The Daily Bite

Here is where you can find out about the trips I take on the water fishing with Flounder Pounder Products. Now mind you I don't fish as often as I did once before, but I am getting out more this year than in the past. I have already fished more this month than all of the past six years, and though not every trip has been a meat haul, only one was a complete washout. What can I say, I have been busy being a daddy. With each trip I will give a new report here So Please check back to see what's biting.

29th of May, 2009. We fished on Galveston Island off of the famed Seawall down on the west end in a regular spot of years past. Ike rearranged the rocks considerably below the stairs on each side. This created a interesting backwash into the surf and a nice slightly deeper cut in front of the rocks leading into the first trough. The water was not in the best of shape, sandy with the tide going out early. It was said to have been beautiful during the morning high tide. The worst part was that we lost the moon on a major and had to fight hard to draw strikes. The best fishing was going to be around sunup and into noon on the incoming with the moon dropping back to the major beneath us. But we had to leave at 4 a.m and we managed only a handful of decent trout that had the biggest one tipping 6+ pounds and more than 25 inches. The fish were caught on chartreuse orange, and white pearl chartreuse ShadFish with Rattling 3-D Eyes.

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 2009

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.

Philip, Attached is a picture of a flounder I caught a few years ago on an Original Flounder Pounder. It was caught on a very cold and windy November day. In spite of high winds, I was able to really feel the Pounder as I worked a slack line. All of a sudden -Thud. At first, I thought I was hung up on a log or something. However, I'd never felt such structure where I was fishing. So, I tightened my line and very gently lifted the Pounder off the floor. Then, that second Thump happened. I set the hook hard, and at first I thought I was hung up because it just seemed to stretch my line. I began reeling my line in thinking I was dragging some debri when it took off on me. When I saw it break the water the first time, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Then, when I couldn't get it in my net, I started thinking I was about to have one hell of a story, but no fish. You know how that goes. Yea right, sure you did.

Well, I did manage to net it. My son Chris, a TPWD licensed All Water Paddle Craft Fishing Guide, may have told you it weighed in at 12 pounds and was 32 inches long. That was a little bit of a fishing story. It was actually only 31 and 3/4 inches and weighed 11 lbs 14 ounces. Now that was an old hand held scale, but you can see for yourself, it is plenty big.

I look forward to catching many more Flounder in the future, and I know that the Flounder Pounder line will be my first choice. Keep doing what you do. Tony Dial

The stories grampa tells are always the best. Unless your telling them about grampa. Well this one is about Grampa Bob, you see he visits with us each year during the winter. Last year while he was here he bought a boat. This year we were going fishing with him. Our first attempt was last week, before the front hit. Everyone gathered the gear, John, Dale, and Grampa were ready to tear them up. I got there and they had everything hooked up and were ready to go when I said lets do a power check. Well the best laid plans are usually gunned down when you have no power. Someone had left the radio on in the boat and the batteries were dead. Needless to say we had to reschedule for last night. I wanted to treat them to reds on the reefs and trout under the lights. After getting them and the gear all together John and I set off for the water with Grampa and Dale to follow. Grampa had to go back to the house and then Dale got lost on his way to the ramp. With John giving directions we will blame him. After a while we all managed to get in the boat and head out. It was later than expected and with the sun setting the finger mullet were impossible to find on the bait reef. So we decided to make a night of it under the lights. It started off well, we set up, turned on the lights and saw all kinds of bait, and about 10:30 the fish started to show up. I do mean fish as in a singular fish. You see Grampa Bob set the hook on this beatiful 22" trout fishing a Glow white C.T. Mullett. After taking a couple pictures and a few high fives we sat down to tear them up when the fish gods showed their sense of humor. The generator ran out of gas and the light went dead. Needless to say we went for more gas but by the time we returned the bite was over and we were spent. That's alright though because we are taking Grampa Bob again Friday night, and we will be loaded for bear. I just wonder what the bears eat?