Corpusfishing.com

A_A · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 9

I frequently rely on reports like these from others, so I figured its time for me to start giving back a little bit with a thorough report.

Surf, weather, and driving conditions were about as good as they can get. I witnessed about a 38" bull red being pulled up on the beach at about the 11 while I was driving. Water was almost crystal clear.

Birds were absolutely destroying the first gut from the sticks until around the 15. Finger mullet were as thick as I've ever seen them, constant streams of them in wade gut. I can verify that this was the case from the 10-upper 20's

I camped around the 25 and set up at about noon on the 4th. I set up my large cooler and aerator for mullet and got around 50 finger mullet in a few throws.

Something bothered me though, as I walked out in the first gut i saw a large bull red red cruising towards me...and I ended up bumping him with my foot before he swam off. I saw another bull and ended up sight flipping, like bass-fishing style, and finally he bit on a live mullet after a couple casts. I hooked him and he ran for about 8ft and then basically went unconscious. I immediately unhooked him and walked him out to the 2nd gut and he acted completely exhausted like a shark after an hour-plus fight, He swam off, but he wasn't right at all.

I went back to my cooler to start baiting close rods and found all of the finger mullet completely dead on the bottom of the cooler...in less than 15 minutes. I changed out water and mullet 3 times before I accepted the fact that the water was not in good shape. I ended up cast netting mullet as I needed them because they would almost immediately die. I feel like I need to mention that this is the same cooler aerator setup that I regularly keep mullet alive for 2-3 days in.

The first gut was deep and as I pulled up the cast net on one of my throws, I literally got light-headed in a couple breaths and was coughing for about 20 seconds straight. That was the first wave of red tide aerosol's coming through. There were three more really bad waves between then and I went to bed at midnight. They were bad enough that I started to break camp twice in emergency fashion...only to have it completely subside within 20-30 minutes.

Another thing to add is that there was a wicked south-moving current ripping at 2-3 knots almost the whole time I was there. If you stood still in the water for more than 20 seconds, or so, you'd be up to your ankles in sand....slowly being buried. I long dropped a large blue fish shark bait around 7-800 yards out and paddled back to find the 50w full of braid almost spooled just from the current. This same bait soaked about 5 hours and got picked up by a very heavy, wide-head shaking shark at around 9:30pm. I got impatient 30 minutes into the fight and leaned into him too hard with too much drag and a full harness...and pulled the hook. I had a feeling the hook didn't set that well anyways (long story)

I never did see a single predatory fish going after mullet the entire time I was there, it was eerily quiet in the 1st and 2nd guts. A few large, fresh dead birds floated up on shore...also I woke up to a little dead bird a few feet away from me that wasn't there the night before. The whiting might be a good sign of water health, I noticed thousands of them on the 1st bar for a few hours out of the trip and not a single one the rest of the time.

The wind shifted out of the straight north to northwest early on the morning of the 5th, which it was never supposed to do, and the rotten carcass smell coming from the high-road/dunes was very similar to fertilizer, wet dog food, and a port-a-potty...all mixed together. It was awful. On the plus side, I was able to keep mullet alive after the wind shift, but it's unknown if it was actually related to the wind shift.

I ended the quick trip with an amazing sunrise, a couple 5' blacktips caught on the back of the 2nd gut, a giant blue fish, and two zombie bull reds...and, undoubtedly, the largest shark I have yet to hook up with laughing at me way beyond the 3rd gut. My opinion is that the first 150-200 yards of water has problems...nothing seemed normal in that range. I'm betting someone from the sticks to the 15mm might have a different report.

So...when they take water samples, think of it like the spot checks that they are. Red tide moves in patches and with a 2-3 knot current you get a whole new world every few minutes. As I type this, my throat and lungs are still burning a bit, like I inhaled vodka...not that I've inhaled vodka before.

Side note: I witnessed a near-new Toyota Yaris at the 20 redlining his motor, going about 15mph with all sorts of broken stuff hanging down underneath the car...with a drive wheel buried in the sand and what was left of a flat tire hanging on by half a bead. His windows were down and music was up...you, my man, are a true rock star in my books.

Bloodhound · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 9:23 pm Post subject:

That's a heck of a report, AA. I appreciate it. I'm planning to fish Mustang Island SP Thursday and Friday morning. The water is better there from what I've read.

FishingFool46TilliDie · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 5:54 am Post subject:

TFTR and pics...Great job.
Water sure looks awesome Cool

Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:40 am Post subject:

A_A:

Welcome to the Red Tide Club. As many here can attest, especially Capt. Billy, the more you get exposed to it, the more sensitive you become to it. I am basically a harbinger for it now, as the slightest amount of aerosols get picked up by my well-worn nose and sinuses.

Nice report for a first timer. Excellent pictures. The 'zombie' fish activity is very indicative of behavior just before they succumb. I've been in places where you could walk along in shin-deep water and pick up fish that are just bouncing along the bottom, right-side-up. This isn't the worst outbreak I can remember, but it can certainly go away anytime it likes, thank you very much. Cool

CS

nacskins · Horse Mullet Joined: 14 Aug 2015 Posts: 100

Ty for the update

deputydawg · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:06 am Post subject:

Good report and great pictures! Thanks for posting!

RiPPin LiPS · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:15 am Post subject:

What a beautiful sunrise!!!! TFTR
_________________
Come out & gig some flounder with Straight to The Point Guide Service!! http://floundergiggin.com/ for more info

"While everyone else is asleep, we're out giggin em DEEP"!!

Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 3974

A_A · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 9

Had a friend just tell me that PINS updated their Facebook page reflecting the report I gave them and that the 15mm was, indeed, the beginning of the problem water after new water tests done yesterday. Sad news.

poco bueno · Pony Mullet Joined: 09 Apr 2013 Posts: 87

Sounds like my north bound current theory could be taking shape. I asked on another thread if that the current would shift heading north like normal if the red tide would follow. Thats not good for the upcoming tournament.

Ray

A_A · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 9

rebelsportsman · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 7:16 am Post subject:

really good report. thanks
_________________
redneck and proud of it.
Reel Rednecks fishing team.

jeff89 · Horse Mullet Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 183

justletmein · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:22 am Post subject:

Great report, thanks!
_________________
JJ