By: Dan Carns
As you may have guessed I do a lot of traveling and recently found myself in Lake Amistad TX. where the water temperature was cold, and the air temperatures were even colder. Much too cold for this southern boy so we hi-tailed it to the Texas Gulf Coast in Corpus Christi and found both air and water temperatures far more favorable for fishing! As we approached the Coast, I find a radio station broadcasting a fishing report regarding redfish, spotted sea trout and black drum and it sounded like this to me; today, very fishy, followed by more fishy conditions after nightfall with continuing fishy weather the remainder of the week. Â We arrived at our KOA campground situated on the Laguna Madre lagoon in Corpus Christi only to realize that our site was a mere ten feet from the waterâs edge and other campers were lined up fishing from their âback doorsâ. If youâve ever fished with me, you know I can get overly excited at the prospect of fishing, so it was a restless night but as sunrise approached, I slid my kayak into the water and headed out. After a short paddle I hooked into a sea trout that was big enough to take home. It was early so I released it thinking that the fishing was going to be great. That would be my only fish for the day. Tired and sunburnt I returned to my camper and had a short conversation with one of the other fishermen who had just returned by boat, and he had the very same luck I did, exactly one fish all day. I am not easily discouraged so the following day I launch before daybreak, reach a new fishy looking area and hook into another big trout right away. To my great dismay this is also the only fish of the day and I begin to question if I understand the area well enough. Mind you, as a kayak fishing guide for Gulf Coast Kayak, I have been chasing the same three species for almost fifteen years but hey this is Texas. That evening I visited the local bait shop to ask for some advice and it sounds like Iâm doing everything right. The following morning, I once again take to the water at sunrise and begin trolling in hopes that I find the right spot. Sure, enough I hook into another big trout but this time I continue trolling and again hook into a trout. By now Iâm miles from my base camp but Iâve finally found a huge school of fish and I spend the next few hours catching sea trout, small redfish and couple of little black drum. Satisfied, I return home with a breakfast trout and the feeling of accomplishment that my perseverance paid off!
The morel of this story is that new fishing grounds require patience and exploration. Trying out new spots locally may be just as rewarding as the Texas coast was for me!
Get Out There-Itâs a Wild World
Fishman Dan
@paddlinandfishin