The heat is on, winds are up and fish are still crawling

[Prof. Salt]

When I launched at 5:00 the wind was already blowing and I knew it would be a challenge to see shallow fish. I found one early at 6:30 in a drain just before low tide, and then kept looking. Throughout the morning I was able to stalk in close on 24 fish and ended up with three to take home. I guess considering the conditions I will take that. The fish that turned me down were a variety from big bulls, upper slots and some were similar to what I caught. Every one of them was crawling shallow with its back exposed. Just getting close to hunting fish is a thrill and it was a good morning. I really covered some ground to the tune of 17 miles. During the morning I developed a roaring headache (an occasional side effect of the neck surgeries) and wished I had eaten breakfast, but there was enough water to stay hydrated so the search continued until at 11:30 when the last fish ate three feet from the rod tip, lol. I was six miles from the truck and had to fight the wind going back, but I took my time and splashed bay water over myself to cool down. By 2:45 Everything was packed away and fish was in the freezer. Whew. I have had enough fishing until Monday.





[/url][url=https://postimages.org/]

[Kayak Kid]

Thanks for sharing that adventure, prof. Most appreciated to have been invited along through photos and dialogue.

It might be to the benefit of having you amongst us for many years to come, that you consider having a bit more respect for what this debilitating heat can do to even the healthiest of us.

[Prof. Salt]

Thanks KK, I did not mean to sound flippant about the heat. If things get too warm I will drop off into the water to bring the core temp down, but today never got to that point. It was definitely the kind of weather where we need to keep a close eye on our condition while on the water, and I was continuously doing that.

[Kayak Kid]

I didn't mean to chastise you. I wish I had been there with you. Just concerned about what this heat can do to us on the open water.

[Ron Mc]

It's nice to be close enough to the water to make a quick early morning trip, and thanks for the report.
Worth reminding everyone this isn't the best time to travel for fishing inshore.
Josh and Jim had a story last summer, paddling into a South Bay slough, finding big dead trout and finger mullet - the trout chased the bait into the slough, and they both ran out of oxygen.

The best summer getaway we have in the hill country are "cypress tunnels" where it's always 15-degrees cooler in the river than where you park by the road - the structure makes a contained swamp cooler.