Strange but productive night at Causeway/Tiki

[mwatson71]

With a little time to kill yesterday, I was walking through my local Academy and met a guy who was looking at fishing kayaks with his wife. So I felt a little inspired and decided to make a last minute trip since I missed the trip last weekend with Shoffer and Don.

I launched around 8:30p to catch the 9:40p major to a tide which was ripping more than I expected. On the pedal over to the causeway I hit a few lights that showed fish in them but couldn't coerce anything to take my 2.5 inch Vudu shrimp.

The causeway was a different story. My first cast got a small hit; my second cast landed a 14.5" speck. A few casts later and I had the first keeper speck of the night. The current felt as if it was swirling rather than pushing a particular direction so holding position to fish the same spot was a little difficult. And my casting game was off. Badly. I was missing my targeted area by a lot. I would aim for a piling and end up six feet away. But on more than one cast, right before my little shrimp hit the water, a poor little shrimp would jump out of the water only to be replaced by my Vudu and it would get inhaled by a speck. As they say, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

The most productive area of the causeway was right near the boat channel where I caught quite a few in the 14.5-15.1" range. Around midnight I decided to make the journey to the south side of Tiki. As I pedaled back, I could hear trout popping shrimp in the lights so I kept stopping to make a cast or two at each bright light and was rewarded each time with a speck or two. By the time I left the causeway, I had four specks to 17". I kept thinking to myself "Don't leave fish to find fish" but the island was calling.

I made it to the island and hit a couple of my favorite lights. I caught a few dink trout on the Vudu shrimp so I decided to make the change to a 3" Vudu shad. I quickly missed what felt like a red. Surface lights didn't seem to produce much, but the underwater lights always produced a fish or two, still all dinks.

I went to another of my favorite canals where I can usually rely on a red or two and had a solid hit at one of them and then landed a 22" red at another.

Around 3a and satisfied with my outing and feeling I had given the drunks an opportunity to clear the highway, I headed back to the launch. I was off around 3:30 with my 4 specks and a red. If I had decided to keep 15.1" trout, it would have been an easy double limit. And if I was better at setting hooks, I would have had my reds as well.

[shoffer]

Nice report. Glad you got out!

[Dandydon]

Despite your great fishing trip, thanks for not inviting me, Capt. Watson. I had my first real "female date" since Covid hit, and let's just say that young Mexican gal & I limited out.

Your Causeway session sounded strange, but as usual, you figured out a productive attack. I get excited when I see & hear shrimp jumping out of the water to escape the frantic fish below. My only suggestion is invite us next time because it's a bit dangerous to kayak the Causeway alone, especially w/ swirling currents at night.

Congrats on adding that slot Redfish to your stringer over at your beloved TIKI. You are the Tiki expert while Shoffer could write a book on the Sea Isle lights. Your success and all the active shrimp point to the BIRDS WORKING soon. Since that's mostly a daytime phenomenon, I'll be voting for pre-dawn sessions near the Sea Isle pier & Galveston surf.

P. S. Have you bought stock in the VUDU Lure Co. yet? lol.

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[Ron Mc]

good report - it's the season to get out

[kickingback]

LOL Don you are nuts for fishing my friend! You need to get out like me! Great report and glad you got some bites. Thanks for sharing.

[mwatson71]

Don, interesting that you mention fishing with a partner at the causeway. I think there were a few times last night that I thought I was going to go for a swim. And I was in the Outback and not the Revo.

I always wear my PFD, have a waterproof light on me, and a whistle in the pocket of the pfd.

[OldTownYakBoi]

Great report Watson. I myself have never fished the causeway at night due to the current. Not to mention tiki island is massive so I wouldn’t know where to start.

Vudu does make some great baits for sure, the Vudu Shad is definitely a confidence bait for me year round.


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[mwatson71]

I feel like I could almost guide night fishing trips to Tiki and the causeway. If you ever want to go, let me know.