Redfish Bonanza

[BilletHead]

Trip report from the Texas inshore Redfish smack down. It has been a long cold winter and I knew once waterfowl was over it would be tough since the big freeze. Usually my fishing buddy and I hit it hard in late winter starting off on crappie waiting for walleye to start moving. Not this year though it would be a later start. So this adventure started off a while back when Got muddy posted about wanting to find someone to go to the coast with him. I told my bud Rich Mack (non posting OA lurking member) about Got Muddys post and he contacted him about maybe going. Well Got muddy decided to take his wife and kids this time but did tell Rich where he goes and about the fishing. We decided to go and Rich started making plans as I continued to kill ducks and geese. We decided a date of Feb. 11 to go. Then decided again to leave Monday the 10th. Soon we started fidgeting, stewing and fretting wanting to go. Mrs. BilletHead said just go and so on Friday the 7th at 3:30 AM we were loaded heading South pulling our 1756 lowe powered by a Suzuki 50 four stroke. Camper shell on the truck back loaded to the gills with everything we might need and a lot we didn't. 13 plus hours later we made it and bought our licenses and headed to the motel on the water. Opened the doors to the room and peeked inside, thought hummmmmm? It isn't the ritz but lets call it fish camp. If we think of it that way it made it better. There were four units up stairs and our unit on the bottom down stairs. Most places down there are built way off ground because of hurricanes, I think this was built this way and the bottom had been enclosed for another unit. Some water damage from the past was evident. Again no problem it's fish camp! Fridge, stove, couch, recliner, beds and a bathroom. No internet or you all would of got a day by day report. TV with rabbit ears and cell phone coverage if you went outside and got in the middle of the parking lot at the right place, no problem it's fish camp.

Got up the first morning to fog and not knowing what the heck we were doing as far as catching redfish. You can read all you want, view videos etc. But if you don't have a guide or someone to hold your hand for the first time it is a bit intimidating. We had high hopes of catching with the fly rod but spinning gear or even bait (forgive me) if we had to. So that morning we headed straight to the grocery/gas/bait and tackle combo store that was closest and bought a box of bait shrimp. As we drove back the fog had lifted and we seen a guy fishing the river throwing towards a oyster bed along the bank. He was fishing from a boat. Ok good place to start. We got back and launched the boat. More info first about the place. We were up a coastal river. Down river about a mile was the inter coastal waterway. A mile further down was the open gulf. We headed up river to the bank where the guy was fishing, he was gone and we picked a spot and dropped anchor. Rich started getting a bait rig ready and I tied on a rattling spot minnow. Third cast over the oyster bed I caught my first ever redfish. Then another and before Rich got his bait out the bait was abandoned and he tied on a crank. Then he began to catch. What a hoot! We were redfishing. Not bad for a couple of red fish wannabees. Then I put together the fly rod. Two casts and I had a fish on. Can this really be this easy? What's the saying? So easy even a cave man can do it? We literally pounded the fish along that place. Pretty clear water but no sight fishing. Did not even see a tail or back. Too cold? I know the water was 45 degrees that day and all trip it did not get above 55 degrees. The fish were not picky biting either. They hammered the baits of choice and even if no hook up they would strike it two or three times before hooking up. I think we caught fish in one foot to five foot of water. A good day one for sure. Trip to town for supplies (Food) and back for a good nights sleep. Day two I was awoke at 4AM buy a critter in the ceiling. It was between the lower and upper floor moving around slowly making all kinds of racket. It headed to Rich's room to awake him. Oh well lets get up and remember it's fish camp! Fished another couple of days just catching and catching more. Even some sea trout and a flounder on a fly. Small fish but a flounder none the less. Day four got up to 35 and a cold rain. A no fishing day but a day to explore. Went to a wildlife management area and took an auto tour. Lots of marsh birds and other assorted waterfowl, rabbit sized deer too. No alligators as they had there noses stuck in the mud with the cold weather. Then to town for lore supplies and a fried oyster po'boy sandwich. Very tasty by the way. Then a drive to the beach. Heck I even drove the truck along the beach. That was a first for me. Then back to fish camp for the night. Up the next morning to high north winds and cold, not Missouri cold but a damp 35 cold. We bundled up and went out and had our best day of all. Had the river to ourselves. No resident in there right mind would be out there but to non residents with no sense would be out. For sure no flyfishing with that wind but big crank baits and plastics on quarter to three eights lead heads were the ticket. I quit counting my landed fish at 40, I think Rich said we had a total of 65 landed. Redfishing rocks I'm telling you. Thursday was more of the same with more fly fishing too. We did find a channel to a backwater bay of sorts where we hammered them too off the river. Friday started off good with fly fishing until the wind came up strong out of the South. Got hard to fish so we headed back for lunch. Was going to stay until Saturday morning but called it good and left at 3:30PM driving back straight through back to Mo. and home. 5:30 Am Saturday morning we pulled in. Things I learned on this trip. Did not know Redfish had lots of little micro teeth in those big gums. First one I grabbed to open mouth to retrieve lure mashed my thumb and finger spinning and tearing my flesh to a bloody mess. This happened all trip. Got to be tough when your stupid. Will not do this again without a boga or lipping tool. Buried a treble in my thumb past the barb. Could not get it pushed through to mash the barb. What to do? I backed it out, again you have to be tough when your stupid. It got sore and swelled up some but I'll live. All in all we caught big and small fish. I would guess the average would be 22 to 26 inches. Biggest on spinninhg gear was Rich's 30" I got a 29.25" My largest on the fly was 26" We figured total of all days over 200 reds landed. We brought home 6 fish each our legal possession. Ate fish twice down there. Pictures for you all,

BilletHead

[Ham]

Wow! You might not ever do that well again. That's a crazy good trip. Well Done!

[Goggle-Eyed]

Billethead, I am about to be passing through that area for work and have my boat with me (Xpress X19 with 200hp Evinrude). I am curious if the river area you were fishing was deep enough for my boat? Also if you could let me know where the ramp is that you guys used...

Thanks,

Joe

[fishinwrench]

Full Moon. Y'all hit it right. That's outstanding!

[BilletHead]

Goggle-eyed Joe,

I am sure your boat would work fine if you fish the way we did in the river itself. Would not use the motel ramp. Silted in badly and with the Winter tide change twice daily an average of a foot to a foot and a half. There are other ramps along the inter coastal waterway much better and public. As far as telling the exact location at this time I am a bit hesitant at this point. The folks at the motel said tell friends and everyone about this place but we talked to gotmuddy on our way home as he was on his way down for the week. He said He did not want the info out too bad. He is there this week and I hope he gives his report too. Ask him for info and if he is responsive ok I would spill the beans. I hope to make this trip again,

BilletHead

[jpb2187]

Hey Billethead, nice report. I'm heading down to theFt. Walton Beach area and I'm goin to be doing some Redfishing in the Santa Rosa Sound. What kind of tackle were you using?

[BilletHead]

JPB,

As far as what worked for us, actually I think about anything would work. I used a 7' medium extreme and a all stat 6'6" medium rods. Reels were pro qualifier PQ20's spooled with braid, I think sufflix ? At first I used a vanish floro leader but soon decided it was not needed. Lures thrown were rattiln spot minnows, rattle traps assorted sizes. Then plastics like pictured here on 1/8 1/4 and 3/8 oz. heads depending on the wind. Here again I think all kinds of stuff will work. Rich used one of those beaded, weighted popping corks with a jig under it but I could not bring myself to use them if I did not need to. When working anything we were throwing we held rod tip high and tried to just bounce and tick the tops of the oyster beds. Did not always work because you would hang up and cut your line on the shells.

On the fly fishing side I used an 8 weight 10' with floating line. Assorted flys. Anything minnow, crab, shrimpy or like a worm. Bead chain or small leaded eyes. Same thing just stripping slow as possible without getting into the shell oyster bottom. I did not try but Rich did use some of our spoon flys we made out of wal mart reflector tape! All of our flys were tied by us,

BilletHead

[jpb2187]

Awesome, sounds like you had fun. Thanks for the reply.

[jdmidwest]

Wow, if I knew it was that easy, I should have done it a long time ago.

The tides did not mess with you are were you far enough inland?

I would just be happy eating a fresh supply of seafood for several days. That oyster po boy has my mouth watering.

[BilletHead]

It was either easy or we were extremely lucky. Whichever it was we will take it. Only a couple of miles inland at the most. Water changed a couple time a day. A foot to a foot and a half. When you are not used to it strange it is. I am used to seeing water flow one way. When it was changing it made a good flow making a pretty good rip along the bank. Fought the wind too at times.

BilletHead