| Author | Message | ||
| Atthewall
Crappie Username: Atthewall Post Number: 565 Registered: 11-2004  Rating: N/A |
Well this last Friday I sat there and realized I don't have any Memorial Day plans, no hay to bail anywhere close by, so I just decided to go fishing. I had to make this trip Solo since my fishing partner and son had his own Memorial Day plans. It was probably a good call since I had to fish my butt off to score fish in less that stellar conditions. Less than stellar conditions along the coast are tough as they come but, I don't give up too easy. Rolling down Hwy 37 on Saturday between San Antonio and Corpus Christi I spot a ride that added a little personal touch to his truck (note brush guard). Course these guys are wondering WTF?  One day, a javelina skull in a European display is gonna make a brush guard one day....I feel it? LOL!  I stop by Drifter's casa Saturday afternoon and borrow his 2nd string camera tripod just in case I do score something and need pics for proof. Forgot mine somewhere in Sonora during deer season. Drifter spent some time with the Team OSO gathering and reports fishing is brutal with a ton of weed. Oh well, ain't no weed when you have the need. I hit the sand and note the surf is up and big enough to surf, sandy with blue/green water well offshore. At this point I realize this is going to be tough so I might as well roll all the way down to the Port Mansfield jetties and start there and work north if things start to clear. Tide is low and I manage roughly 40mph with bursts to 60mph in sections. Excellent low tide driving conditions. Course you have to be on the lookout 100% once the sun goes down. Dangerous if you drop your guard just one second.  It's dark once I hit the jetties, roughly 5 camps onsite with everyone pulled in for the night. A guy has his generator running with lights but the tides so far out no one is even giving things a try. Doesn't stop me, I've got some night time goodies in the tackle box, low tide or nothing I'm going to hit the rocks and work a bunch of different things just in case. Hit the Port Mansfield side after nothing in the surf after a couple of hours. Surf is sandy as well as the channel. Cruise out to my little area I've done ok several trips before and start working the old MirrOlure 52MRNS. About a million casts working the bait, high winds and rolling swell I miss a strike. I immediately think SkipJack. Make my cast and work a few more retrieves and yet again, another missed short strike. Now I'm really mad and keep at this fanning the area when I finally get a solid hookup. Fish is out working away into the main channel and feels pretty good. I see splashing and headshaking but it's too dark so I'm thinking speck. Inside the rocks things got interesting and I realize this fish is up to no good trying to break me off. Lucky the tide is way out and I can get down and work him in to find.....FINALLY MY REVENGE! He's roughly 22 inches (MirrOlure is 3.5 inches in length). I didn't tape him but it was too dark to screw around with that stuff anyway, snapped a couple of pics and let him go to fight another day. I lost a toad last summer and I've been wanting to get that Texas Snook ice broken. Caught a few of them living in South Florida back when I lived there in the 80s but, that elusive Texas Snook has been on my hit list for years. Just hope the next one comes easier cause they are few and far between along the coast.   I fish for another hour without nothing else and decide it's a wrap. The local fish camps are still up and drinking away as I opt to sleep in the truck bed under open skies. After maybe 3 hours sleep I'm greeted with sandy surf at high tide. This is about as bad as it gets down here but hey, thats fishing along the coast.  Just up the beach out of the protection of the seawall, the surf is running hard and good which isn't a big deal to me but, that water color is not right. Man this is going to be rough.  You ain't seen PINS till you hit the 55 mile marker and 5 more to the jetties at Port Mansfield.  The PINS legend Billy Sandifer is out working this slop. I wonder if they even scored anything? I didn't bother him with trivial questions, just a wave and a smile as I check things out just North of the jetties. Well it's just not my weekend so back to the rocks and sandy water I go for Sunday's fish.  If you ever pass out on the sand, just beware if you sleep with your mouth open...unless your BigUn, then you wake up full LOL!  I spend the day hopping rocks, three plugging rods all rigged differently. Spoons, traps and jig heads in every color in my backpack. Nothing anywhere and the few fish caught are whiting on shrimp. So I toss out a few shrimp, load up on bait and hit the rocks with the big rods. After a 4 hour soak with a few cold refreshments, it's dinner time. No sharks, no jackfish, no bullreds, no tarpon, no king mackerel no luck....at least I've got some brews to pass the time in between casts with the trout rods as the long poles soak baits nestled down in jetty rod holders.  I give Drifter a call on the cell and give him my update. One snook, nothing else and about to eat with 2 hours of sunrise left. Tide is falling pretty hard and I've got one spot that I work in the Port Mansfield Channel on a falling tide. Problem is the sandy conditions. So I let Drifter know I'll wade the rocks before it's too dark and the tide is too low to work this scene. I hit the wade fumbling around on rocks and stuff and opt to lean on my old school off color lure. A trusty old Johnson Sprite 3/4 oz Gold Spoon. Rocks are too plentiful for jigs and the current is too fast for plugs (body size just grabs too much water to work correctly) as well as the loss of good tackle. I work my favorite point and notice there is a feed. Boom I'm hooked up, nice little rat red and beach him for a pic. Things are looking better, clouds are blocking a quickly fading sun so I had to really work things slow without being too slow, rocks will eat me alive in this area. I managed 7 reds this evening and just opted to release them, no pics, since I had to wade over rocks roughly 20 yards to the camera on shore.  As I work my spot I notice a very nice trout like boil exploding right on top of the rocks and make my cast.....score. A nice healthy fish, pulling drag and the classic trout head shake. Dad gum it, I've got to snap a pic of this fish and lose more time. This trout is 23-24 with a lot of tail loss. Nice and healthy and she's released to fatten up and grow.  I continue to fish and hook a flounder. Darn thing is roughly 18 inches long and I make the long wade back to shore in an attempt to land her and snap a pic. She appears to be hooked well and fights like crazy as I swim her over the rocks...only 3 yards to go, water is shallowing up with a sand bottom and darn, spits the hooks and swims off. I hastily try to stomp it into submission (this one was headed to the cooler) but.....gone for good. Darn I nearly had a Texas Trifecta this evening and a fine meal to boot! Things turn into non-stop skip jacks as the tide drops down too low to really work my pattern now. It's dark and I'm catching skippies as I shift over to the trusty MirroLure 52MRNS. I'm lucky I didn't impale myself dehooking these wild little SOBs in darkness. I left the skipjacks and head back for some much needed rest. After a full day of fishing hard in less than stellar conditions and a bunch of boats coming and going without anything scored I realize this day ended on a high note never the less. The next morning is pretty much the same with thunderheads looming South, North, East and West. Not much sun but the surf continues to roll with sandy conditions. What I would do to have a falling low tide at sunup on Monday morning again. A long drive ahead so I decide to roll and head home. The PINS Turtle Patrol are reassurance along the strand.  I stop by Drifter's casa, drop off his tripod and visit for a couple of hours. Enjoyed the visit with the family David! Till next time down south, keep the sand out of your can and take things easy as much as possible.  | ||
| Bigun
Hybrid Username: Bigun Post Number: 957 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Excellent report and pictures as always Rob! Just looking at all that sand though creeps me out. I'm going take a bath just cuz I looked at it. Quit being a mad, little bald man! Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. | ||
| Fishinaggie88
Crappie Username: Fishinaggie88 Post Number: 449 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Good job on toughing it out in tough conditions Rob. Congrats on the Snook!! Love to fish and hunt. | ||
| Charles
Moderator Username: Charles Post Number: 626 Registered: 7-2004 Rating: N/A |
Nice recap Rob! | ||
| Dru
Bluegill Username: Dru Post Number: 211 Registered: 2-2005 Rating: N/A |
Great Story Rob. Whata weekend. Congrats on the Texas Snook. Those are definately on my short list. Nice work BassZone.com | ||
| Picou
Lunker Username: Picou Post Number: 1862 Registered: 8-2004  Rating: N/A |
Rob runs rampid on the sandy shores of PINS and snaps the Texas Snook curse.  Way to go Rob, great pictures and it looks like your figured 'em out and had some action under tough conditions. Excellent recap and congrats on the fine Texas Snook... That guy in the pickup is looking at you like you are the crazy one...  Thanks for sharing with us buddy!!!  Thank you Lord for my family and the waters I get to fish
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| Will
Bluegill Username: Will Post Number: 239 Registered: 2-2005  Rating: N/A |
Congrats on finally landing the snook you have been after Vegatarian: Indian Word for Bad Fisherman | ||
| Atthewall
Crappie Username: Atthewall Post Number: 566 Registered: 11-2004 Rating: N/A |
Thanks guys. I finally broke the ice and I hope it now gets easier. | ||
| Simek
Minnow Username: Simek Post Number: 96 Registered: 1-2005  Rating: N/A |
Nice work Rob! Got nothing but respect for my illegitimate dad! |
