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Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 5:39 pm
by Garrett891
Hi Everyone,
I picked up a new transom trolling motor so thought I’d go out to Turtle Bay and try my luck trolling the shoreline down to Sartwelle Lakes. I was hoping to run into a school of reds somewhere along the way but nada, only a few rats and small trout. I’ve never fished the area so followed birds when they were diving and then would go back to cruising shore. Since I never fished the area I was under the impression Buttermilk Slough was available to cruise into to look for reds however, that was not case from what I saw at least :/.

Can someone elaborate on this location more and your experience with it if you have any? Where did I go wrong? I was using live shrimp and caught a few, just nothing noteworthy. Is it too early in the Fall? Cause I really expected this location to produce!

In addition, could someone explain the migration process of the reds? I thought spawning was over so they would begin coming into shallower bays and marsh systems for the winter? Granted today was everything but cold, but some detailed knowledge of this process would be helpful cause now I’m not entirely sure how it is working. What factors are involved in finding these fish school up, cause on paper, Sartwelle looks like a great hideout for them. P.S. was just using the traditional cork and shrimp and would float into the mouths of the current near the entrance of the marshes that popped up.

Re: Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:28 am
by Neumie
Garrett891 wrote:Hi Everyone,
I picked up a new transom trolling motor so thought I’d go out to Turtle Bay and try my luck trolling the shoreline down to Sartwelle Lakes. I was hoping to run into a school of reds somewhere along the way but nada, only a few rats and small trout. I’ve never fished the area so followed birds when they were diving and then would go back to cruising shore. Since I never fished the area I was under the impression Buttermilk Slough was available to cruise into to look for reds however, that was not case from what I saw at least :/.

Can someone elaborate on this location more and your experience with it if you have any? Where did I go wrong? I was using live shrimp and caught a few, just nothing noteworthy. Is it too early in the Fall? Cause I really expected this location to produce!

In addition, could someone explain the migration process of the reds? I thought spawning was over so they would begin coming into shallower bays and marsh systems for the winter? Granted today was everything but cold, but some detailed knowledge of this process would be helpful cause now I’m not entirely sure how it is working. What factors are involved in finding these fish school up, cause on paper, Sartwelle looks like a great hideout for them. P.S. was just using the traditional cork and shrimp and would float into the mouths of the current near the entrance of the marshes that popped up.
Welcome to the forum.

Buttermilk Slough can be accessed through the large culverts as long as your kayak can fit. However, this is not something you want or need to attempt without having experience fishing Turtle Bay. You need to have knowledge of the tidal effects in the area and correct water levels. It should also be known without saying going through the culverts is extremely dangerous, kayakers have flipped and lost gear and came out with lacerations. Fishing can be good back there, but it's not an easy place to get into.

I don't have much knowledge in the area you're asking about and without being on the water, your approach sounds good. What was the tide doing? Was there a bunch of water back in Sartwelle Lakes? When I fish with live shrimp I prefer a rattle cork similar to this: Click. I'll this style cork (Click) with softplastics for reds (they seem to like the commotion) with softplastics, but it'll work for live shrimp as well.

Redfish become sexually mature around 3 or 4 years old and when they roughly reach 28"-30" in length. From there those reds head out into the Gulf in the fall to spawn (should be going on right now). Reds up to 32"-34" may migrate back into the bays, but typically they stay out in the Gulf at that point. Redfish larvae get sucked back into the bays from incoming tides and find their way to marshes to continue growing.

Re: RE: Re: Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 12:40 pm
by 2 Weight Willie
Neumie wrote:
Garrett891 wrote:Hi Everyone,
I picked up a new transom trolling motor so thought I’d go out to Turtle Bay and try my luck trolling the shoreline down to Sartwelle Lakes. I was hoping to run into a school of reds somewhere along the way but nada, only a few rats and small trout. I’ve never fished the area so followed birds when they were diving and then would go back to cruising shore. Since I never fished the area I was under the impression Buttermilk Slough was available to cruise into to look for reds however, that was not case from what I saw at least :/.

Can someone elaborate on this location more and your experience with it if you have any? Where did I go wrong? I was using live shrimp and caught a few, just nothing noteworthy. Is it too early in the Fall? Cause I really expected this location to produce!

In addition, could someone explain the migration process of the reds? I thought spawning was over so they would begin coming into shallower bays and marsh systems for the winter? Granted today was everything but cold, but some detailed knowledge of this process would be helpful cause now I’m not entirely sure how it is working. What factors are involved in finding these fish school up, cause on paper, Sartwelle looks like a great hideout for them. P.S. was just using the traditional cork and shrimp and would float into the mouths of the current near the entrance of the marshes that popped up.
Welcome to the forum.

Buttermilk Slough can be accessed through the large culverts as long as your kayak can fit. However, this is not something you want or need to attempt without having experience fishing Turtle Bay. You need to have knowledge of the tidal effects in the area and correct water levels. It should also be known without saying going through the culverts is extremely dangerous, kayakers have flipped and lost gear and came out with lacerations. Fishing can be good back there, but it's not an easy place to get into.

I don't have much knowledge in the area you're asking about and without being on the water, your approach sounds good. What was the tide doing? Was there a bunch of water back in Sartwelle Lakes? When I fish with live shrimp I prefer a rattle cork similar to this: Click. I'll this style cork (Click) with softplastics for reds (they seem to like the commotion) with softplastics, but it'll work for live shrimp as well.

Redfish become sexually mature around 3 or 4 years old and when they roughly reach 28"-30" in length. From there those reds head out into the Gulf in the fall to spawn (should be going on right now). Reds up to 32"-34" may migrate back into the bays, but typically they stay out in the Gulf at that point. Redfish larvae get sucked back into the bays from incoming tides and find their way to marshes to continue growing.
Neumie, does buttermilk ever dry up?

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Re: RE: Re: Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:45 pm
by Neumie
2 Weight Willie wrote:Neumie, does buttermilk ever dry up?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
It can get blown out from fronts.

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 9:14 pm
by 2 Weight Willie
Neumie wrote:
2 Weight Willie wrote:Neumie, does buttermilk ever dry up?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
It can get blown out from fronts.
Oh, ok. Thanks

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Re: Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 10:26 am
by Garrett891
Neumie wrote:
Garrett891 wrote:Hi Everyone,
I picked up a new transom trolling motor so thought I’d go out to Turtle Bay and try my luck trolling the shoreline down to Sartwelle Lakes. I was hoping to run into a school of reds somewhere along the way but nada, only a few rats and small trout. I’ve never fished the area so followed birds when they were diving and then would go back to cruising shore. Since I never fished the area I was under the impression Buttermilk Slough was available to cruise into to look for reds however, that was not case from what I saw at least :/.

Can someone elaborate on this location more and your experience with it if you have any? Where did I go wrong? I was using live shrimp and caught a few, just nothing noteworthy. Is it too early in the Fall? Cause I really expected this location to produce!

In addition, could someone explain the migration process of the reds? I thought spawning was over so they would begin coming into shallower bays and marsh systems for the winter? Granted today was everything but cold, but some detailed knowledge of this process would be helpful cause now I’m not entirely sure how it is working. What factors are involved in finding these fish school up, cause on paper, Sartwelle looks like a great hideout for them. P.S. was just using the traditional cork and shrimp and would float into the mouths of the current near the entrance of the marshes that popped up.
Welcome to the forum.

Buttermilk Slough can be accessed through the large culverts as long as your kayak can fit. However, this is not something you want or need to attempt without having experience fishing Turtle Bay. You need to have knowledge of the tidal effects in the area and correct water levels. It should also be known without saying going through the culverts is extremely dangerous, kayakers have flipped and lost gear and came out with lacerations. Fishing can be good back there, but it's not an easy place to get into.

I don't have much knowledge in the area you're asking about and without being on the water, your approach sounds good. What was the tide doing? Was there a bunch of water back in Sartwelle Lakes? When I fish with live shrimp I prefer a rattle cork similar to this: Click. I'll this style cork (Click) with softplastics for reds (they seem to like the commotion) with softplastics, but it'll work for live shrimp as well.

Redfish become sexually mature around 3 or 4 years old and when they roughly reach 28"-30" in length. From there those reds head out into the Gulf in the fall to spawn (should be going on right now). Reds up to 32"-34" may migrate back into the bays, but typically they stay out in the Gulf at that point. Redfish larvae get sucked back into the bays from incoming tides and find their way to marshes to continue growing.

What about caranchua bay? I was thinking about launching my kayak from schicke point boat launch and fishing the carancahua pass, some of the marsh on the south side of the point, and then if nothing at that point, then going over to redfish lake. Any advice for this? Is it likely a limit of reds is waiting in one of these areas? Which one would you go to if you were me?

Re: Turtle Bay - Palacios & Reds

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:03 pm
by Neumie
Garrett891 wrote:What about caranchua bay? I was thinking about launching my kayak from schicke point boat launch and fishing the carancahua pass, some of the marsh on the south side of the point, and then if nothing at that point, then going over to redfish lake. Any advice for this? Is it likely a limit of reds is waiting in one of these areas? Which one would you go to if you were me?
I haven't fished Caranchua in 20+ years. We fished the northern part in a boat and I remember it being shallow.

You're fishing farther north from where I normally go (Point Comfort is about as far north as I travel), but If I were fishing Caranchua I would launch from Port Alto and head south to Salt Lake (assuming a SE wind). If that were a bust a quick jump over to Olivia and launch from the kayak area there (or good if there's a north wind).

Are any of these options guarantee of redfish? Yes. No. Who knows. I never guarantee some will catch limits of fish; too many variables.