# Padre Island report 11/26 - 11/29



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

What started as a surfing /camping trip to Padre Island among cousins in 1989, has now become an annual fishing trip, with a little surfing thrown in, for a full week during holiday week. I was invited to go along many years ago, but never did because of family obligations during Thanksgiving. After realizing that the past 2 years have been spent eating Thanksgiving dinner at friends instead of family, I decided to make the big trip this year. However, I only got in on the last 3 days of their annual adventure, which was good enough for me.

Kent riding some waves!









On Tuesday, I received a text from one of the gang saying they were hammering the trout. I am sure that had a lot to do with having a hard time falling asleep on Tuesday night. With my alarm set at 2AM Tuesday, my plans were to leave my house at 3AM putting me on the beach at low tide. I woke up after 2 hours of sleep and began flossing my teeth when a crown on my tooth popped off! I didnâ€™t know what to do and didnâ€™t want to be down the beach in pain, so I opted to go back to bed and stay to get it fixed and leave Thursday morning. After waking up, I called my dentist and the receptionist told me she was out of town. I was told that if I wasnâ€™t in any pain, which I wasnâ€™t, I should be fine. Worrying about missing the low tide, I opted to go for it and go anyway at 8:30AM.

After the 4 hour drive to Corpus, I got on the beach at PINS and the drive was like a highway excluding the bumpity bumps that are common. I never had to put it in 4X4.

I arrived about 3:30 PM to my friends with trout on the stringer. I hastily got my conventional gear out and hooked a flounder on my first cast! It spit the hook, but I did catch a nice trout a while later. I assume I got there at the end of the bite because there wasnâ€™t much happening after that except for hooking and losing a couple more flounder.

After setting my camp, I was welcomed with good food! The food was great every day. I typically eat at Snoopyâ€™s on my way home from a PINS trip but felt there wasnâ€™t any need in it this time.









I woke early to a windless sunrise and saw Kent fishing among calm water and active bait! I grabbed my fly rod with a clouser, and made my way out there. It wasnâ€™t long before I had 3 nice trout strung for dinner with a throwback or two mixed in. 

I have been fly fishing for about 3 months now and have gone crazy about it. I fish a park lake down the road from my house 3 to 5 times a week for bass. I feel that as much time I have put into learning to cast in different situations, I have probably fished more than your average fly fisherman has in 2 years. I fish that lake in all conditions to prepare me for all conditions. 

Anyway here is a picture of me and my guide, Mimbutu, who put me on my first fly-caught speckled trout!










After the bite, that was pretty much it for the day except for a trout here and there. I made my way to jetties and fished a little bit there. I lost 2 flies on my backcast in the rocks, so I decided to call it quits before I lost all my clousers! Just paying my dues and increasing my skills on the learning curve - No one catching anything anyway.

Good food, music , and comradery was a normal evening! 










The next morning, I woke to the coyotes yelping and barking from all directions! I saw this as a sign that nature was active! I got up and saw nervous bait and knew it was going to on! Grabbed the fly and made my wade where I caught several trout, which were all released. Kent caught a cool shot of me bringing one to hand as he was entering the water.










I took it easy the rest of the day. As I get older, I am learning to pace myself as I canâ€™t quite go at it and fish hard like I could 20 years ago. The fishing was definitely slowing down each day.

More rest and relaxation was the order for the day. A little liquor (only a little) and a cigar with friends that night! Plus more great food!

On the 3rd morning, the wind was howling, but I grabbed the fly rod again. No bait was being busted like the mornings before and it didnâ€™t look to promising. With the wind almost in my face, I began putting my double hauls to the test. I wasnâ€™t casting as far but good enough! I eventually caught a flounder, which means that is a fish I can scratch off my fly fishing list now.

We were fishing over some submerged rocks and I got hung a couple of times. One time I was stripping and felt a hang. At first, I thought it was a rock, but it started shaking itâ€™s head and peeling line. I knew I had hooked up to the biggest fish of the trip, but 30 seconds into the fight, the hook popped out! Well, that is my â€˜the big one that got away storyâ€!

Anyway, Me and Mimbutu packed up and loaded up in the truck for our long drive down the beach.










All in all, it was a great trip! One that I will never forget! Caught some fish, spent time with good friends, and my fly fishing confidence has increased dramatically! Hopefully I can go next year with my tooth back in it's place!


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## [email protected] (Jan 14, 2005)

Great report! Nice fish too!


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## Joe T (Dec 13, 2012)

nice report thanks for sharing .when im there i always hit the submerged rocks on the channel side first love that spot for trout.


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## Laguna Freak (Nov 15, 2006)

*Wow!*

What a great documentary. I almost feel like I was there too...

You are blessed indeed.


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## TxAdam (Jun 28, 2007)

Nice. Thanks for sharing! I've never made that long drive down PINS before and now I'm thinking I must add that to my list of things to do next year.

I bet whenever you think about the fish that came unbuttoned you can still feel that headshake in your forearms. That's what always makes me go back!


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

TxAdam said:


> I bet whenever you think about the fish that came unbuttoned you can still feel that headshake in your forearms. That's what always makes me go back!


 You are right on about that! I can still feel that head shake!


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