June 4th, 2009
To say that this was the first trip to
The Seawall in Galveston this spring would not be true. In fact we had made
several trips to fish with friends at the beach over the Memorial Day week.
Each was as it was before. Calm
winds on the mainland. Predicted light north winds variable to 5-10 knots on
the coast. The brutal truth is that the island always has its own winds and
the weather mans gauge and predictions are usually farther off than on.
Such was the case all week. Make
the drive down only to find sandy water on the beach. No bait to be drawn up
because they just cant be seen. But the water was for the most part flat
each trip. But the winds were from the
northeast, blowing light and variable to 15 knots. tubing the beach. Just not
from the southeast.
But then Friday night and
into Saturday morning was different.
June 4th, 2009. Finally the break we
needed. First off we had the building full moon. Second we were still inside
a major lunar zone for the night and falling into the minor feeding mode.
Third we had a good incoming tide after 9 p.m. and last and most important
for the island beachfront, we had green water wash in with the incoming
tide.
It all started with one pop. After
waiting about three hours for the tide to start in and wash in some water
over the first trough off the rocks, the trout binge started. The first fish
we caught were on the fabulous ShadFish, in
pearls and chartreuses. The big wave came on Ratfish. Once the fish came up
on a full surface pop the sub surface/surface action of the cheating
rattling Ratfish took over.
Having lots of company in the water
the trout
ate up the few we had in a hurry. Our fall back beach standard was and
always has been SpeckWreckers, so we
made some that floated using two Split Tail Tubes rigged in-line. After a
while we rigged up just one Split Tail Tube and
went to work. John and Kristin of Rain Forest Pets in League City Texas,
had a wonderful time. John and Kristin each started learning how to use
a bait caster. Kristin did excellent for her first time. She spanked John
her husband. Just watch the video. Who knew she had a fisherman hiding
inside that just naturally came out Friday night.
Robert, was dead on with the
Cheating Ratfish. I think he caught two or three limits maybe more of fish
before he had to leave for work. I just went with it and landed as
many as I could while I was not helping to rig others and cast lines or
un-hook fish. It was to say the least, a free for all out on the
Seawall.
The funniest part of this story
would be Saturday night though. After cleaning all the fish after the trip and getting some
shut eye, we gathered up again and took a look at the weather pages.
We looked into the crystal ball beach and surf cams We checked the
tides and moon. We liked what we saw for the chance of a repeat event.
The winds were light on the
mainland, and projected light to moderate from the south/southeast on the
coast. Everyone called
friends and we all drove to the beach. But just as soon as we hit the top of
the wall at the top of 61st street and the gulf came into view, the water and the winds
and the waves were all moving from the south and southwest at a solid 15
knots sustained. How could there be so much difference in 24 hours.
Needless to say, of the 20 people
of family and friends that showed up with high expectations, they were
all blown away from fishing by the unpredictable winds of Galveston Island. We the true
diehard few stayed until 4:30 a.m. , paying the fish gods their dues, and
all for one break off, one throw back trout, and one small red landed. For
the second night in a row I suffered from another broken top dollar rod. It
was snapped in the door jam of the truck, at least Robert and a trout did
the other one in.. But this is the price we pay to play
under the lights on the beach. You must experience the sight to truly
appreciate it the most. Here are just a few pictures from the night. Hope to see
you on the water. Phil
July 1-4,2009.
July 1-2. Wow, you think that a
seasoned pro would know better than to think that he could make mother
nature do something against her will. Well I did because members from
the last outing on the seawall in Galveston are itching to blow it open
on the surf again. Well it just never happened. No, we tried the first
night which in all reality was the best night we had to put keepers in
the box out on the wall. The clean water that was visible at the
end of the arms on the last of the outgoing tide never rolled over and
turned killer green. Well it did from what I saw the next morning on the
surf cams. Problem was just as we started hitting trout of some size,
after all the sand trout started thinning out the generator ran out of
gas. It was 1:15 am and the we were well into a downward fall on the
moon. Needless to say we caught fish as soon as they turned on just not
long enough to box any. Just a gallon short for what may have been
another outstanding night. 5 The winds were still against us for the
most part. Though light they were still southerly with a hint of west.
The water was a hard sandy green and first showed mostly sand
trout. When we ran dry we were catching mostly specks.
July 2-3. Let myself get talked
into trying again, and saw worse results than before. No problems
mechanically just weather. The winds had picked up enough to turn hopes
brown. Sand trout were there but mostly small. A few small specks
started to show but the water was getting darker with sand. We went to
the crash basin and set the light in the cut on shore. Had a few pops
under the light and actually caught a few specks. None were worth
bragging about, but they were legal. Stopped at 4 a.m. and went home.
July 3-4. Well I am game to go
fishing when friends can, so off we went tonight back to the island. No
wall all crash basin. Had folks from the shore visit. Had folks from the
bay visit. Bait everywhere and some fish under them. This was a night
when you fished a light but about a hundred yards away from it. The fish
had the shad pegged on the south shoreline at the far light
fringe. It was actually quiet spectacular to see. I left both the
cameras at the house. Catching fish or getting them to hit something
when they have entire banks of fifty cent sized shad down to nickel size
by the millions was a different story. I have a one inch minnow that is
deadly here in this exact body of water. But throwing two 1/16 heads
into a stiff 15 mph west wind is tough. The next thing I did was take a
C.T. SHAD and cut the curl tail off. The size
then fell into bait size and shape and better mimicked the
clouds of them blowing up all over. I was then confronted with wading
out in my good work boots, because I left my fish shoes on the front
deck. The fish won the boots lost and they now smell like fish bait. It
was not as fast and furious as you hoped but there were some nice reds
in the bunch. Some nice specks, though nothing big for bragging. I want
to go again tonight but no one is around with this being the Fourth.
God Bless America.
Until next time.
"TRICK OR TREAT" JUSTIN LOVELL OPENS OCTOBER
WITH SOME CANDY RED SURPRISES
OCTOBER 1, Justin has come down to the wall to fish
for trout under the lights. Seems like each time he came he was
either to early, to late or the conditions never materialized for a
good night of fishing. In fact we began to think he was bad luck. No
not really we knew he was bad luck. But last night he washed it all
off in the face of a 15 mph wind from the south. Justin had not
called us in a few weeks, being a new dad we figured he was doing
daddy (doody) or duty that one is your choice. But as it turns out
he had been playing with something called work and overtime. Anyway
when I got to the shop last night Big Joe told me he called and
wanted to go fishing. Like I always say it's always nice to
hit the water when your friends can go. And having a fresh face in
the picture would be great. So we called him back to see if he was
serious and of course he was. So we loaded up the truck and we moved
to Beverly. Stopped off along the way and caught some live shad and
piggies, hit the pump and hauled buns to the Island about 10:30 last
night. It wasn't long before Justin showed up, and by 11:30 he was
into his first red. A nice slot and then another. After a few hard
heads some nice gafftop and some choice words about them, he popped
off a nice mini bull. But what he wanted was a screamer. Well
you know how it goes, the luck of the first timer paid off as usual.
Justin got hold of a screamer that was bending that 13 foot rod very
well. I told him to keep the line tight and head for the wall stairs
to work it up. But that fish had enough meat on it to pull him
towards the wall in a manner that told him not to get to close or I
will pull you in. It was a fine tug of war between to first timers.
The first time Justin caught a big bull red on the beach and the
first time that big bull had been hooked. Needless to say they
parted ways right at the rocks. We called it a draw. That fish
tricked him into thinking he was going to let Justin land him and
Justin treated that fish by letting it go before taking a picture of
it. That is what October is all about. Tricks and Treats. Come on
and fish with us anytime. We would always like to make some new
friends.
!
SEPTEMBER 25-26, The whole month of September we have been going to the surf
in Galveston. We have been fishing off of the famed seawall there. Literally
off the wall. We just park the truck on the wall and break out the big rods
and send them out with bait. My nephews and some of their friends have now
officially been introduced to the wonders of September in the surf. Some
nights we had the camera and other nights I slipped out without it. Mainly
because I did not want momma to know that I was off to the water by going
back to the house to get it. There are still a lot of photos that are in the
cell phones the kids use these days. They said that they will bring them
over and download them into the computer so we can post them here in the
DAILY BITE. We caught a little bit of everything off the wall and in the
surf during September. We had some nights with trout under the lights early
in the month, but it was the big reds that really made the month for all of
them. In fact a couple of trips the water was so clear that you could not
get a bite. But you could see all of the fish ganged up in front of the
rocks in the first trough like you were looking at them in an aquarium. It
made for some fun just watching them swimming around. There were spanish
macks caught and in good size and numbers each time the sun came up after a
long night. The water was so clean during those nights you could actually
see the ripples in the sand. But the bull reds were the tops for all of
September. Last night was the proof they needed to show them that fishing
around the moons cycle of major and minor feeding times is the best
way to plan a trip. If you don't know what i am talking about it is the
position of the moon from the horizon as it rises and sets and then repeats
itself under the earth or our feet. That moon and its position in the sky
dictates when the window to catch fish is open and when it is closed.
With only two tides Saturday, we arrived on
the end of the incoming tide about 11:00 p.m.. There was an hour or so left
of it. The moon was falling to set on the horizon and during that time we
could not buy a bite. The window was closing. After that moon dipped below
the horizon that window opened again and kept opening wider. The first fish
we caught was a hardhead. Then things changed. A couple of reds followed and
then three straight sting rays. Each one bigger than the last followed.
Robert enjoyed one about 50-60 pounds. After that it was all reds. Big reds!
We used shad and finger mullet as well as my favorite live piggie's. It has
been like this all month. So if your interested in getting some on your line
hit the wall fish the surf and turn yourself red.
