Finally...a good trip on Sabine!

You will have to bear with me if I get a little long-winded, but I can finally post a good report off Sabine Lake.  It is pouring down, the wind is blowing, and I postponed yet another party for today, but we had a good time yesterday!

The wind was a little tough in spots!

I was going to scout Big Lake yesterday, but Johnny made a run on Sabine Wednesday in his undercover boat and had just enough good news to change my plans.  He fought a tough wind and muddy water, but he had a chance to talk with some wildlife agents while they were checking net samples.

He said they caught a lot of redfish and several big trout as well.  More importantly, he said the water cleared up just a little with the incoming tide and that he caught some fish under slicks.  When Gene and I cleared East Pass yesterday morning, I almost changed my plan again.  The river and Black's were as clear as I have seen them in a while. but muddy whitecaps were already rolling across the lake.

We stuck with it and caught a few flounder and small reds in Johnson's while hoping the tide would clear up the lake a little one more time.  By the time we fished our way just south of The Gator Hole, the water was already looking better.  The shoreline offered a little protection, but we found the fish too far off the bank to avoid the waves.  The farther south we fished, the higher the waves, but the trout could have cared less.

I was afraid the first trout might be the only trout we caught.....

The most productive program was casting as far as you could and trying to outreel the wind.  If you could keep your plastic in the top 2-3 feet you were going to get bit.  We eventually wore down and surfed across the flats dragging our jigs, but we caught less fish.  We never caught the first 5-7 pound trout, but we caught more 2-3 pound fish than I have caught in a long time and everyone of them went airborne during the fight!

We ate fish last night for the first time in a while!

We certainly cannot blame the Sabine River for any off-colored water nor possibly the Neches, but we were unable to even think about checking out that side of the lake.  I was also surprised by the pattern of clearer water in the lake.  After the incoming tide, the water had cleared some between the Dredge Hole and the Gator Hole.  It also looked better between Willow and Bridge Bayou.  Everything else in between was still dirty and getting dirtier.

Only time will tell, but it was nice to catch quality trout in our own backyard.  If you run out of the north end of the lake, watch out for the floating pipe in front of Coffee Ground and pay attention to the marked areas for crossing the pipeline!