May 12, 2006 — They Jumping in the Boat, or HOLY CRAP

The fish called; 'They want their lips back.”  To say we caught a few fish this week, would be like saying Ernest Hemingway wrote a few books.  As my dear friend's cajun uncle would say, “They were jumping in da boat!”

As all good fishing stories begin, the adventure starts with a phone call.  When Scott called to book he said, “Brandon, I need to show a couple of clients a good time. Can we do that?”

“Sure,” I said.

The next words out of his mouth were quietly, “Do you think we can do some combat fly fishing”

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Top our conversation with my best fishing buddy and friend, a few of the nicest folks I have ever met, and Scott 🙂 and a special shrimp season in Texas state waters it was on!  Although I can always, ok usually, find fish offshore to tug a fly line, I made the mistake of finding a number of huge schools of monster jacks.  See the pictures above it you don't believe me.  On the first day, we caught 11 jacks in the 20+# class, tons of Bonito in double digit weight range.  Actually, the first time in Texas I have gotten into a school of Bonito this large.  The numbers are here but the size is usually in the 5 to 8 pound range…not these guys, all in the 10+ range.  We also caught a couple of sharks and lost a very large something we never saw!  The second day we did not catch as many fish but we hooked just as many.  I think we ended up boating 6 jacks and 5 bonito.  However, I did manage to land a new state record I will not report until I get a larger one but a monster 29 #er on fly rod.  The summer is going to be a slammer.

Now, with the offshore battle and report obviously covered and on fire, lets discuss the bay.  Although we are having a few slow days due to unstable and fluxuating barometers, we are still catching a number of great fish.  We are still landing those fat girls with the multiple spots.  We are finding them deep edges waiting to make that dive down when the barometer finally drops.  We are having the greatest success with dark bodies on the bottom.

Reds are out there but a lot of rats mixed in with the bigger boys.  Have not had much luck on fly because they are a little deep in the grass but tie on a Top Dog and start walking hi and hang on.  Early week we were landing a number of upper slots and oversized in typical trout haunts with an absence of trout. 

Finally on a conservation note, TPWD has finally reported what we have been saying for a couple of years.  The lower Laguna Madre trophy trout and trout population are stagnant, with some down turn in the population age classes. We have the data and here is the link to the TPWD Press Release.  Most importantly our progeny will have a fishery as spectacular, or better than what we inherited.  Congratulate yourself, your support and adoption of our “Just Keep Five” philosophy landed on the right ears. The scoping meetings to follow will dictate the final out come for our fishery, and the regulation changes.

With the season fired up, we are booked entirely for June with 2 days open in July and 4 in August. If you are interested in a booking a trip call soon.  We won't have much left for long.