be left in the dust by his brother so he managed to land this nice 23 inch speck. Largest of the day.

Papa (Wayne) had a nice sheepshead catch, largets of the day. Pretty nice fight as he received some help landing this beauty from Carter his grandson.

Below picture shows Wayne and Matt joining the over 20 inches club. Scott came close with a 19 1/2 incher but couldn't deliver.

Great day of fishing for everyone!

Terrific Land Cut adventure for the Smith family. We sure hope they enjoyed their visit to Corpus Christi, Texas. Y'all come bach now... ya hear!

Y'all have a great day of fishing,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Baffin Bay Bounty

2011-04-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Very nice Baffin Bay Bounty last weekend as Manual Lara and Cesar White and a group of friends had a great time on the water. As you can see from their catches they hand a great time. Catching Flounder, speckled trout, and redfish.

Congratulations on a great time fishing.

Y'all have a great day of fishing,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Fabulous Land Cut Fishing Adventure

2011-04-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year where the land cut becomes a popular place to go fishing for the day. It's a long boat ride to the land cut through two large open bodies of water, Baffin Bay and Bird Island Basin, that usually offers 2 to 3 foot swells to cut through that can be a bumpy ride for many. We call this "The Price of Catching Fish". Ken Welsch and I ventured down last week and had a terrific day on the water. As you can see in picture below we were not alone. Anglers were out in numbers to try their luck in these waters.

As we arrived the waters were very calm and as predicted the bite was slow. Using live shrimp on the bottom we patiently waited for the small nibbles to strike our bait. It wasn't long before we started pulling in some nice fish.

This small 19 incher speckled trout was the first a couple more nice 21 inch fatties we pulled in later. They both gave us some very nice fillets later on.

Ken's first catch of the day was this nice 29 1/2 inch black drum. She was very stubborn to get landed in the boat. After a long fight Ken was finally able to pull her in for a photo. Even though she was in the slot, we decided to release her back to the water. When drum get this big, they're just not very good to fillet and eat. Usually full of worms. It's better to let her make more baby black drums.

Very nice flounder caught by rod and reel. She was about 18 inches and was a great fight to land. And wow, the 4 fillets on this flounder were terrific.

The day ended up with some very nice catches and plenty to feed a family. I was able to catch a "Poor Mans" Texas Slam for the day.... Speckled Trout, Black Drum, Flounder, and a Sheepshead. The redfish eluded us for today.

Y'all have a great day of fishing,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

JustGoFishin Trolling Rod

2011-03-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

We are excited about our new trolling stick made by a local rod-smith Manual Lara. Wow, what a great job on the design, gold thread over a black blank. Even our logo turned out nice with the gold outline. It might be time for you to invest in some gold!

If you're looking for a custom fishing rod, Manual can create something you'll be proud to own as part of your fishing rod collection. Give him a call and tell him what a great job he does on his fishing rods. Manual Lara: 956-225-9157

This trolling rod is 6 foot 6 inch Forecast E-Glass (20-40lbs) blank. Nice Virtus line guides with nano light rings and 3/16th stainless steel frames. These guides are designed to spirol from top of rod to the bottom taking full advantage of the fishing poles modulous elastisity.

This newly built custom trolling rod is ready to catch a big one in the Gulf of Mexico while trolling with a Okuma Titus Gold TG 20s. We placed Momoi's Hi-Catch Diamond 30 lbs test at the recommendation of "The Saltwater Cowboy", Scott McCune out of Rockport.

For more information on custom fishing rods visit our JustGoFishin website. He created several nice looking durable fishing rods for JustGoFishin... he can do the same for you!

Y'all have a great day of fishing,

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Land Cut Adventure, Black Drum Run

2011-03-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Another run to the Land Cut to take advantage of the time of year. Our last trip down to the Land Cut we caught several nice speckled trout. This time we caught all black drum off the bottom with live shrimp. The weather was a nice sunny day with 16 to 20 mile an hour winds.

Elder Terry Jones who is currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with his wife in Corpus Christi Texas took a day off from their rigorous schedule of teaching college age young adults and other duties joined us on our quest to catch fish. Elder Jones said, "I can safely say that this is the biggest fish I ever caught".

Using light bay tackle, this fish took Elder Jones 10 mins or so to land this lunker in the boat. Measured 24 1/2 inches and weighed approximately 8 pounds and really gave him a nice fight.

This was a nice 24 1/2 inch, 7 pound Black drum. We really got into these drum today as we used great patience to hook and land these beauties. The bite was very faint and light, usually just getting a few bump... bump... bump's and then FISH ON. You had to be careful not to try and set hook to fast or you'd pull the hook right our of there mouth. Once they were hooked, it was a fun fight to land.

Catch of the day was by Gary Nelson's 30 inch, 14 pound black drum. Releasing this beast after a long fight to land, Gary had all the bragging rights of landing the biggest fish.

Great day of fishing with some great friends. Hooting and hollering like school kids as we landed several nice fish to take home and enjoy on the grill. The ride back got a little wet as we navigated across the mouth of Baffin Bay and Bird Island with swells 3 feet or so. The winds had kicked up to 20 miles an hour or so and blowing our boat spray over the top of boat getting us soaked. But all was good since we know that it's the "Price of Catching Fish" sometimes.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Tim Freeman's Redfish Catch

2011-03-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

Caught Saturday February 25th 1 mile south of pure oil channel live shrimp under an alameda float, had two limits of reds and 9 trout in three hours, fishing with my wife Rosemary with the wind blowing 25 mph.

Fishing in 25 mile an hour winds isn't the best conditions for any fair-weather fisherman. But Tim doesn't fall into this category. Not only did he battle 25 mile an hour winds and the whitecap waves that go along with them. He took his wife along for the day as well. To Tim it's just your typical day on the water with your wife in 25 mile an hour winds, 3 foot whitecap swells, heavy boat sway and slap while catching your limits on redfish and several trout. Congratulations on a great day of fishing!

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Speckled Trout at the Land Cut

2011-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Just a terrific day to enjoy the great outdoors with the nice cool breeze and warm sun while traveling and fishing the Land Cut. The bite was medium compared to other days but kept us just busy enough to stay on our fishin spot all day. The day brought us several nice keeper speckled trout as we tossed back several undersized fish.

Enjoying a day of fishing with some great friends makes it that much better. Just when we were wondering where the redfish and black drum were since we hadn't caught any yet. Cathy Ditto catches a nice 24" black drum. Working here temporarily from Tennessee had caught her first speckled trout, stingray, and black drum.

Katherine and Cathy caught these specks at the same time

Fishing with the JGF Rods proved to be a winning combination for some nice speckled trout catches throughout the day. The medium rod with light action was great to feel the bite and bumps of the fish in preparation in landing our fish.

Great day on the water with Cathy Ditto, Katherine Lara, Manual Lara, and I tossing a few hooks in the water.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Five O'Clock Hole

2011-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Weekend fishing trip with Cesar White and Friends near the mouth of Baffin Bay on his floating cabin.

Have you ever gone to a fishing hole at the recommendation of one of your friends that claims to be an awesome spot to catch fish? And then when you get there you get your hook in the water and then nothing! No bites nibbles or bumps! I think we can all say we've been there and done that. I was out a few month's ago with my good friend Manny. We're cruising down to Baffin and Manny suggest a fishing spot on the way that always produces. When we got there, anchored, and dropped our lines we waited with anticipation. Nothing. I inquired about the spot and Manny said that the last time he was pulling them in right and left at about 5 o'clock. lol, I guess we were way to early for the 5 o'clock hole since it was only about 9 o'clock in the morning. Course we all had a good laugh over that. Since then that hole became "5 O'clock Hole" in our network of friends.

These Pictures are Manny's proof that the "5 O'clock Hole" produces! Gotta love it baby!

Nice Variety of reds drum trout and sheepshead 5 o'clock hole

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Speckled Trout Trip to Baffin Bay

2011-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

These three salty anglers had a great time down in the Baffin Bay area where they wade fished the shallows for some nice speckled trout. Using artificial lures of their choice they were able to catch a number of nice specks of various size and weight.

Tony Trevino

Dave McKinney

Cesar White

Dave McKinney & Cesar White
Trout, Reds and Drum, Nice Job!

Dave Alexander
dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

TPWD Continues Closures

2011-02-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Dear SEA Board and Friends:

Please see the attached press release from Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. on continuing the closures in the deep water areas until Monday Noon. As we defrost out of the cold, the water temperatures will lag somewhat behind thus the continued closure in the deep water areas to protect the fish that have gone deeper. Please pass on to others.

Robin Riechers has personally called the SEA office to be sure our members were informed on these issues. He is closely monitoring the situation.

DOWNLOAD Detailed Report

Thank you,

Pam Arredondo
Director
Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association

SEA
711 N. Carancahua Suite 915
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: 361-886-1100
Cell: 361-739-9757
Fax: 361-886-9444T
Email: seaccadm@sbcglobal.net
Raising Money for Local Projects

Temporary Fishing Closure in Place on Texas Coast during Freez

2011-02-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us

AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has issued a temporary closure to saltwater fishing along parts of the Texas coast to protect resources during freezing weather conditions. The closure takes effect at noon Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 and extends through noon on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011.
In addition to killing game fish in shallow bay waters, a hard freeze can also cause surviving fish to congregate in a few deeper areas where they become sluggish and prone to capture. Those are the areas the department has temporarily closed.

"The high mortality that a freeze can cause may deplete fish stocks for years," said Robin Riechers, director of TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division. "Protection of the surviving fish during the few days when they are especially vulnerable to capture would likely shorten the time period for overall recovery of coastal species, especially spotted sea trout."

Texas has about two million acres of bays and estuaries susceptible to freeze. There were three major freezes during the 1980s, including one in 1989 when the temperature at Brownsville dropped to 16 degrees and an estimated 11 million fish were killed in the freeze event.

Anglers and coastal residents can report any freeze related fish kills or large numbers of sluggish or cold-stunned fish by contacting TPWD’s Law Enforcement Communications office at (281) 842-8100 or (512) 389-4848

Download full report here.

Pam Arredondo
Director
Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association (SEA)
711 N. Carancahua Suite 915
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: 361-886-1100

Cell: 361-739-9757
Fax: 361-886-9444
Email: seaccadm@sbcglobal.net
Raising Money for Local Projects

Ruben Cisneros Trophy Trout Catch

2011-01-25T05:56:00.000-08:00

Had a great weekend fishing with great fishing friends this past weekend in Baffin. Our goal was to target big winter trophy trout. To say that it was cold would be an understatement.....but well worth it.

Both days we had to weed thru some nice redfish, but we found some nice size trout. I lost a very large trout on Saturday, but Sunday the odds were certainly in my favor....enjoy.

Baffin Bay - This girl was hoovering the 30" mark...could be less, could be more...she was over 2" on the 28" mark on my Waterloo rod. Too excited to think about getting a weight on her with the boga..didn't want to stress her by lifting her upright without support of her body...in my opinion she was 10lbs plus. After a few quick pictures she was released to continue to enjoy her earned journey to repopulate our system.

Captain Ruben Cisneros
www.rubencisneros.com

Okuma Serrano sr-200 Review

2011-01-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Okuma Serrano sr-200

JustGoFishin purchased a new baitcaster for it's new custom built fishing pole. We read several reviews on this particular reel and found it worthy of our purchase. After our purchase we decided to write our own review because we felt there were some things left out. Things you'd only discover by being an owner. We placed the reel on a light action medium pole with spiral recoil guides.

We spooled on 20 lb braided line for light weight and strength. Although the reel specs for 12 to 15 lb line we knew we could get away with heavier test with braided line.

Since I had some experiences with baitcasters and the enjoyment of birdsnest with improper use and techniques so I first must say that there is a learning curve with any baitcaster.

Overall you'll like the reel and its light weight. Be sure as you mount it on your fishing rod and that you follow the instructions to set the drag properly. This should help you with preventing birdsnest from the start. Just adjust the drag settings using a 1 ounce weight and turn the drag knob until you get a slow drop in weight. (More details in manual)

There is another way to make adjustments to this reel during different conditions. This reel comes with easy controls to make centrifugal velocity adjustments to this braking system. You just twist off the left side panel of the Serrano reel and you can adjust the centrifugal velocity. When you purchase this reel the setting will be on zero and you''ll have a "settings" choice of 0 to 6. Be sure to set your drag adjustments with the centrifugal velocity set at zero. Then make any additional adjustments based on conditions.

The casting is smooth and the cylinder stops as weight/lure hits the water. That's the way I like my settings. Some anglers like to have their finger on the cylinder as they cast, I just prefer to set the brake properly and the the reel do it's work. (This may effect the distance of your cast)

I sure like the low profile and the sleek looks of the reel that go with our JGF 7-im6 fishing poles. The price is said to be a little high for what you get. But, many of the reviews I've read don't seem to know much about the centrifugal velocity control system on the reel.

Many people don't realize that the Okuma Serrano sr-200 is made for saltwater fishing and uses materials that are corrosive resistant. This is one of Okuma's first bay type baitcasters as they enter this market. They or more well known for the offshore models.

August, 2011 Update: Updating our review on this baitcaster reel. After using this reel for a few month's the mechanism that lock's and frees the spindle broke. For the amount of use we got out of this reel we are very disappointed in the quality of the reels durability.

JGF Rating: ~~Excellent~~ Poor

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

Trout Scoping Meeting Update

2011-01-21T05:45:00.000-08:00

Several SEA members were present at the Trout scoping meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18. The general thoughts coming from Texas Parks and Wildlife is to change bag limit to 5 and increase the size to 16". The room of attendees was split on the issue with half just asking to leave things as they are to half agreeing with the 5 fish limit (there were mixed feelings about the 16" increase).

The deadline to make comment ends at 5 pm on Friday, Jan. 21. SEA has not developed a position statement. I think like most groups we are split also but each individual can make a difference by making your comments known by going online at www.tpwd.state.tx.us and go to the comment page and submit your suggestion there or by emailing Art Morris directly at art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us

Today, Brent Burkhart attended the Coastal Advisory Group Meeting in Austin and that group will be recommending that we leave it alone for now but keep monitoring the situation on trout.

We will keep you informed.

Thank you,

Pam Arredondo
Director
Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association

SEA
711 N. Carancahua Suite 915
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: 361-886-1100
Cell: 361-739-9757
Fax: 361-886-9444
Email: seaccadm@sbcglobal.net
Raising Money for Local Projects

Larry and Verne Sheepshead catches

2011-01-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Larry Omken & Verne Huchaba visiting from Thomson Illinois for a few month's taking in some sun shine in this South Texas winter. They caught a nice stringer of sheepshead using ghost shrimp at the Port A Jetty. They certainly have this technique down on how to get after these fish... also see their picture last year.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Robert & Judy Hassler Day at Port A Jetty

2011-01-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

Nice winter day at the Port A Jetty for Robert and Judy Hassler of Jessop Iowa. They come out every year for a few months to enjoy a little fishing here in South Texas. They had a nice stringer of sheepshead going while using ghost shrimp.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Joe Folse nice Sheepshead catch.

2011-01-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Joe Folse of Port Aransas pulls in this nice Sheepshead using dead shrimp from a local restaurant where his wife works. She had received this shrimp as a tip from a patron. Port A Jetty is producing several nice sheapshead this time of year.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Kenneth Wright's Sheephead's at Port A Jetty

2011-01-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Kenneth always takes his schnauzer pup fishing with him to enjoy the day at Port A Jetty. Visiting from Odessa Texas Kenneth Wright catches several Sheepshead using ghost shrimp from the beach.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com
http://tales.justgofishin.com/

New Year Weekend of Fishing, 2011

2011-01-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Manual and Catherine Lara! Enjoying the comforts of home while bringing in the new year on a floating cabin near Baffin Bay. Enjoying the weekend with friends and fishing... what could possibly be better than that?

Caesar Whites cabin is arguably is the largest floating cabin in the Laguna Madre that sleeps 8 or so easily. You always have your wind at your back while fishing as the cabin moves with the wind changes. Providing cover on the deck at all times.

The New Years weekend was a terrific opportunity for fishing as they brought back several redfish and black drum. All were caught fishing from the cabin using dead shrimp and fish bites combo. Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Pictured are Tony Trevino, Caesar White, and Manual Lara.

Dave Alexander

dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Ruben Guerra Land Cut Trip

2010-12-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

Ruben Guerra and is buddies made some nice catches at the Land Cut on December 21st pictured here at Clem's Marina. Both Baffin Bay and the Land Cut have been producing several nice catches this time of year. Congratulations to Ruben and appreciate him sending in this photo. Happy New Year!

With the cold fronts coming and going it's important to be flexible if you can in planning your trip fishing. This will allow you to select the best days for your fishing adventure and be able to take home your dinner. Check-out our weather section at JustGoFishin local weather near you.

Dave Alexander
dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com

Ruben Guerra Baffin Bay Trip

2010-12-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

Ruben Guerra and a couple of buddies made some nice catches at Baffin Bay on December 19th. Just goes to show that winter fishing is a great time of year! Pictured here at Clems with their catches.

Dave Alexander
dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com

Relax and Enjoy the Packery Channel Jetty

2010-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

The "Browns" and the "Johns" of Robstown Texas enjoying a great day at the packery channel jetty to hang out and enjoy some fishing instead of shopping the malls! Pictured here are these youth taking part of their school break to enjoy the great outdoors that Corpus Christi has to offer.

Mason Johns pompano at the Packery Channel Jetty.

The fishing was slow at the Packery but that didn't stop several anglers from getting away from the hussle and bussle of the last minute shoppers for Christmas. The day was mild with beautiful blue sky. There's just something about being outside with a hook in the water! Merry Christmas.

Dave Alexander
dave@justgofishin.com

Land Cut with Richard Epstein

2010-11-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

Richard Epstein and I took off early to the Land Cut Saturday morning the 20th of November. We were both very surprised not to see a lot of boats to compete with as we travelled south on the Laguna Madre. We almost had the cut all to ourselves for the day. The waters were very calm all the way down which made me concerned about the bite we would have. As we selected our spot to fish and set-up to make our first cast, Richard gets an undersized flounder on his hook. That was a good sign!

The weather changed while we were anchored as the winds started to get stronger and the clear Sky's became partly cloudy. Then we started to get into the larger fish. We both caught redfish, speckled trout and black drum for a terrific day.

We were using live shrimp on the bottom and almost every cast had a fish on the hook. We must have gotten into a nursery with all the undersized stuff we caught. But managed to take home some nice keepers.

That's what it's all about... a great blackened redfish dinner. Till next time, hope y'all have a great day of fishin,

Dave Alexander
dave@justgofishin.com

http://tales.justgofishin.com/

Land Cut Fishing with Michael Angell

2010-11-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

Courtnay and Lyla Brooks made some nice catches on a trip to the Land Cut with Captain Angell. Redfish, speckled trout and black drum were plentiful.

November 15-21, 2010

Weather: Our morning lows have been down to 60 degrees while the daytime highs have been as high as 90, This week we had mostly sunny skies,Water: surface temperature 71 degrees, Bait: We used mostly Live Shrimp this week and some crab.

Micheal Angell Fishing Report

RED FISH: The largest red fish we caught this week was 32 inches There were a few other over 28 inches also, . The good news was the numbers of slot red fish are abundant

TROUT: The Largest trout I seen this week was 31 inches brought in to Clem's, caught in the surf. We caught trout up to 22 inches in land cut. King Ranch Shoreline from Pure Oil Channel North has been good for Trout.

DRUM: Lots of drum being caught along the ICW. Nice eating size.

FLOUNDER: We have been catching small flounder with a few keeper size. I have seen some big one come into Clem's this week.

Capt. Michael Angell

361-814-8540

361-232-6646 cell

Land Cut Produces Some Nice Catches

2010-11-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, November 12th, I went out with some friends, Manual Lara and Art Meru, to do a little fishin. We picked up Art at Clems as we picked up 2 quarts of live shrimp and a couple dozen mullet for the day. We didn't have a game plan for where we would go, only that there were some fishing reports of some nice fish down south at Baffin Bay and Land Cut. We had also, heard that the boat hole and deadman's was holding nice fish but we were gassed up and ready for travelling.

Not to far from Snoopy's on the ICW we found pelicans really working the water strong and stopped to throw a few casts into this area. Manual had a big bite, but fish was able to jump his hook. After coming up empty, we decided to move on south to Baffin Bay.

As we arrived in Baffin Bay the water, as expected, was really starting to churn with 3 foot swells so we went to the South shoreline to try some drift fishing. Watching out for rocks is criticle in this area because hitting one would ruin your whole day. I kept a close eye on the GPS during this time of trip. We managed to catch a few undersized trout while using a popping cork rig. We then decided to move on down to rocky slough to improve our wind cover. We managed to catch a few more undersized speckled trout using the same popping cork method.

The day was starting to get away from us and at about 1:00pm we still hadn't found the fish. With the winds kicking up to about 20 mph the birds weren't feeding to help us locate the fish.

We moved on down to the Land Cut to improve our coverage from the wind and try dropping our bait on the bottom. We finally started getting into the fish. Catching some nice slot redfish, black drum and speckled trout. The fish were just nibling our baits and you had to really be patient to allow time for the reds to swallow the hook.

Art limited on redfish and had we stayed longer we all would have perhaps done the same. However, we were running out of daylight and needed to start our voyage back home.

Arthur Meru and Manual Lara

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Captain Michael Angell Trips

2010-11-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

Some nice catches sent in by Captain Michael Angell from the Laguna Madre. See if you can recognize the fishing spots they caught these reds and trout and fillet at Clems Marina:

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Joseph Becker's Nice Bull Redfish

2010-10-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Joseph Becker and his friends caught about 20 of these bull reds, along with some spanish mackerel at the Port Aransas Jetty using live mullet for bait, fishing the bottom. We tagged three of the smaller ones, 31,32,33.

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De Francis Nice Bull Redfish

2010-09-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Port A Jetty is delivering up some nice Bull Redfish this time of year. De Francis visiting from Amarillo Texas sent in this awesome picture of a 44" bull redfish which was his personal best ever!.Caught on 9/23/2010.

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Cookie Vela Nice Bull Redfish

2010-09-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Cookie Vela caught a nice 26 inch black drum at the Port A Jetty using mullet. Cookie from Corpus Christi Texas enjoy's fishing the jetty's for bull redfish and had caught several bulls reds and released them prior to my arrival.

Cookie decided to catch a nice 43" Bull Redfish while I was there hiking the bolders of the Port A Jetty. Very nice catch and release of this beauty. That had been his 6th one of the afternoon.

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Roland Morales Bull Redfish

2010-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

The Bulls are runnin at the Port A Jetty where Roland Morales caught a nice 35" redfish using live mullet. Roland visiting from San Antonio Texas enjoying the afternoon and tagging his prize for the day.

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Mike Mata and Troy Morgan Slot Reds

2010-09-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Mike Mata and Troy Morgan caught some nice slot redfish at the Packery Channel using live mullet. Both live close by in Corpus Christi and took advantage of the break in the rain. Still windy and choppy water but the made the most of it.

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Tommy Cochran Redfish Catches

2010-09-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Tommy Cochran catches some nice slot redfish at the Packery Channel today. The reds are early this year and should be a great fall season. Tommy visiting from Belton Texas was glad to get a break from the rain for a little fishin. Mullet was his bait of choice.

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Ruben Cisneros Nice Redfish Catch

2010-09-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

(The above pic is about the average size redfish we were catching this past weekend. We saw some big ones in the mid 40" range, but no takers.)

I was traveling this past Thursday and didn't return till late Sunday evening. I spent the weekend at a cabin down on the Land Cut fishing Nine Mile Hole and Middle Ground with some good friends.

It wasn't the best weekend to be down there obviously, but we did manage to find some very nice redfish in locations that are normally above the water line. It's a weird deal running and fishing in areas that are normally considered land. We had both wind and rain in every direction with occassional slack wind. There were lot's of red fish in the North end of Nine Mile going into Mud Flats and Middle Ground. We chased several big schools that seemed to be very good at staying just outside our casting distance. The majority of our fish were sight-casted, but we did manage several fish blind-casting during the rains. We ended up boxing some nice trout in the 16 to 18" range as well.

I'm looking forward to normal tide patterns and cooler temps...the redfish fishing should be outstanding.
Ruben Cisneros
www.tightlinescharters.com

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Tommy Nichols, Juvenile Cobia

2010-08-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Juvenile Cobia caught by Tommy Nichols in the flats North of Humble Channel, South of the power lines in approximately 2 feet of water. Kind of an unusual location to catch a Cobia.

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Tim Holmes Great Speckled Trout Catch

2010-08-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tim Holms caught this nice 30 1/2 inch speckled trout at the King Ranch Shoreline Last May by the power plant using live bait.

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Captain Scott McCune Client Catches

2010-08-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

This past week the fishing has been very good even with the rain. I have notice weird tendencies with the bite though, Trout for example have been picky...once I get them to start eating Croaker after a little flurry of about 6 fish in the boat they will turn off...I then throw piggies to them and they eat again. This is only in water from 10-14 foot deep and it does not hold true if you are fishing shallower. I have found Redfish in the deeper pot holes, but only a few holes are holding the fish. Since they are deeper holes and if I don't just hammer the hell out of them I can go back day after day and get a few fish. I don’t like to hammer my good holes because it keeps the fish in the pot hole and it helps keep it a secret so it's not ravaged by boat watchers (the fisherman...if you can call them that...who drive around looking for guide boats or boats with a fish on who run your fish off trying to cut in on your action). I try to have 2 or 3 deep holes to fish so I can easily pick up 5 or 6 Redfish after I’m done trout fishing, also fishing the holes later and using bait that is a little weaker helps the bite and keeping the hole a secret! Tight Lines!

Capt. Scott McCune

www.fishntexas.com

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Captain Garza's 4th of July Weekend Trip

2010-07-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Captain Garza sent these pictures in on some nice catches over the forth of July weekend. Nice catches!

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Captain Adam Meider's Black Drum Catch

2010-07-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Nice 68 lb Black Drum catch along the Coast of Galveston Texas by Captain Adam Meider.

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TGWA Awards Lifetime Fishing License

2010-06-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Chuck Ford (Left) of the TGWA and Ashley Campbell (Right) of Coastal Offshore Awards Lifetime Fishing License to Karen Bradey (Middle)

SEA 2010 Boat Winner

2010-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

2010 SEA Boat Winner, Adan Flores

From left to Right: Stan Willson, SEA President; Adan Flores, 2010 Boat Winner; Scott Robinson, Sponsor Andrews Distributing/Coors Light

Back Row: DeeAnna Griffin, Board Member; Charlie Mader, Secretary; Billy Holmes, Owner Gulf Coast Marine.

Capt Jimmie Dooms Client Catches

2010-06-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

We fished for the reds close to the JFK and trout in Baffin. Had a great day with Capt Jimmie. All fish were caught using plastics. It was one of those magical days with great friends and catching fish.

Capt Jimmie Dooms, Scott Robinson, Ken Griffin and Charlie Mader

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Captain Micheal Angell Client Catches

2010-06-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Fishing this past week was very good, Redfish and Trout and a few Flounder, Free lining Live Croaker In Baffin Bay, Low winds and Clear Skies made it easy to work around rocks. Captain Micheal Angell

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Mike Shoffield's Great Speckled Trout Catch

2010-06-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

How about this beauty caught over the Memorial weekend at the Boat Hole by Mike Shoffield. Measuring at 28 inches makes this catch one to remember.

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John Niro's Speckled Trout Catch

2010-05-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

My neighbor and I went out to do some fishing for a few hours today before he left to go back to Connecticut. I saw him in his front yard yesterday and thought that we hadn't gone fishin together yet. So we decided to get together for a few hours today and see what we could find. Take a look at these beauties, after catching a lot of small stuff we managed to pull in a few keepers in Emmords Hole! We certainly wish John Niro and his wife well and look forward to seeing them again this fall. (Peppie too! Their dog)

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Port A and Packery Jetty's

2010-05-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial weekend and the anglers will be out in droves looking for a great day fishin. Thursday I went out to see how the Packery Channel & Port A Jetty's were looking and what might be getting caught this time of year. The weather was just great, sunny and warm and clear waters.The bite was slow midday in both places perhaps due to the full moon night before. This didn't stop anglers from coming out.

At the Packery Channel I met Mark Beverlly who recently moved here from Georgia. He caught a nice slot redfish on live shrimp on the south packery channel jetty at the tip. Nice looking redfish to start the day and weekend off.

I decided to head on up to the Port Aransas Jetty to see what he fishing conditions would be like further North. As I arrived it looked like there were twice as many anglers fishing the Jetty so I was hopeful on finding some great catches.

As I walked and climbed over granite boulders and talking with anglers about the day. There wasn't much going on. I made it all the way to the end of the South side jetty and there were no catches. As I made my way back Art Gonzales of Rockport pulled in a Spanish Mackerel using dead mullet for his first catch of the day.

With the Memorial weekend coming and great weather conditions the fishing aught to be GREAT. Hope y'all have a great and safe weekend of fishin.

Dave Alexander
www.JustGoFishin.com

Bay Fishing with Bait 101: Fishing A Low Tide

2010-05-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

5th of 5 Articles, by Captain Scott McCune
This is the last in a series of articles I've written for the average bay fisherman who is interested in a professional fishing guides perspective on selecting how to fish, where to fish and what bait to use during a day a fishing. This last article is perfect for the approaching Winter and early Spring fishing patterns as the low tides from cold fronts are more predominant this time of year. It has almost been a year since the I wrote the first article and I hope at least someone, somewhere has found them useful! If you haven't read all the articles you can go to www.fishntexas.com to find the others in this series. One of the most often asked questions is what causes low tides and in our area that is easy, cold fronts with strong north winds! Next add a full or new moon phase, limited rains and you have the perfect scenario for a low tide. In closing this first paragraph I would like to add that ethics in this type of fishing really come into play as many times the boats are stacked together on a shoreline or gut, please give the guides courtesy and they will return it, more than likely they were the first ones there anyway!

Now for the fishing, on a low tide you can expect the fish to be grouped up and what the fish will eat will be your first question! There are two main baits that are used this time of year and they are Shrimp and Mullet, both live and dead. We also have a choice to use crab and sometimes it is the difference, however Shrimp and mullet are the main stay. Many days during the Winter and early Spring we cannot find live shrimp at the bait houses, this is usually do to the weather. Shrimpers have trouble locating shrimp schools at times and the price of fuel doesn't allow too many days of not bringing them home, so they stay at the dock until things look better. Although I prefer using live Shrimp, dead shrimp will work just fine most of the time, however make sure it is pretty fresh and big! There are a number of local fish markets that keep Shrimp for these occasions, so when you find one make sure you keep the number handy because there are many slow winter days when the bait shop will not open because of weather, slow business or no bait!

Once you've chosen your bait, the next line of business will be to decide on several different areas to fish, I say several because you'll always want a backup plan. Remember to be careful on the water when the tide is low, all sorts of things can hamper your progress to your fishing hole. Really pay attention to following the guts or passes and do not cut corners! Every year we have a fishing phenomenon in which the fish are really get stacked up in places like South Bay Gut, Morris & Cummings Cut, Quarantine shoreline, Yucca Cut and the list goes on! Now before shallow running boats became the norm even for the weekend fisherman us guides really enjoyed these areas and the were dead on productive, however of late everyone has a shallow running boat - even the dreaded Winter Texans (I wouldn't say it like that if I ever saw one release a fish they had caught! LOL!), so the fishing isn't as predictable as the old days (or what the papers report). With that said there are still a lot of fish to be caught, you just need to be smarter than the fish! Use your previous knowledge of the area, any deeper water spot you've crossed could hold fish! Also pay attention to other boats on the water and keep in mind that just because there are a lot of boats in an area most of the time only one or two are catching fish and when trying to join these groups go the opposite direction of the fish and use your TROLLING motor. Never attempt to enter with your big motor, if you don't have a trolling motor you can drift in there but you better have a push pole to get out or you'll make a lot of people really mad if you drift through the fish or fire up your motor to head the other direction! With all this being said be equipped properly or don't do it, that is just plain ethical.

Fishing Morris and Cummings cut this last March 2010!

Note this jerk, cut me off and said he would shoot me off my boat after he told me he was a MMA fighter, I asked him if he would give me his autograph after I whipped his butt...LOL! Why would you act like that with your family on board? Guides are trying to show customers a good time allow them and other anglers their space! Thanks!

Once you're anchored and ready to fish, look around to see what bait or rigs seem to be working. If you can't tell or you are alone keep rods with the various methods described below, if one is catching more fish, well then rig more rods like that one! Sometimes you will not be able to get too close to the fish, use the rig you can cast the farthest. A general rule, but not absolute, for choosing bait is the wind and water color, dirty water/windy day Something with scent and in clear water/calm day live bait! There are times when I have had very fresh frozen shrimp from the seafood market and can't get a hit, however if I squeeze the head off of a live shrimp the fish go to town...or rather my cooler! That is why I always choose live Shrimp when available even though it costs a lot more! Last thing, don't move around, pick a spot and be patient, the fish will work their way to you usually. If you move around too much are getting in between boats you'll only make enemies and spook fish! I waited 2 hours once and watched a couple of guide buddies catch their limits, when they were done I was first in line to the spot and smacked the fish!

Carolina Rig, Live or Cut Mullet and Crab

Texas Rig, really helps with distance casting

Jig Head
Long Shank Big Shrimp
Short Shank Small Shrimp

Let’s get down to the rigs I prefer when fishing these baits. I always use 20# fluorocarbon leader tied to the main line with or without a swivel. I use a Carolina Rig when fishing cut bait, live Shrimp or live Mullet with a 1/4 to 1/2 oz weight. I sometimes use a Texas Rig with live shrimp for more casting distance. As with most live bait or lures I use a loop knot at the terminal or hook end.

Leader – Easy, I use only 20# fluorocarbon! The leader length should be about 18” give or take. It should be long enough to were the knot does not have to go through the eye when casting which prevents longer casts. When using a popping cork you want the bait to sit just above the height of the grass.

Hooks – 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 6/0 Gamakatsu or VMC Kahle hooks depending on the size of the bait.

Weights – 1/4oz - 1/2 oz barrel weight.

Jig Heads – I predominantly use Bass Assassins jig heads. I like the 1/4 oz version and I keep both chartreuse and plain colors!

Knots – I use a line to leader knot instead of a swivel for the Jig Head leader however I tie a loop knot on the Jig Head. The only time I use a swivel is when fishing the bait on the bottom using a weight because at times I need a longer casts on the calm shallow flats and I want the bait to stay down. I tie a loop knot at the Kahle hook or end of the terminal tackle for more realistic movement.

Special Techniques
Here are some special tips to keep in mind with this type of fishing, after time you’ll be adding your own special touches that work for you or your fish, whatever the case may be!

When the bite is slow try using smaller pieces of cut bait and smaller hooks.
Use the bigger shrimp, grilling size, at times I have to buy double the bait just to get enough of the size I want.
When fishing guts use your trolling motor to look for mud puffs, that is where the fish are, setup to cast at your maximum distance to that area.
Remember structure, the fish are sometimes in the middle however the edges like grass, shell, drops are what the fish orient themselves to.
If the bite is soft try peeling the Shrimp, I know, I have to really like you to peel Shrimp or pistachios for you!
If the fish aren't taking the bait good let them run with it before they feel the line pressure, drop the rod tip to them.
If frozen shrimp is not working use live shrimp, squeeze the head off, I mean squeeze not break, you want all the guts and legs left on them.
If two guide boats are next to each other at a certain distance, it is usually for a reason ask permission before getting between them, they'll be glad to help you out.

As always remember that nothing about fishing is set in stone, pay attention, vary your approach and find what works! When your group gets their limit (couple more if you want to release) leave quietly to let other anglers enjoy it…don't just keep hammering them, if there are other around. I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and remember if you don’t eat it release it , preserve some fish for our kids!

For all other articles visit FishinTexas.com

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master)
fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy'
361.563.TUNA(8862)cell
Email: scott@fishntexas.com
Web Page: www.fishntexas.com
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How to Fillet Speckled Trout and Redfish

2010-05-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

JustGoFishin Presents:
Roger Viar of Bluffs Landing Marina shows us how to fillet Speckled Trout and Redfish. This technique shows you how to get the most meat out of your catch.

Colonel Jim Carrola Nice Speckled Trout Catch

2010-05-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

27" speckled trout caught by Colonel Jim Carrola of San Antonio fishing with us Saturday Morning near and around Rocky Slough. Guided by Captain George Garza. http://tales.justGoFishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales

Raymond French's Redfish & Black Drum Catches

2010-04-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Some nice Redfish and Black Drum are being caught at the packery channel today. Raymond French made some nice catches. 22" Redfish, 23" Redfish, and 24" Black Drum. Not bad for a Monday morning. Weather was sunny with clear calm waters. He was using Live Shrimp. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales

Charlie Hill Nice Redfish Catch

2010-04-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Visiting from Austin Texas, Charlie Hill caught a nice 23 inch Redfish using Mud Minnows at the North Copano Fishing Pier. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Chris Moore's Redfish Catch

2010-04-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Chris Moore caught a 20 inch, 3 lbs speckled trout using live shrimp on the shoreline near the South Copano Fishing Pier in Rockport Texas. He's enjoying the day with his buddies from Waco Texas. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Angela Boultinghouse Gaftop Catch

2010-04-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Angela Boultinghouse caught a nice gaftop at the Copano Fishing Piers in Rockport Texas on Saturday using live Eal. Visiting with her family from Seguin Texas. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Stephanie Estefanym showing off the Eal they were using for bait.

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Colorado Don's Spanish Mackerel

2010-04-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Colorado Don's was using artificial lures to catch and release several Spanish Mackerel at the Port A Jetty. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Carlos Hernandez Spanish Mackerel Stringer

2010-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

Very nice Spanish Mackerel Stringer caught by Carlos Hernandez from Robstown Texas. Fishing at the Port A Jetty using live shrimp on the Gulf side. Anglers were catching redfish, black drum and sheepshead on the channel side. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

George York's Stringer of fish at Port A Jetty

2010-04-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

George York of Normal Ill is a winter Texan and was out at Port A Jetty this week where he caught a nice 27" Redfish, black drum and sheepshead using live shrimp. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Mike Burkhart and Butch Crofts Catches

2010-04-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Nice way to fish the Port A Jetty is to take a backpack. This backpack is full of Spanish Mackerel and sheepshead.

Ran into Mike Burkhart again at the Port A Jetty. This time he and his buddy Butch Crofts (Blanco Texas) had caught several Spanish Mackerel and a few sheepshead using live shrimp. Check-out Mike's catches from last December. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Bay Fishing with Bait 101 4th Series of 5

2010-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Calm Fall Mornings to Windy Afternoons – In The Flats: Sand Pockets
4th of 5 Articles

This is the 4th in the series of articles written for the average bay fisherman who is interested in a professional fishing guides view on how, where and what bait he will select to get the day started. The next two articles are perfect for the approaching fall and winter fishing patterns. This article will cover bait and tactics for fishing the sand pockets in the flats that can be used on almost any day of the year however some of the specific bait and presentations in this article are more directed to the Fall and Winter patterns. Sand pockets are very important to isolating the effective water and intercepting the fish, almost any sand pocket can be lucrative on any given day. With that said I have limited out on Redfish many times within a few hundred yards of where I launched my boat, you just have to learn how to read the conditions and use that compiled knowledge to target those same areas of your previous success.

When I wake in the morning the first thing I do is fire-up the laptop and check the weather readings at several area locations and then I go on to review the forecast for the day. I pay particular attention to Temperature, Cloud Cover, Wind Direction, Wind Speed, in addition it is very important to note if the wind will be changing direction or speed during the day as that could mean the bite may slow down just before the switch and also alert you to change the way or direction you present the bait. Needless to say adapting to the weather is an extremely important asset for successful fishing. Also, when I'm getting to my boat I make sure the weather conditions seem as they did online, sometimes this is not the case. I have seen many a wrong forecast, more wrong forecasts than correct ones so you should learn to do your own forecasting too.

Now for selecting the bait or baits I will be using, if the wind is blowing 12kts or so I'll surely select shrimp for drift fishing over the flats targeting the sand pockets or the edge of Oyster humps on my casts. You should be able to see the different shades even if it is very windy, the lighter shades are the sand pockets the darker shades are the Oyster humps or Grass areas. I like the smaller pot holes, however the bigger ones can produce too but when you fish the larger potholes or sand pockets try to cast for the edges or fingers if they have them and you should be able to cast to several edges before getting too close. If you have a power pole and hook up with a good fish in a pot hole or oyster hump, use your remote to deployed it as soon as the fish is taking drag, more often than not you will get extra fish off that area but don't wait longer than 5 minutes without big fish action! You can use this sand pocket tactic when anchoring up using shrimp on a jig head (rip the head off and thread it on), a weighted line with a finger mullet or cut mullet to name the most often fished bait. Don't forget there still may be croaker or piggies perch this late in the season too and they are still effective free lined in these pockets.

Remember on calm days you really have to cast far from the boat, even farther than that. I also GPS my favorite holes for those days that the sun doesn't shine or it is too windy to see the sand pockets. On windy days and the fish are active avoid making ridiculously long casts, think about it, make casts the appropriate length from the boat to catch fish...you will cover more water! Now there are some days that are very windy/cold and you must cast very far from the boat because the fish may be a little slow, you will recognize these days by the amount of fish you or others are catching and the way the fish are taking the bait...adapt!

Carolina Rig for live & cut mullet

Jig Head, Long Shank for Large Shrimp, Short Shank for Smaller Shrimp

Shrimp and Popping Cork

Let’s get down to the rigs I prefer when fishing these baits. I always use 20# fluorocarbon leader tied to the main line or cork. I use a Carolina Rig when fishing cut bait or live mullet with a 1/4 to 31/2 oz weight. As with most live bait or lures I use a loop knot at the terminal or hook end.

Leader – Easy, I use only 20# fluorocarbon! The leader length should be about 18” give or take. It should be long enough to were the knot does not have to go through the eye when casting which prevents longer casts. When using a popping cork you want the bait to sit just above the height of the grass.

Hooks – 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 6/0 Gamakatsu or VMC Kahle hooks depending on the size of the bait.

Weights – 1/4oz - 1/2 oz barrel weight.

Corks – I predominantly use Cajun Thunders. On lighter wind days the old Mansfield Mauler could be an option too. I even save old corks for those days that the Redfish don’t want a lot of sound!

Cork Colors – I always start with two primary colors, pink and chartreuse. Most of the time you will find Redfish like one and not the other and the same for Trout…however they may be hitting both or you can select the color depending on when you are fishing an area more conducive to the fish you expect to catch.

Knots – I use a line to leader knot instead of a swivel for the Jig Head leader however I tie a loop knot on the Jig Head. The only time I use a swivel is when fishing the bait on the bottom using a weight because at times I need a longer casts on the calm shallow flats and i want the bait to stay down. I tie a loop knot at the Kahle hook or end of the terminal tackle for more realistic movement.

Accessories - Beads are not as important in this type of fishing but can be used, unless you are using the popping cork then use beads. If you’re going to try beads the general rule of thumb is to start with small beads and at least one rig without a bead. Really make sure your buddy’s is fishing the bait properly before ruling out any combination! Sometimes going to a larger bead when the water is very muddy or stirred up makes a difference!

Special Techniques

Here are some special tips to work these baits in the areas I mentioned, after time you’ll be adding your own special touches that work for you or your fish, whatever the case may be!

When the bite is slow try using smaller pieces of cut bait.
When fishing with Shrimp on a jig head make sure you squeeze the shrimp head off to leave the juices in place and don't drop it in the water before the cast because you will loose some scent.
When using shrimp on a jig head try to get larger bait even if you have to buy more than you want to get the right size, that is just the expense of fishing!
Never use the huge Shrimp under a popping cork, the medium to small shrimp work a lot better! When you are on a hot bite you can us the shrimp a little bigger than medium.
Remember to work the edges of grass or shell!
Big shrimp can also be used on the Carolina Rig.
Don't hammer a small area, if the bite stops leave quietly and come back in a few hours, besides you won't attract a crowd!

As always remember that nothing about fishing is set in stone, pay attention, vary your approach and find what works! If fishing gets slow after a couple of good catches I find that the angler gets a little pumped and not letting the fish run enough!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and remember if you don’t eat it release it and try to release all big Trout especially over 25”…get a picture it will last longer, preserve some fish for our kids!

Bay Fishing With Bait 101 Series:

Five Major Types of Fishing
Windy - Popping Cork and Shrimp
Calm Summer Mornings to Windy Afternoons – Croaker and Piggy Perch
Calm Fall Mornings to Windy Afternoons – In The Flats: Sand Pockets

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master)
fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy'
361.563.TUNA(8862)cell
Email: scott@fishntexas.com
Web Page: www.fishntexas.com

Patti Alexander Nice Black Drum Catch

2010-04-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Nice catch by Patti Alexander Last Monday, April 5th, at the Land Cut using live shrimp. This was her biggest fish ever. The weather was windy but mild. Patti was able to catch her limit at the land cut of black drum. More on her trip at JustGoFishin Tales & Reports Podcast. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.

Gary Billings Blue Cats at Guadalupe

2010-04-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Gary Billings caught a couple of nice blue cats at the Guadalupe River last weekend Gary ran into John Little while fishin, who is a friend of the John Little family and just happened to be up there the same time.

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.
http://tales.justgofishin.com

John Little Family Catfish Adventure

2010-04-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Guadalupe River last weekend and caught several nice catfish. We caught them on limb lines and ended up with 23 on Sunday. The majority were blue cats and one was a big ugly yellow cat. "The one that looks like its got a flathead is the yellow cat". Captain John Little

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Mantas Sabaliauskas Sheepshead Stringer

2010-04-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Mantas Sabaliauskas and his Dad caught a nice stringer of Sheepsheadat the Packery Channel. Visiting from evergreen Colorado and using live shrimp to hook these catches.

Check-out other great catches at Papa John's Fishin Tales.
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Bay Fishing With Bait 101, 3rd in the series of articles

2010-03-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Calm Summer Mornings to Windy Afternoons – Croaker & Piggy Perch

This is the 3rd in the series of articles written for the average bay fisherman who wants to use bait. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in the bait house on a summer morning and hear a customer ask “What are they biting on?” after which a slow drawl from Ron would follow “Been bite’n on croaker” and an excited “I’ll take a couple of dozen of those!” would shoot out of beginner croaker fisherman’s mouth. I can’t help but wonder what those 24 croaker will go through during the day! Hopefully after reading this article the croaker and the fisherman will have a more pleasant day! For example: a three person charter I’ll take anywhere from 12-18 dozen baits and this could be the difference between 4 fish or 40 fish!

Now some fishermen ask what is best Piggy Perch or Croaker that can be a tricky question. Croaker actually show up at the bait shop earlier (May) than Piggies (June), so that is an easy choice in the beginning of the summer. Wherein lies the problem, determining when and what size the Piggies are when they become productive as fishing bait. I start using piggies as early as possible and sometimes for more than a month after they show up at the bait shop I’m still buying both. Because of their size croaker are stronger swimmers for deeper water but the Piggies doubled up in the shallower sand pockets can be awesome fish catchers!

Let’s get down to the rigs I prefer when fishing these baits. I always use 20# fluorocarbon leader tied to the main line, I do not use a swivel because I believe it is in the way, snags more grass and is more visible. As with most live bait or lures I use a loop knot at the terminal or hook end.

Leader – Easy, I use only 20# fluorocarbon! The leader length should be about 18” give or take. It should be long enough to were the knot does not have to go through the eye when casting which prevents longer casts.

Hooks – 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 6/0 Gamakatsu or VMC Kahle hooks depending on the size of the bait.

Corks – I predominantly use Cajun Thunders. On lighter wind days the old Mansfield Mauler could be an option too. I even save old corks for those days that the Redfish don’t want a lot of sound!

Cork Colors – I always start with two primary colors, pink and chartreuse. Most of the time you will find Redfish like one and not the other and the same for Trout…however they may be hitting both or you can select the color depending on when you are fishing an area more conducive to the fish you expect to catch.

Knots – I use a line to leader knot instead of a swivel. The only time I use a swivel is when fishing the bait on the bottom using a weight because at times I need a longer casts on the calm shallow flats. I tie a loop knot at the Kahle hook for more realistic movement.

Accessories - Beads are not as important in this type of fishing but can be used. If you’re going to try beads the general rule of thumb is to start with small beads and at least one rig without a bead. Really make sure your buddy’s is fishing the bait properly before ruling out any combination! Sometimes going to a larger bead when the water is very muddy or stirred up makes a difference!

Now that the terminal gear has been laid out it's time to talk about presentation! The cast should be made in an arch and slow the bait down just before it hits the water to make a softer presentation – then allow the bait to swim to the bottom (allow 1 second for every 2 foot of water) otherwise you’ll stress the bait by having to swim against the tight line. Occasionally, especially with a third or forth cast of the same bait you might have to flick your rod tip to wake the bait up to swim down. You’ll probably notice a bird swooping down to get the bait at this point! Darn Birds! Once that bait is down where the fish are you’ll need to flick the rod tip about every 10-15 seconds, this does a combination of things 1) It gets the bait to react so you can tell how lively it is 2) It pulls the bait away from it’s prey thus enticing a strike 3) It will keep the bait from burying in the grass or shell. The flicks are more of just whipping the tip of your rod from a 10 O’clock to 12 O’clock position in a manner that only moves the bait several inches at a time (when doing this on the flats fishing sand pockets you don’t move the bait too much or you grass him up and have to recast).

Hook Set - This style of fishing requires that you feed line to the fish in a manner that he doesn’t detect tension on the line and the perfected Bass angler hook set (Bill Dancing) will lose you a lot of fish! The proper way to hold the rod and set the hook is to:

Spinning Rod

1) Hold a spinning rod at 12 O'clock with a slight bow in the line while waiting on a strike.

2) When you feel the thud of a fish drop the rod tip as the fish is taking the line, remember to keep the same slight bow in the line. If and when the fish stops running with it you must immediately (I mean immediately!) flick the rod tip back to the 12 O’clock position and be ready for it to come back, which it usually will! Sometimes you have to do this 3 or 4 times before he really swallows the Croaker or Piggy and makes the longer run.

3) Reel up to set the hook and when you feel the weight of the fish firmly lift the rod back to the 10 O’clock position.

4) Keep good pressure on the fish to get him up to the surface and into the net, Trout like to shake their heads and regurgitate the bait and if you are fishing the rigs there are a lot of snags if you let the fish stay deep.

Bait Caster

1) Hold a bait casting rod and reel at about 10 O’clock position with a slight bow in the line and be ready to free spool during the run (works better for this type of fishing).

2) When you feel the thud of a fish drop the rod tip as the fishing is taking the line keeping the same slight bow in the line. If and when the fish stops running with it you must immediately (I mean immediately!) flick the rod tip back to the 10 O’clock position and be ready for it to come back, which it usually will! Sometimes you have to do this 3 or 4 times before he really swallows the Croaker or Piggy.

3) Reel up to set the hook and when you feel the weight of the fish firmly lift the rod back to the 10 O’clock position.

4) Keep good pressure on the fish to get him up to the surface and into the net, Trout like to shake their heads and regurgitate the bait and if you are fishing the rigs there are a lot of snags if you let the fish stay deep.

Locations

I use Croaker and Piggies when fishing the bay oil rigs, deeper bay oyster reefs, outside bay islands and channels with deep water access to grass in about 3-5 foot of water. I also use these baits on the flats in many capacities such as fishing sand pockets or even right in the grass itself. In the flats on a windy day putting a Piggy 12” – 20” under a Cajun Thunder can be killer when nobody else has had a good bite, keep the bait fresh, they don’t last long casting under a cork (expensive but effective)! I even use a cork sometimes when I’m anchored up fishing pot holes and grass just for something a little different!

Special Techniques

Here are some special tips to work these baits in the areas I mentioned, after time you’ll be adding your own special touches that work for you or your fish, whatever the case may be!

Double up your small baits in the flats, it keeps them from burying in the grass.

Cut the tail on the bigger piggies in the flats so they don’t bury in the grass and they put off a sent.

When the bite is slow try varying techniques double your bait (smaller), try piggies, try croaker.

Sometimes the Redfish and Flounder love a Piggy/Croaker combo (usually smaller Piggy)!

The Piggy doesn’t have to be alive under the popping cork in the flats for Redfish…but I like’em that way.

I have caught some great fish on piggies big enough to keep the cork under while fishing in the deeper areas off the flats, especially on busy days that may have pushed the fish off the flats.

The Piggy or Croaker have to be lively has hell in the deeper bay; they also must swim toward the bottom!

After a morning of Trout fishing in the deeper bay come back to the flats to throw some of your weaker and smaller baits into pot holes for some Redfish action. This is good because they can’t bury in the grass as easy!

I never really use croaker under a popping cork but I might try it one day! Use your imagination!

In closing remember that nothing about fishing is set in stone, pay attention, vary your approach and find what works! If fishing gets slow after a couple of good catches I find that the angler gets a little pumped and not letting the fish run enough!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and remember if you don’t eat it release it and try to release all big Trout especially over 25”…get a picture it will last longer, preserve some fish for our kids!

Bay Fishing With Bait 101 Series:

Five Major Types of Fishing
Windy - Popping Cork & Shrimp
Calm Summer Mornings to Windy Afternoons – Croaker & Piggy Perch

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master)
fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy'
361.563.TUNA(8862)cell
Email: scott@fishntexas.com
Web Page: www.fishntexas.com

Jerry Yguerabide Great Black Drum Catch

2010-03-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jerry Yguerabide for winning the Drum Run tournament at Clem's Marina. He pulled in this monster 44 lbs and 43 inch Black Drum. He was using softball size crab to catch this beauty. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Bill Elias Sheepshead Catches at Port A Jetty

2010-03-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

At the Beginning of Spring Break and visiting from Peshtigo, Wisconsin, Bill Elias pulls in a nice Sheepshead at the Port A Jetty. Bill say's that using really stinky dead bait is the trick today. http://tales.justgofishin.com

YouTube Video

Mario Quiroz's Nice Sheepshead Stinger

2010-03-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

Spring Break starts off with some Sheepshead catches at the Port A Jetty. Mario Quiroz shows a nice stringer of Sheepshead caught on live shrimp.

Mike & Logan Simmang's Sheepshead Stringer

2010-03-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Not a bad way to start off this awesome weekend of Spring Break. Father and Son outing at the Port A Jetty for a little fishing. Mike & Logan Simmang visiting from Floresville TX, caught this nice stringer of Sheepshead on Live Shrimp. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Bay Fishing with Bait 101

2010-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Windy - Popping Cork and Shrimp

2nd of 5 Articles

This is the second in a series of articles written for the most bay fisherman who would like to know a little more about approaching a day of fishing on the water. Let’s imagine you are arriving at the marina on a Spring morning and the wind has been blowing since before you sat down for breakfast at that the local cafe, a solid 17 knots! Not to worry this is a typical day down on the middle Texas coastal bend, you have to learn to adjust your strategies or have an empty fish cooler at the end of the day! A couple of the most important decisions you'll make is what type of bait you decide to buy and the way you will present it to the fish. Your presentation will be decided in great part by the weather and time of year!

Shrimp and Popping cork is a great way to fish 8 or 9 months out of the year on windy days (Fall, Winter and Spring)! This style of fishing is used by only a few old school guides, it seems there is a contingent that has become opposed to teaching their customers how to cast, work the bait and set the hook…Not Me! Let me have a day of my clients casting over a day of anchoring up and casting for them! I have spent a lot of time working with the young and old alike, for example the 70 year old Yeager’s, yes the nephew of Chuck Yeager and also a war fighter pilot, were able to catch a whole bunch of fish during an afternoon half day trip this Spring. I like my customers to fish, this is a great style of fishing, even for children! There are times when the anchor up guys catch more Redfish however they haven’t let their customers touch a rod other than to hand them the rod and reel when the fish is on. Now don’t get me wrong there are days when that is productive and I’m forced into that type of routine also, however the good catch on those days are limits of Reds and a couple of Drum maybe…Shrimp and Popping cork good days are limits of Reds, near limits of Trout with maybe a huge Trout RELEASED, a couple of Drum and a ton of fish in between!

Now this is going to get the attention of any stray lure aficionados reading this, consistently successful Shrimp and Popping cork fishing is more technical than any lure I know! Here are some of the things I have learned over the years of doing one of my favorite styles of guided fishing:

Corks – I predominantly use Cajun Thunders, however on deeper reefs Rattle Corks work well. On lighter wind days the old Mansfield Mauler could be and option too. I even save old corks for those days that the Redfish don’t want a lot of sound!

Colors – I always start with two primary colors, pink and chartreuse. Most of the time you will find Redfish like one and not the other and the same for Trout…however they may be hitting both or you can select the color depending on when you are fishing an area more conducive to the fish you expect to catch.

Leader – Easy, I use only 20# fluorocarbon! The leader length when fishing the flats should be just above the grass you are drifting over, I keep varying lengths available to change on the fly. Leader lengths are increased when fishing the deeper bay which I seldom do using this style of fishing.

Hooks - #2 or #4 laser sharp trebles depending on the shrimp size. I have found smaller to medium size shrimp work better than the big ones. The larger shrimp do not work under a popping cork, you might as well save them as an appetizer with the corn battered Trout!

Knots – Use an improved clinch knot from the line to the cork. Do not use a snap swivel, it makes the cork lay over! I use a loop knot to the bottom of the cork for quick changing leader lengths and loop knots to the treble hook for more realistic movement.

Accessories - Beads are a VERY important part and sometimes not a part of the rig all together! The general rule of thumb is to start with small beads on most of the rigs and at least one rig without a bead. Really make sure your buddy’s is fishing the bait properly before ruling out any package! Sometimes going to a larger bead when the water is very muddy or stirred up makes a difference!

Now that the terminal gear has been laid out it is time to talk about presentation! The cast should be made in an arch and as the cork is floating down flip the bail on the reel over by hand to make a softer presentation – pop the cork once or twice immediately after it hits the water…did I say immediately…I meant it…I believe that is a major key to being effective! I start out the day by popping the cork (learn to pop it WITHOUT moving it toward the boat) in about 5 second intervals on windy days pop it more! Remember that even on windy days Redfish may not like a lot of popping so alternate presentation to find what works.

This style of fishing isn’t like bobber fishing for perch, so the perfected Bass angler hook set (Bill Dancing) is worthless here! The proper way to set the hook is to:

1) Hold the rod at 10 O'clock during the retrieve (only making up the line as boat drifts to the cork)

2) Drop the rod tip when the cork goes down

3) Reel up to set the hook

4) When you feel the weight of the fish firmly lift the rod back to the 10 O’clock position

If you follow the actions listed above you will get fish in the box! You'll also want to learn to stop the bait within a couple of feet if you don't feel the weight of the fish and pop the cork if it comes back to the surface, you don’t want to keep reeling the bait out of the strike zone! Remember the retrieve is a steady reeling, if you let slack get in then try to catch up you will not even come close to realizing your potential catch at the end of the day!
Article 1 reference

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master)
fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy'
361.563.TUNA(8862)cell
Email: scott@fishntexas.com
Web Page: www.fishntexas.com

Ed Jackson's Oversize Black Drum Catch

2010-03-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ed Jackson of Pittsburgh, PA caught and released this nice black drum at Clem's Marina & Pier Saturday night March 6th. He was using crab for bait. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Black Drum, 40 inches, Approx 35 lbs
Remember Ed Jackson Redfish catch at Port A Jetty of October of 2008?

Jennifer Cole's Bull Black Drum Catch

2010-03-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Cole of Canyon Lake caught and released this nice oversize black drum at Clem's Marina Pier Saturday night March 6th. This was a good fight as she held on to bring this monster in. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Black Drum, 39 inches, 29 lbs

Travis Taylor's Bull Black Drum Catches

2010-03-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

Couple of nice big fat bull black drum caught at Clem's Marina Saturday night on their pier. Travis Taylor of Canyon Lake, Texas caught and released these nice black drum monsters. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Black Drum, 38 1/2 inches, 26 lbs

Black Drum, 40 1/2 inches, 37 lbs.

Jim Fritts Oversize Black Drum Catch

2010-03-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

Very Nice Oversize Black Drum Catch at Clem's Marina by Jim Fritts. Black Drum was 39 1/2 inches and about 40 lbs. Sweet! http://tales.justgofishin.com

Baffin Bay Rodeo 2010

2010-03-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Friday night started off with BIG Fat Juicy BBQ Hamburgers for all teams entered in the 2nd Annual Baffin Bay Rodeo at Bluffs Landing. Roger Viar provided instructions for the anglers for the next couple of days.

Roger Viar's Team had Breakfast Taco's ready to go for the anglers. On a cold morning these really hit the spot! Nice touch.

Baffin Bay Rodeo began Saturday morning at dawn with a field of 45 teams going for the $15,000 prize money on the line. Weather had very favorable conditions Saturday for wade fishing. Sunday provided changing winds as they anticipated a new front on its way to the Laguna Madre.

Weigh-in Masters were Chuck Ford and Jimmy Lindsey of the Texas Parks and Wildlife. They had their hands full while trying to handle these feisty large speckled trout. Have you ever tried to get an accurate weight on a trout flippin & floppin everywhere? These guys did great!

TAMUCC Fisheries Ecology Lab

Harte Research Institute

Laura Bivins and Megan Robillard perform a simple procedure as they insert a tracking device in the belly of 10 speckled sea trout that were caught by the Baffin Bay Tournament anglers. Each fish received a green tag on its back for easy identification if caught by an angler again. The tags have printed instructions of what to do with the fish if caught. Their request is that you release the fish back to it's habitat.

These tagged speckled trout will be monitored to watch their migration and to test their mortality of the catch and release. Lots of great information available on their website at Fisheries Ecology Lab. We hope you'll take the time to learn about there great work here in the Texas Coastal Bend.

Saturday's Fishing Results:

1st: David Rowsey, John Gill, 16.12lbs
David Rowsey with Days Largest Trout, 8.12 lbs.

2nd: Robinson and Prince, 14.40lbs

3rd: Tansel Bacsi and Oktay Basci, 24.70lbs

Sunday's Fishing Results

1st: Robinson and Prince, 14.16lbs

2nd Jay Ray Watkins, Glen Hornsby, 14.00lbs

Jay Ray Watkins with Days Largest Trout, 7.66 lbs

Michael Larue and Chris Jamail, 13.38lbs

This was a great competitive fishing tournament with just a few hundreds of a point differentiating the final results of all the anglers. Just an awesome week!

2010 Baffin Bay Rodeo Champions

1st Place
Robinson and Prince, 28.56lbs

2nd Place
David Rowsey, John Gill, 28.42lbs

3rd Place
Tansel Bacsi and Oktay Basci, 24.70lbs

This years Baffin Bay Rodeo was just Awesome!!! There were some Great Competition, Great Anglers, and a great team at Bluff's Landing that really made 2010 a great year!!!

Check-out all the other Pictures JustGoFishin captured:

Friday's Captain Meeting and BBQ

Saturday Morning Launch

Saturday's Speckled Trout Catches

Sunday's Speckled Trout Catches

Baffin Bay Rodeo Winners

Thank you to many of our sponsors!

Back to Baffin Bay Rodeo Site

Baffin Bay Rodeo

2010-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Captain John Little pre-fishing the Baffin Bay Rodeo. John caught this nice 8.1 lb trout at the tail end of the day at King Ranch Shoreline. Results for the Baffin Bay Rodeo will be finalized today, February 28th, at 3:00pm. JustGoFishin will post the results and pictures online by Wednesday, March 3rd.
http://tales.justgofishin.com

Wayne Morais Great Grouper Catch

2010-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Wayne Caught this nice 70 lbs grouper offshore near Port Mansfield. This and several others nice catches were all made within a few hours. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Dave Gravelle's Redfish and Sheepshead

2010-02-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Nice 26" Redfish and large Sheepshead caught by Dave Gravelle who is visiting from Lindstrom Minnesota. Fishing on the Port A Jetty, Dave caught these beauties on ghost shrimp. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Capt Marvin Engel Trout Trip

2010-02-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

Captain Marvin Engel and buddy caught several nice speckled sea trout at Rocky Slough using 1/8oz jighead using 5" sassy shad colors Limetreuse, Pumpkin/chartreuse/white, and Texas Avocado. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Captain John Little and Roy Clark

2010-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

Captain John Little & Roy Clark last weekend in an undisclosed location Pre-Fishin the Baffin Bay Rodeo which is coming up this February 26th, 27th & 28th. Trout were about 5 to 6 lbs... probably need 7 to 8 lbs to win the Tournament.

Captain John Little

Roy Clark

Fishing Guides Day Off

2010-02-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

3 fishing guide Captains took the day off and guess what... They went fishing. Checkout these nice catches in Aransas Bay by Captain Mike Walston, Captain Ronnie Waters, and Captain Al Gordon, Very nice stringer of redfish. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Captain Mike Walston

Captain Ronnie Waters

Mike Walstom & Ronnie Waters

Captain John Little's Pig

2010-01-30T07:26:00.000-08:00

Captain John Little's Big Boar he shot Wednesday evenin. He was hangin out with 5 little piggys. Josh Clark shot one of the 40lbers and I put this 200-230lber down. Check out the shot placement on my boar!! Got him right under the ear!!! http://tales.JustGoFishin.com.

Five Major Types of Fishing

2010-01-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

I see weekend fisherman that spend a lot of time on the water not really adapting to the methods that professionals use to catch fish consistently. If you are a lure aficionado or tournament angler then this article is not for you, sorry! I see a lot of authors writing about how fast to work your chartreuse, pumpkin seed, gold flakey, curly tailed fish whackers or to find sandy, shelly, grassy flats drop offs, so I thought I’d write something most of you could really use to catch fish more consistently! I will go over the four or really five major types of fishing bait that we use as fishing guides.

The first way to fish although many guides have given up this method because it requires more effort to train the customers is shrimp and popping cork (SPC).
The Second is anchoring up and fishing the sand pockets located in the flats.
The third is anchoring up and fishing guts and isolated deep water areas locked within the flats systems.
The four and fifth way are fishing with Piggy’s (piggy perch not pin perch) and Croaker.

Now that I have described the types of fishing we choose, let me explain when we use them… this is the most important part! Wind, is the most important indicator of what method we will use. I personally pray for wind so we can use the most popular, successful and frequently engaged method, Shrimp and popping cork. SPC can be used for the longest time frame during the year! The SPC method also allows my customers more of a chance to do the fishing themselves instead of feeling all they do is reel in the fish! When the wind is blowing 15 knots or more this is the best option to catch fish! This is only an option in the Fall, Winter and Spring as the bait fish mature and others invade the flats system this methods becomes unfeasible, also the larger fish don’t seem to gobble up the shrimp as readily.

If you use the SPC method in the summer on the big bay the fish seem to range in the 14 inch and under category which will leave you hungry at the end of the day! If there is no wind, put the shrimp and popping cork aside, seriously, you’ve got to get used to fishing the sand pockets (Pot Holes) and put your time in doing it! This is a very important tip, don’t try to revert back to drift fishing with shrimp and popping cork. It will take time to have confidence to do this type of fishing but it is worth the effort because nothing is more effective on light wind or windless day. This type of fishing can be done with live mullet, cut mullet, dead shrimp, live shrimp, pin perch, piggy perch, ballyhoo or crabs.

I like to use live bait predominantly when there is little wind however I will almost always mix it up with cut bait too just to add scent to the water. You can use everything from a jig head to a Carolina rig with various weights; we also add water corks at times to get extra casting distance which is very important on the days without wind!

The next style of fishing is low tide fishing. Hopefully you’ve studied your map or taken note when you have been crossing the flats on normal days, if you did you will have areas in the back of your mind to try when these conditions present themselves. Be very careful if you don’t know the area well, maybe watch another boats entering that area and wait your turn to try it. Remember some lanes in the deeper guts in the flats system aren’t even as wide as your boat.

We use the anchor up method of fishing on these days too, however the big difference in choosing bait. Since a low tide day can either be windy or calm the way I determine my primary bait is based on this rule; windy days use any type of bait that will create a scent on calm days use live bait. The simple analysis is that windy days the water is murky and hard to see through and calm days the fish can actually see what they inhale from quite a distance!

Now the forth and fifth method are very similar and I will combine them; Piggy’s and Croaker. The reason I made them two different styles is because of the areas we use them. Croaker seem to stay effective way longer in the area north and south of Port Aransas such as the Laguna to the South and San Antonio Bay to the North. In the Rockport and Port Aransas areas Croaker mature faster to be used as bait than Piggy’s, but when Piggy’s start coming in look out! Piggy’s and Croaker are held very fondly by fishing guides because when you are on fish and the time is right you can’t find a hotter trout bait, not without saying Redfish will tare’em up too! We fish these types of bait at the rigs, grass edges off the deeper bay islands, reefs, Intercoastal waterway and sand pockets in the flats. The preferred rig is a size appropriate kahle hook tied to a 20# leader attached with a swivel or knot to the main line. The time of year we use this bait is from the about the middle of May into September, at that time the bait is predominantly too large and the schools start migrating.

Now that you know why and when we fish certain baits we can start talking about the various techniques that make a difference in presenting it to our prey, but that we have to save that for the next article! After all I do have to make some time to fish instead of write! With all kidding aside I want to spend time covering each of these methods in depth as they all have their place in our fishing arsenal! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and remember if you don’t eat it release it and try to release all big Trout. Get a picture of your catch; it will last longer, save some for the kids! Fish More, Live Longer!

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master) fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy' 361.563.TUNA(8862)cell Email: scott@fishntexas.com Web Page: www.fishntexas.com

Fishin Tales

Brent Kirkham Nice Redfish Catch

2010-01-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

Brent Kirkham shows us how to catch a nice redfish at San Antonio Bay. http://justgofishin.com

Bryson Goerges Great Redfish Catches

2010-01-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

Bryson Goerges caught some nice redfish at Mesquite Bay (1st photo) and San Antonio Bay (2nd photo). http://tales.justgofishin.com