Paddle Palooza XI, and the Redfish Train

  

Pre-fishing Paddle Palooza XI didn't instill a ton of confidence or clearly help us pinpoint our game plan for Saturday morning. Fishing with two exceptional FiN Crazy team members Casey Brunning and Johnny Bergeron provided for some great entertainment and fishing experiences. It also helped me keep things in perspective and really enjoy my time on the water instead of over stressing about tournament prep. After 2 days we found some good fish just not the caliber we knew it would take to win a tournament. 

 

By mid Friday morning we all decided to split up to cover more ground. Knowing the wind would be a factor on Saturday morning I was torn as to where I should focus my efforts. I ultimately decided to hit two areas that I knew held some good fish but was unproductive earlier in the year due to lack of water.

 

After a long peddle I was excited to not only see water but very clear water. With the sun getting higher and the water clarity it didn't take long to start picking out the tailing reds. BIG Reds. Within 20 mins I had landed two over 26". It was still early so I continued to explore the different cuts and coves and rolled up on an area that had so many reds patrolling I stopped counting.  It was like a conveyer belt of redfish. All big, all aggressive and traveling in 2-3’s.  For the next hour as quickly as I could hook, catch, release and cast again I was pulling in some beasts. Satisfied that reds were not going to be a problem I packed up, relocated and began looking for some trout.  

Finding the trout proved a little more difficult. I managed to locate a few loner trout of decent size but nothing to stop me from searching for bigger and better. By 3pm I circled back to one of my more reliable holes and picked up a few more and located a couple of smaller schools. My confidence level was much higher than earlier in the day so, I locked in my game plan debriefed my pre-fishing posse and made the trip back in.

I was on the water and sitting at my spot by 4:30 am listening to the familiar sounds of feeding reds. As the morning glow reflected on the water I could once again see baitfish jumping and rippling wakes. I stood up and prepared to throw my deadly Seein Spots inline lure and had to take a double take at the number ripples perfectly spaced and patrolling the bank. My Redfish train was coming in and they were neatly spaced about 50' apart and moving fast. Within the first hour I had landed a 25-1/2", 26-1/4 (6.79lbs) and released 2 over 29". I adjusted to counter for the wind starting to pick up and hooked up with another beast that measured right at 27" on my board and weighed 8.22 lbs. I immediately knew this was a potential money fish and the measurement was just too close so, in my bag he went.
 

The trout were more elusive than the day before and had I to work through a 1/2 dozen dinks before picking up a small 13" keeper. The very next cast I had a hard hit and set the hook and felt the familiar head shake. If this was a trout he was going to be Big. My excitement was crushed in short order after seeing the black spotted tail role to the surface. I released the small rat red back into the shallow flat. The rest of the day was trying to upgrade my trout and possibly find my Unicorn Flounder. Neither happened, so I reluctantly decided to head back in

At weigh in, my 8lb beast of a red just wasn't meant to be as it came in just over 27" despite my unscientific shrinking methods and crossed fingers. Luckily, my backup (6.79 lb.) Red was not questionable and I ended with a total weight including my Trout of 7.47 lbs. Respectable, but I knew probably not good enough to bring home a check.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out my Red was good enough for 5th place in the Reds category. I finished in 16th place overall within the tournament of 240 Anglers. I know I say this all the time but I truly appreciate and respect the number of great anglers we have in BCKFC. My competitive spirit is pushed each and every time I'm out on the water. This club is hands down one of the best run and managed. Hats off to the Directors and all the club members who continually turn out these great tournaments.

 

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.

LA 1 Slamboree Tournament

I had the opportunity to fish the LA 1 Slamboree put on by the great folks with the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club.  My plan was set, I would launch early Saturday morning in an area I knew held big Reds and was a go to spot for loads of Trout. I would pick up a late morning Flounder completing the Cajun Slam and weigh in before Noon. It was a great plan in theory. What could possibly go wrong?

Apparently Mother Nature had a much different scenario worked out in her head that did not remotely match my plan.

Launching at daylight from the northern boundary in Golden Meadow the wind was blowing from the WSW at 20+ mph. Heavy thunderstorms were blowing up everywhere in the area keeping sky’s overcast, the water choppy  and fishing conditions absolutely horrible. I paddled out and was able to locate calm water protected from the relentless winds. Fishing with the BSOD I landed a nice 18.5” Leopard Red with 4 spots as my first fish. Perfect! I now had my entry for the new kayak category. My confidence continued to rise as I worked the calm water next to the bank and another huge Red hit the BSOD like a semi-truck and began peeling line. He made a run straight through the oyster bed into open water and just like that my line went slack and my heart dropped. I knew the line had been cut, I lost a monster Red and my prized BSOD was gone too.

I landed another smaller undersized Leopard Red before moving down into a deeper pond. It wasn’t very protected from the wind but it had a few small cuts with moving water pushing through. On my second cast I hooked up and landed a fat 22.5” Red. A brief break in the clouds had me temporality excited.  Perfect, my plan was coming together despite Mother Nature’s bad attitude. Now, it was time to put a few trout in the kayak.

Wrong! The wind started blowing freakishly strong with heavy thunderstorms moving in and the bite dropped off completely.  I fished hard trying to pick up a trout and flounder to complete my slam but couldn’t buy another fish.  I slowly began to realize my plan was not going to come together. All of my fish were caught before 9am.  I ended the day and tournament with two entries with my large Red and a (4) spot Leopard Red.

There were quite a few anglers at weigh-in that had nothing to show for their efforts. Mother Nature assaulted their plans as well.  I knew my single Red wouldn’t be enough in the Slam category even though he weighed in at nearly 6 pounds. However, I had a decent chance at winning the Leopard category with my 4 spot Red. Only seven anglers’ submitted entries for the Leopard category and 8 spots took home the new Jackson Cuda Kayak.

Despite the less than perfect weather condition I still enjoy each and every minute on the water. The LA 1 Slamboree is a first class tournament and I’ll be looking to redeem myself next year.