Monday, September 16, 2013

PAC Attack . . . Well Almost!



I fished the PAC Attack Tournament this past weekend. I had been looking forward to this event because Point Aux Chenes is one of my most favorite places to fish.  I launched at 5:15 AM to very high tide and the Reds crashing bait deep in the grass. There were a lot of trout and reds moving along the islands which was very encouraging.  I landed my first 24” Red before 6am and another 16” right behind him.  With a lot of movement in the area I made a decision to release the little guy and try upgrading to his larger brothers.  As he swam away I was hoping it wasn’t a bone-head decision.  The saying “A bird in hand is better than two in the bush” replayed through my mind over and over…
It didn’t take long for karma to reward me with nice 25.5” Red. He destroyed my Killer Flats Minnow and took me for a short ride.  After a few more runs he was finally in the net. It was still early but the day was looking outstanding. 

By mid-morning the tide shifted and I decided to test out some live bait. I threw out my Cajun Thunder popping cork armed with a large cocahoe minnow. He swam leisurely around not generating much interest.  Not satisfied with his performance, I moved him into the opening of a small cut in one of my favorite ponds. As he hit the water, a large swell came from the back of the cut and immediately crushed my offering.  He immediately made a run to go beneath my Kayak but I was able to get my rod tip around the bow and keep it an even fight. A few short minutes later the 22.5” Red joined up with my other catches.
The rest of the day was more of the same except everything I caught was in the 16-16.5” range. Each time I hooked a Red, I was hoping for an upgrade but it simply was not there.  I finished my limit with 2 smaller slot Reds and a total of 11 on the day. 
I felt going into weigh-in I had a good chance at top 10. Final weight was 16.0 pounds and good for 6th place.  I was exactly 0.1 lbs. from 5th place and taking home a check. Congrats to Rev on his victory and the other top 5 winners. I’m looking forward to next year.
Overall, it was a great day on the water and another successful BCKFC Tournament. Special thanks to Theo’s Marina for all their hospitality and the BCKFC Directors and Officers for your efforts.

Monday, September 2, 2013

PAC Perfect Day!


Maybe its glass smooth water, the reflection of a beautiful morning sunrise or a perfectly placed first cast but there is something that gives you a feeling the moment you get on the water that it’s  just going to be a good day.
Today was my perfect day at PAC. My first cast zipped flawlessly into the small cut as I braced myself for the action I hoped was lurking beneath. Within seconds the familiar jerk of a redfish had my drag singing and I knew it was the start of a good day. The LSU colored Killer Flats Minnow went repeatedly to war with several undersized Reds until finally matching up with a 24” brute that would contest both our skills and my earlier success. After repeated runs he rolled to the surface as my net slipped under him and the battle was complete. As the day grew hotter so did the action.  I maneuvered quietly into the opening of a familiar pond and found the water buzzing with activity and rippling wakes of tailing Reds. My Killer Flats Minnow went back to work landing a few nicer slot Reds edging me closer to an early morning limit. Filling my last slot wouldn’t take long but not before losing a monster that I battled for several minutes only to end with a broken line and losing my Purple and Chartreuse colored soldier.
The action remained non-stop as I enticed a few more undersized Reds with my Geaux to colors and completed my limit by 10:30 with a final 22” challenger.  Satisfied with my 5 wins, I switched over to conservationist mode tagging a few additional Reds and sending them back to fight another day. These were my first Reds tagged since signing up for the Louisiana TAG Program.  There was a huge sense of accomplishment tagging and releasing those few Reds knowing that in some small way, I was able to give something back and be thankful for the rewards I was able to take with me. I closed out my trip by hooking up with two more huge Reds late morning but once again a broken line and a strong will ended the battle before I could claim success.
It was an outstanding trip and makes up for all the other slow days we endure. I am already looking forward to my next fishing trip and enjoying everything (PAC) Point Aux Chenes has to offer.Special thanks to Torrey (Ltprod) from BCKFC for sharing in another VooDoo Kayak Fishing Adventure.