# 10/14 TR: Gotta Risk it to Get the Biscuit



## southpaw (Feb 25, 2009)

Got to the boat ramp Friday morning and was greeted with some showers and really high tides. As I waited out the rain, I sat looking at the high water and resolved that today would be a day I do some exploring. I scrapped my original plan and decided I'd make a far run to a new marsh. Since the tide was up so high I figured I'd run deep into it and see if I could find some waters conducive to sight fishing. Armed with my fly rod, an extra fuel tank, beverages and dry sausage I set out on my destination.

Fast forward and I'm poling a windblown shoreline deep in the marsh. Just on the other side of some spartina grass is a small pond and I can hear something crashing bait. Eventually, I find a small opening, not much wider than my skiff, leading back to the little pond. As soon as I make my way through the entrance I see a biiiiiigggggg redfish laid up on the surface crossing in front of me. Quickly I pick up my rod and fire a cast out in front of him. One quick short strip and he inhales my fly. With a hard strip set all hell breaks loose. He makes a hard run away from me only to realize the pond is too small for the both of us so he makes a hard run right at me and out of the small entrance I had just come through. At this point the wind had blown me back into the pond and off to the side of the entrance. The fish is on a hard run and jams my skiff up against the spartina grass about 6ft off to the side of the entrance. He's not slowing down and I'm getting pretty deep into my backing, mind you I don't have my drag set lightly. Eventually the fish slows so I start to make my move. With one hand high in the air trying to keep tension on the fish over the islands of spartina grass, I fumble around with the other to grab my push pole and inch my way back towards the entrance, the entire time praying to fish gods for this fish to stay buttoned. Finally free, I start putting pressure on this fish, but this bruiser isn't wanting to go down without a fight. After about 30 minutes I get him worn down and boat side. I grab my leader which evidently doesn't sit well with him bc he wigs out and rips some more line out. We repeat this again and again and on about the 3rd or 4th time the fish makes a hard lunge and the hook pulls free........










If you were within a 5 mile radius of me that morning, I apologize for the expletives I screamed. I'm sure you've never heard some of the combinations of words used and I'm sorry for that.

Down but not out, I move on. I pull into a cove where the tide has flooded up into the grass. Reminded me of something you might see on the east coast when they fish the flood tides.










As I get a little closer I can hear the crashes, pops and flushes of bait meeting their demise. I pulled up into the grass and for the next few hours stayed in the same spot catching reds as they cruised up into the flooded areas around me.



















I started out throwing a crack fly but it spooked the first few fish, so I switched over to this small crab pattern and it was on.










I'd toss it out in front of them in any opening I could find in the grass and slowly scoot it across the bottom.

I also must've casted at 15-20 monster sheepshead but I couldn't get any of those crackheads to eat. Had a few follows but they just weren't interested. I think they were eating snails or something off of the stalks of grass. Other catches for the day included a tailing hardhead. As soon as I came tight on it I immediately regretted my decision.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

Cool report!


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## Outearly (Nov 17, 2009)

Excellent Report!


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Very nice! I love that Crab fly. You make those eyes?


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## southpaw (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks guys



karstopo said:


> Very nice! I love that Crab fly. You make those eyes?


I did. I use 20lb hard mason with 2 beads per eye. Then I mix a little gold glitter into UV resin to coat. I made those awhile back but I believe I used two coats for those.

The claws I make as well. Those are micro chenille and I just tie a knot with it, burn the tips and color the ends with sharpie.

Here's the instructions for the crab fly.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Good report...nothing ventured nothing gained. 

You got the best of that big red. Well done.


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## Bruce J (Jun 27, 2004)

Tough luck losing the big one, but it made for a great story!


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

Very good report. I believe most fish enter the flats when the water depth is "right." In other words, during a low high tide, they might enter the shallows at the top of the tide, as the water might just barely get high enough to be in their comfort zone. Conversely, when there is going to be a huge high, the fish may make their appearance at the bottom of the incoming. Lots of folks enter an area and the fish have already come and gone.

We are fortunate in Texas, to have the back marshes where the fish eventually end up and at least we might get a shot or two. In Florida, where the coastline is all mangroves, the fish get into "the woods," and are unreachable until the tide changes.


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## southpaw (Feb 25, 2009)

The marsh can be such a different animal at times. I've started to think that some fish never leave the bigger marshes between about April and Nov. They just move between the shallow mud flats and deeper guts and drains but never actually go out to the main and secondary bays until winter unless there's a major freshwater influx or hurricane. There's such an abundance of bait in there so why would they leave? Another thing I've found is that since we don't have huge tidal swings in TX, other influences like wind have major impacts on the locations and way fish feed. 

Technically on Friday when I was fishing, the tide was supposed to be falling all morning. However the wind was blowing into the marsh so I think it lessened the tidal effects in the more open parts of the marsh. The fish I found were all feeding on a windblown shoreline where the bait was getting pushed into the grass. That's the opposite I was expecting as I figured they would've been feeding off of the shoreline as the bait got sucked out by the tide. I also found fish on the leeward side of grass islands ambushing bait as it got blown around the islands by the wind. This was the opposite direction the tide was moving. Now at one of the main drains near the mouth of the marsh the tide was ripping out hard. I didn't stop to fish those areas but I'm sure there were probably some flounder, trout and/or reds hanging around those. I just didn't have any really heavy flies to get down quickly enough in the strong current. Next time maybe.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

with the "parrot" for the win!!

good job and great report.


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