Corpusfishing.com

Smack_8080 · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 8:03 am Post subject: Packery Flats Question

What's the best way to fish for reds and specks when fishing from a kayak in the flats? Do you pretty much just have to sight cast for reds using lures or is there another way when using live bait?

Yesterday I went kayak fishing for the first time and we went to the flats. Saw a lot of splashing and a few times I think I saw red fish tailing. Threw around one lure and didn't have much luck. Everyone was out of live shrimp so we bought live croaker instead. The croaker were pretty big. We didn't try free lining them. I had mine on a float and didn't have any luck. But it could have been because I was throwing my float directly where I saw a fish splash... Probably was scaring them away.

I'm not even sure if we were in the right place. The water was 1 to 2 feet deep in most of the area. When we'd paddle away from the grass lines it would get at most about four feet deep.

Yup, we were just a couple of newbies paddling around in Kayaks. Lol, I didn't know paddling a kayak took so much effort. My arms are kind of sore today. Kind of got extra tired because we had no idea how to fish in the flats so we kind of spent a lot of time paddling around in a big circle. It was a learning experience. Look forward to trying it again!

injured reserve · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 8:39 am Post subject:

i would say a new penny gulp would be your best bet if u see a tailing red fish or black drum just throw it in front of them and u can either pop to him or let it sit there they will pick it up. a weedless gold spoon and some top waters are also good choices.
_________________
just sayin

ziacatcher · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:33 am Post subject:

In water that shallow I like to hook up an eel type bait both weedless/weightless and cast in front of the fish. Twitch,twitch and let it sink slowly.

OneMoreCast88 · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:37 pm Post subject:

The flats are a great place to catch fish, you can catch plenty of fish in 2 feet of water and as well as the "drop" to 4 ft or so. Sight casting works best but sometimes its hard to see the fish sitting so low, so just fan out your cast as you drift with the current.

If the long paddle turns you off you can (if you have 2 trucks), have a launch truck and park the other truck were you plan on landing to pick up the yaks. Just do some research on google maps and you can make a nice fishing plan and not have to worry about paddling against the wind.

As far as bait and lures go, I always go lures over bait on the yak. Lures are much more convenient and you dont have to worry about finding bait then keeping it alive. Gulps are a good beginner lure and the "new penny" color seems to be one of the more popular ones. If you have never used/seen them they work remarkably well and you should hook up on some fish.

Good luck

Rzrbak · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:10 am Post subject:

I have also tried the gulp crab... works good sometimes.... Very Happy

Bobby

FoldCatOne · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:41 am Post subject:

"If the long paddle turns you off you can (if you have 2 trucks), have a launch truck and park the other truck were you plan on landing to pick up the yaks. Just do some research on google maps and you can make a nice fishing plan and not have to worry about paddling against the wind."

That way you double your chances of having your vehicle broken into. Call me a pessimist, but the crime situation is totally out of control these days. i keep my vehicle parked within sight or I leave it at the piers on the Navy Base. I like my truck too much to do otherwise.

Smack_8080 · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the great advice! I will definitely have to pick up a pack of the Gulf lures in the new penny color to try out! Maybe my luck with lures will finally turn around.

OneMoreCast88, we only have one truck so the two truck idea isn't really an option for us as this point. Though, I totally understand what you mean and think it would work out if we were planning on paddling out pretty far from the truck.

FoldCatOne, I understand your concerns with someone possibly breaking into your truck. If we ever did the two truck idea we wouldn't leave either of the trucks in a remote area. I'm sure OneMoreCast88 meant to leave the two vehicles in a pretty safe location and not out in the boonies. People have gotten their vehicles broken into at the mall in Corpus so I guess it's just a chance you have to take.

This past weekend when we went we put the kayaks in the water at the packery channel boat launch and left the truck parked with all the other trucks that had put boats in the water. We couldn't watch the truck when we were out fishing but we felt like it was in a pretty safe area.

FoldCatOne · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:20 pm Post subject:

"pretty safe location and not out in the boonies"

Where you leave your trucks would I would think much more dependent upon which direction the current is running and which direction the wind is blowing.

My kayak has a hole that I run a cable and lock through and when I park, even to go and relieve myself the kayak is locked into the bed of my truck. I have seen too many reports on this board and other boards of rods and kayaks being stolen out of peoples yards, even from behind fences in broad daylight. If I were to leave a truck unattended anywhere in the CC area (any area for that matter) it would be an old beater POS. The side windows would be left rolled down as to not be broken - no radio, nothing to steal left in it. I have a 1996 Isuzu Hombre in the yard that almost qualifies. Come to think of it.....I wonder if it would make it to Corpus - leave it in the storage yard at NAS - too bad it's not 4 wd.