Corpusfishing.com

[Prof. Salt]

After Friday night's easy success, I left the gear and kayak in the truck for a rematch the next morning. On the drive to Copano I noticed the red "battery" light lit up on my dash. The battery was not very old, and I wondered if the new faint noise my truck had started making a few weeks ago was the alternator going out. I could turn around or just go fish and hope the truck would fire up afterward. I'm a pretty simple guy so I headed on to the bay and said a little prayer. I parked at my old launch site where the truck would be visible from the road and give me a better chance at getting a jump if needed later on. I paddled off into the darkness toward my tailing lakes. As I got to the lakes, I passed quietly through the tailing areas, working toward the back of the last lake. It was nearly high tide, and I figured fish should be at the back of lakes looking for food in the newly accessible areas. I spotted the white light of another kayak across where I intended to begin circling the lake, so I decided to work it in the opposite direction. By the time I got to his location he would have probably moved or we would pass in opposite directions along the shore somewhere. I was nearly all the way back when I began to spot fish. They were quietly working, with barely a visible sign - but if I watched carefully and kept the noise down signs were there. Near a little drain I spotted a suspicious faint wake. It was a red crawling submerged, but his back was barely covered by water and I could see the faintest wake. I waited what seemed like forever for the fish to close the distance before gently placing the Trick Shot ahead. He surged ahead and smashed it, and took off for deeper water. This fish couldn't manage to strip much line, and I quickly had the 20" fish in the net. As I released it I spotted another wake a little farther back. Slow pushing allowed me to drag the kayak closer without alerting the next buddy. I got the lure ahead of the fish and it played along with another thump and run. This fish measured 22 but was released. I was placing my bet on larger fish coming around later. As I worked around the last two coves on the windier side of the lake, I managed to catch half a dozen lower to mid-slot fish. I kept one 24-incher since I still had not managed to find any large reds. I completed the circle of the large lake without any more takers. When I got near where the other kayak had been parked in the pre-dawn darkness he was already gone. Maybe he had found fish and already caught what he was looking for. I continued into the next lake, finding no tailers yet. So before heading to the last tailing area I took a side trip behind a long shore that would allow me to slow down and look for drum or reds while I waited for the tailing activity to start up. As I was working along the protected shoreline and waiting, I spotted birds across the grass in the tailing target area. It was clear that they were on fish, so I put the paddle into high gear and headed around to the area. As I got close, I could see the tails under the birds, but I also spotted a small group much closer. Not one to turn down prefectly good feeding behavior, I stopped upwind of the close fish and put a lure beyond the fish. As I worked it back through them one struck and broke up the school ...but he totally missed the lure. I pulled the crawfish in and it was missing both claws. When most people see a Z-Man Craw their first comment is that the first fish to bite will rip off the claws. Well after catching literally hundreds of redfish and drum, this was the first time I had a fish remove one (or both) of its claws. Another pair of fish showed up within range and I tossed the green weenie looking clawless craw into the tails and got no takers. I pitched it again with the same result. Alright fine, you picky fish. I switched out the torn lure for a fresh one that had all it's "defensive gear" and immediately got a hit from one of the fish. Once this fish was secured in the box I headed to the larger school that still had birds marking it for me. There were lots of large tails here, so I waited for the big ones to show themselves. The lure landed just beyond the big dark tails and I twitched it. Boom! A big red tore across the flat ripping drag from the little Vanford giving that lovely muted metallic clicking sound as line left the reel. I got this toad in and knew without using the measuring board it was oversized and destined for release. The school was still working, and had turned back in my direction so I pitched the bait again and caught a 27" fish that wanted to check out that new insulated box. Wish granted my friend. I caught several more fish but all seemed to be larger than allowed, so when the action died off I turned back to the truck with only two fish in the box. Before I got back to the launch, I surned aside to check that new little lake. As I got in it was clear the water was higher than yesterday, and I wasn't sure if fish would be visible ...until I looked farther back in the open area. Two lovely dark tails were waving to me as the fish worked through a grassy patch. I got close and lost the tails for a minute. Soon enough they popped back up a few feet from where I had lost them. One cast was all it took to collect a perfect 27" fish and finish a limit. It was time to head home and be a bit more responsible. Thankfully the truck fired right up, and I got home and cleaned all the gear before removing the alternator. At the parts house I was reminded that it's not 1985 anymore and that parts are expensive. A rebuilt alternator ran me $259 WITH the core discount. Oh well, I got it into the truck and my old baby was tired of not being charged for a while. It turned over slowly but fired. No more of that faint whining sound was heard and the battery light was out. Success! Now its off to work and waiting impatiently for the next chance to chase some fish...

[awesum]

Staying on 'em.