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Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 08:42 • #1 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Stevo made a call on a weekend run to Palm Harbor RV park.
We decided we could do this even though rain predictions were 60-80% over Saturday through Monday.
Friday evening was dry and daylight when we landed.
Friday's meal was Mexican seafood and fishbowl margaritas at Los Comales.


Tried to connect with Mark, Ablecane, who's on Port A beach for the month, but he couldn't kayak, pedal or paddle, and this was Steve's trip.
Wanted to get Steve to East Flats on Mustang Is, since he's never been there.
Everything was staged and ready to roll Friday night, so we ran the drill to Island Moorings Sat morning driving through sheets of rain.

However, when we got to the launch, wind was 18 kt gusting to 26, and doppler showed continuous storms moving straight up the coast.
Mentioned to Josh, they've added porta-cans at the ramp, just the ticket after a 5am pot of coffee
(another launch photo here on another day accidentally caught him on a nature call - and yes, I cropped it out).


So we crossed back on the ferry, returned to the trailer, and began a movie.
Instead of watching the movie, Steve was watching the weather update on his phone.
At 10 am, we had a lull on both the wind and the rain, and that's the nice thing about camping at Palm Harbor.
We launched at the bulkhead and paddled out - instead of the predicted and prevailing SE, the 12-kt wind was NE, so we headed straight up Trout Bayou and began drifting.

We were getting a lot of dink action. Dead center of Trout Bayou, I hooked up a dink. Nope - when it got close to the boat, it turned on redfish shoulders.
Second time close to the boat, she did a tailstand flapping her head, and it was a major trout. Drift sock in, right now.
She made at least four trips around my boat and was giving me a sleigh ride. I measured a quick 26", but you be the judge - my beam is 28".
Caught on Z-man Minnow-Z, Mood Ring, and 1/8 oz Texas-eye jighead. The lure color is my favorite in clear water overcast, reflects blue and transmits pink.


Right after this, noon, the NE wind was back to 18 kt, and we had to tack across Estes Cove to get in - heck of a 2-hour fishing window.
Calorie deprived and jonesing, we made a run to Steer Burger


Sunday, we made our run again to Island Moorings, and this time, the weather looked great, but the wind was light - it also came back NW later in the morning.
We were joined Sunday by TexasJim, a TKF buddy who lives a half mile away from Palm Harbor.


We covered all of East Flats and East Flats Lake, mostly without fish.
We saw small tailing reds against Pelone Is - couldn't turn them even with a Buggs bunny.
The sun and lack of wind finally drove us in.
But we got enough wind coming back to drift the middle shelf on East Flats, and it turned into dink heaven.
Many small trout and reds, photographed this nice tail on my best 16" red.


Sunday afternoon, Steve treated Jim and me to a late-afternoon Mother's Day lunch at Mickey's in Aransas Pass at Ransom Rd. Marina.
(yes, I called my mom)
Jim first mentioned the place to us, and this was at least our fourth meal there - all the food is good, and their fish sandwich is double-stacked blackened flounder.

Yesterday, Monday, was a short day, launching on the Palm Harbor bulkhead at 6:15.
It was calm with a predicted prevailing SE coming on. Before that, the wind was all over the place, beginning with light NW.
We headed straight toward Little Cut.


Before we got there, the shoal was black with bait, small redfish tailing and slashing bait everywhere.
Monday, we were joined by Chase and his son Will.
Chase is Josh's friend, whom we met at the redfish rodeo last fall, arrived at Port A Sunday evening with his family.
They fished 3 hours and headed in.
Chase reported 3 reds, two of them just 1/2" under slot.


I was catching rats on my INX Supra 65 prop-tail topwater shrimp, which Jim dubbed Mr. Peanut.
Rats or not, this was fun fishing.


When we got enough ESE to drift, I drifted twice from the Traylor oyster close to Little Cut, and I found those nice just-under-slot reds Chase had been into.
They were in the grass about halfway to the first duck blind. Finished our last drift at the first duck blind and headed in to pack out.
This is a different color Z-man Minnow-Z green/grey with red flecks.


Better get in a photo of Steve in his Outback, and note, the mangroves are coming back on Talley Is
The mangroves were devastated by the winter storm of '21, and they only grow 1/4-inch/yr.


We finished packing out in light rain, and drove through walls of zero-visibility rain on the way home.
Great trip, would do it again in a heartbeat.
We outsmarted the weatherpersons.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 08:59 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/16/10
Posts: 814
Location: South of Houston, TX
Love the report. And what a trout! I need to get my kayak back out to the bays again.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 09:12 • #3 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks friend - I can't describe the riot and pandemonium of big-girl spec - did my best.
This trip, even the rat reds put up a riot.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 12:35 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 01/04/18
Posts: 397
Location: Belair Maryland/Swanton Maryland
Whoa :eek
That’s a straight up Gator !!
These gulf coast missions are making me miss Florida .
Well done gents !


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 13:16 • #5 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks Scotto - Steve keeps his boats in storage in Rockport. We were set up to offer a ride to Mark, but his shoulder and knee injuries wouldn't let him play.
The next serious trip will be Josh's fall redfish rodeo - we avoid the summer doldrums - I know fall is everything happening everywhere.
Here's Steve's other boat in storage there, a Revo 16, which is the fastest ride ever.
It's also the best-paddling Hobie when you get too skinny for turbo-fins.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 17:04 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Awesome trip Ron! Thanks for the pics and all the details. Looks like a hog of a speckled trout! Congratulations.

I'm wondering what they taste like (compared to fresh water spiney rays) and what their boney structure is like (y-bones or not?). Is the meat white?

Gotta love that kayak fishing. Im taking out my hobie tomorrow.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 18:04 • #7 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Current slot is 17 to 23", greatly increasing odds of keeping only schoolie males.
She went back into Trout Bayou to breed.

Next to flounder, specs are the best meat the Gulf coast has to offer.
Fillets from slot fish are perfect to fry or saute for fish tacos.
(winter Arroyo results)


I also need to give credit to Steve on my lifetime trout. We were in the middle of monsoons, wind and rain predictions by weather services were totally wrong, and Steve called a 10 am window for us to launch (200' from our RV pad), by watching Doppler on his phone. We only got 2 hours before the wind drove us back in, and that was enough to cover 3 miles up Trout Bayou and drift halfway back - then tack the building 18 kt wind across Estes Cove to get back in.
My previous lifetime spec was 27", at Green Island, Lower Laguna Madre, 2005
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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 16 May 2023, 22:04 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Looks delicious Ron. Thanks for the info!


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 17 May 2023, 10:27 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/09/15
Posts: 684
Location: Arkansas
Wow. I love great reports like this one. Wish I had a camper. Those redfish are tempting me.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 18 May 2023, 08:16 • #10 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
thanks, friend.
Steve's Oliver is a high-dollar Travel (emphasis) trailer.
Double-wall fiberglass that you can hose out, over-the-top electronics, built like a yacht inside.
The reason his GMC diesel was the tow vehicle (which, he worried over the wind),
his dualie Sprinter van has the insulation removed for electronics and plumbing to make it the perfect tow partner (with another double bed).
Before he retires next year, all his toy projects will be perfected.
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=75150


Jumping the gun on Mark, ablecane, yesterday, he reported 4 pompano from the Port Aransas surf.
These are fantastic eats, and usually don't hear about them outside of December migration in the surf.
Though he can't see this yet - He refuses to travel with his laptop.


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 18 May 2023, 08:55 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Looks like a good time ! I agree, sometimes you just have to go see what's what for yourself :)


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 18 May 2023, 16:32 • #12 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
We only get a few trips like this every year, and it's nice when we can make lemonade from predicted lemons.
I'll take rain and coastal breeze over doldrums' heat any day, which is a big risk on the TX coast in May.
(another May trip - the morning began great, though, and we all have stringers).
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Much of this water is too skinny to access for much of the year. We count on fall "bull" tides and temperate weather.
Summer and winter low tides can be compounded by west winds emptying the bays.
May has its big tides and risky weather. But we'll fish the winter also, sometimes have to get out and walk.
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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 18 May 2023, 18:10 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
wow that's a big trout (spec) ..
looks like a fine time all around. Honestly if I get to spend the day paddling my canoe, it's a good day even when the catching isn't good..


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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 18 May 2023, 18:51 • #14 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks Doug, and especially in a kayak on the flats, you're so close to the life.
I always say love the paddle, time with friends, fish are gravy - and bring a camera.
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Re: Bring a rain shell
Post 18 May 2023, 20:38 • #15 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Awesome stuff and memories Ron!


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