February 26, 2006 — Lady Luck or Humble Pie?
We hosted our good friends from the 4 F Fishing Club this past weekend. These nineteen anglers are some of the best Hardcore Fishermen we host during the year. You can only guess how excited myself and our guides were as we were about to go fishing with such accomplished anglers. After one of MOMMA Getaways breakfast, it was load-up and let’s get fishing.
Having been on GOOD fish the last three weeks in, around and during our fronts, I left the dock pumped up. Naturally I headed to my most productive area first, everyone bailed out and we started a slow wade, all four of us were using top waters and soft plastics. We or should I say (I) couldn’t get it going. My three anglers managed a few keeper trout for their trout points but no Big Girls. After the first two wades my guys said keep at it Capt. We are with you!!!!!! On my return to the boat following our third wade I did managed to catch a 27” plus 5 ¼ on the boga grip. WRONG ANGLER!!! Too far for a photo from the others. Can’t blame anyone but yours truly.
With time running low and the approach of howling north winds, I said we need your reds so we need to move just a little. About the time we got set up at our 4th wading point the norther hit. Again Lady Luck shined on me as it did not take them long to get their reds even though they were not the big headed ones we needed. We made two other short wades on the way back to Port. At the weigh-in it was Capt’s. Ted and Brandon with big trout and red respectively. At mid point in the event two of my guys were in 3 and 5 respectively, BUT not to far back in weight that we couldn’t play catch-up Sunday.
Again, after breakfast, it was lets get’er done. Back to my best area. It seems every move I made was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!! With our strong north winds the water was falling out of a slough so I set my guys up to wade the first break line at the mouth of the slough, thinking all the while the reds and trout would pull out with the falling water and hold at the first break.
What happens? Capt. Frank sets up parallel to us but 3 to 4 deep, we get NOTHING and his guy’s wack-em. Right time wrong place. This scenario continued ALL DAY for me. What a BIG disappointment to have not only good anglers but great friends and you can’t figure it out. At the weigh-in that afternoon it was Capt. Frank the Big Dog. His group took big trout and red for the event.
By this report, you can tell it was a mixed pattern with some fish on top water and some on soft plastic. Most fish were caught in 2 to 4 feet on soft plastic. Roach/chartreuse plastics and smaller top waters, fish were staging in and near sand and gravel pockets in grass beds. They may be making their transition in preparation for warming weather and spawning. Some fish showed signs of eggs. As soon as my guys e-mail photos I will get them posted.
Foot note don’t forget to sign-up for the Port Mansfield Fishing Forum. You have until midnight the 1st, to maybe win one of our rods with a Supreme reel. Ask any of our guests about this combo.
ONE LAST NOTE: I know some of you have heard this expression from me before and this is an appropriate time to publish its wording.
A BAD OF FISHING BEATS A GOOD DAY AT WORK!!! EXCEPT IF YOU’RE A GUIDE, THEN IT “REALLY SUXXXXXXXXXXX’.
