Topwater, caught everything…including my hand
This weekend was another relentless pursuit with downs, downs and finally some ups. I got off work early Thursday and headed to Cocodrie for some night fishing planning to spend the night solo in my tent. Little did I know the tent which I haven’t used in years since buying my camper wasn’t in the bag with the poles, only the rain fly. My buddy took his boat with a coworker night fishing too so I changed plans to leave around midnight with them. As soon as it got dark I started busting the trout under the lights on topwater, but all the trout were small 12-14” chasing after shrimp. I wanted to try live bait but no one had croakers to buy on the way out and I wanted to try floundering before we left instead of cast netting bait. I went on the monkey bar and Last Island but without staying late enough to hit the incoming tide all I saw were rat reds and stingrays.

I went back Saturday morning and tried rigs around West Timbalier. Again most of the trout were small. At one rig I caught a couple 17” trout and a 33” bullred but the storms came roaring in with a water spout after fishing a few hours. I rode in missing the thunderstorms by mere seconds. While heading in full speed, my halfway broken cover on my 150 quart became fully broken when blew into my boat’s windshield cracking that in half. Oh well who needs a windshield! I wanted to hunker down on the island but the radar screen was solid green so I played it safe with seeing all those bolts flashing.

Leaving early only makes me want go back even more, so today I went again to chance the scattered storms. Got to my favorite rig in the moonlight just as light was approaching the eastern horizon with dead calm seas. 1st cast, bang, 16” trout, next cast, boom, 24” trout! It was the best topwater fishing in a while. The big mommas only wanted the jet black / chartruse head she dog. I tried chrome and bone but nothing much took. I missed several big strikes like always but ended up with another 24” trout about about a dozen 18-21”. Then, while unhooking a fish the hook went into my hand. Bummer. Soon found out my leader crimpers where rusted shut, my wire cutters were home and my needle nose plyers were nearly rusted shut too. With only one hand getting this hook out was going to be a problem. No time for that. I took the hook off the split ring, clipped on a new bait and kept fishing with the hook in hand . The pain was nullified by the enjoyment of catching big trout. Finally after the bite settled I was able to almost flatten the barb on that nearly impossible to bend shedog hook and rip it out. Tried fishing live fingermullets but only caught a couple more. The bite shut down completely. Went hit another rig and caught a few more trout then a big 40' bullred decided to take the hook. What a battle! What a day!

Also caught a huge ladyfish so to live up to my reputation of eating everything I put my hook in, I’ll give it a shot for the first time because why not!




Now I just need to find some free time and fix my gear up instead of fishing every free minute.

Posted: August 05, 2012 at 2:44 pm | 5674 Views | 13 Comments

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