WARNING: NO FLIES WERE USED IN THE KILLING OF THESE FISH

Was supposed to go on the camping trip with Salt of the Water but a last minute dove hunt invite had me heading for South Texas. Unfortunately, the area I was going to hunt got 4.5" of rain before I got there and the place was a slop bowl and we didn't want to risk sticking a truck to the frame. Fortunately, there was still daylight left to go fishing. I wasn't anticipating going fishing when I pointed the truck south so I had no fly gear and I was with a googan buddy so drinkin and bait chunkin it was. The tide was about 2' above normal and the reds were way back in the mangroves, but the scent of fresh cut mullet was enough to draw them out of the mangroves. Ended up keeping two limits and releasing multiple over slot reds.

As much fun as it was to relax on the front of my buddy's boat watching the sunset, enjoying a nice cold adult beverage and listening to music while I waited for one of the four rods we had setup to go off. It just wasn't the same fun and excitement as poling around, trying to be stealthy and cussing at fish and the wind as I try to get said fish to eat my arts and crafts project.

Sometimes it's okay to drink some beers and just go fishing! We frequently bring some conventional equipment on flyfishing trips just in case conditions suck and we want a meat haul. It's a bit funny as I am Mostly a catch and release fisherman for freshwater!
Sounds like a fun accidental trip.

What knot do you fellas use to tie your backing to your fly lines? Picked up a Kracken reel from Allen based on recs from posters in this thread. 20 lbs braid backing came on the reel. Have seen both albright and biminy/double biminy suggested. This is an 8 wt rod, setting it up w a Royal Wulff WFF triangle line. Are those knots overkill for this setup?

I use a double biminy....not because of strength necessarily. It makes it easy to switch out lines and flows through the guides easily.

Bimini with a loop big enough to pass a fly line spool through. It can be a pain to get a right if it's not a knot you use frequently, but if you tie it right it should last you through multiple line changes.

IMO, the double bimini would be overkill and if you've never tied it you may have issues getting both legs equal length. The benefit of it though is 20lb is on the thin side and can dig into the lining of you fly line if you ever yanked on it hard. Doubling the line could prevent this.

I do blind splices in my backing, but that's cuz I think it's cool. A single bimini with a big enough loop to fit your reel through would be my recommendation for an 8wt setup. I would just make sure you always have a tippet lighter than 20lbs so that it would break before your backing and you lose your fly line, but very very few fish that you'd catch on an 8wt will take you to the point of testing that knot.

Back in Louisiana, it was on this morning! Pics and story time later!

Ok... Wow, October in Louisiana can be awesome! Took Friday off and left Houston Thursday evening for Cameron, LA. Met my fishing partner at the hotel (yes, the only hotel) and rigged for the morning. We launched from the East side of the ship channel and headed into our fishing area. My buddy had a few phone calls to make and I fished our first stop where a small lake drains into the side channel. Two redfish on blind casts, off to a good start!

We fished a few other places but no fish moving or any luck on blind casts. We moved into a mud flat that was draining as the tide dropped and found feeding red's! We caught numerous fish that were stacked up with a tide and wind situation that we've never encountered. Here's a few pics:






The rest of the afternoon was ok but nothing like the morning!

Saturday Morning: We launched from the west side of the channel (crossed at the ferry) and explored the same mud flat but from a different approach on a higher tide (and deeper cuts). There were some mullet and other fish in the lakes but it became clear that we could carefully target some wakes/ feeding that appeared to be redfish. My fishing buddy was first to strike and landed a nice redfish with a long cast with perfect placement and well timed strips:



We caught a number of fish casting to numerous disturbances on the water as we used the trolling motor to slide in quietly (using the lowest settings: we are running a poling skiff but the mud is so deep that poling is difficult). I cast to a fish that followed my shrimp pattern (yes, one I tied) to within 2' of the boat. I watched the red eat the fly then tugged to the right (I was out of room to strip) to set the hook then all hell broke loose! My fishing partner cleared the line and the fight was on! Successfully landed this 26.5" red:



We moved again and slipped close to some tailing reds and landed a few more fish, what fun!


We caught more fish as we moved around the region but eventually the tide changed and our day was over.

On our trip, we caught 17 redfish and had 15 keepers in addition to 4 flounders. We ran out of hotel space (damn birders) and moved to Sabine lake and our luck ran out! God bless Louisiana for great habitat and generous game laws with respect to size you can keep and numbers.

LRHF

I've found with the sheeps that less is more. Smaller flies and less stripping. Once you get it in front of them, it doesn't take much movement. The two that I've hooked I didn't strip much at all. Just plopped a crab fly in front of them and let the fly do the work. Still haven't landed one yet.

I bet they are extra picky in that clear water though. Their eye sight is so dang good.

This. I take a minimalist type bonefish fly, break off any weight or bead chain, even pull longer fibers off.

Cast in front of them and move it until they see it and stop. They will eat it, crush it and spit it faster than a drum so you have to have the line tight and/or be able to see what's happening pretty well.

They've become one of my favorites over grass. Especially since I can't catch a ****ing permit.

Love your posts

Newoldarmy said:

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This. I take a minimalist type bonefish fly, break off any weight or bead chain, even pull longer fibers off.

Cast in front of them and move it until they see it and stop. They will eat it, crush it and spit it faster than a drum so you have to have the line tight and/or be able to see what's happening pretty well.

They've become one of my favorites over grass. Especially since I can't catch a ****ing permit.

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Yep! I have caught more bonefish with small borski sliders than any other fly I have placed in front of them. I also like tying a variation of 239's redfish ritalin on a smaller hook, has worked very well for early spring redfish when they just start pushing back into the upper coast on the grass flats and the Feb sheepy spawn.

Thanks for the tips! I have some really small bonefish bitters that sheepies have turned down, but I haven't tried sliders or the drop technique. I'm glad you mentioned that retrieve bc it's the exact opposite of what I normally do.

I'll be in Marathon this week and there's usually some spadefish and blue & stoplight parrotfish lurking around. Any ideas for these guys?

I've thrown at spades offshore before. Not much luck. Let me know if you have any luck with them. They're numerous around the close rigs in TX.

Noticed some of you have made the Holbox trip. We will be doing a bit of deep sea fishing and may try our hands at tarpon, but mostly just wanted a recommendation for where to stay for a couple.

Have scoured the websites and am leaning towards Mawibi. We like smaller places right on the beach with beach bar service, which is mostly what we do in vacation. Plus ability to easily get to different places for dinner (Holbox seems like a rustic version of Tulum, which we love).

Mawibi looks decent but not exactly upscale. Doesn't seem like much there is though...

We love Mawimbi. Great setting, nice people, good food.

Casa Tortugas next door is nice and has a pool.

There are some very nice places down the beach. Casa Barbara isn't too far down and offers more amenities.

If you like Tulum, Mawimbi is probably about right. Owners are good folks and the guys at the bar will set up the coffee pot for you to just turn on for early fishing trips.


Edit: let me know if you want a day with Darwin for tarpon and I'll connect you guys.

Thanks! Due to availability looks like we might do a few nights at Tortugas and then the rest at Mawimbi.

Have any recommendation for someone to take us out for bigger fish? Is it similar to the east side where you don't have to go very far off shore? We caught some great fish off of Tulum.

For Tarpon how will it be in April?

Good reports! That's a stud sheep. What'd it take?

To my knowledge, Holbox is not known for deep sea fishing. I've seen a television show about fishing a wreck way out there for amberjack, but I've never done it or seen anyone there doing it.

It's in the Gulf and the slope there is incredibly slight. I tarpon fish sometimes 8 or 10 miles out and it's only 20 feet deep and sand bottomed more than rock or reef. Hell, you can see the rocks out there sometimes.

The big fishery there is tarpon in relatively shallow water. There are also a hell of a lot of speckled trout. That always surprises people when I ask if they want to go catch some. We also catch a lot of mutton snapper, but that's in 6 or 8 feet of water.

Carmelo at Mawimbi supplies the restaurant there with fish by spearfishing and brings in a lot of large black grouper.

Otherwise, you really have to go around to at least Isla Blanca to find sails, dorado, etc.

It hit a baitfish pattern we were using for snook (don't know the exact pattern). A couple of followers and only one taker. I've caught 2 others this year in Texas on shrimp patterns.

Only if NW80 pays that disturbing the peace citation he got for grabassing the waitress at the Windjammer. He may not get invited back.

I'm just glad Salt of the Water was there to hold his beard back when he got sick.

sunchaser said:

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You are talking about a guy who proudly wears a "I Laid A Local in Port Aransas" T shirt around town. The last time I saw him it looked like he was keeping score on the back with Sharpie hash marks.

There weren't that many marks......maybe it was keeper reds.

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Grade A **** talk like that is what makes the OB the best board on Texags. Even after all the harrumphing this week.

Now y'all quit ragging on the Doc. I want somebody competent to be there to pull the flies out of my back after I push you around on the skiff all day.

Congrats, nice fish. Harris is a great dude, looks like y'all had a blast.

Aggielax1 said:

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Congrats, nice fish. Harris is a great dude, looks like y'all had a blast.

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Harris is a superb dude. Him and I have been friends for quite a while.

Any of y'all have Santa's hotline number? I have a last minute addition to my list.



https://www.microskiff.com/threads/98-whipray.59098/

No RamLin?

WNB

FYI - Orvis Access salt and fresh is 60% off.

It's not the inaugural 4th annual OB Port Mansfield fly fishing trip as hosted by CP90... but I'm doing a skiff camping trip on April 6th. Any of y'all who want to come by are more than welcome to drop in for a beer or bring a tent and camp for the night.

I'll be beach camping the mouth of the San Bernard River via skiff. It's only accessible by boat, and has plenty of firewood for a good bonfire. Protected little cove to anchor up in. Short ride from the public ramp at the end of FM 2918 Brazoria, TX.

If weather cooperates I'll be poling the marshes in the area. If it's blown out I'll probably set up some surf rods and chill at the beach.

Salt of the water said:

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It's not the inaugural 4th annual OB Port Mansfield fly fishing trip as hosted by CP90...

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