Colburn's Sabine Connection

Bite improving, but not all over the lake.

The bite started improving for us last week  prior to the huge Cops Helping Kids that just engulfed the lake Saturday.  The single biggest change was that we are now finding more redfish in the bayous, the river and the ICW.  Even when drifting the reef on the south end of the lake we are catching more redfish than we were even two weeks ago.

Having said that, if you have trout on the brain, about 75 percent of the lake is still a difficult grind at best.  Even though the only trout I am consistently catching are coming off the extreme south end, I still run the entire lake every day checking several different patterns and I have caught nothing but redfish and a few flounder.  For some reason (Toledo Bend hasn't dumped any more water on us in a while) the water clarity went south again late in the week.

That area from the causeway reef to the jetties got over pressured last weekend, but the trout bite down there has not been bad at all.  We have been catching our fish on tails, Usual Suspect swim baits and Catch 2000s in 8 to 12 feet of water.  Most of our keeper fish are in the 15 to 19-inch range, but we have released a couple of five pound trout on the last two trips.

The 253 teams that fished last weekend's tournament included some of the very best trout fishermen in this area and it still took only a six pound trout to win the money.  I don't know if it's a matter of Sabine Lake regulars just now catching on or desperation, but I have never seen this many people fishing live croakers.  I really think that for the most part, it is more a matter of trying to gain some edge on all the other folks beating up on that small section of real estate.

We'll see.....it took a long time for wading to catch on over here as well!

 

Pre-Tournament session at Daley's tomorrow afternoon!

We got in another decent morning of catching before the wind blew us out.  Rather than run south we fished drains and points on the La. shoreline and caught enough flounder and redfish to warrant another  look.  Four of the reds were upper slot fish that ate a Swim Bait or Gulp swimming minnow rigged on an Assassin Swim Bait hook.  We also kept seven flounder that hit pumpkin chartreuse Sea Shads as well.

None of the water we fished looked as good as it does from Blue Buck on south.  We didn't see a lot of bait running the banks, but when we did there were fish behind them.  I may fish tomorrow morning just to see if that bite was the real deal, but I am headed over to Daley's for another one of their information swapping sessions at 4:oo pm. 

I have learned something new at every session and they continue to grow.  Tony Viator is going to be on hand to answer any and all questions about fishing the much anticipated Cops Helping Kids Tournament this weekend.  I also think that we have figured out a few things this week that will help you should you sign up and fish this "super fun" event.  We'll talk about them tomorrow evening as well.

Improved bite creeping northward!

The wind has not really been a factor this week and I have been able to make the long, but reasonably comfortable boat ride the length of the lake each day.  The water clears up pretty good on the tide change all the way from just south of the Gator Hole to the Causeway and we are finding more bait and fish in that clearer water.

We caught some very nice reds on Swim Baits and a few flounder just working pods of shad on the shoreline on three trips, but no trout that shallow.  We are catching all of our trout from the Causeway to Garrison's Ridge in 6 to 10 feet of water.  The best trout I have caught in the last two weeks wouldn't top the four pound mark, but the bite is getting more consistent and we are catching a lot of 16 to 18 inch fish.

I hate the long boat ride each morning, but that is the only way I will fish clients on the south end of the lake as I am too fixed in my ways to deal with the launching, fish cleaning in the parking lot, etc. on that end of the lake to change now.  The bite, however, is finally consistent enough and there are plenty of good guides that will accommodate you so don't pass on a potentially good fishing trip waiting on me.  I will be glad to pass along their phone numbers.  The wind can't really hurt this bite too badly and those guys will fish the jetties and all that real saltwater fishing stuff with you as well! 

You might want to get your licks in this weekend, however, because I am going to start rescheduling trips next week and that should bring on a foot or so of rain immediately following the first call.  If you can handle the long boat ride and want to fish this bite give me a call!

I hope all of you will fish the Cops Helping Kids Tournament  on the 24th and 25th.  For more information just call Tony Viator at 409-284-7934 or go online at www.copshelpingkids.com.

 

COPS HELPING KIDS TOURNEY 24TH AND 25TH!

We caught a good day wind-wise yesterday and my grandson and I decided to run the entire lake.  Not surprisingly, we never saw another fishermen until we reached garrisons....just flat brown water and an empty lake from East Pass until we stopped under a few terns just short of Garrisons.  There were some trout under them, but most of the fish were small.  Even at that, it was an improvement.

The incoming tide cleared the water up pretty dang good on the Causeway reef and we had no trouble culling enough 16 to 20 inch trout out of a pile of fish ranging all the way from 12 inches to four pounds for a fish fry.  We also had three solid reds.  We caught every fish on a pumpkin chartreuse Tidal Surge eel and a chicken Lil John.  The best bite prior to the incoming tide was in 8 feet of water, but we did better in 10 to 12 feet of water after that.

We also watched a couple of boats work schooling reds under the birds for the first time in a long time.  Most of their fish looked to be 24-inch plus.  We talked with two other groups that fished from LNG to Lighthouse Cove and limited, but fighting that crowd isn't my bag so we stayed in the lake with the crabbers.

I decided early on not to donate my Assassin Swim hooks dragging them over oyster shells on the reef, but I have now changed my mind as Andrew and I lost only two in five hours of fishing.  That's a lot more fishing and a lot less tying on new jig heads!

If you haven't signed up for the 6th annual Cops Helping Kids tournament on the 25th... then do so tomorrow.  The fun actually starts the night before with auctions, a great steak dinner and beverages.  The tournament has grown every year as it appeals to not only the more serious anglers, but the entire family as well. All proceeds support the children's charities in Jefferson County.

The prize money is very good, but if you never made the first cast you would still have a great time at this event.  Bring the kids and share a good time at the banquet and Captain's meeting at the Port Arthur Civic Center from 5 to 9pm.  For more information call Tony Viator at 409-284-7934 or Fletcher Pipkin at 409-284-3647.    

Improved bite going into the weekend!

Well...We got in a couple of decent days fishing the south end of Sabine  just ahead of the evening showers before outsmarting ourselves and putting in a slow day on Calcasieu.  I will say this in defense of Big Lake, the water was much clearer and we found gulls working most of the morning.  The problem was that the fish under them were small!

We found our trout on Sabine in 7 to 10 feet of water fishing an outgoing tide both days.  I spoke with some other folks fishing basically the same pattern and they didn't catch nearly as many trout, but they did have some specks in the 4 to 5 pound class.  Our fish ranged anywhere from barely a keeper to four pounds.

A Tidal Surge split tail eel (guano) and a Lil John (chicken) accounted for most of our trout.  We also did pretty well the first day with watermelon, but they wouldn't touch it the very next day.  I talked with some folks this evening that also made a decent trip today fishing the south end of the lake.  They caught their fish on roach colored tails and Catch 2000's.  They caught a lot of throwbacks, but finished with 12 keepers and one of those trout was just over six pounds.

Hope you can spend a great July 4th weekend with your family.  We are going to do just that and for the first time in a long time I am looking forward to getting back on the water next week.