The Many Stages of an Angler's Life

The Many Stages of an Angler’s Life
As seen in the June issue of "Saltwater Texas"

The memory of an angler’s first rod and reel brings forth warm emotions along with many happy and animated stories. The Zebco 202, 303 and 808 is a common thread and have been in almost every fisherman’s hands at one time or another.

My first rod and reel, an indescript short metal rod with a Zebco 202, served me quite well. Hauling up countless bluegill and sunfish, it was a workhorse that probably held the same short piece of line for many, many years. No maintenance was necessary, or even thought of. Then one day, my Dad upgraded my Zebco 202 with a shiny Zebco 303. Branching out for bigger quarry, a heartier reel with more and better line was necessary. With a new, improved reel on the old metal rod, bigger quarry came into play. Catfish, carp and perch quickly took the place of little sunfish. A few years later, a new Shakespeare fiberglass rod and a Zebco 808 told everyone that I was an accomplished angler. With such fine equipment, the sky was the limit!

Wherever a fisherman begins, the learning process never ends. Versatility is the name of the game and becoming knowledgeable about all of the different styles of fishing, whether freshwater or saltwater, is key to being a strong and proficient angler.

The starting point for many saltwater anglers was probably shrimp under a popping cork, free-lining finger mullet caught with a cast net and a 5 gallon bucket or cut mullet soaked on the bottom. The goal of any angler’s first stage of fishing is to catch fish, any fish.

Getting proficient with a wide gap hook and some live or dead bait, anglers eventually move to the second stage of fishing. With limits of fish, an electric filet knife and baggies of filets on every outing this angler has progressed. Catching lots of fish, learning about specialized gear, line, tackle and techniques, the second stage angler starts to feel pretty good about finding and catching fish on a consistent basis.

Then, even though catching fish with bait is still great, all of a sudden, there is a feeling as though there must be something more. New to the tackle box that used to hold just hooks, weights and corks, there’s an additional tray with new top waters, plastics and spoons.

Venturing off out of the boat, wading forever shorelines in search of trout slicks, tailing reds and showering bait, this angler has moved to the third stage of fishing, the search for a trophy fish. No longer obsessed with baggies of filets or limits of fish, this fisherman wades untouched waters, searches lonely shorelines and reads the water for signs of the ultimate prey.

Once achieved, many anglers move to the fourth stage of fishing. The sunrise starts the day, relieving the mind and soul of stress and anxiety. Dolphins splash nearby and a camera is always handy. A few good shots at sightcasted fish or just a day spent with best friends or family make a fishing experience so much more than catching. The angler in the fourth stage of fishing just wants to be there, on the water, experiencing all that Mother Nature has to offer for the day, whether fish are caught or not.

Wherever you are in the four stages of fishing, there will always be more to learn, more to observe and an unlimited number of experiences to be cataloged. No day is like the previous and all are cherished. The lucky angler that strives for the fourth stage of fishing will be very richly rewarded.

See you on the water with a fly rod in my hand.

Capt. Sally

More Challenges

First, a week full of incredible winds. Now rain and lightning. Come on. I just want to fish.

The Shrimp are Here... The Shrimp are Here!!!

The wild swings in weather, wind and temperatures have taken shallow water anglers in and out of the spring pattern on an every other day basis! Finally, however, it seems that Mother Nature is starting to cooperate and so are the fish.

The tiny shrimp migration has arrived, along with a bumper crop of glass minnows and tiny crabs. Shallow areas with good grass are the host to this banquet of redfish fare. Wade fishermen shuffling along through the grass and hunting the shorelines will dislodge these tiny critters in huge numbers. Proof positive that Spring has officially arrived and so have mass quantities of reds in the back waters.

Reading the water and interpreting the signs of fish is now more important than ever. Birds feeding along a shoreline, tiny shrimp jumping out of the water, spraying glass minnows and loud splashes tell you exactly where fish are feeding. Lee shorelines with pockets and cord grass will hold single feeding fish, while large, thick grassed bodies of water will hold both tailing hardheads and tailing redfish. Redfish will be feeding on what the hardheads are kicking up out of the mud and grass. Long strips of muddy water will tell you that hardheads are working in an area. It’s a guarantee that redfish will be there as well.

Any small fly will do, but a small fly that a fish can also see is a better choice. White, white/chartreuse, white/pink are all good choices. Arctic fox and other materials that look more lifelike in the water also make a better presentation. Lure anglers toss weedless/weightless soft plastic paddletails or small weedless gold spoons. Try small topwaters as well, like a Super Spook, Jr. in bone, black, chrome or white/pink.

Don’t forget to let the fly or lure sink down into the fish’s “dinner plate zone”. Especially in the Spring, redfish feeding in packs won’t stray far to pick up a fly or lure. Let it cross their path and down in their feeding zone and it’s a sure thing. Stingray boots are a must these days as there is also a bumper crop of these dangerous critters. If you are a kayak fisherman, don’t go without boots and/or guards.

With the delay in the onset of Spring, May, June and July are quickly shaping up to offer some very dynamic fishing opportunities. Watch weather and water level charts to put yourself in the right spot at the right time for fish feeding activities!

See you on the water…
Capt. Sally

New Fan Page on Facebook!

Today, I have created a new Fan Page for Capt. Sally's Reel Fun Charters. This page will house my every day fishing comments and photos from the water. My blog will still have some posts, but the daily commentary will now be on my fan page. Please go to www.facebook.com and search for Capt. Sally's Reel Fun Charters, then become a fan!

The Search for Un-Fished Fly Waters

Texas Outback Magazine
May-June 2010

Un-fished Fly Waters… in Texas?

On the middle Texas Coast, boat traffic, fishing pressure and airboats are something that all shallow water anglers must contend with these days. More and more people are finding out that shallow water sightcasting is an exciting way to fish, either with light tackle or a fly rod. Boat manufacturers are designing boats that run and float in no water at all. Uninformed boat drivers run these shallow water craft right along the popular shorelines and “burn” flats and lakes “looking” for fish. Some airboat anglers are using illegal techniques such as “herding” redfish to catch them in shallow water back lakes. All of these things together have driven me to begin a search to find the un-fished fly waters on the Texas Coast.

This quest began in Baffin Bay. Although primarily known for its rock formations and legendary trophy trout, Baffin also has some of the most pristine and clear shallow water lakes and shorelines. Anglers don’t run shorelines in Baffin and most certainly don’t fish the back lakes on a regular basis. Most have bigger boats that relegate them to deeper water running and the fear of hitting rocks keeps most of them off of the shorelines and out of shallow water.

A complex and unique system, Baffin proper is an east-west running bay with many finger bays that feed off of it. Although connected to Baffin Bay, the Cayo del Grullo, Laguna Salada and Alazan are mini bay systems in and of themselves. Within these bay fingers are many protected shorelines, sand bars and back lakes, such as the Cayo de Infernillo in Alazan Bay. With one tiny entrance, the massive lake system on the King Ranch is the home to fish that have never seen a fly or boat, not to mention a kayak! A series of small lakes and protected shorelines line the eastern side of the Cayo del Grullo. Further back you’ll find a large, shallow, grassy system named Drum Point.

The Laguna Salada has a secret shallow water place mysteriously named “Site 55”. Muddy and grassy and almost never fished by a boat, schools of redfish, black drum and big trout haunt the shallow water there.

The entire south shoreline of Baffin is nothing but shallow grass and potholes with sandy bars and sloughs mixed in. On any sunny day in May and June, this shoreline is loaded with reds, trout and flounder lounging in just inches of water, ripe for a sightcaster to toss a fly to. One long pole, paddle or wade, this shoreline sees almost no pressure at all.

Moving toward the mouth of Baffin on the south is a big back lake called Los Corrales. Because the mouth of this lake is very skinny, big Baffin boats don’t dare to enter. Pristine grass and hungry fish await anyone who knows the way in. Fishing in this little lake can be an all-day affair, sightcasting with topwaters, spoons and plastics to reds, trout and black drum in the grassy shallows and sandy potholes.

Across the mouth of Baffin is the Tide Gauge Bar. Either on the bar, or on the shoreline, you’ll find no other poling skiff. Just outside of Baffin is the Meadows, then down south a little, Penescal Point, Rocky Slough and the Land Cut, all very lightly fished for shallow water and great for poling and paddling.

The legendary 9-Mile Hole is just a little farther south down the Intracoastal, for those who want to sightcast to gigantic redfish that never leave the area. Miles and miles of very shallow, clear water await those that commit to the one hour or more boat ride to get there.

Although there isn’t a Wal-Mart or an HEB or much civilization within close proximity, un-fished fly waters do await those who seek it. Riviera is home to a couple of great restaurants, however. The Kings Inn and the Baffin Bay Café serve fantastic food and plenty of it. So, for your commitment to fish these un-pressured places, you will be rewarded with pristine waters, hungry fish, the King Ranch and Kennedy Ranch shorelines and vistas, less boat traffic and some really good food.

Come with me on this journey to discover the un-fished fly waters in Texas. Just past Kingsville on Hwy 77, Riviera, Texas is worth the drive. The magic and mystery of Baffin Bay is here, along with great hospitality and the promise to satisfy the untiring sense of adventure that leads all anglers to the saltwater.

Capt. Sally Moffett
www.CaptainSally.com
email: Sally@CaptainSally.com
Blog: CaptSallysBlog.blogspot.com
Facebook: Sally Ann Moffett
Twitter: CaptainSally@twitter.com

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

After fishing the past 5 days, I'm really ready to get back into the swing of things. Fished Rockport 4 days, Baffin 1 day, had a mixed bag of results. The shallow water in Rockport is ON when the weather is warm, not so on, when the temperatures or wind is cold. We had a little of both. Baffin, on the other hand is just plain old on fire! Big trout and lots of them on topwaters and plastics where the order of the day.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be back in Rockport for two days, then Baffin for two. A mixed assortment of clients and fishing styles will really keep me on my toes! Friday, kayaking Rockport, Saturday, poling and fly fishing Rockport, Sunday, wadefishing for trophy trout in Baffin, Monday, poling and fly fishing in Baffin. Sounds like a fun weekend!

Had an interesting day of kayak fishing today. It was colder at the end of the day than when we started, blustery and cloudy. Saw quite a few redfish in the lee of the islands near oysters eating crab. Sightcasted to about 10 fish, all good sized. Fished Shamrock lakes today, water levels were low.