Baffin in the rain...

A rainy day learning Baffin Bay yesterday, of course, you have to "fish the conditions"! Fishing the famous rocks of Baffin is a little tougher than it sounds, especially for a Baffin beginner like me.

Capt. Aubrey Black, the best guide in Baffin, has gratiously agreed to lend me some knowledge and I am doing my best to absorb all I can, in my spare time away from Rockport.

Learning Baffin Bay is an interesting sideline for me. I realized that, ten years into my professional fishing career, that's there's more to life than poling the Lighthouse Lakes or the back lakes of San Jose Island.

Finding new, unspoiled, unfished, clear, shallow shorelines has been a quest of mine this year. I found those in Baffin Bay.

Since I'm a closet wade fisherman, learning how to fish those deeper rocks has been an interesting addition to my quest for new water. It's all about structure, but I think I'm a little too short for Baffin. I'm thinking about writing a song about it, "Too Short for Baffin"... I'll let you know!

After the first dove cast and blast, I realized that I need more time on the water down there to be competent, so I have been spending some spare time there to get a little more acclimated. It's been paying off, I feel a little better about my navigation skills there.

Fishing the Nine Mile Hole, the South Shoreline of Baffin, the Land Cut, and the Meadows, just to name a few places has been a real eye opener for me. No one runs a shoreline in Baffin. Consequently, these fish are laying around in the shallow water, ready for a fly to come there way. And when it does, they jump on it like their last meal! My kind of shallow water fishin'!

Fished Baffin yesterday, learning that complex bay. Back in my home waters tomorrow...weather is great!

Back on the water today, cool, crisp and breezy from the north. Water temp down to 78 degrees!

The First Real Norther of 2009

The first real norther of the year passed through a couple of days ago, and of course, I was out on the water to witness it first hand...

When water, sky and clouds converge in a solid, dark, wall, it's time to take cover, especially when the temperature drops 20 degrees as a cold wind blows through.

Prior to the front, which hit around 11am or so, we were poling in the Lighthouse Lakes. With hardly a breath of wind blowing and thunderstorms all around, the promise of a big change was in the air.

Redfish tailing in pods were all around us. Poling front pod to pod, but keeping a mindful eye on the sky, I knew that this scenario would be changing real soon...

Within a few minutes, hot air was replaced with cold air and the sky started to close in. Greeted now with a north wind at 40mph, it was time to get off the poling platform. Moving to the Brown and Root Flat, we tried a downwind drift that no drift-sock could slow. Thinking that the change of weather might turn some fish on to bite, we stuck with it for a while, but, to no avail.

Sometimes you just can beat Mother Nature...

Waiting for a storm to pass to get out on the water. Cooler weather and rain will kick off a shallow water feed! Might have to fish close today because of impending bad weather.

Baffin Cast and Blast, Dove Opening Weekend

OPENING DAY OF DOVE SEASON A
HUGE SUCCESS!

A year and four months of love, concern, training time, swimming and trust came to fruition this weekend with my black lab pup, Kelly.

Watching Kelly retrieve her first dove was breathtaking and heartwarming. Her natural abilities took over and she became a full-fledged hunting dog, not just a retriever, right before my eyes.

Captain Aubrey Black hired me to help him guide a hunting and fishing weekend with a group of ten great guys. Since it was my first dove hunt with Kelly, I was a little nervous. I could hardly wait for opening day and when it came, I was totally surprised by everything that happened.

Just to make sure that everything was going to be ok, at first, I set myself and Kelly apart from the group a little. One other hunter was close by and happened to be a better shot than I am (but who isn't? - Aubrey, don't comment on this...).

Almost immediately after setting up, Jim shot a bird from a small group passing. I stood there and watched Kelly watching the birds fly, heard Jim's shot and after the bird hit the ground, running a straight line to retrieve it. She picked up the wounded bird, and casually trotted back to me with it in her mouth. She put it in my hand and looked up at me with feathers in her mouth. Without me saying a word, she healed and sat, waiting for the next opportunity. I walked over to Jim and dropped the bird in his bag. While I stood there talking with him, he shot another bird and Kelly galloped out to pick it up. She brought it back to us, but instead of handing it to me, she dropped it in the pile with the other birds. She healed back to me and sat there, waiting for me to give her some water. It was a pretty amazing day and Kelly, a novice to dove hunting, showed her pedigree and did what came naturally.

The next day, I had no hesitation in bringing her to another group of hunters for her to do her job. Since we were hunting in taller weeds, everyone really appreciated Kelly's ability to fetch and find the birds. Congratulations, Kelly! You worked hard, had some fun and really made me proud of you!

If you would be interested in a dove hunt or a cast and blast trip with Capt. Aubrey Black, me and Kelly, please give me a call or email!

Dove-o-Rama yesterday, fun Baffin fishing this morning. To falfurrias now for another round of dove hunting! My pup Kelly is a dove- aholic. Great work for a young lab. I'm working a cast and blast trip with Capt Aubrey Black in Riviera all weekend.

2009 Lake Amistad Videos

A cool video with lots of bats in the Chinese Railroad Tunnel on Lake Amistad. From my vacation last weekend, bass fishing and having fun on Lake Amistad, TX

Woke up early to enjoy my first day of vacation on Lake Amistad!

The start of the last summer holiday, big water coming in late, good tailing fish till 1:00pm

Fished Baffin yesterday, checking out the dove lease West of Falfurrias this afternoon