Corpusfishing.com

[Prof. Salt]

Times are achangin' lately out on the flats. sea grasses are growing fast and tide levels were high on Saturday. A weedless jig is working pretty well, but it still requires frequent cleaning of that mossy green algae that popped up all across the shallows. I started in my usual area and worked the shore on my way towards the top of the lakes. There were fish working, and as long as I didn't get in a hurry, moving in close was pretty easy. I stopped at a little drain to check for fish and saw a group heading across the mouth toward me. I put the bait just ahead of a fish heading my way and he ate like he was hungry. A few hundred yards later I was approaching another little drain and sure enough, there was a fish working the grass edge. This one was hungry too, and the sun wasn't even above the horizon yet. Fifty yards down the shoreline I located another feeding fish, and with a limit of reds on board I began to search for black drum. At the back of one pocket I had a back and tail suddenly break the surface less than 20 feet away. Both feet eased into the water to hold me still, and I readied the rod and just sat still and waited. Sure enough, the tail came up again and I placed the bait two feet beyond the fish and just ahead. A very slow creep on the bottom brought a hard thump, and we were hooked up. Sadly, just before I could get my buddy into the net he pulled the hook. I decided to rush across the bay to check another lake system that I had not been into in over a year. It was three miles over but I hurried along to arrive before the bite died out. When I got there water levels were good, and water was rushing into the lake, making the scenario of feeding fish likely. That was my mental state anyway - but the fish were not around the mouth of the lake. I saw a group of horses grazing up along the edges of the marsh, but the only reds I found in the entire lake were sleeping (until I put the kayak over them and they left me mud-biol strings on the way out). I spent the rest of the morning exploring the edge of the river and a long connecting ditch that offers some protection from the winds that had come up. I was dragging a pair of paddle tails, and as I passed a little mesquite tree on the edge of the water I noticed a gator below it. I greeted him and kept moving as the gator looked uncomfortable with the attention. It was a little brown 6-footer and kind of cute. Just as my baits passed that little tree, a trout struck and I stopped paddling to reel in the fish. The head wind pushed be backward toward the little gator and the other line wrapped around the rudder. I released the trout and turned my attention to the other line. It was hopelessly wrapped, so I slipped out to stand in the mud and clear the line. I quick glance toward the tree confirmed that my little buddy had disappeared, but the lizard was small enough I knew it wouldn't be heading over to investigate. I got the line cleared and re-tied after cutting out the abraded line. Now the winds had come up above 20 and it was a two mile push right into the wind to get back to the truck. Oof. I got back and filleted fish just before the bottom fell out of the clouds. It was a nice but breezy 14 miles of paddling and I had dinner sorted and felt good.


The camera makes it look brighter than it was, but you can tell it had a hard time taking a sharp photo in low light.


Getting brighter and the sun is almost up.


I flipped the fish to show a missing eyeball. Making light of the moment seemed to draw a response.


Bad karma? Water on the lens is not my favorite thing and seems to follow me around on the wet kayak.


Thunderstorm building ahead of me and blowing my way meant it was time to get out of this ditch, put my head down and paddle across the open bay.

[awesum]

Cool Glenn. Do you ever throw TSL weedless/weightless? Reds love the Grasswalker.

[Prof. Salt]

Good suggestion - I have some of them. Usually I stick to the Z-man because it lands so softly and doesn't spook the fish. With all the new grasses I need to rig one and just work on soft landings because it would get through the thick stuff a lot better.

[kweber]

is that near the Joe Fulton truck rd?
_________________
the creepy uncle that scares the kids....

[Prof. Salt]

[ziacatcher]

I fished various spots up here in northern New Mexico. Been catching rainbows, browns and brook trout so far. I have fished several different areas of the Rio Grande, also the chama River, Hopewell lake, which is about 9,500 ft above sea level. Also took a drive over to the Valles Caldera this week, which is an extinct volcanic crater with several creeks running through it. Picked up some browns over there using flies. This coming week I'm going to be fishing the Red River, Eagle Nest lake and some rivers and ponds around Questa New Mexico. Here are some scenic pics of where I've been.

[kweber]

[ziacatcher]

Sorry Glenn for putting that on your post. I was trying to create a new one and it came up here. I tried to delete it twice and it didn't happen. Sorry again.

[Prof. Salt]

[Prof. Salt]