13th Annual Redfish Rodeo report

[bulldog1935]

My buddy Josh and his sister Nina have hosted the annual Rockport kayak, um, bacchanal for this many years.  
Through the evening's firepit haze, I got the sense Josh was foreboding the 13 Omen.
Nothing could have been further from realized - everyone had a wonderful time.  

Eight to a dozen kayakers turn out at their extended family digs on Copano Bay.  The historic property on Live Oak Point is the highest elevation on the TX coast (sorry, only had winter-trip photos for the gazebo and firepit).  

 

There's no way to do this trip justice, but can show off a few photos and talk about a couple of days on the water. Some folks will come and go through the week, may show up early or stay late.  We haul kayaks to different grass flats and mud marshes covering about 100 mi of the coast, typical paddle trail for a morning fishing is 8 to 10 mi.  We cook or go out for an evening meal, and end the evening at the the firepit with cigars and libations, planning the next day's travel around tides, wind, and a binder of embossed Google Earth charts.  Normally, the first organized trip is Wednesday, and the last organized meal is Saturday night shrimp boil.  

 

While wind was stiff on the back of the week, Wednesday's light wind was wonderful for sight-fishing.  We launched at Cavasso (salt) Creek.  Though only 10 minutes from Copano digs, Josh had never fished this spot, and the last time Steve and I fished it was 30 years ago.  Parks & Wildlife release gators here they snag in Goose Is SP.  
Great hard-pack launch, and paddle into the sunrise.

 

I was behind Josh along the grass, sight-fishing his rejects. Prop-tail topwater shrimp cast into the grass caught my first and best red.  After doing the math, I caught 5 redfish each morning, though not all in the slot.  

 
Great photos of Josh with a fly rod red.

 

 

My day ended with a small wind knot in my braid, and the knot breaking an over-slot spec right at the boat.  All part of the fun, and a great day.
Josh's special Cioppino with cod, crab, shrimp, and mussels hit the spot for the evening kick-off dinner - Josh and Nina competing in the kitchen always exceeds our imaginations.  

 

Thursday brought us back to my favorite Estes Flats, and a reliable NNE wind for drifting down Trout Bayou.  Launching at Palm Harbor, a mile to the turn up Talley Island, and 2 miles to the top of Trout Bayou. 

 

My morning began in Aransas Bay, drifting back into the tide pass. Plenty of small trout were slashing.  I brought a nice big spec to the boat, but she tore the hook out with a head shake.
Began my drifts down Trout Bayou, and landed 3 absolutely 19" reds. 
I was happy to get one more that measured 20" for my stringer.  

 

I ended bringing an over-slot red to the boat. Thought I had him set with 3 solid pulls. But the little slack I had to give him while pulling in drift sock was enough for him to shake the hook. Again, all part of the fun.
The group meat haul from Estes.  

 

Friday, we took our boats across Port Aransas ferry to fish East Flats on Mustang Is.  
It was our longest paddle and toughest wind, though with some shelter, and everyone brought home fish.  GPS trail for the day.  

 

Saturday, another big wind day, we fished Marker 1 trail on Lighthouse Lakes.  
Josh traveled farther upwind than everybody, and sight-fished a banner day in the mangroves - he deserved his results facing the wind and currents to get that far.
The rest of us stayed close in the first 3 lakes, and Andy pulled a couple out of the mangroves. 
Caught this photo of Stevo crossing back Aransas Channel.

Josh's trip-fish 27" red.  

 

Josh's shrimp boil gets better every year, decided to spend some electrons on the master at work.
 

 

Another feast, and easy clean up - we were hungry, not much for leftovers.  

We also made a good showing sampling the single cask bottles into the last evening, before packing out Sunday morning.

[Eric 26]

I really enjoy the trip reports.

[bulldog1935]

On his TKF and FFR reports, Josh posted an afternoon photo of him enjoying a Paloma.  

 

Also need to mention he mixed up Old Fashioned for me and Lou using the exceptional Maverick Rye.  

[DitchPanda]

I always look forward to your trip reports. They always remind me of wading for redfish, specks and flounder when I was growing up. And I appreciate your spread of quality beverages! Btw how is the still austin? I've wanted to try their stuff but can't find any around me.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Nobody puts as much effort into their posts as you do, and it always shows.  

 

Awesome trip, fish, locale, food, spirits, and most importantly friends!  

[bulldog1935]

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

...Btw how is the still austin? I've wanted to try their stuff but can't find any around me.

Thanks, friends.  

Still Austin is quite good - I think the best neat bourbon we had on the table.  

 

@AlabamaSpothunter - it's easy to be inspired when you hang with a young man as talented, organized and gracious as Josh.  

[bulldog1935]

I wrote up a gear report pm for @Eric 26 when I could again see daylight from catching up work and cleaning gear.  Since I posted it on FFR long daily reports, also decided to post it here.  

My wood plugs held up well in the salt (1st lure box I washed at home), but didn't catch a fish.  

 

The reds in the marsh and mangroves weren't after mullet, but tiny shrimp.  and "Mr. Peanut" (Supra 65) fished on BF came through for me.  

I took 6 rods total, Zillion/ Omen Green 7'1" ML; SLPW/ Kurodai 7'3" BF; Silver Wolf/ Xrossfield 6'6" BF; 2500C/ Rockfish 7'8" BF; Headhunter/ Glaflex 6'4" 3-power (S-glass);, and BC720/ 1800 6'4" 4-power (IM6).  

The plan here was 3 short rods for mud marsh, longer rods for drifting grass flats and tide pass.  First day at Cavasso, took out the 3 short rods, and only caught fish on the BF.  

Saturday on Lighthouse Lakes, I brought two 7' rods plus Headhunter combo, but only fished the ML and BF rods drifting - I never found reds in the mangroves, and honestly, I wasn't fishing too hard by Saturday - might have been different in less wind.  

Didn't catch fish on my round reels, though the BC720/1800 combo was a joy fishing both the wood plugs and TSL Grasswalker.  

Deeper in Cavasso marsh/sloughs on the 1st day, I was disappointed with Headhunter combo casting 1/8 oz bunny shrimp.  While it made reverse-spiral skip cast well, it would windage swing with overhead or sidearm cast - I compensated and fished it a bit, but the bunny shrimp needs BF.  I could have swapped to DOA shrimp, didn't want the weight-splash in the calm sloughs.

 

When I came home, ordered the Buggz Click-Shrimp above, which is stated to sink like 1/8 oz, but cast weight is 6 g, which I hope will be just right.  

Bread-and-butter lure for drift fishing was Minnow-Z on 1/8 oz Texas Eye jighead.
Most productive color was Mood Ring, which transmits pink and reflects mullet blue sheen.
(reflected light/ transmitted light)

 

On Thursday, I made it to Little Cut tide pass late morning for stretch, food and beer break.  While the pass was dead, I really enjoyed a few casts with 2500C/Rockfish.  The rod ain't Yamaga Blanks, but my bench-built reel was flawless per my plan, and I enjoyed casting 4-g plug across the tide pass.  This will get some more shore-fishing time at Arroyo in January.  

Full SiN bearings in both Silver Wolf and SLPW out-performed IXA doubles in my Zillion SVTW.  Taking the Zillion down for post-salt clean and lube, swapped those spool bearings to full SiN.  

  

After 4 salt years (Spring '21 to Fall '24), Zillion looked great inside. 

 

One last note about structure, tide timing, and experience.  When we launched at Estes Thursday morning, I told Lou to be inside Little Cut at 11 am.  He wasn't there, but that's where I hooked up the over-slot red, right at 11 am.  The tide was swinging from out-going to incoming.  Last year on the same tide timing, I was on 200 redfish on the shoal inside Little Cut, all moving toward the tide pass.  Limited in 12 casts, which included releasing 3 more under-slot fish.  

[TnRiver46]

Awesome report!

 

wait…… you got a wind knot?? Tisk tisk….. 😂 

[bulldog1935]

hi friend, yeah, don't remember when it showed up, but I was casting finesse lures into grass.  

Saw it roll up on my spool, and it was small enough to shoot my guides, so I kept fishing.  

here's Nina and I aiming cameras at each other on Cavasso - she's on T140, and I'm on orange T160.   Noteworthy, we're both smoking cigars.  

here's a photo Josh took of me on East Flats two days later - beer-thirty break

Another Josh photo, tailing red in Talley Is. slough

Lighthouse Lakes mangroves - amazing he found this much wind shelter

His paddle trail on Lighthouse Lakes

[bulldog1935]

I did get a keeper trout on East Flats - 16"

New reg this year, fewer smaller fish in bag limit - the 2 big trout that broke/.shook me off, I'd have to release, anyway.

It's fish tacos tonight. 

Secret ingredient in fish tacos is a thin stripe of Remoulade sauce on the fish. 

Cabbage blend.  Fresh pico de gallo would be better than the salsa.