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.
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".
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
Centrally located in Seadrift, Texas, Castaway Lodge encompasses two adjacent campuses covering 3.5 acres with 700' of bayou frontage and 15,000 sf of comfort, convenience, and privacy in the Heart of Seadrift!
