The past couple of days have really been good in spite of a persistent wind that picks up in the early afternoon. I very seldom fish the late afternoon, but I have gotten some incredible reports from local anglers that have been fishing the last couple of hours after the thunderstorms pass through.
I went to pick up my party at the motel yesterday morning and only one of them was strong enough to meet me at the desk to say that they couldn't make it. They rotated through the bathroom all night after getting sick due to an evening meal. I don't know where they ate, but it must have been on the road as they called me around 10 p.m. and they still had not left Houston.
As usual, I went fishing anyway and the bite was good. I only kept five fish for supper, but I could have easily limited in the first hour. Perhaps the best news of all is that I could have limited in several different spots. I was going to leave early, but Johnny showed up in his aluminum undercover boat and we spent the morning calling each other to come see how good it was where we were!
We caught a lot of nice trout on topwaters and the 21 to 24-inch reds would not leave us alone. I don't know where they are when I am struggling and just need a bite, but they are all over the lake right now. I have been told most every day that it is even better on the south end and at the jetties, but I haven't had to fish south of a line from Johnson's to the Condos on Pleasure Island.
What has been a little strange is that the better schools of trout seem to be moving around in mass. One day they are piled up on a single flat behind the islands, the next day they are a few hundred yards off the revetment wall and the next day they are right in the middle of the lake. There are huge schools of little trout, ladyfish and gafftops everywhere, but the better fish are tight and they are on the move.
It looks as though this weather will hold through the weekend, so I feel certain there will be more boats on the water than gulls. Be patient and keep moving if the first few fish you catch are small. If you are catching good fish, don't leave just because they quit biting or a bird flies away. They are still there and they will bite again in a few minutes!
Just got off the water(July 9)and the water from lighthouse cove down to the jetties was off color. The ship channel was holding better water north of Chenier(LNG)but a consistant bite was hard to establish. The live bait fisherman are doing really well in the SC and jetties but the sharks have been a menace. We traveled north to the south wall and the water is in great shape but we did not see any bird action or any signs of fish. The jetty fishing is already in the late summer mode due to the extreme heat, live bait is a must. The past 5 to 7 days if you didn't catch your fish early on artificial you will need to get the old cast net fired up. Later. Joe Persohn
Posted by: Joe Persohn | July 10, 2009 at 07:18 AM