Corpusfishing.com

[Neumie]

Monday morning we went back to East Flats for a couple reasons. Wind was one (although it didn't do what it was forecast to do), Dale's shoulder was slightly bothering him so that first flat is an easy paddle to get to, and we wanted show the spot to Lou. It was quite the plastic navy at the boat ramp that morning as eight of us launched; Nina, DeWitt, Dale, Witt, William, Ron, Lou, and myself lined up.



As we paddled out Dale, Nina, Ron, and Lou went to the first flat. William, Whit, and myself went to the other side of Pelone Island. Not sure where DeWitt started. Witt and I set up for some drifts into Pelone Island with the NW wind. A handful of blow ups on topwater were all I could muster. As Witt and I were setting up for a drift, something caught Witt's eye; a large hog swimming across the flat.



We convened shortly after the hog and Witt and I made a plan. The winds were light so I wanted to go check out a spot to the south toward Flato Cut. He reluctantly decided to make the long paddle west towards the Mustang point.

Really not a lot to write about this day other than Whit and I covered a ton of water. I did manage to string up a trout and red, but it was slim pickings today. Ron, Lou, Nina, and Dale never left the first flat mainly concentrating on fishing the channel/drain on the south of the flat working a falling tide. It paid off for Ron and he nailed two 20+ inch trout. Lou got a good eating sized slot red drifting the flat as the sun was higher. My sister strung up a trout as well.

This day was more about the evening. The group spent the evening back at the cabin where did a shrimp boil, built a fire, enjoyed some libations, and smoked cigars. Easily the best evening of the trip with a great group of friends.













Meteorological Observations
Time: 7:15 am - 2:30 pm
Air Temp: 70 F - 78 F
Wind: 2-10 kn NW - ENE (gusting 10+)
Barometric Pressure: 1020 mb (slightly rising)
Sky: Sunny
Water Clarity: 3 ft
Water Temp: 81 F
Structure: Grass with Sand Potholes and scattered Oyster

Solunar
Sunrise/set: 7:23 am/7:09 pm
Moonrise/set: 9:39 pm/10:32 am
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (86.5 %)

Predicted Tides @ Port Aransas (MLLW)
Low @ 12:54 am (0.78 ft)
High @ 4:05 am (0.85 ft)
Low @ 11:54 am (0.15 ft)
High @ 9:27 pm (0.91 ft)

Lures
Silver Mullet Spook Jr.
Pink/Chrome Spook Jr.
Dealer's Choice GrassWalker
Dealer's Choice Burner Shad
Dealer's Choice Cocahoe
Tackle Box

Fish
Trout: 4 Keepers, Several Dinks
Reds: 2 Slotters, Couple Rats

[bulldog1935]

thanks Josh, perfect reports as always, and thanks more for the really fun photos of a glorious feast.
I wrote this report on Tuesday while y'all were on Estes, copied from FFR.

I was originally invited to join my friends Josh and Whit in Josh's annual Redfish Rodeo, 5 days kayak fishing different flats in driving distance from his family's cabins on Copano Bay. My buddy Steve ramrodded a Palm Harbor trip the week before. Our tides were better than Josh's - he had neek tides the whole week, with tide movements at odd hours (unless you want to fish in the dark), I certainly didn't want to miss Estes, so I bowed out of the Rodeo.
With one exception - Monday's falling tide beginning at 4am was steep, with good fishing from first light to noon, the NE wind was perfect for Trout Bayou, and even the noon shift to E wind would push you home.

With my gear cleaned and staged from last week, Monday's tide was nagging me.
I told Lou I was going to see if Josh's invite still had room for me Sunday and Monday night - Lou had way too much work to play. That lasted about 12 hours and Lou wanted in, so we got our favorite fishing shack in Estes for those two nights.

All our free time was spent at Josh's family plot on Copano bluff - reveling, feasting, Whit's fabled ceviche, smoking cigars, top-shelf bourbons, and a big shrimp boil Monday night.
Whit and I go back 20 years - he's fished with both my dad and my daughter - so it was wonderful to catch up. Sorry, I didn't even take the camera out of the truck at Copano, but maybe Josh will post some of his photos on his TKF reports, and I'll borrow a couple later...

Josh somehow thought he put me out by picking East Flats instead of Estes for Monday. Shoot me in the foot Josh, I love East Flats.

Lou and I were 16 miles closer to the Port Aransas ferry, we hit it at 6:11 am, and were rigged and parked when the rest of the group arrived at Island Moorings Marina.



As always, Lou was the first one paddling



When Josh's sister Nina took off, I joined her and Lou - we were off first into the million-dollar canals.
We followed Nina through the first cut onto East Flats.

Josh and the others took the long way around Pelone Island, and fishing the cuts into the channel on the sharp falling tide was a good call.
Whit went all the way to the far end of East Flats Lake - had a great paddle, but was shut out of slot fish. We heard they all were catching small fish on topwaters.
I had a YoZuri wake bait rigged on my Legend Glass spinner, but after a couple of casts, decided we started too late to use it.

While I wanted to show Lou the Lake, I thought it would be dead on the falling tide, really wanted to fish this flat, and the structure turned out to be perfect on the falling tide and NE wind.
This is Lou and our new Cajun best buddy Dale against the lee side of Pelone Island.



Drifting from the island hit remarkably clear grass. The best redfish were in this water - my morning began with a redfish with shoulders following my red TSL grasswalker to the boat, but didn't eat.
Here was my best, 2" short of slot.



The first shelf was a little deeper and the water picked up turbidity. Here, every cast brought a half-dozen hits, and I've never seen so many 6-12" trout anywhere. I fished the 1/8-oz Texas Eye jigheads on my ML bait rod and had a blast.
The second shelf dropped to where you couldn't see grass in the deeper turbid water. For the deeper water, went to my reliable cocahoe on 1/4-oz Stazo jighead with double hook, rigged on my IM6 MM bait rod.
Here, I got a fish to make my day, a 23" trout.


From here, it was paddle back to the island and repeat the drill, making a zig-zag up the island and slowly moving toward the lake.
Fish the ML and switch to the MM when I couldn't see the grass.
Another drift I was blown away by this 24-1/2" trout. She tailstanded the whole time, shaking her head, and at my boat, slammed her head against my hull 3 or 4 times.
Holy cow, what a trout.


On our last drift, Lou got a keeper red on TSL grasswalker chicken-on-a-chain, a lure that has been good to him. .



The wind and tide movement both died at noon, Lou and I bowed out with Nina and Dale. Nina took our fish in her iced fish bag, so I could fillet them later at the cabin, also great for the long ferry wait and long drive.



By the time we got to the ramp, the others had called it, as well, and Josh called us looking for Dewitt - I think they finally found him.



Josh brought home a very nice red and trout.
The shrimp boil, corn, potatoes, andouille, blue crabs and shrimp was a feast.
Dale taught a seminar on how to shuck a crab and get out one big piece of meat - also which fat to eat on your way in.
From my four trout fillets, one fillet alone was a huge meal of fish tacos last night.

[BayFly]

Looks like another fun trip with your friends! Like you, I love the East Flats, but I've never fished it in a kayak, always a bay boat. I'll have to plan on taking the kayaks next time. My wife is generally my fishing partner and I'm sure she would enjoy that area in a kayak.
Question for you on the night at Copano Bay, how were the mosquitos? Although I've spent many nights at a cabin near Baffin Bay and out on the pier and not been bothered by mosquitos, but it seems in a residential area there always seems to be a lot of mosquitos at night. Does the fire pit help at all?

[bulldog1935]

as long as the wind was up, the mosquitoes were no problem.
Of course in the scrub on the other side of the cabins, the mosquitoes were always a problem.
This is on the bluff above the bay on Live Oak Peninsula, and probably a lot less residential than you're imagining.





When the wind laid a bit on the bluff, we fired up the fire pit and that was certainly enough. Throw in a few cigars for gravy.



we've seen people mother-ship their kayaks on power boat into East Flats, anchor and paddle the lake.
If I was doing that, though I'd go to the St. Jo lakes.

[Neumie]

[Tyler]

Thanks for the great report, Josh!
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[BayFly]

[Neumie]

[bulldog1935]

that's funny - same things in my truck door pocket (and add a metal Cigar Savor) - the Off and the sunscreen began with kids
Used to carry a backpack with towels full time, but now they're grown.