Plastic Explosives, Tactical T-N-R

Fishing Scene

Somethings on the water will still buckle my knees and impress me beyond words. "As I was rolling through a back lake the other day scouting ahead of an afternoon shoot, I started kicking mud stirs as Redfish and Black Drum scurried from my approach. Farther along the shoreline the mud stirs were on both sides of the boat stretching 15 to 20 yards both directions. This went on for a quarter of a mile and left me pretty much in awe of what I had just witnessed".

Capt. James E. is reporting advanced patterns ahead of typical post Winter approaches with fish already tagging the mid 20's and getting "solid". Best approach is wading working a variety of low and slow soft plastics. Capt. Terry reporting productive Winter and Spring pattern drifts are taking mid teens of keepers working soft plastics over mud/shell. Capt. Doug reported slow bait fishing for Redfish while covering a bunch of water. Best action was working shell/mud for Trout with soft plastics.

Oyster Season

What you haven't seen all Winter are the endelss scores of Oyster boats working the reefs due to a Season Closure resulting from Red Tide outbreaks in the Fall. Hynes Bay just opened for a few days but is closing back down due to freshwater runoff coming down the Guadalupe from excessive rainfall in the Austin area. These guys just can't catch a break, or can they?

Word has it that Espiritu Santo Bay is opening today. I'm not sure if SAB will open or not. Busting up that shell always seems to help the fishing, so be patient with these guys. They've got a tough job and you can't be any further down on your luck than they are right now.

Working Oyster Boats - Strategy

Set up a drift in the muddy water moving either down wind or down current coming off the Oyster boats dredge area. During Winter and Spring months, off color water is where it's at and about the only source of that is coming from an Oyster boat dredge. The dredge is turning up small bait sources and dislodging them. Trout and Reds know it and you can have a lot of fun bending a rod with the sound of a dredge clanking while listening to your favorite Mexican music blaring over their boom boxes.

Duck Hunting

This one is in the books! We hope you had the opportunity to take it out with a bang. We've got an extended Snow Goose hunt going on as we speak. I haven't heard how that's going as of yet. We've still got some small numbers of Snows lurking around water and making for impressive wing shooting. Snow Goose Conservations Season starts TODAY!

Pretty 2Cool

We are announcing an agreement with the great folks that bring you all the fast action on the water to continue sponsorship of the Fishing Forum for another 2 years. What makes that possible? You do! Thanks to everyone for making 2011 just an outstanding year for Castaway Lodge.

We hope you have a great week, come see us!

Capt. Kris Kelley
Castaway Lodge
1-888-618-4868
www.seadriftbayfishing.com

Sorry For The Delayed Reports

Sorry for the slow reporting guys, we've been real busy heading towards the end of duck season.

Fishing Scene

Capt. Terry & Capt. James E. reported steady action on afternoon trips with guests from the Carolinas late week. Capt. Terry introduced the boys to catch and release action on Black Drum in the 18 to 24" range. Capt. James E. introduced them to wade fishing with artificial lures catching and releasing Trout to 24" and low to mid slot reds on soft plastics working shell reefs and guts in SAB.

Duck Hunting

Near to full limits for our guests have continued coming steadily as we approach the end of the season. Overcast with light winds, haze, and fog have made a few mornings questionable but those questions were answered with solid straps.

24 Haynie Cat

This Cat is coming out of the bag! Heading to Aransas Pass this morning to pick up our newest edition to the family, a 2012 24' Haynie Cat tipped with a 225 Pro XS Mercury Opti.

We hope you have a great week, come see us!

Capt. Kris Kelley
Castaway Lodge
1-888-618-4868
www.seadriftbayfishing.com

Chasing Tail & Getting The Cold/Sore Shoulder

Fishing Scene

I've been running over piles of Redfish centered in the deeper back lakes and the lower end of Shoalwater here lately. We've had ten kinds of trouble catching them in the light winds and crystal clear waters of late. Capt. Terry managed to run the numbers the other day on a trip as did Capt. Chris Cady catching full limits. Two out of five trips with any success is telling me that it might be a little tough out there on the end of a rod right now. Of course when it gets spotty and you need some weather, we either have the trips and no weather or plenty of weather and no trips! Welcome to the catching and killing business.

Duck Hunting

You know more and more gals have gotten into fishing and they can be intense. The other day I caught Capt. Matt's sister painting here nails before a hunt. I said "hey girl what ya doing"? She said "I'm putting on my killin polish"!!! Ok, that's what I'm talking about! We'll take a few more like that for sure....LOL.

Mornings have gotten sluggish of late with a noticeable drop in air traffic as we get steeped in this full moon cycle. Afternoons are noticeably better with eager birds looking for company. Over the last week we welcomed guests from PA, SC and FL along with long time clients from Texas. I don't know how I got so lucky as to have competition sporting clays shooters in back to back hunts but let me tell you, I thought I had died and gone to some kind of "hunting guide heaven"! It's somewhat of a historic milestone to be hunting the Texas Coast this season. It looks like the days of old out there and I had certainly wondered if I would ever see it as prolific as it "once was" again. Dave S. from PA said "I want to see ducks like it used to be, that desire was certainly met here in Texas". Despite record warmth and the absence of a significant freeze line farther North, we've been buried in birds. Word from the WI area is that there is still plenty of open water and a ton of birds. That tells me that even though the numbers are staggering here on the Texas Coast, we're really only seeing a small part of the picture.

We've got about 20 days and counting to the end of duck season. We may never see another like it but hopefully that won't be the case. It has been an honor to walk these hallowed grounds in the footsteps of our forefathers while taking part in this timeless tradition we call "waterfowl hunting".

Safety Tip

Dont' hesitate to call for a safety check (everyone make sure the guns are on safety) while you are in the blind. I do this early and often and frequently when we unload for departure from the field. It's better safe than sorry, and that is certainly an understatement.

We hope you have a great week, come see us!

Capt. Kris Kelley
Castaway Lodge
1-888-618-4868
www.coastalwaterfowl.com