Bring a rain shell

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Ron Mc
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Bring a rain shell

Post by Ron Mc »

Stevo made a call on a weekend run to Palm Harbor RV park.
We decided we could do this even though rain predictions were 60-80% over Saturday through Monday.
Friday evening was dry and daylight when we landed.

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Wanted to get Steve to East Flats on Mustang Is, since he's never been there.
Everything was staged and ready to roll Friday night, so we ran the drill to Island Moorings Sat morning driving through sheets of rain.
However, when we got to the launch, wind was 18 kt gusting to 26, and doppler showed continuous storms moving straight up the coast.
Note Josh, they've added porta-cans, just the ticket after a 5am pot of coffee.

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So we crossed back on the ferry, returned to the trailer, and began a movie.
Instead of watching the movie, Steve was watching the weather update on his phone.
At 10 am, we had a lull on both the wind and the rain, and that's the nice thing about camping at Palm Harbor.
We launched on the bulkhead and paddled out - instead of the predicted southeast, the 12-kt wind was NE, so we headed straight up Trout Bayou and began drifting.

We were getting a lot of dink action. Dead center of Trout Bayou, I hooked up a dink. Nope. when it got close to the boat, it turned on redfish shoulders.
Second time close to the boat, she did a tailstand flapping her head, and it was a major trout. Drift sock in, right now.
She made at least four trips around my boat and was giving me a sleigh ride. I measured a quick 26", but you be the judge - my beam is 28".
Right after this, noon, the NE wind was back to 18 kt, and we had to tack across Estes Cove to get in - heck of a 2-hour fishing window.
Caught on Z-man Minnow-Z, Mood Ring, and 1/8 oz Texas-eye jighead. The lure color is my favorite in clear water overcast, reflects blue and transmits pink.

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Sunday, we made our run again to Island Moorings, and this time, the weather looked great, but the wind was light - it also came back NW later in the morning.
We were joined Sunday by TexasJim.

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We covered all of East Flats and East Flats Lake, mostly without fish.
We saw small tailing reds against Pelone Is - couldn't turn them even with a Buggs bunny.
The sun and lack of wind finally drove us in. But we got enough wind coming back to drift the middle shelf on East Flats, and it turned into dink heaven. Many small trout and reds, photographed this nice tail on my best 16" red.

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Today, Monday, was a short day, launching on the Palm Harbor bulkhead at 6:15.
It was calm with a predicted prevailing SE coming on. Before that, the wind was all over the place, beginning with light NW.
We headed straight toward Little Cut.

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Before we got there, the shoal was black with bait, small redfish tailing and slashing bait everywhere.
Today, we were joined by Chase and his son Will. They fished 3 hours and headed in.
Chase reported 3 reds, two of them just 1/2" under slot.

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I was catching rats on my INX Supra 65 prop-tail topwater shrimp, which Jim dubbed Mr. Peanut.
Rats or not, this was fun fishing.

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When we got enough ESE to drift, I drifted twice from the Traylor oyster close to Little Cut, and I found those nice just-under-slot reds Chase had been into. They were in the grass about halfway to the first duck blind. Finished our last drift at the first duck blind and headed in to pack out.
This is a different color Z-man Minnow-Z green/grey with red flecks.

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Better get in a photo of Steve in his Outback, and note, the mangroves are coming back on Talley Is

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We finished packing out in light rain, and drove through walls of zero-visibility rain on the way home.
Great trip, would do it again in a heartbeat.
We outsmarted the weatherpersons.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Tue May 16, 2023 7:01 am, edited 4 times in total.
mwatson71
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by mwatson71 »

Sounds like a great trip, Ron. I need to dust off the yak and get back out there.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Ron Mc »

Thanks Michael, I forgot to show my SteerBurger, which I was calorie-deprived and jonesing for on Saturday right after that big girl trout.

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Music Man
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Music Man »

Great report! I’m heading down that way in early-June to fish for a few days and can’t wait.
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Kitsune
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Kitsune »

Thorough report. Thanks for taking the time and sharing. Mangroves, trout, and steer burger. Yes please!
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Ron Mc
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Ron Mc »

Thanks guys - I write my photo essays when I'm too tired to clean gear...but everything is fresh.
Friday, we had Mexican seafood and fishbowl ritas at Los Comales.
Sunday afternoon, Steve treated Jim and me to a late-afternoon Mother's Day lunch at Mickey's, Ransom Rd. Marina.
(yes, I called my mom)
Jim first mentioned the place to us, and this was at least our fourth meal there - all the food is good, and their fish sandwich is double-stacked blackened flounder.
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TexasJim
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by TexasJim »

Good report, Ron. Don't trust the weathermen. The Corpus guys call the KRIS-6 weather guy "Dead Wrong Dale". FYI, the four fish I caught on Sunday were on a Z-Man Minnowz, on a 1/8 oz. Texas Eye jig in Beer Run color. That has been a real weapon for my Winter Texan friend on "Airport Flats". I also catch with the Opening Night color. Glad y'all had a good time in my backyard. TexasJim
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motoyak
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by motoyak »

Love the report, fishing vicariously for a few months :mrgreen:
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by razorbackyak »

Glad we got to meet up Ron! Will had fun getting salty for the first time. Steve found a dead crab that was perfectly intact that Will thought was pretty cool and we found some jellies to look at too.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Ron Mc »

yee haw - thanks for the photos Chase.
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by mwatson71 »

I kind of miss the days of hauling my kid around on my T160. Cherish that time; it won’t be long before he is going out with you in his own Outback.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Bring a rain shell

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mwatson71 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 11:09 am I kind of miss the days of hauling my kid around on my T160. Cherish that time; it won’t be long before he is going out with you in his own Outback.
Everybody has seen these photos, I'm still fishing my T160, which I bought to set up a rear cockpit.

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She graduated from TAMU with Biomedical Engr degree, and is applying to med schools.
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Neumie
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Neumie »

Excellent report as usual Ron, too bad the fish were's cooperative other than that sow trout. I still haven't had a Steer burger.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by Ron Mc »

Thanks Josh.
First, SteerBurger meat is perfect.
Ranch Hand burger is artful, simple white cheese, salsa and tortilla chip pieces.

I need to give more credit to Steve for my lifetime spec.
If he hadn't been watching between monsoons for that 2-hour paddle window, wouldn't have been there.
Of course, if he hadn't called go on the trip, wouldn't be there, either.

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And if I hadn't tied on a new leader after Arroyo, probably wouldn't see this.
A different leader broke off my tequila sunrise Mr. Peanut at East Flats boat channel (I have spares) - lost a good trout with the lure.

Bringing home meat would be nice, but tough to beat this trip for fun fish catching, great friends, good meals and good adventure.

My previous lifetime spec was 27" from the slope of Green Is flounder hole, LLM, 2005.

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Last edited by Ron Mc on Thu May 18, 2023 7:50 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Bring a rain shell

Post by ben_beyer »

I was in Port A over the weekend too. I only fished Sunday afternoon due to the weather and took an 8 mile trip around Lighthouse Lakes. I'll post a report later tonight or tomorrow.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Bring a rain shell

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Neumie wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:16 am Excellent report as usual Ron, too bad the fish were's cooperative other than that sow trout. I still haven't had a Steer burger.
Thanks again Josh. Editing this last post, because just yesterday I figured out the best way to describe SteerBurger's Ranch Hand burger.
Long story, Steve and I went for a bike ride, then I helped him with the engineered lift of a 30A solar panel to the roof of his 3500 dualie Sprinter, interior panels and batting stripped out for electrical, electronic, road noise, and storage mods to support the Oliver trailer.
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Afterwards, he and MA treated me to lunch at Guajillo's. Their special was Chilaquiles Torta (a chilaquiles poor boy) - exceptionally tasty.
Add a good slab of char-broiled burger, and you have a Ranch Hand burger - it's a chilaquiles burger
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