Sportsman's Road 10/3 - report...of sorts

[sublimesurf74]

Sorry, but I had to create a story around this one as the actual fishing was not so much!

Friday 10/2 - 2:13pm - Could not work anymore, brain not functioning - had to get home - prep for Saturday - leaving at 5am - lots to do!

Friday 10/2 - 8pm
canoe - check
rods and reels preset with SSjr and TTF minnow respectively- check
tackle - check
anchor, cast net, bait bucket, net, etc... - check
assorted tools and bungees - check
hats, glasses, extra clothes - check
kitchen sink - check
beer, ice and cooler - check
beer - check that twice!

Friday 10/2 - 10pm, 11pm, 10/4 12am - can't sleep
Saturday - 4am - alarm
Saturday - 4am - alarm off just lay for 5 minutes
Saturday - 5am - oh crap fell back to sleep - out the door - no coffee, no shower, no breakfast.
Saturday - 6:15am - arrive - winds - 20 to 25
Saturday - 6:45 - hit the water - immediately blown about.

Okay enough of that. I really had a hard time manuevearing the canoe in the wind and outgoing tide. There was lots of cussing to myself for a while and to my fiance for buying me a canoe (for both of us) when I wanted a kayak. Finally made my way to the back of the marsh and found a nice little cut that had current going into it from two sides and decided to just chill there and finally get to the relaxing part of fishing.

Anchored on a marsh bed I worked a storm minnow for a bit. After 10 minutes of working the area I grabbed my other rod and rigged a gulp pink 3" swim tail mullet under a popping cork and just let it sit in the current and work it's way across a point giving it a jerk here and there. I set it in the rod holder and went to pick up my other rod and then bam, the cork went under. Grabbed the rod out of the holder - the hook was already set. Drag went burning out - had to tighten it up a bit. Still burning the drag out and running towards a wood post...had to put my finger over the string and tighten the drag considerably to keep from getting wrapped around the post. Got it away from the post - a beautiful golden color comes to the surface and decends with a black spot dissappearing beneath the surface and it goes running again.
After another minute I get it to the boat (crappy picture attached) - 24" red - released.
Stayed in that same spot - had a few more bites, lost one, saw a few flounder jump out of the water on adjacent flats, saw a red jump next to the grass line on far side of cut, drank a couple of beers.
1:00pmish - Storms abrewing all around - make way back to truck.
1:30 - docked and reflecting on the day with a beer and cigarette I saw a guy on shore catch an 8 inch redfish and throw it in his cooler. I told him it was illegal and he needed to release it. He said he was just going to use it for cut bait. "If you do that you are killing millions of possible fish - throw him back so your grandkids can have fish to catch." He obliged and I went to packing up for the day pausing every so often and looking east wondering if I want to work the docks a bit...Next time!

Is fishing even about fishing? - well of course it is but you know what I mean!!

Sunday 10/4 - went to home depot and bought materials to make an anchor system, went to academy to look at trolling motors.
Monday 10/5 - going back to home depot to look at materials to attach a trolling motor to the canoe - I will defeat the wind...yes I will!

[FP10]

lol nice report and story. Congrats on the red.

[Robalo]

Nice report. Weather was tough.

[Milkjug]

Nice report, I enjoyed it. I would have had a hard time releasing that red

Canoes will get blown all over the place fishing the coast. Maybe a kayak paddle would help out, if you're using an oar right now. Tandem kayaks and canoes aren't called "divorce machines" for no reason. If the wifey wants to kayak too, get a separate kayak for her (you can also take buddies too then). Both of ya'll will enjoy it more.

Good work on getting that guy to release the rat red. Sportsman's Rd. has a lot of "those people" bank fishing with no respect the bay at all. Litter, poaching, you name it. This is the main reason I am tight-lipped about my favorite launches.

Good luck with the trolling motor. You will have to carry batteries and register the thing. I like to keep it simple (the whole reason for going with the yak to begin with), but it will increase your range.

[sublimesurf74]

If I hadn't been meeting my parents in Galveston afterwards I would have most likely kept the Red.

Thought about getting a kayak paddle as I am using just a wood oar that happened to be left in my house when I bought it.

NOTE: My fiance was not with me fishing when I was cussing her out - she was at home in bed

The littering is really bad. How can someone change a baby and just throw a dirty diaper on the ground - I don't even see how that would be a possibility in someone's mind?

I don't even think this guy knew the laws. Hopefully I educated him a bit and he will now be respectful of our resources....doubtful though.

I was wondering if a trolling motor would put me in the registration parameters - wasn't sure if electric motors required it!

[plugger]

Nice report. I remember not being able to sleep and awaking every few hours to check the clock to see if it's time to get up to fish- the excitement, the anticipation. Good for you for stepping up and addressing the meathead keeping the undersize red. The trash dilemma gets caught in my craw as well. I've seen bucket loads of trash left behind on the sand where you park near the toll both , bay side SLP, by extended family groups not born in the USA. I guess that's how they do from their home country. Take the trash with you- how hard can that be !! How third world. I gotta take my blood pressure pill now. For what it's worth, I'd ditch the canoe and get a sit on top kayak if you are serious about fishing instead of trying to make a canoe do what a kayak does and end up with an inferior result. Good money after bad. But, I don't have to deal with the girlfriend. Good luck.

[Ibtsoom]

Nice report -- way to stick it out. I didn't think you had to register trolling motor propelled boats either but I was wrong as usual...
Registration

Do I need to register my boat?
Yes. The following vessels (when on Texas public water) are required by law to have current registration. This includes vessels that are docked or moored:

• All motorized boats, regardless of length (motorized boats include boats propelled by a trolling motor); and
• All sailboats 14 feet in length or longer or any sailboat with an auxiliary engine(s); and
• USCG Documented vessels.

Exempted vessels — All (non-motorized) canoes, kayaks, punts, rowboats, or rubber rafts (regardless of length) when paddled, poled, or oared; sailboats under 14 feet in length when windblown; USCG documented commercial vessels used in coastal shipping; and USCG documented vessels exceeding 115 feet in length.