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Capt. Terry Coufal

 

Speckled Trout & Redfish Guide Rockport Texas

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Green Water, Green Water, and the bite is on.  The redfish are stacked up and  and the trout bite has just turned on.  Book your trips now.

11-01-09

Today I had a new client Tom Wood and his son Patrick. With the great and early results yesterday I headed back to the same spot. Well the tide wasn't moving early but I knew it would so I was not worried yet. We made some drifts and picked up one red and a couple keeper trout and some undersized fish. Finally the tide began to drop and I thought it would be on. Unfortunately the tide did not fall enough then stopped. Now I was concerned. These in between tides kill us. I then ran to an area that is usually best when the tide is a little lower but I wanted to give it a shot and what a move it was. We literally had a fish on within seconds of every bait hitting the water. There were some good fish in there but the 18-19 in reds would hit so fast the baits were not in the water long enough to let the big boys have a chance. We managed a couple more keeper reds in here and a full limit of really solid black drum. Tons of action today and a good day on the water. I had a great time fishing with these two and hope to see them again. Tom promised to bring his wife Betsy next time.

10-31-09

Today I had another repeat client Bill and Betty Davis from Arlington. Today was one of those days that everything just falls into place. I fished the flats today due to a really hard north wind. My initial plan was to make the run to Dagger Island. As I hit the shrimp boat channel I could see the buoys laid over from the tide falling out so my game plan quickly changed. I headed straight to my favorite north wind, strong tide falling spots and folks it does not get any easier than today. Our first six casts produced 6 solid keeper reds from 25-27 inches. I love it when the pressure is off in about 20 minutes. We then caught and released another 10 or so and called it an early morning. Great couple hours of fishing to say the least plus I had a chance for an early lunch with these two great people.

10-24-09

Today I was fishing the same group for the Lodge again today but I had different guys. I followed my same tracks as yesterday with pretty close to the same results.  A nice box of black drum, a couple reds and around 15 trout. Not as many trout as yesterday due to a lot more misses. Still a great box and once again tons of action. Another great day with great guys.

10-23-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge. This group was from the American Tire company and I had Michael Wrobleski, Craig Kennedy and John Watkins. This was Craig's first time to salt water fish and I was anxious to make it memorable. Winds blowing out of the south today so I opted to go to mid-bay shell in San Antonio bay and what a good choice it was. Our first stop produced black drum and a couple reds and of course some sheepheads. We then left for another reef and got a good trout bite going and landed 23 solid trout. Boy was it nice to finally see some trout showing up and I cant tell you how many undersized trout and reds we caught today. Tons of action today and a great box of fish. I think Craig enjoyed his first salt water experience. Great day again today with really good guys.

10-22-09

Today I had a new client Tim McClain from San Antonio area. The north wind was blowing so I headed to Matagorda shoreline. Our bites today came in spurts. We would box 2 or 3 real fast then nothing for 10 or 15 minutes then 2 or 3 then nothing. I guess the fish have broken up in smaller schools. We grinded on them and managed a really good box. We made a few moves looking for redfish and Tim landed a really nice fish. I really enjoyed fishing with these guys and hopefully I will see them again. Although I gave Tim my hot pick of the day on college football and they lost. Hope he does not hold that against me. I guess I need to stick to fishing !!!

10-21-09

Today I had another repeat client Brian Hallum. Today he brought Steve Heid, Ray Alvear, and Bryan Chisum. We spent the day drifting for reds. We got off to a fast start then a little slow period then we would pick up one or two almost every drift. A ton of undersized fish today. Ray definately had the hottest hand today. You could tell this guy could fish. Steve on the other hand, I guess I wont go there and mention that I had to re-spool three reels for him. Really great time today. I cant tell you how much we laughed today. Couple short of our limit but it was not because of opportunities. No doubt we should have got them all. Lots of misses and broke off a couple but still a great day with great people.

10-20-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge. We drifted the flats and got our limit of reds. Sorry I lost the name of my guys and since i was behind on reports for a week or so I cant remember. Sorry guys.

10-19-09

Once again the last two days I had another great client John Cadena from Houston. I know you see him on my reports and we always have a great time. The last two days it was just John and I so I actually got a chance to fish. We spent the two days drifting for reds and John really had the hot hand and got it done. It hurts my lips to admit it but he put it on me both days. Of course I told him I was being a good guide and let him out fish me to make him feel better !!! John had his limit of reds and one trout short of his limit of trout also. I start off a lot of my reports with "today I had another good repeat client". Ive been blessed to have such great clients and John is another prime reason why I love doing what I do. The last two days was as good as it can get for me. No pic from the first day but we did get a pic of John with his largest fish the second day. Great job John !!!

10-18-09

Today I had another repeat client Dale and Laura Price. These folks are quickly becoming favorites of mine. Once again they brought their son Slade and his girlfriend Mindy. The last time they were here I quickly noted in my report the butt kicking the girls put on the guys. Well some things never changed. Just like last time Mindy got off to the hot start catching the first fish and never looked back. Laura also got it going as well. The guys did contribute but once again folks it wasn't close. Slade even came to the back of the boat where Mindy was and was literally casting right next to her line but unfortunately he just had to watch as Mindy kept reeling them in. Big box of fish today. What a great day with a really great family. Slade and his dad are going to hunt the Aransas Wildlife refuge in a couple weeks. Hint: take Mindy with you !!!!!

 

 

10-16-09

Today I had a new client Scott Sanders and he brought Walter with him. Hard north wind conditions today and not real pleasant but I was confident leaving the dock. Action was really slow at first. We covered a lot of territory and only managed a lot of undersized fish. The tide finally starting dropping and I knew where to go. We pulled up on one of my favorite north wind falling tide spots and it did not let me down. Walter got on the board first and was really putting it on Scott. It was not looking good for Scott. Walter had his limit and the biggest but Scott finally got it going and boated his limit. I then relinquished our spot to another guide that was struggling. He later called and said the quickly got their limit as well. Hope he remembers to return the favor someday. I really enjoyed fishing with Scott and Walter. Hope to see them agian.

10-14-09

10-15-09

The last two days I had another one of my good repeat clients Tim and Linda Lauer and they brought their son Chris with them this time. The action was not fast and furious today but enough action to keep us busy. Decent boxes of reds the last two days along with some undersized fish and yes some misses. The Lauer's are always great to fish with and I look forward to seeing them again.

10-10-09

Well we had strong north winds and cool damp conditions so of course I headed to Matagorda shoreline one of my favorite fall north wind areas. I know my clients are always skeptical under these conditions but folks it almost a guarantee. Randy had the hot hand early then everyone else got in the game. Ken then got on a roll and really got it going. We had a triple on at one time and with these guys that was a hilarious site to see but  some how they managed to get all three in the boat. We got our limit of really nice black drum and a lot of undersized reds. Then we made a couple stops looking for redfish. Ken immediately hooked up with a nice 30 in fish but then nothing. We hit another creek opening and Randy hooked up quickly with a nice red and then once again nothing. Ended the day with a really nice box. In fact, it was top full. I always enjoy this group and we give each other ALOT of grief trust me. Todays photo is of yours truly and Ken with his nice oversized red and then the final catch of the day. Another great day with great folks. This is why I do what I do !!!

10-09-09

Today I had one of my favorite groups. I always look forward to Ken, Norm, Hugh and Randy coming down. Tough day today. We knew we were only going to get about 3 or 4 hours on the water due to a hard front coming in. Made a few anchors where I had been catching them but no luck. We then began drifting and picked up a couple nice reds and trout before the front hit. I have these guys again tomorrow and even though the winds would be blowing out of the north I told them not to worry that it would be on.

10-08-09

Today I had the David Edmondson group. We were greeted with 30 mph winds from the south today. We spent the day drifting for redfish today. The bite was not fast and furious but steady. David got his limit first then Chuck followed suit. Unfortunately did not catch a keeper red today. A lot of undersized reds and trout. We finished the day with 6 reds, a couple nice trout and a drum. Not bad considering some tough conditions. David has turned out to be a regular and a very good client. I always enjoy my day on the water with them. Sorry Chuck but I have to mention your casting woes. Chuck got his limit of reds but my equipment paid the price. lol     Todays photo is of the final catch of the day and the birds nest of my Curado's. Great day with good people.

10-07-09

Cancelled today. Paid day off, I love it.

10-05-09

Today I had my good friend and client Tommy Lyons. He brought Tony and  Andy with him. We got off to a good start today boxing three nice fish quickly. I am fishing some heavy shell right now and we broke off numerous fish and yes we missed a few. Then we just grinded on them and managed a really nice box of solid fish. We fell two short of our limit but we definately had our chances. I cant tell you how much we laughed today. Unfortunately for Tony a lot of it was at his expense. I cant go into details but we laughed most of the morning. I always have a great time with Tommy and his groups. Ill see him again soon with his wife Freida. Looking forward to it as always.

10-04-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge and the Strike Construction group.  I had Justin Hecht, Kareem Frederick, and Phu Phan. Kareem and Justin had a tough day the day before so I was looking forward to putting them on some fish. It was not fast and furious due to the full moon but our last stop rounded out our box. We managed six nice reds before we had to head in. Kareem had top honors with the most fish and the largest. Todays photo is of Kareem with his nice 29 3/4 in red. I think the smile says it all. I really enjoyed fishing this group and I hope I get to fish them next year.

10-03-09

Today I had a five boat group for ABC out of San Antonio. This group is a regular of mine and I always enjoy their group. I had one of my favorites Michelle Seward, Roger, and Marianne. We drifted today and managed 5 reds, and a drum. We caught a lot of undersized fish today and yes we had our fair share of misses that hurt our numbers. None the less great day with good folks.
      10-02-09 Today I had another good client and friend Wayne Radwanski and Barry Rouche. I went back to the flats today. It was not fast and furious today but we worked hard and got em.  Great day on the water with really good folks. Wayne and Barry have been fishing with me for a few years now and they have really come a long way. They have turned into some very good fisherman. Great day on the water.

10-01-09

Today I had one of my good repeat clients Greg Paradine. I made the run to San Antonio bay today. We fished deep shell most of the morning. Lots of  action up there but not many keepers. ALOT of undersized reds. We managed 7 or 8 black drum and Greg added a nice red. He also hooked something that he could not turn. I think it was a jack but we never saw it. I then dropped Greg off for a little wade fishing with lures. He had another nice red almost spool him that he lost and his partner lost a couple fish as well. I always enjoy fishing with Greg and his groups. Greg can really fish and that makes for a nice day. Terry was supposed to be with him today but he wasn't feeling well so we definately missed him.

09-28-09

Today I had one of my good repeat clients Dennis Yanowski from San Antonio. Today he brought Andy and Gilbert with him. Dennis fishes a lot here in Rockport and is an avid lure chunker and can get it done. Our first anchor started off good. We managed three solid reds rather quickly then Dennis missed three in a row and boy did we let him hear it. That was so unlike Dennis but he does not throw dead bait much so I guess we will give him a little slack. We then headed to drift with pigges where we caught the big fish yesterday and they were gone. We then headed to an area we call Bakers and began catching some nice trout. Dennis switched to soft plastics and boxed some nice fish. On the way in we anchored back up for a few minutes where we started and Andy picked up another keeper and one just barely short. We called it a day with 11 trout and 5 reds. Folks we worked hard for them today but grinded out a decent box. Great day with great guys. I left my camera today so no pics. Sorry !!!

09-27-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge and I had Andrew Levi and Jeanette Musacchio. Boy what a difference a day makes. Everyone had good boxes of fish yesterday and today it was a struggle for everyone.  Due to the winds dying and the water clearing I headed to the flats instead of north. Andrew got on the board quick and I thought it was going to be on then nothing. We worked hard but only managed three keepers today. Andrew did catch a huge 36 in 16 pound red. This is one of the largest reds Ive seen from inside the flats. Jeanette had a really nice fish with 4 large spots. One good thing is that all the group had a great day yesterday so it took a little of the sting off from the slow day today. We talk about conditions alot and today was an example how conditions play a huge role in our success or lack of. Todays photos are of Andrew and Jeanette with Andrews nice 36 in fish and Andrew and Jeanette with her fish as well. Andrew won the pot for largest fish, great job Andrew.

9-26-09

Today I had a new client Ryan Ward, Schad West and John West. Sometimes when you have new clients you do not know what to expect. When they first walked up and I saw Ryans hat I knew what I was up against. Check his hat out in the pic and you will understand !!!!! We headed back to Matagorda shoreline again today. Conditions not quite as good as they were a couple days ago but still the best bet today. We never really got a good bite going today but grinded on them and managed a good box. Of course their were some misses today and you know me I gave them grief about it but over all these guys did a great job. Unfortunately for Schad he was catching most of the fish but his were all undersized and the guys were letting him have it. I cannot tell you how much I laughed today with these guys. Unfortunately I cant print most of the abuse but trust me it was hilarious. We managed around 12 drum I think and 4 reds. Schad finally boxed a nice 28 in fish that made our day. Great day with really great guys. I hope to see them again.

09-25-09

Short report today. I was fishing as part of a 54 boat group today out of corpus. Fishing was horrible to say the least. Most boats were in the 1-5 fish range

09-24-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge and had Jeff and Reenie. With the front that blew in it was an easy choice where I was heading today, Matagorda shoreline. The water was choppy and muddy so I was very optimistic. This is perfect conditions for this shoreline and it did not let us down. We had limits of reds and black drum today. Jeff and Reenie missed some fish today but overall did a really great job. Its always nice to get limits but double limits is even better. I really enjoyed fishing with these two. Todays photo is of Jeff and Reenie with two of their nice reds.

09-22-09

Front hit today and we had to cancel due to weather.

09-19-09

Today I had a multiple boat group with my good client Dallas Cloud from Moore Erection out of San Antonio. I had the pleasure of fishing with Dallas, his wife Karen, and my favorite gal pal the lovely Donna Ibanez. We had four boats today and two of us headed to the surf while the other two stayed inside. The surf was off today. We just did not see the fish today that we say yesterday. We worked hard and we ended up with 3 reds and the other boat ended up with 2. We did miss a couple and broke off a really good one and yes yours truly even missed one. The two boats that fished inside had good boxes of reds. Its not too often that I get out done but it happened today. As always I enjoy the fishing with Dallas and Donna. Todays photo is of myself with Donna, Karen and Connie Morton.

09-18-09

Well due to the lack of fish yesterday and the lack of wind I headed to the surf today. I was fishing for redfish lodge and I had Eddie Martin and Nick Wilkins. The surf was nice but the fishing was slow out here too. We missed a couple fish but not many bites. I then decided to get on the trollmotor and look for fish. We started to see a few fish and site casted to them. The first bunch we missed on our casts. The second group though we had a double hook up immediately. Eddie landed a nice 30 in fish and Nick landed a nice 27 1/2 in fish. It is always exciting when you are sight casting to fish. We saw a couple more but could not get them to eat and then it was time to head in. I had a great time with these two guys. Just wish the fishing would have been a little better. Todays photo is of Eddie and Nick with their nice reds.

09-17-09

Well today I fished for Redfish Lodge. We headed back to Matagorda shoreline again today. Guess what?? they weren't there today. Conditions looked great but the tide dropped a few inches and the fish were gone. We worked hard and managed only a few drum. We had some bites but the fish just weren't eating. I would have bet the farm that we would have got em quick today.

09-16-09

Today I headed up north to San Antonio bay. We fished Matagorda shoreline and the bite was excellent today. We had quick limits of drums and reds on our first stop. We made several moves later to do a little grocery shopping for the next day. We caught fish at every stop today. Great day on the water.

09-13-09

Today I had a new client Jim Schneider and his sons Kris and Jeff. They were supposed to go on an offshore trip out of Port A but the trip was cancelled so I got the opportunity to fish them. I knew quickly it was going to be one of those days. Kris turns out to be an area rep for Evinrude, so being the Mercury kind of guy that I am the pressure was on. After seeing the first couple of hook sets it was clear to see that these guys were big bass fisherman. And if you read my reports enough you know how bass fisherman just "kill me". And then I find out that Kris used to work for Jimmy Houston of all people. Boy did I have my work cut out for me. We were drifting with piggies again and had steady action most of the morning. Not fast and furious but fairly constant. All kidding aside these guys did a really good job. They missed a couple but not many. It was easy to see that these guys could fish and that always makes my job easier. We ended up with our limit of reds and 6 or so nice trout. Jim definately out fished his sons today. Great job Jim !!! Good day on the water with a really good family. Hope to see these guys again.

09-12-09

Today I had another repeat client Tyler Bloomer. He brought his dad Mike and Gary and Layne Marshall with him. I always give these guys a hard time and today was no exception. In fact they always tease me about whether I will fish them again next year. Worked hard today for a good box of fish again and yes we or shall I say they missed quite a few today. We were drifting free lining piggies today and its definately takes getting use to. Tyler broke a nice fish off so I put a cork on his to see if that would help but it didn't. As soon as everyone else started calling him "bobber boy" I had to take if off. A ton of laughs as usual with this group. I look forward to seeing them again next year.

09-03-09

Back in the surf the last two days. Redfish action has been great but the trout action is a little hit and miss. Very calm out there and superb conditions.

08-30-09

Today I had another good repeat client the Madison's. Ronnie brought his sons again but they left mom at home this time. I think it is because she usually out fishes them. Well the winds were down so we headed to the surf today. It was not fast and furious today but we managed a good box. Trout bite was slow so we moved closer in looking for redfish. We had a triple on but unfortunately only got one to the boat. We managed 7 or so reds and yes we lost some and missed some. On our last stop we got a pretty good trout bite going and managed 17 or so. Nice way to end the day. I always look forward to fishing with the Madisons. Great family. Next time hope they bring mom back so we can limit out !!!!!!!

08-20-09

Today I had a new client David Erfurt and Robert Mazurek. Well what a difference a day makes. Strong bite yesterday and today we had to really worked hard for them most of the morning. David had the hot hand early, not that it was great but he was slowly grinding them out. Robert on the other hand got off to a slow start. Finally toward the end of the day we finally got a good bite going and that's where Robert came alive. He really got it going catching some really solid fish including the largest of the day a nice 22 1/2 in fish and a nice flounder. He finally got off that bass fishing mentality and began catching. Great day with really good guys. We had a lot of laughs today, some at Robert's expense. I tried to find a way to tastefully report a couple key points of the day involving Robert but could not find a way to do it !!!! Lucky for him. By the way Robert thanks for holding my pole !!!  Great day with really good guys. Hope to see them again.

08-19-09

Today I had another repeat client Kay Stein and her grandson Hunter. We really got off to a slow start today. Everything looked great but we could just not get the bites. We made a lot of small moves but no luck. We had only one keeper around 9 then one more small move and we lit them up. Kay had it going first and it was not looking good for Hunter but then he got the hot hand and kept things close. It was too close to call today but Hunter did catch the largest so I give him the win today. We had a great time today and managed our limit of fish by 10:30 or so. Last year I made a comment about Hunter having a bad hair day and guess what?? Not much has changed !!!  Great job by these two today. Both Kay and Hunter can really fish and that always helps. Kay has one of the best hook sets Ive seen and keeps great tension on the line at all times.  That always makes my job easier. Great day again today and Ill see these two again next year.

08-17-09

Well today I had another one of my repeat clients Jarred Sinn. This time he brought his wife Jessica and he might regret that now. Jessica got on the board first and never looked back. This girl can fish and really had the hot hand today. We got off to a hot start then a long dry spell and then finished with another flurry. If Jarred would have helped early we could have got it done a lot sooner but he was on a missing frenzy. And yes Jessica and I rode him pretty hard. He was a great sport about it though but Jessica is going to be hard to live with for awhile. Folks it was not even close today. Major butt kicking by Jessica. We really had a great time today and had a good day. Jessica was kind enough to let Jarred in the picture !!!

08-15-09

Well the last two days were our annual Cast for the Cure tournament for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. All proceeds go to help finding a cure for CF. So far we have netted a million dollars to help find that cure. All of the top area guides fish the event and there are a lot of bragging rights on the line. I had my same team again Art Troscher and his son Corey. We have won the event the previous two years so the pressure is on to three peat.  We fish the lure division and in this tournament we go be length of fish. We can measure in two reds and two trout per person and each angler has to catch their own fish. Day one I fished up north in the Rockport area. Turned out not to be the wisest choice. Art and Corey caught the trout they needed but we did not catch a single redfish. After day one we were 60 inches behind the top team and 20 inches off second place. Lucky for us the other teams did not catch their trout so we were still in it. Art was a little down but I told him we were within striking distance if we just took care of our business on day two. Since no reds on day one I decided to make a long run way south on day two.

Well the long run paid off on day two. We ran almost two hours before our first stop. We got our trout and then began the hunt for the reds that eluded me yesterday. Corey stuck a huge fish and after a long battle he landed a nice 33 1/2 in fish. That makes up a lot of ground in a hurry. He wasn't done. A few minutes later he landed a nice 26 1/2 in red. Unfortunately I could not put Art on a red so we will have to wait and see what the other teams did.

Well we pulled it out. We almost had a clean sweep but did won 3 out of 4 possible categories and took second in the fourth.  Art won with largest trout, Corey won largest redfish and Corey won overall grand champion angler. We got beat out for team grand champion by 16 inches but took second.  If I could have put Art on just one keeper red on either day we would have swept the division. Still a great day on the water especially for Corey.

Although winning is nice, the highlight of the event had to be Nick Scott. Nick has Cystic Fibrosis and our fund raising efforts help kids like him. This was Nick's first time to saltwater fish and he landed a nice 23 in trout and a whopper 35 in redfish (lucky for us he was in the bait division). What a way to be introduced to salt water fishing. Nick took home top honors for largest redfish with his huge 35 incher. Great job Nick. Folks this is what it is all about !!!!!!

The top photo is of Corey Troscher with his award winning redfish. The second photo is of Art, Corey and yours truly with some of our winnings. The third photo is of Nick Scott with his trophy for his huge 35 in redfish.

If you or your company would like to be a part of next years event in anyway please contact me for details. I've become very close with many of the CF kids and I hope our efforts will allow them to be in our lives for a long time.

 

 

08-12-09

Today I had Jack Selman group. Jack brought his son Sam, Nick Belisle, Reeves Sodama and Marshall Weber. We got off to a really good start today and I thought we were going to be done quickly. Then all of a sudden we had a wind change to the west and our bite slowed. Then the wind completely died and so did our bite. It was slow grinding after that. Folks, clear dead calm conditions are the worst conditions we can have. We managed a good box of fish today thanks to the early bite and yes we had some misses again today. Im not sure who caught the most today but Marshall had the fish of the day with a nice 28 in trout and Nick had a  really nice flounder. Great job guys. I really had a good time with these guys and hope to see them again. Great day on the water.

08-11-09

Today I had a new client the Kistner's.  They brought their two kids Kyle and Kelsey with them. We got off to a slow start with a lot of misses then Kelsey really got us going. It is now doubt that young Kelsey had the hot hand today. This girl can really fish. The whole family did a good job today. Everyone caught their fair share of fish. Its always nice to see a family fishing together and taking interest in introducing their kids to the outdoors. This was a great family and I look forward to seeing them again.

08-10-09

Today I had one of my good repeat clients Jeffrey Crawford. We headed back to the laguna. I had these guys for two days. Day one we had some misses again. It took these guys awhile to get the hang of being patient before setting the hook. We ended up with a good box the first day. We headed back again and the bite was a little better today. Not near as many missed today and that always helps on the numbers. Jeffrey has been on me about catching a redfish so when he finally hooked and landed a solid red that kind of made my day. Day two was much better. Great group to fish with and I always enjoy fishing with the Crawfords. Of course Jeff left his wife at home this time. I think he was scared of getting out fished again.

08-05-09

Today I had a new client Stephen and Ryan Portner. We headed  back to the Laguan today and the action was still good. Young Ryan did a great job today. He definately was on his game today. We had quite a few misses again today but that is meant to be expected this time of year. It was a pleasure fishing with Stephen and Ryan today and I hope to see them again. Great job guys.

08-04-09

Today I had another repeat client Steve Murchison. I owed Steve a trip so since it was not a paid charter I was able to keep fish today. The bite today was not quite as fast as yesterday but still very steady and not as many undersized fish today. Steve got on the board first catching his first three fish on three bites. He was kicking my butt early. But he began to miss a few and allowed me to catch up. We had our limit of trout by 10:30 or so. I heard of an area holding some black drum so we headed there but could not find them. We then made an anchor for redfish but managed only two undersized reds but Steve did catch his largest trout to date a nice 28 1/2 in fish which we were able to release. Great day on the water. Steve can really fish and that always makes it easier. Great job Steve !!!!

08-03-09

Today I had one of my repeat clients Mark Hooper. Today he brought Brett Wilkerson and Darrell Womack with him. Brett and Darrell were pretty much rookies to trout fishing so I was hoping to put them on some fish. Its remarkable what a lack of boat pressure can do. Yesterday our bite was slow, today it was very good. Darrell got on the board first and really had the hot hand early. Then Brett and Mark got in the game and they had quite a few misses today as well. By the end of the day I think Darrell edged them out for top honors but Brett and Mark definately caught their fair share. We ended up with 26 or 27 trout and one red. Its always a pleasure to fish with Mark and I hope to see Darrell and Brett again.

08-02-09

Today I had another new client Laura and Dale Price from Matagorda. They brought their son Slade and his girlfriend Mindy with them. We headed back to the laguna again today. The bite was a little slower in here today I think mostly due to weekend boat pressure. Mindy got on the board first and never looked back. Then Laura got in the game and it was all girls after that. The guys had A LOT of misses today and when the bite is slow that hurts the overall numbers. Its a good thing they brought the girls. And yes Mindy and I were giving Slade a hard time all morning. We ended up with 15 trout and 2 nice flounder today. Not great but still a pretty decent day and we had a lot of bites. Mindy definately had the hot hand catching the most, Laura had the largest trout a nice 26 in fish,  Dale did have the largest flounder, and Laura pointed out the Slade had the largest redfish. ( I wont mention that it was under sized !!! ). This was a great family and I had a great time fishing with them. Hope to see them again.

08-01-09

Today I had another new client Cindy King, her daughter Casey and Steve. Another good day in the laguna. Today was not quite as fast as it has been but still good overall. Well the ladies got off to hot start. Casey caught the first then Cindy really got it going and the girls never looked back. Steve got a fishing lesson from these two today. Just like Andy yesterday Steve had a hard time waiting long enough for the fish to really take it. This time of year patience is the key. Our first anchor produced around 15 or so which isnt bad but we easily should have had 25 or so. We then had a long dry spell without a keeper but then a couple stops produced some really nice fish. We ended up with 26 out of our 30 which is still a great day on the water. Cindy without a doubt was the winner today. She definately caught the most and I think the biggest as well. Casey managed some really nice fish as well. Steve sorry pal but it was no contest. I rode Steve pretty hard today but he took it in stride. We had a ton of laughs today and really had a great time on the water. I hope to see these fine folks again. Once again the ladies ruled !!!!!

07-31-09

Today I had a new client Andy Sulak and his son Drew from Richmond Texas. I know this sounds like a broken record but yes we headed back to the laguna madre again today. We got off to a fast start today or shall I say Drew did. Drew had the hot hand early and never let up on his dad. We managed about 15 on our first stop and had a lot of misses in here. Andy was having trouble with the patience part. A little quick on the draw. Made a couple more moves catching some under sized fish and headed back to where we started and finished up. Drew even added a really nice flounder as well. During the day it turns out Andy knew a lot of the people I used to play Babe Ruth baseball with. Wharton was always top in baseball and I was fortunate to be part of those all-star teams with really great players. Several of which made to the professional ranks. Great day on the water with really good people. I hope to see these guys again.

07-26-09

Today I had another one of my good clients Greg Paradine again today. He brought Terry Bonnell back with him again along with Peter Oehler and Jackson Day. Our plan was to fish out of the boat for awhile today and then get a little wade fishing in. Our bite was not fast today but fairly steady. And yes once again we had a lot of misses that always hurts but we still put a good box together. Once I got Greg away from that sideways hook set he did not miss as many. We fished long and hard today but it was totally my pleasure. Some days I feel so fortunate to be doing what I do for a living and today was certainly one of those days. These guys can really fish and we really have a great time. We had about 20 or so in the box then headed wade fishing. Before the rest of us got out of the boat Jackson was already hooked up. We watched him catch fish after fish. I stayed with Terry and Peter and Jackson and Greg headed off together. Terry and Peter did a great job adding another 6 trout and 2 really nice reds and Terry broke off a couple reds. We really thought Jackson and Greg had full stringers but when I picked them up they added one trout and one red. Terry and Peter really put it on them on this wade. In all fairness though I think Jackson had a lot of fish that he could have put on the stringer that were close but decided to turn them loose. Thats the sign of a great fisherman. We ended the day with 26 or so nice trout and 3 reds. The highlight for me was Peter catching his first redfish. But there was a lowlight as well. I was fixing Terry's line that he broke off on a red and gave him my personal Curado. When I looked back to see him rebaiting his hook my rod and reel was no where to be seen. You should have seen the look on his face when I asked him where my rod and reel where. He looked around as if the fish gremlins took it. Good thing he still had the hook and line in his hand. And yes we gave him alot of grief over that. Again awesome day with awesome people. I look forward to fishing with these guys again. Todays photo is of Peter with his first ever redfish. Great job Peter !!!

7-25-09

Today I had a new client Mike Bell from the Austin area. He brought Drew Bell, Jonathan Heacock and Chris and Kyle Crichton with him. We headed back to the laguna again today. Well today was not much different than yesterday with the exception of putting more fish in the box. The majority of our fish came early. And yes we had A LOT of misses again today. I always tell everyone the rule of the day is no misses but everyone sure breaks that rule. But overall for this being these guys first time to use live croakers they did really well. We gave Drew a lot of grief today about his casting ability but he got the job done. I think he had top honors with the most fish. We managed 30 or so really nice fish. I had a great time with these guys and I hope I will see them again.

07-24-09

Today I had my good client Kerry Morgan again. We headed back to the Laguna again today. Well the bite was early and we did not do much after 9 or so. We managed 18 or so nice fish and a lot of undersized. And yes the misses cost us today. We have a high pressure system sitting on top of us and that has slowed our bite somewhat. Still not a bad day and of course we had a good time with this group. And yes the young guns put it on their dads today. Great job guys.

07-19-09

Today I had my good friends Art and Sarah Troscher. I headed back to my honey hole. Well the fish showed back up and we got on them quick. Sarah got on the board first and definately had the hot hand early. It was not looking good for Art early but he got it going and came on strong. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday a lot of undersized fish and today some really good fish. Still some undersized but not as many as yesterday. We had our limits around 8 or so included another nice 26 1/2 in fish caught by Art. It was nice to put Sarah and Art on some fish. Plus its great to be fishing all the way in the upper laguna and still back at home with fish cleaned and boat cleaned by 10:45.  Great day on the water. Todays photo is of Art with his nice trophy fish that we released.

07-18-09

Today I had another new client. I had a two boat group today and I had the pleasure of fishing with Chris Yates, Wilson Shirley, Jay Tinney, and Mac Lawson. I headed back to the same area Ive been fishing all week. The bite was a little slower in here today and more small fish. We picked up about 15 in here before we made a move. The next two stops produced a lot of action but all undersized fish. I went back to where we started and the bigger fish had moved back in. We boxed another 12 or more before calling it a day. We ended up with around 27 with a nice 26 1/2 in fish caught by Jay. The other boat ended up with 21 solid fish as well. This was a great group and I enjoyed fishing with them. Todays photos are of Jay with his nice trophy trout and a group picture with my guys fish. Hope to see these guys again.

07-17-09

Today I had a new client Brian Smith from Tom Bean Texas of all places. I have to admit I've never heard of it. We also had his sons Sterling and Leyton. Mrs. Smith and the youngest son Avery was with us also but the guys did most of the fishing. Well I went back to the same area I've been fishing and it is still on there. The first bait barely hit the water and Brian was hooked up immediately. Then Leyton really got it going and was catching fish after fish. Sterling got off to a slow start but made a strong finish. We had some really nice fish in here today. We managed our 30 by 9 or so. Brian caught a nice 27 1/2 in and a 26 and Sterling caught a nice 27 as well. We had some misses today but overall these guys did a great job. The key right now is to get on them early. The bite really starts to slow around 8:30. Great morning with really nice people.

07-15-09

Today I had a repeat client Justin Marshall and his wife. Last year with his group I miscounted and we ended up with 29 instead of our 30 trout and he constantly reminds me of that. So today there was no way I would miscount. I headed straight back to the flat I've been fishing and it was still on. We immediately got bites. Unfortunately Justin was missing fish while his wife was catching. Once again it was no contest. She not only caught the first, but the most, the biggest and the last. Nice job !!!! We ended up limiting by 8 or so but easily should have been done by 7 if Justin would have helped a little more !!!!!  We spent a few hours looking for redfish but only managed to catch and release some more nice trout in the 21-24 in range. Nice problem  to have. Another great day on the water. I'm hoping to see these two in the fall for some redfish action.

07-12-09

Well today I had another repeat client Joey Berger and Mark Hooper. There is the old saying "if it aint broke dont fix it". Well I believe that statement so I headed straight to the spot where we lit them up yesterday and yes they were still there. We got on them immediately again. Since I had only two people today and the bite was so fast we did not keep any fish under 17 inches today. We limited by 9 and would have been done by 7:30 or so if we would have kept the 15 and 16 inchers. And yes a lot of misses and undersized fish as well. They probably caught 50 or 60 fish on our first anchor. We had some bait left so we went grocery shopping for some new areas for a back up plan for the rest of the week. We found a couple areas holding some nice fish as well. Great day of catching again with two really good people. Ill see Mark again in a couple of weeks. Folks the fishing just cant get much better than it has been this past week.

07-11-09

Today I was fishing part of a two boat group. I had the young guns of the group. I had Tyler Bradford, Anthony Gabriel, Jordan Olivarez and Alexandra Curry. This was Alexandra's first time to fish and I was looking forward to putting her on some fish. I headed straight to where we had the good bite yesterday and I was not disappointed. We got on the fish immediately or shall I say Alexandra did. Alexandra got off to a quick start and never slowed down. While she was catching, the guys were missing. A lot of misses today by the guys. We picked up 28 or so on our first stop in a couple hours and a lot of undersized fish as well. I think Alexandra had her limit before the guys had one or two fish apiece in the box. We made a few more moves and picked up 7 or so more before running out of bait and headed in around 11. Great day of catching with a really great bunch. It was a true pleasure teaching Alexandra and watching her kick the guys butts today. She still needs a little working on flipping the fish in the boat though !!! She knows what Im talking about. I think she is hooked and the guys wont be able to go without her again. Great job Alexandra !!!!

07-10-09

Today I had another one of my good clients Wayne Radwanski, Barry Rouche, and Julius. We headed back to the upper laguna again today. Another great day on the water today. We made three stops today. First stop produced 8 or so, the next stop 5 or 6 and the third stop was fast and furious. We limited pretty early today and released quite a few. Of course we should have been done a lot earlier but Wayne was not on his A-game today. The day was also topped off with two really nice fish. Julius and Barry caught a 29 and a 28 in fish. Both fish were gut hooked and stressed so there was no chance to turn them loose. What a day, I think I will head straight to our last stop we made tomorrow. This flat seems to be holding a lot of very nice fish as you can see. Great day with great people. Ill see Wayne and Barry again in October for some redfish action.

07-05-09

Today I had Greg Paradine and Todd Eschler. We headed back to the upper laguna again today. It was not fast and furious today but steady and we caught fish at every spot but one. We got our limit of trout by 10:30 and headed to look for some reds. It did not take long and Greg picked up a couple undersized reds then Todd caught a nice 24 in fish before we decided to call it a day. Oh yes and yours truly caught a really nice 22 in flounder. Great day with really good people. I will see Greg again in a couple of weeks. These guys did a great job but they did miss a "few" today but they did get it done today so great job guys.

07-04-09

The winds picked up so it was too rough for the surf today so I headed back to the upper lagune. Today I had my good friend David Gallegos again today. He brought Jessie Banda, Joey "one time" Carrasquillo and Frank Romero. Don't even ask about the "one time" nickname for Joey. We got off to a smoking hot start today. We picked up 22 really good fish on our first anchor. And we missed a lot of fish on that anchor as well. We should have limited right there by 8 or so.  Our bite slowed so we made a few moves scratching a few more fish. We managed 29 and called it a day around 11:00. Great day on the water with good people. And yes I rode them hard about missing so many early on.

07-03-09

Today I had a new client Tommy King Jr. He brought is dad and Robert Cudd and Robert's son Mason. We headed back to the surf today. Again a little bumpy but fishable. Unfortunately Tommy's dad and Robert got to feeling sick. We had a pretty good bite going but decided to head in to calmer waters. Mason had the hot hand in the gulf and if we could have given him 45 more minutes I think he would have completed our box. We headed inside where we found a lot of undersize fish but not many keepers. Mason did a great job today catching the biggest and the most. We still had a good box of fish. Had a good time today and I hope to see these fine folks again.

07-02-09

Today I had my good friends the Baetens today. Ive been fishing this family for years and its always a pleasure to fish with young Grayson. We headed to the surf today. It was a little bumpy but definately fishable. Tammy ewas not feeling good most of the morning but she was a real trooper and hung in there. We had to move a few times to get some cool breeze for her but she did not quit and give up. She definately put it on Mike and Grayson today. It was not even close today. Tammye caught the most and the biggest even with a quezzy stomach. Nice job Tammye !!!  Great people and we managed a good box of really nice fish before we called it quits around 11:00.

06-30-09

Today I had another good client Randy Schulte. He brought his old pal Don Martinez with him today. A lot of little fish today for some reason. I bet we releaed 40 or so that were less than a half inch short. We managed 12 or 13 keepers but not near as good as I would have thought or expected. We did take pics but for some reason I cant find them on my camera. Not sure what happened. I always enjoy fishing with Randy and Don and today was no exception.

06-29-09

Today I had a new client the Mansfield's. Again back to the upper laguna. The bite was a little slow today but again we grinded and managed a good box of fish. We headed back to the same spot were we really got on them yesterday and guess what?? They weren't there. I guess god gave them fins for a reason. This was the first time for these guys to saltwater trout fish so it took them awhile to get the hang of it but they did a great job. We missed a few early but they soon got the hang of it. I enjoyed the time on the water with them and the opportunity to hopefully teach them a few things today.

06-28-09

Today I had the Doug Kuenstler group. These guys are regulars and we always have a blast. I cant tell you how much grief is given out and how much these guys make me laugh. We headed back to the upper laguna today. We had a short day today so we had to quit around 11:00. We put together a really nice box of 22 or so fish and we had some really really good fish today. It was pretty even today but I know James declared himself the winner so we will go with that. No photo today due to the time constraints. Great job by these guys today.

06-27-09

Today I had my good friend Dallas Cloud and he brought Charlie and the always lovely Donna and Julie. We headed to the upper laguna again today. Today was one of those grinding days. We never got a good bite going like yesterday but we managed a pretty good box and some really solid fish thanks to the girls. Dallas got on the board first and had the hot hand early but it was all Julie and Donna after that. Julie had the really hot hand today. She not only caught the most but the biggest as well. Dallas did well today but did not get much help from Charlie so once again the ladies rule. Todays photo is of Julie and Donna with the catch of the day since they caught most of them and then my favorite photo of me and the two lovely ladies. God I love my job !!! I always enjoy this group and look forward to the next time.

09-24-09

 I was fishing for Redfish Lodge today and I had Shane Hildreth, Todd Neal and Mike Connell. We got up early and made the trip to the upper laguna again today. Well, todays trip was one of those good news and bad news days. Good news was I had some really good people today. This was my first time to fish this group and I enjoyed the morning with them. They are long time employees of the Houston Chronicle and we knew a lot of the same people. They even hunted at the old Bucksnag hunting club where I started my guiding career as a duck and goose guide when I was 16. The fishing was good today. We got off to a solid start boxing 21 really nice fish by 8:30. We could have stayed in that area and finished up but I wanted to go look for a few big fish for a side bet they had with another boat. That's where the bad news begins. Unfortunately I blew a piston on my motor so our trip was cut short but fortunately we were able to idle in. Fortunately for me Mercury Motors is drop shipping a new power head so Chris's Marine will have me up and running in no time. Good solid fish today and these guys did a great job. They missed very few today but you know me when they did I let them know it. Great day with great guys I just wish we could have finished the morning.
Today I had another repeat client Clifton Dubose. I see these guys once or twice a year and its always a pleasure. Today Clifton's mom joined us and she was a delight to fish with. Of course his sons Dan and Ben joined us. We got off to a slow start today due to quite a few misses. These guys did a lot of bass fishing so you know I had my work cut out for me getting rid of all those bad habits but we finally got it going. A lot more under sized fish today for some reason and our fish were not quite the quality of yesterdays but still a good box of solid fish. Clifton even added a nice red today as well. I think it was pretty even today so Im not sure who was the winner today. Great day on the water with a really good family.

06-19-09

Today I had my good friend David Gallegos from San Antonio. He brought his dad David Sr., David Vasquez, Frank Romero and Franks son Marlowe. We got off to  a steady start today and young David had the hot hand early. We boxed about 12 or so then made a couple moves with little success. Then I headed back to the Intercoastal and we really got some nice fish tuned up. These fish were all in the 19-23 inch range and the action was pretty quick. We had doubles on consistantly. We ran out of bait and called it a day around 12:30 with a really good box of fish. We did miss quite a few again today but still got it done. Im not sure but I think Marlowe got the biggest today. Nice job Marlowe !!!! Good day with good people, what more could a guide ask for?

06-18-09

I had another one of my good repeat clients the Mahone's and McCarthy's today. And yes I was back at the upper laguna. The action was pretty steady today. Matt definately had the hot hand today.  He definately caught the most and I think the biggest as well. But both Matt and Billy put it on their dads today. Fathers day was this weekend but the boys showed no mercy on their dads. As you can see we really had some solid fish again today. And we once again had a lot of misses. Its always great to see these two families. And yes there is a lot of grief
Today I had one of my good repeat clients Chuck Meloy. We headed to the upper laguna today and it was well worth it. We managed around 27 nice fish today and missed quite a few.  During the day Chuck was telling me about this 200 class deer he killed with his bow and a nice 6 x 6 bull elk he killed as well. Then guess what?? He catches a trophy class 27 3/4 in trout. He immediately wanted to turn her loose but unfortunately she was so stressed we could not revive her. Its great to see guys that want to release these really nice fish. This guy is on a roll. Chuck definately had the hot hand out of the group today. I always look forward to fishing Chuck and his group.

06-17-09

The last two days I fished for Redfish Lodge. I fished the Rockport area and the fishing has not been good. We managed only about 8 fish each day and had to work our butts off for them. Im headed back to the upper laguna tomorrow.

06-15-09

I had my good client Tommy Lyons and Pat Delmar today. These guys always give me a lot of grief about my fishing reports and how the ladies always rule. Well they finally figured out that the only way the ladies wont out fish them is too leave them at home. We headed to upper laguna today and put together a good box of fish. It was not fast and furious but we managed some really solid fish. I think it was pretty close between these two today so it was too close to call for a winner today. We probably would have been done sooner though if they would have brought the girls !!!!

06-12-09

06-13-09

Well the last two days I had Thomas O'Boyle from the Houston area. Yesterday he was by himself so we were looking for some big fish for a company tournament the next day. Thomas is with FSG Electric and they have an annual company event. Well we found the fish we were looking for. Thomas caught a really nice "trophy" trout that was 29 in long and weighed a little over 8 pounds. Unfortunately she was gut hooked so we could not release her. We managed our limit of fish with some really nice fish in the 23 in range. Day two I had Thomas again and he had Guy fishing with him today. We started off slow but finally got a good bite going and put a nice box of fish together. Unfortunately no big tournament fish today. We needed yesterdays fish !!!!  I had a great time fishing with Thomas both days. This was my first time fishing the FSG event and they really did a great job and I look forward to fishing with them next year. Todays photo is of Thomas with his nice trophy trout. Great job Thomas !!!

06-10-09

Today I had another one of my good repeat clients Doug Kuenstler. We were greeted with high winds again today. This definately has been the worst year for wind that I have seen in a very long time. The fishing was poor today to say the least. We did find some good water but no fish there. We worked hard and managed only 6 or 7 trout. It was just one of those days where the full moon and high winds just combined for poor results. Ill see Doug again in a couple of weeks and hopefully the conditions will be better.

06-08-09

Today I had a new client Rusty and Angela Stine from Liberty Hill. Due to the poor fishing in Rockport yesterday I opted to head back to the Laguna Madre. Angela got on the board first boxing two nice fish quickly one being a nice 22 in fish. It did not take her long to start rubbing it in on Rusty. Our bite shut down so we moved on. We spent the rest of the day working the intercoastal. No big bites today. It was one of those days were we had to slow grind on them. The full moon is just killing us right now. We did manage a decent box of 14 or so nice fish thanks mostly to Angela. Rusty tried to convince her that they were tied but Im calling bullshit on that one !!! I think he was using some of that car salesman math !!! Sorry Rusty Angela caught the first, the biggest and the most. Once again ladies ruled !!! Nice job Angela. These were really great people and I had a blast fishing with them. It was one of those days where the fishing wasnt great but it was still a great day on the water with great folks. I hope I get the opportunity to fish with these guys again. Todays photo is of Angela with the biggest of the day, a nice 22 in fish.

06-07-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge. Too rough for surf so we had to fish inside today. Full moon, high winds did not make for favorable conditions today. Only managed 8 trout today but that was about average with what everyone else did.

06-06-09

Today I had my old pal Wayne Rawanski from the Austin area. Today was the annual Boo-Ray tournament. We opted not to go to the surf today since we needed BIG fish to win so I headed to Baffin. I was on some really big fish down there. We just had some bad luck today. We were looking for 3 big trout and had the ones we wanted on and broke all three off. It was heart breaking. We did manage some really nice fish. We thought we might have a chance but if you are fishing with a guide you get penalized 15 % so that weight lost cost  Wayne and his brother some money. Its hard to make up that much. Great day and we had a nice box of fish. Ill see Wayne again in a few weeks.

06-05-09

Today I had a two boat group for Kerry Morgan. Kerry his a great client but he did not fish with me today. I had his brother Bill and the rest of the gang. I headed back to the surf today. It was a little bumpy but fishable. Before I could get the anchor set on our first stop Bill fell out of the boat. And yes we gave him hell about it. Our bite was slow at first just picking a few off here and there. The sharks were killing us again. I know I tied at least 60 hooks on today. We finally got a good bite going and managed our limit but it took awhile, almost 11:00. But still not bad. We did have one get sick today but he stuck it out. Long ride back in bumpy water today but well worth it.

06-02-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge and I had one of my favorite clients from there John Cadena.  I cannot tell you how much fun I have with John and his group and today was no exception. Again it was not fast and furious but we scratched and worked hard and managed 21 or so. Of course we did have A LOT of misses and I take no mercy on this group when they miss. Of course the high light of their day was when I missed one and they let me hear it. They quickly reminded me of what to do !! We finally got a real snap going on the outside of Traylor Island but the dolphins were there to spoil it. We lost about 5 really nice fish in a row to them. John had a really nice fish on and we could see the dolphin coming so I told him to reel as fast as he could. The first dolphin hit it and missed but tossed the fish in the air. Before it could hit the water another one nailed it. It was an awesome spectacle to see. We all were hollering and laughing. Wish we had it on video for utube. Great day with really great people. Todays photo is of John holding his nice trout after the dolphin took her share of it.

06-01-09

Today I had another repeat client the Wheeler's. These great folks have been coming down the past several years and spending their wedding anniversary with me. Today was year 35. How great is that. Of course I dont know if they will make 36 since Carlene put it on Mr. Wheeler again. Too rough for the surf today so we had to stay inside. It was not fast and furious but we worked hard and managed 19 of our 20. We did have a lot of misses early and you know me I gave both of them a hard time about it. Mr. Wheeler did have two really big jack fish on but eventually both broke off but he got to fight them for a long time. But back to the real fish story. Once again Mrs. Wheeler gets top honors. Nice job girl !!!  I look forward to seeing them next year for their 36th anniversary. What a great couple and its easy to see why they have stayed together so long.

05-31-09

Well the conditions stayed calm so I was back to the surf today. I had the ABC group out of San Antonio today. I have been fishing this group for quite a few years now and its always a pleasure. Well the surf did not let us down as you can see. We had 57 of our 60 by 10:30. Now thats fishing !!!!!  I had Michelle, Chuck and Larry. The surf was a little bumpy early but it settled down nice. I am fortunate to always get Michelle on my boat and I love having her. She is a great fisherman and it showed again today. She definately got the better of the guys today. She had a major butt kicking going on early but the guys finally got it going but it was to little to late but they kept it respectable. We ran 20 miles down the beach today but well worth the ride. My old pal Mike Leonard was on the other boat. He had a tough day today. I promised I would not mention that he spent most of the day sea sick so I want talk about that !!!! He did hang in there though and stuck it out. Great day with great folks. Ill see them again in October as well.

05-30-09

Well I was right. Slow bite yesterday but the winds calmed and changed directions and it was on. Today I had Virgil Hayes and his wife and David and Nancy Crowell. We headed to the surf today. It was not flat but definately fishable and tolerable. Our first stop produced 6 or so then I headed farther north. It was not fast and furious by no means by surf standards but it was steady. We managed our 40 really solid trout by 11:00 am. Still not a bad day on the water. As usual, the ladies kicked butt today. The guys got off to a quick start and it was not looking good for the girls but how quickly that changed. In fact when I finally counted fish to see where we stood we needed seven more. The next five casts Mrs. Hayes landed five fish and Mrs. Crowell landed the last two. What can I say guys ???? Once again the ladies ruled !!!! Great job. The Hayes have been fishing with me for a few years now and its always a pleasure to fish with these fine folks. Ill see them again in October.

05-29-09

Today I had a new client Gordon Gallagher. We had a front blow through so all the areas where we had been catching fish were either torn up or unfishable in the north wind. I finally headed to corpus and we had one small bite going and managed 8 nice keeper trout before it shut down. We did miss some today because the bite was very finicky. One of those days where I wish I had been sitting on that spot an hour earlier. Today was one of those days where the weather played a huge part in our lack of success. Unfortunately I told these guys that tomorrow would be day and night difference. These were really great guys and I enjoyed fishing with them. I just wished we had a little better conditions.
  Sorry for no reports for a couple weeks. Just one of those periods where I was busy with other things besides fishing so just not much time for the little things. If I missed your report I apologize. During this period I can report that the fishing has been hit and miss. Some really good days followed with some fair days.

05-19-09

Today I had one of my repeat clients Rhett Bullock, Randy Bullock, Scott Cameron and Justin Whittenburg. These guys just finished finals at A/M so they were ready to unwind. Randy will be the place kicker for the aggies this year so I will be watching for him. The winds finally died some today. We managed 5 or 6 trout on our first stop. We lost a few on the way in and had quite a few misses. Made quite a few moves only picking up one more. The tide started moving in and the water was greening up and the bite was on. We picked up another 8 or so fish, missed and lost a few more. Unfortunately between the misses and the seagulls we were out of bait. The seagulls are KILLING us right now. Wish they would open season on them for awhile. The guys are great to fish with. Todays photo is of Scott with one of the two nice jack fish that we caught and the final catch of the day.

05-16-09

Today was our annual Babes on the Bay Tournament. Unfortunately my team that I have fished for years could not fish so I booked a regular trip and did not get to fish the tournament. Due to the heavy traffic here I opted to head way south to Baffin with my group. I had James Spears and his son Jonathan. We got our limit of trout fairly early but not the really big trophy fish we were hunting. Great day though but a long way from home. No photo today of my group both of our batteries were dead.

Todays photo is of one of my good friends and clients Michelle Seward. She and he husband Ben were wade fishing down on the King Ranch shoreline. Michelle caught this really nice trophy 29 in trout. Once again Michelle out fished Ben.

 

05-15-09

Today and yesterday I had a group of new clients from Seguin. I had Mitch Kolenovski and he brought Marty, David and Bill. Again the winds were cranking. Day one was pretty slow. We managed only 7 trout and one red. David I think had the hot hand today. We did not catch many but they were really nice fish. Day two was much better considering horrible winds again. I think we ended up with around 17 really nice fish. Mitch had the hot hand today boxing the most fish. The first photo is of Bill and David with a nice trout and red. The second photo  is of Mitch, Marty, Bill and David with day two's catch of the day. This was a great group and I hope I have the pleasure of fishing with them again.

05-13-09

Today I had a new client David Palmer. Once again the winds were cranking. We had started with winds in the high 20 mph and quickly got worse with gusts in the high 40's. We worked hard but only managed one keeper and some undersized. These are days you hate with first time clients. As a guide we cant control the conditions. Hope I get another chance with David under better circumstances.

05-10-09

Today I had another one of my repeat and great clients Pat Delmore and his wife. Today they brought their daughter LeeAnne and Steve with them. LeeAnne got on the board first with a nice trout then Mrs. Delmore got a nice trout. Trout was was very slow so I headed back to my redfish hole. Lee got on the board quickly with a very nice red then Steve landed a nice one. Unfortunately as soon as it started it was over. Tough day on the water today. Gosh will the winds ever stop ?? Todays photos is of LeeAnne with her first redfish and LeeAnne and Steve with a nice pair of reds. Once again ladies rule !!! Sorry Pat hard heads do not count !!

05-09-09

Today I had Dallas Cloud and his great company group from Moore-Erection. I had Dallas and Gilbert today on my boat. My favorite gal Donna Ibanez was supposed to fish with us but she was feeling under the weather today so she opted out. Our loss. Winds still cranking so red fishing it was again today. Dallas got us on the board first with a really nice fish then Gilbert caught one. Our bite stopped so I headed to where I caught them earlier in the week and they were still there. We got em going and it did not take long to limit out. I called a couple of the other boats over but they did not have the "secret" bait I was using and did not have as much success as we did. Great day on the water and its always a pleasure fishing with Dallas. Dallas and Gilbert did a great job today.

05-03-09

Today I had David Edmondson and he brought Carl Huett and George Chrisman with him. These were new clients so the pressure is always on. Their original plan was to wade with lures but due to the conditions of strong winds once again we opted to throw bait and try to box some redfish and what a great decision it was. We got off to a quick start. We boxed three fish really quick, missed some and lost a few just shortly after our first anchor. Then our bite slowed but I was not too concerned yet. My good bite yesterday was not till later in the morning and I told the guys about 10:45 it would turn on. I headed to the spot where we caught them yesterday and right on cue they were there. We boxed three really quick and then our bite slowed but I think it was due to boat traffic. I then moved up only about 20 yards and guess what?? It was on again. We boxed some really good fish today including 2 oversized to compliment our limits of slot fish. George caught the most and the biggest today but everyone did a great job. I can not tell you how much we laughed today and how much bulls**t there was but here is a couple examples: David claimed to be a scratch collegiate golfer and Carl was a 34 handicap yet Carl and George took his money yesterday. Go figure, I guess David cut a couple math classes to practice golf !!!!  Then Carl did not want to be left out and claimed to be a collegiate wrestler. But yet he could not open a twist off cap on a beer !!!!!  Carl and George were pretty hard on David because they had to pick up a little of his slack. Of course I did not get on the band wagon !!!!!! Great day with great folks. Todays photo is of a huge box again under horrible conditions.

05-02-09

Today I had a two boat group of guys from the Scooter Store out of New Braunsfels. I had Ernest Gomez and Aldo Gomez. We got off to a slow start only managing a couple reds but then right at the end we got an awesome bite going. It was the first time for these guys to really salt water fish and they were quick learners and did a great job. We got our limit of reds before heading in. The second boat managed 5 nice reds and one trout as well. This was my first time with this group and I think we will see them again. Oh and did I mention the winds were cranking again today. Todays photo is of the group with a nice catch.

04-29-09

Today I had Charlie Watterman and his wife. As the last few weeks the winds were cranking again today from 30-40 mph. We concentrated just on redfish today due to the high winds. We got off to a quick start but it quickly turned to frustration. I was fishing my patch of heavy shell today and I cannot tell you how many nice fish we broke off. We made several moves and caught fish at every stop but most undersized today. We only managed three keepers today. Despite the conditions and breaking off so many fish I really enjoyed the day with these two. The Wattermans have fished all over the world and I enjoyed their stories and sharing fishing knowledge. I hope to see them again.

04-26-09

Today was day two for the Smith clan. I had Heath again today along with Chase and Landry. Boy what a difference a day makes. We could just not get on the drum today. A lot of moves in rough conditions with little success. We managed only 4 drum before heading for redfish. Heath has not caught a keeper red so that was now my mission. Chase and Landry both caught nice reds but we broke a lot of fish off on shell and Heath was just snake bit. Due to horrible conditions a couple of the other boats headed in a little early. I was not until Heath caught that red. Finally in the last few minutes Heath caught his elusive red. I think I was just as thrilled as he was. The Smith family was great and really good people. I enjoyed both days on the water with them. Todays photo is of Chase, Landry and Heath with their reds.

04-25-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge again. The Smith family was in and it was great to see 18 family members coming together to spend time together. I had three generations on my boat today. I had E L, Rick, and Heath. Headed back to St. Charles again today. E L got off to the quick start and never looked back. He had his limit before Rick and Heath even got on the board. We managed our limit of drum thanks in great part to E L. We then headed for redfish. E L continued the hot streak getting his limit of reds. Rick did pick up a couple as well but Heath just had some bad luck. He finally had a huge fish on and broke it off at the boat. Great day on the water with great folks. Good box of fish and great job E L !!!! Todays photo is of E L with his first redfish

04-24-09

Today was day two for the group we had yesterday. Lucky for me I had Julie again. I guess she drew the short straw again but I was glad to see her. Today we had Mark with us instead of Andy. I think Julie was too much for him yesterday so he abandoned ship. Strong winds again so same game plan. Just like the day before Julie got off to a quick start. It was looking like another butt kicking for the guys but Mark finally got it going and kept things close today. We got our limits of drum and it was pretty close at this point. We went looking for our reds and the bite was slow for a good while. Its a timing thing. We caught, or shall I say Julie caught most of the reds yesterday around 1:00. Today was no different. About 12:45 she quickly got two nice reds then unfortunately we had to head in. I know if we could have stayed another 30 or 40 minutes we would have got them. Since Julie caught two nice reds and Mark did not land a keeper, Julie rules again !!!!  I cant tell you how much I enjoyed fishing with this group and giving Julie some pointers. She learned quickly and stuck in out in some horrible conditions.  I know you always want to see fish pictures but Julie insisted I take a pic with her so that is the pic of a day. How could I resist !!!

04-23-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge again today. Today I had Julie Hydock from Denton and Andy Winkle. The winds just wont give us a break. We had reported gusts to the 40's again today. This was Julies first time to saltwater fish so I was hoping for a good day. We got off to a good start or I guess I should say Julie did. She had the hot hand early. Julie and Andy had a hard time today with being patient enough to let the fish take it. The bite was subtle and they were just quick on the trigger which resulted in a lot of misses but they got it done. Julie and Andy got their limit of drum so we headed for redfish. Once again Julie got off to the hot start and got her first ever redfish. Then she landed another. It wasn't looking good for Andy but he finally got in the game and landed several nice fish. We ended the day with our limit of drum and 5 of our 6 reds. Not bad in horrible conditions. Once again ladies ruled !!! Great job Julie. Todays photo is of Julie with her first redfish and then Julie and Andy with a pair of nice fish. I had a great time with this pair. The winds are supposed to be blowing harder tomorrow. Cant wait.

04-20-09

Today I was fishing for Redfish Lodge. Winds were cranking again but the fishing remains good. We had a short day today and had to be in by 11:00. We managed our limit of drum but did not find any reds today. With limited time still a great day on the water.

04-19-09

Today I was part of a three boat group. Today we had strong winds out of the north and damp conditions. Not much else happening and hampered by the north west wind we headed back to St. Charles. The bite was real fast today. All three boats had quick limits today. The north west wind hampered our redfish efforts today. A few undersized fish but no keepers. Great day again.

04-18-09

Today I had one of my repeat clients Steve Svatek. Today he brought his son Jeff, Jeff's fiance Stephanie and Drew. We were greeted with heavy winds again today so I headed back to St. Charles. This was Stephanie's first time to saltwater fish out of a boat so I was looking forward to putting her on some fish. Today can be summed up in one word: "Stephanie". It was all her today. She caught the first, the biggest and by far the most. In fact when she completed her limit the guys had one. You cant believe the pouting faces and excuses they guys were coming up with. We caught some really good fish today. After the guys finally decided to contribute a little bit we completed our limit of drum and went looking for redfish. I went back to my patch of shell and they were still there. A lot more undersized fish today though. We did manage two keepers and broke off a few nice fish and released a lot of undersized. Great day with a great group. No doubt about the ladies ruled today. Stephanie put an old fashioned butt kicking on the guys today. Great job Steph !!!!

04-17-09

Today I had a new client Joey Berger from Dallas and Mark Hooper from Austin. We were greeted with very strong winds and heavy skies today. I headed back to St. Charles today. We got off to a little bit of a slow start today. The fish were just kind of pecking at the bait early so we were missing some fish. Then finally they decided to eat and Joey and Mark got it going. We really caught some nice fish today. They managed their limit and then we played catch and release for awhile. We turned several 27 in fish back. We had enough drum action and headed to look for some reds. My second stop was on  a patch of shell that I like under these conditions. It did not take long and we were on some fish. We only managed 3 keepers but missed quite a few (actually alot) , broke off quite a few and caught and released a lot of undersized fish. Great day on the water with really good people. Great time today and I hope to see these guys again.

04-16-09

Today I had another one of my good and repeat clients Randy McFadden, Bill Cody and Ken Flynn. We headed back to St. Charles again today. The black drum action remains strong back there. We got off to a shaky start though with quite a few misses. Of course Randy's excuse was that he does not fish enough so I informed him that would not be an issue if the booked more trips !!!!!! Randy finally got on a role and got us going. Not sure what Ken and Bill were waiting on but they finally got in the game. We had to make a couple short moves but our last little point that we moved on was holding some really nice fish. They all caught fish in the 25-27 in range. Another great day on the water with really good people. We had a lot of laughs this morning. Todays photo is of the final catch of the day. As you can see we had some really good sized fish today.

04-11-09

Today I had another one of my good clients Steve McCarthy and his son Matt and Bill Mahone and his son Billy. Usually Michael is with this group also but he is in officer training school right now. We had high winds and damp conditions today with possibility of rain. I headed back to St. Charles. We got off to some quick bites but unfortunately we were missing most of them. Boy did they have a list of excuses !!Steve finally got us going and got off to a quick lead. Then Matt got it going. Finally Billy got in the game and did not slow down. He had the hot hand the rest of the morning. We managed our limit of 20 nice black drum and some undersized redfish. The weather got rough so we headed in a little early but had a great box. I wanted to get the fish cleaned before it started raining so there is no photo today. Steve did win the pot for the biggest today.

04-04-09

Well today I had one of my good clients Ken Swick, Norm Koch and Hugh Wallace. Due to the high winds once again I opted to continue the hunt for the black drum. We got off to a really slow start. I thought the fish had moved on me but it turned out they were just not hungry early. Our first stop produced nothing and we started working the shoreline trying to find them but with no success. I then headed back to where we started and guess what?? They started eating. Norm had the hot hand early. He really got it going and never looked back. Hugh and Ken got in the game but Norm was the man today. Just after we got our limit Norm hooked into a big oversized one. Then while Norm was fighting that one Ken hooked into a big one as well. Great way to end the day. Todays photo is of Ken holding his nice oversized drum and Ken battling his big one (not sure what Hugh is doing in the background).  Great day on the water with great folks. These guys have been fishing with me for awhile now and I always look forward to fishing with them. Its always fun and a lot of grief given. And guys if you are reading this, yes i got the phone call and made it in time. Sorry I missed dinner with you !!!!!! I do have priorities !!!!

04-02-09

Today I had a new client Don and Walt Huckins from Liberty Hill. Well, I watched our local weather man Dale Nelson last night and he said the front would hit around 11 am with north winds 10-15 mph. Well there is a reason we call him DEAD WRONG DALE. We started with a south wind and I started at an area I have been picking up some reds. We hooked two almost immediately and broke both off. Walt then landed a nice 26 in fish. Then a few undersized. We made a short move and Don picked up a nice keeper and some undersized. The front came in so I headed to Matagorda shoreline which I love with a 15-20 mph wind. Unfortunately by the time we got there it was blowing 30 and by the time we left we had gusts to 50. We did manage to pick up another red, several nice drum and some sheepshead. If we would have had the 15-20 mph wind as predicted Im sure we would have had a great box. It was just too tough to fish. We finally made the decision to get out of there. Don and Walt did a great job today under some really tough conditions. Todays photo is of Don and Walt with a couple of the nice reds.

03-31-09

Today I had a new client Ronnie Pate and Michael Novomwsky. We headed back to St. Charles again. Our weather called for the front to blow in around 10 am with North winds to 15. My game plan was to get our drum first then once the front hit look for reds. Ronnie got on the board quickly with a nice drum then Mike got in the game. I thought we would be done quickly. The bite stopped as soon as it started. We made a couple very small moves picking them off a few at a time. We got 9 of our 10 before the front blew in. We should have limited but we missed some and lost a couple nice ones. The front came in so I headed to look for reds. Once again the weather man missed the forecast. The winds were howling. I pulled up to one of my favorite north wind spots and it did not let me down. We missed a few in here too but Ronnie and Mike got their limit of nice reds. These guys did a great job today and I enjoyed fishing with them. Great day and done by noon. I hope to see them again.

03-30-09

I had a cancellation today.

03-28-09

Today I had a new client Lynn and Jerry Tilton from Hondo Texas. We were greeted with 40 mph winds today. For those of you that read my reports on a regular basis you know that I often like high winds. But today was the exception because it was out of the west. West winds just kill us down here. In fact I gave them the option to cancel or reschedule but they opted to fish. We broke off a few fish early then caught some undersize fish and then had a dry spell. Our last stop finally produced some keepers. We missed a couple but Lynn managed two nice fish and Jerry finally got on the board. Lynn got the most and the biggest so once again the ladies ruled. Great job Lynn. These guys hung in there in some really terrible conditions today. These were really nice people and I look forward to fishing with them again. Todays photo is of Lynn with the biggest red of the day.

03-23-09

Today I had another one of my good clients Steven Schultz from San Antonio. I headed back to St. Charles today. The drum action was a little slower today but Steven got his limit of drum then we went looking for redfish. Our next stop was great to say the least. We immediately got on some good redfish but again I was on some heavy shell and we broke off the first 5 or so fish. Of course I was blaming Steven for the losses. We then finally started getting some away from the shell and got our limit plus released a few before calling it a morning. Another great day.

03-22-09

Today I had one of my good clients Bob Wilson from Austin. Today he brought Doug Stowers and John Vehlow from Kuna Idaho. Our tides came up 16 inches overnight which is a dramatic change for us. I opted to start in the flats and we drifted for two hours without any success. We then loaded up and headed back to St. Charles Bay where we fished yesterday. We got a good black drum bite going and limited out on drum and managed one red and one trout. I wont mention though how much abuse my tackle took today !!!! I always enjoy fishing with Bob's group and today was no exception. A lot of grief and bullshit today to put it mildly. Doug and John are big bass fisherman so you know what I was up against. Great day on the water today. Todays photo is the final catch of the day pic.

03-21-09

Today I was fishing a private tournament out of Redfish Lodge. This is an artificial only tournament and we were wade fishing today. I drew Walter Sajek and his son Clint. I have fished Walter before so I was looking forward to fishing with him and Clint. I was torn between two areas and did not make my decision literally until we were leaving the dock. I headed to the back of St. Charles and it paid off early. Walter got on the board first with a couple keeper trout. Our next stop was great. Walter and Clint caught reds, trout, flounder and black drum all on one short wade. Both anglers completed the Texas grand slam of fishing each catching a trout, red, flounder and black drum. This is hard to do on bait so for both to do it on lures was truly remarkable. We had a big lead early on the other teams but we got edged out by Brian Holden's group. We took second overall and Clint took largest redfish with a nice 30 in fish. Great day on the water with good people. Todays photo is of Clint with his winning redfish. After the tough day yesterday it was nice to bounce back.

03-20-09

Today I had Ed McCabe and his wife from Midland, Rozanne McCabe and Diana Everett from Austin. Today was one of those days when its tough being a fishing guide. We got some good bites early but the fish gods were not looking down on us. We hooked 6 really good reds but we were fishing on heavy shell and broke all six off. To ad insult to injury about 15 minutes later another guide fishing down the shoreline from us caught one of the reds be broke off. It was an oversize with my braided line and leader still in his mouth. We had that one flurry then nothing after that. Tough day. These were really great people and Im definately going to get them back down to redeem myself.

03-19-09

Today I had Gardner Seaholm and his wife Joanie from Spring. I went back to the same spot where we saw the fish yesterday that would not eat. Guess what? Same conditions today and they decided to eat. We had a few that just slammed the bait then let loose  before we could  the hook set but a lot of them were aggressive on the bait. What a difference a day makes. We finally got our limits of really nice reds. It took a little longer than it should have but someone kept missing.  I wont mention any names but it wasn't Gardner. We then went drifting for trout. We only managed two keeper trout but caught quite a few undersize. During our conversation on the boat today  it turns out Gardner grew up not far from me and went to Wharton County Junior College as well. Turns out we knew a lot of the same people. Well it was hard to pick a winner today. Gardner did catch the most today  but Joanie caught the biggest so as usual size matters so I give the win to Joanie !!! These were great folks and I had a great time fishing with them. I hope to see them back.

03-18-09

Today I had Paul Pereira from Houston. We worked hard to today for his limit of reds. We did not have a keeper until noon. The got on some fish and yes we missed a few as well. We saw tons of fish early but just could not get them to eat.

03-12-09

Well spring break is in full swing so the bays are crowded and its definitely slowing our fishing down. The conditions we have also are not helping either. Its been slow the rest of this week to say the least.

03-10-09

Today I had one of my good clients Randy Schulte. We had talked last year about bringing his grandson Colson to catch a huge fish of a lifetime. So we set up a drum trip for him. Colson got on the board quick with a nice 40 pound fish. Then Randy got on the board and then Colson's dad Jason. Then Colson hooked into a really huge one. After a long battle he finally got it in and I am estimated it to be around 60 pounds. My boca scale stops at 50 pounds and it was bottomed out. Great job by Colson. Dad and grandpa were beaming with pride today. The top photo is of Randy helping his grandson with the first fish of the day. Then the bottom photo is of Colson and his dad Jason with the huge 60 pounder. As you can see it is almost as big as Colson. The smiles say it all. I always feel like I'm the privileged one to get to see our young ones have such a great time and be a part in it.

03-09-09

Today I had Bill Johnson and his daughter Paige. Paige always out fishes her dad so there was a lot of pressure on dad today. The winds were still blowing but not as bad as the weekend. The fishing was slow today but we did manage a couple nice keeper reds and some undersize fish. And yes I think Paige caught the biggest again. Nice job girl. Todays photo is of Paige and proud dad !!

03-06-09

Well I was supposed to have one of my good clients Tommy and Freda Lyons this weekend but the 40 mph winds kept us off the water. They will be back soon.

03-01-09

Well my winter break is over and its back to work so I guess its time to start entering some fishing reports.

 

This is the next great fishing trip made in 2009.

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