I was able to take dad down to the pumpkin patch Wednesday, hoping the forecast would hold true. It...didn't. I was actually glad there was SOME wind, so the gnats wouldn't be all over us. But I didn't really care for the continually increasing winds, resulting in an all out gale by 11am. The good thing is, it pushed some water into the marsh...which it desperately needed. Days of N winds made the marsh look like someone pulled the plug in the Gulf of Mexico. It was very difficult even launching the boat, and even moreso for Paw Paw to get in it. He practically needed a ladder to descend into the boat! Also, for the first time ever, I was throwing a mud rooster tail as I was heading down the bayou. Luckily, it was only in one spot, and it didn't last long. But it was right in the middle! There was NO water in the ponds! - Because of that, we decided to head outside...at the time, the winds were not kicking yet. It was a little bumpy, so we did not make it all the way out to where we were last week. Wouldn't have mattered, as there wouldn't have been enough water to get on that flat. We noticed good current lines around several small islands, and found one with a shell bottom around it. We decided to give it a try...maybe catch some trout. - After drifting around the small island for about 20 minutes, with only one POSSIBLE bite...we decided to head in. Besides, the wind was really getting going, and there should be enough water to get into some ponds by now...with the strong south winds and incoming tide. - Well, we were right! There was plenty of water to get into some of the ponds, but by now, the wind is really honkin! Good thing we came in when we did. We started pounding the shoreline hoping something would bite. Dad was throwing plastics under a cork, I was throwing the secret bait. We noticed another boat in the back of this series of ponds, but they were idling out. Hope they didn't spook the fish. - After that boat cruised by, I noticed a floating cork just ahead of us. I decided to go grab it. This thing didn't move a bit, so I figured it was hung on an oyster. As I let the wind push us by it, I reached down to grab it...and it TOOK OFF! I quickly swung the boat around with the trolling motor and grabbed it. Nice little 18" red on it! That's one was to get the first fish in the boat! - We then decided to head to the shoreline that the wind was blowing into. I think the wind pushes the bait there, and the fish follow. Paw Paw was the first to hook up! He was using a Gulp! shrimp under a cork, on a jighead. Another little 18" fish. Usually we catch 24"-26" fish here, but for some reason, all we could manage were rats. Oh well, they're legal above 16", and they eat better than the big ones. Not complaining. I caught a couple that were actually TOO short, and Paw Paw caught another barely legal keeper. I finally caught a keeper, and then a bigger (24 1/2") fish. We then decided to call it a day. On the way in, we checked out some other ponds, hope to check them out again one day when the wind is cooperating. At least we know we can get in there. - Upon arrival at the launch, we could EASILY tell that the water had already risen 1 1/2'! FEET! Paw Paw could almost just walk right off the deck of the boat onto the dock! Amazing what a south and east wind will do. The water was beautiful once the south wind started pushing that Gulf water in. Hopefully, soon the shrimp...and speckled friends will follow. But I'm pretty concerned about the speckled trout season. I'm afraid they will be hard to come by. Good thing I like redfish!
Fishhead, The redfish I used to raise in Golden Meadow used to have no spots (ocellus) on the tail. I've seen two spots before, but never three. It came in handy though because it was a huge visual clue to tell if the fish were farm raised or not. I think the artificial feed we fed them was missing an ingredient from their natural diet and it caused the lack of caudal spots. The pelletized feed was 50% fish meal and the rest extruded grains...so I bet there's something in crabs that they need to develop spots. Hmmmm....I wonder why that really is
The most spots on one that I'VE caught is 23...but I've seen one with 58 spots before. In the FL panhandle, almost every one I catch has double tail spots...my avatar is from a fish I caught in Panama City on the same day LSU last beat Alabama...2007. Every fish I caught in that tourney has two tail spots...and my nephew sends me photos from there all the time from his reds. (He lives in the FL panhandle) That alone tells me it ain't crabs, because there are very few there compared to here...and it's pretty unusual to see that on redfish I catch in SELA. - Check this thread... http://www.tigerforums.com/sportsmans-paradise/96380-another-marsh-trip.html I'm holding a red with NO spots...caught in the very same pond I caught that 3 spot fish. I think I have another pic in one of these recent threads where I'm holding one with 10+ spots...caught in the same pond. I don't know WHAT it is.
Hey Steve, HERE'S the link of the one with 10 spots... http://www.tigerforums.com/sportsmans-paradise/96864-little-friendly-fishing-competition.html
