# Bigfost/shadslinger, fishing from the sand



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Bigfost and I made a trip to MacFaddin Beach today, the bull red capitol of the world.

I called Sunbeam last night after I knew the trip was on to see if he could make it, as he had asked to come along on the next trip to the surf I made.
Man, he will really regret the prior commitment that kept him home now.
They were biting like hardheads.

I got there first, about 7:45, and drove the beach until I saw bait being blasted out of the water in several spots around a long V drainage into the surf.
_Fish where the fish are_, I say, so I set up and put out some frozen whiting I had on the two 12' rods.

I was rigging my 10' and 8' when the first run started.
A good screeching take, and a hard fight in the low tide.
I had to really fight to get over the 1st sand bar.
It was a good 37" bull red.
Just as I had drug it onto the sand a fellow named Terry showed up and took another rod that went off.
I told him to grab it while I unhooked and released the other fish.
His turned out to be another bull red the same size.

In no time I had another take and hard fight over the 1st sand bar.
Only to make it to the first gut where the bull red still makes you fight to get them in.
Bigfost shows up about now, and I have caught three and one that was lost when it's line ran into the swivel on my leader when Terry was helping yet again when two rods got hit.

It takes Jim a bit to set up, as the first spot he tries has a big block of concrete in the way, so he goes to the other side of me.
He yaks out the first time or two, but gives it up quick when he sees the fish are just beyond the first sand bar.

Soon I see him either fighting a fish or dragging one back to the surf to be released every time I look over.
While I am fighting a fish.

Bigfost is headed out camping so it may be a day or two before he posts pictures of the fish he caught
I'm sure he will add the bit where he thought I was having a heat attack after the first ten. 
" It would have been bad to watch you die while I finished reeling one in".








Once my hand cramped so bad I asked him to reel the fish in for me while I got it unstuck, soon as I did another rod went down.
Twice I asked to grab another rod that was getting hit while I battled one, only to have it be a gafftop.

He stayed pretty close to his own rigs after that and let me manage the best I could, lol!
I looked down about 2:40 and all he had out was his bait rod.
I started 2 hours before him and fished almost an hour after him and and he still caught as many as I did, lol!
He landed one triple that was very cool .
It was insane. I landed two doubles and had several 3 way hook ups.
We each caught 18 to 20 bull reds a piece in about six hours of fishing. Most of them were between 37" and 40" long.

From the sand.

It was the best day I ever had fishing the beach.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

Very nice trip and fish, great report.


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## Spectaker (Oct 24, 2011)

Great report! Sounds like a blast.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

Totally insane! Thanks for the great report :cheers:


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

Outstanding report...Good to hear about a bull haul....I remember a quite a few years back at the old pelican, we tore them up one Saturday and I had plans to stay until Monday. Sunday morning I went to cast out and sheez I was sore. ....Didn't hurt my fishing, just my casting distance..lol....Thanks for the report and judging from your photos, It's too bad the beach was so crowded....Ha!


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## histprof (Oct 30, 2011)

X-tra nice.


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

I can't add much to what Loy has already said. It was one of the wildest days I've had in the surf. It was just a perfect day - good weather, good conditions, plenty of bait, and tons of big fish roaming around.

We had a dead low tide all morning and into the early afternoon. The bull reds ran wild all through it. Finally the tide started in, and we had a little lull. I thought maybe they were finished for the day, but they were just restaging because after that short lull, it was on again. I started the day fishing with four rods, then three, then two and finally finished with just one in the water.

Here's a few more pictures, including a triple I had at one point before I started putting rods up.














































I also caught one little bull shark during the lull.










Loy and I don't get to fish together too often, and we normally catch up on what we've been doing when we do. As he was getting ready to drive off, he commented that we hadn't gotten to visit very much, but we both agreed it had been worth it considering.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Great report gents. Looks like a peaceful beach. And nothing like hearing that drag zing!!!!


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## Peytonator (May 13, 2012)

Man I think the only way that day could've been better for y'all is if one of you caught a new world record!! Great report and thanks for sharing, I need a day like that!


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## bbgarcia (Mar 23, 2008)

Looks like a great trip. Good job fellas.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Wow, what a day! Great reports/pics guys!


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Nice!


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I'm glad that yall got to fish together and it was awesome day on the water. Mike said, it was one of his great days and caught his Bull Reds 150 yards off of the beach.


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## crappiecandy29 (Aug 20, 2008)

Now that is a trip you won't forget.....Great report and pic's


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

sweet!!! killer report


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

troutless said:


> I'm glad that yall got to fish together and it was awesome day on the water. Mike said, it was one of his great days and caught his Bull Reds 150 yards off of the beach.


As the day went on we walked less distance out to cast each time. 
They were just over the first sand bar, and further for quite a ways, I could see them blowing up bait way out past there. 
It was more fun to cast right over the 1st bar and get this *slamming* hit when they took the bait, than to hook them way out there. Jim said it looked like I had a shark on once when this bull red jumped when it felt the hook.

Of course after just a short while it was all I could to physically to keep reeling them in, so I took all of the short cuts I could, wading out as little as I could being one of them.

At the end I would just wade out in the first gut about half way across it, and then give it a good 30 to 40 yard cast.
That's all you needed!


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

Dang - now that's what i'm talkin' about!


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

Thanks for the additinal info on the hook up's. And If they are there, Jim will find them.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

troutless said:


> Thanks for the additinal info on the hook up's. And If they are there, Jim will find them.


When Bigfost says he thinks things are looking good for a surf trip, and he is *taking a day off to go,* time to pack your gear!


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

shadslinger said:


> When Bigfost says he thinks things are looking good for a surf trip, and he is *taking a day off to go,* time to pack your gear!


Okay - stop! Truth be told, Loy outfished me this trip. I may have picked the day, and we may have ended up close in total fish, but he worked harder, and caught more fish than I did.

I'll have to tell on both of us though. Neither one of us is young anymore. We both fished till our tongues were hanging out, and both of us suffered for it for the next couple of days. All that time on my feet, and wading out and back plays havoc on my arthritis in my hips and back. I finally had to quit that day because I could barely walk anymore.

Likewise, Loy was exhausted and hurting before he left, then he told me he stopped at a store on the way home and had cramps in his legs so bad he had to be helped back to his truck. (You gotta admit, that's funny right there.)

Are we ready to go again? You better believe it!

If any of you ever come across our dead bodies on the beach, just finish reeling in our fish and notifiy our families.


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## jagarcia10 (Mar 10, 2011)

Very nice!


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

I guess that was one of those "a lot of work but also a lot of satisfaction" days!  I never picked up on what they were bitin on?


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

surfguy said:


> I never picked up on what they were bitin on?


Now you're mining for the good stuff. :mpd:

It was one of those days they would have eaten anything we threw out there. I know we caught them on mullet, whiting, sand trout, crabs, and Loy used a couple of freshwater fish, like, I think he said carp. No, I'm not kidding.


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## JOHNNYREB (Apr 20, 2006)

Awsome catching report guys! Gonna halve to make it up there one of these days.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

bigfost said:


> Now you're mining for the good stuff. :mpd:
> 
> It was one of those days they would have eaten anything we threw out there. I know we caught them on mullet, whiting, sand trout, crabs, and Loy used a couple of freshwater fish, like, I think he said carp. No, I'm not kidding.


I suspected that! Did you cut any open to see what they were feeding on and why they were bunched up in that spot?


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

great report guys. i've heard reports of folks catching a bunch of shrimp in cast nets on the beach.

nothing compares to surf fishing, imo.


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

surfguy said:


> Did you cut any open to see what they were feeding on and why they were bunched up in that spot?


Nope! I don't eat bull reds anymore, although I have in the past.

I'm not going to sacrifice one to tell me what I already know.

As far as why they were bunched up in that spot - did I forget to mention those are my pet bull reds? They are always there. :fish:
Seriously, without a sizeable financial reward, I can't disclose exactly where we were fishing, but it's the best bull red beach in Texas - possibly in the country.

We call it McFaddin, but that comprises about 20 miles of beach. You will have to guess where the most productive mile is.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

bigfost said:


> Nope! I don't eat bull reds anymore, although I have in the past.
> 
> I'm not going to sacrifice one to tell me what I already know.
> 
> ...


OK  Since Loy mentioned they were busting the surface, I'm guessing it was a ton of mullet. I will just have to join you some time to find out.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

Good job guys. I bet Loy just didn't walk up to the rods when they were doubled over.


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## HoustonKid (Dec 29, 2005)

Good stuff guys. Thanks for posting.


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