# Rockport 12/12



## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

The last front hit hard, and blew like crazy for a couple of days. But it blew itself out and calmed down quickly yesterday afternoon. Overnight, the water cleared like cold water does. I expected the water to get blown out by the north wind, but I guess it got some help from the full moon because it was higher than expected today. The wind was still from the NNE, but it was only about 7 knots or so.

I've been fishing around the warmest part of the day lately - around 2:00 in the afternoon. I went to a place where I caught a lot of quality fish after that big freeze a couple of years ago. It's heavy shell with mixed shell off to either side. There is a bit of a cut through the shell, and a current will push bait through. That's right where I found them today.

The water was noticeably cooler today than it was before the front. I've been wearing shorts under my waders, but today made me start thinking about long pants. I was bumping a bone diamond sand eel on a 3/8 oz. head, and it was sort of a casting contest. There was a spot, not very big where I had to land the cast. Too much to one side and I'm on shell and fighting not to get snagged. Too much to the other side, and it would be too far from the cut and got very little interest. But hit the spot, catch a fish. The wind started kicking up off my right shoulder, and I had to adjust where I was standing a little bit in order to get the right angle through the area. Hit the spot, catch a fish.

This was one of those times when people fishing nearby would have really been struggling, and wondering why they weren't catching. Two people could have fished this spot together, but only if they were both pretty experienced, AND good at cooperating with each other. I know there were other fish in the area, but their feeding was really concentrated on this one spot.

These were all quality fish. I think I caught two that would have had to be measured. I released two that were bigger than I like to keep - somewhere in the 24"-25" range. Most were 18"-21" and mostly pretty healthy.

I mentioned in BarronJ's thread that everything I've been catching has been coming right off the bottom, and today was no exception. But I know another 2Cooler who fished today (actually his son) and caught a lot of fish on a silver MiroLure Catch2000. I'm guessing that he fished it slowly, but not on the bottom. A lot of people recommend darker colors in the winter, but there we both were with light. I'm insisting on bumping the bottom, and he's using a twitch bait. Does that help any of you?

I fished a bit on the walk back, and found the rest of the area pretty barren. There's a spot where winter redfish sometimes cruise, and I got bowed up by one that was just about a quarter inch too short. I was getting ready to release him, and he did a pretty violent backflip with a half twist, and sank a dorsal spine in my upper thigh. Through my waders. I thought I had an extra tube of Aqua Seal, but I can't find it. And I don't want to miss a good day of fishing. So it looks like I'm going to be a little chilly tomorrow, whether I wear long pants or not.


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## caddis (Jan 22, 2012)

Great write up as always.
Thanks!
Todd


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks for posting I always enjoy reading and learn something from you each time.
The winter white bass on Livingston do the same thing, you get bit in a tiny spot of water and nothing a foot away from any side.
If you donâ€™t find that little area your out of luck.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

I had some commitments this afternoon, so I went out a little earlier in the day. It was a pretty warm morning for this time of year. The bay was all but flat, and there was very little wind. The water was clean, but not gin-clear. (No wind, no wave action, and gin-clear water is just about my least favorite conditions.) What little breeze was there was coming out of the WSW, so pretty much the opposite of yesterday afternoon. The fish weren't stacked on the same spot, or on the opposite side of the shell cut. There just wasn't enough current movement to make that happen.

I found fish spread out along the shell/mud bottom. Overall they were smaller than yesterday. I found small groups of fish that were generally similar size. Usually I would get 2-3-4 bites, whether I caught them all or not, and then nothing until I move a bit. They were less tied to the bottom than yesterday. I suppose foraging, rather than focused on a specific food source. I caught a couple when I was racing the bait in at the end of the cast. I thought maybe that was a clue that a faster, steady retrieve would be effective, but never got another bite that way. The most consistent was a raise-and-reel (fairly slowly), then stop and let it drop - generally a slow retrieve, just not as much time on the bottom as yesterday. I caught most as it was raising off the bottom, or while it was moving slowly. They finally destroyed the bone diamond sand eel I've used for several trips, and I put on the first thing that came out of my wader pocket, which was sort of a roach with glitter. It got bit just about identically to the other. The point being that in different circumstances, the retrieve and fall really are paramount. If they are on a specific kind of bait, try to match it as much as possible. But when they are foraging, it's probably more about behavior than color.

I talked to the 2Cooler whose son was fishing with a Catch2000 yesterday. He said that he caught some while just suspending the lure, and some while slow-reeling. He caught another limit today, the same way. He said they were generally smaller, and the action not as fast. Pretty much the same thing I saw where I was.


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## Prizepig (Jul 13, 2012)

Well done and great report. The weather today was awesome. Maybe Iâ€™ll get my honey-doâ€™s done and get some fishing in before winter decides to set in for good.


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## rcowboy (Jun 28, 2006)

Thanks for sharing. I plan to get down to my place in RP between Christmas and New Year. Hope the weather cooperates.


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## Puddle_Jumper (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks for the report... ALWAYS enjoy reading your posts !


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## SKIPJACKSLAYER (Nov 19, 2013)

Go get some â€œshoe gooâ€. Used to use it to repair my skateboard shoes. Itâ€™s the same stuff they give u in the water repair kit.


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

SKIPJACKSLAYER said:


> Go get some â€œshoe gooâ€. Used to use it to repair my skateboard shoes. Itâ€™s the same stuff they give u in the water repair kit.


The aqua seal is a thinner version of shoegoo. It's not the exact same. Aquaseal is thin enough to be absorbed into fabric and even neoprene, where shoegoo is too thick. It will work for a little while. Or ... if Scott can thin it a little, not sure what the best thinner would be, then a thinned version would work.

nice write up Scott.


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## Aggieangler (May 28, 2004)

Always enjoy seeing a new update of yours, friend. Hope you can stay on em through the holidays.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

SKIPJACKSLAYER said:


> Go get some â€œshoe gooâ€. Used to use it to repair my skateboard shoes. Itâ€™s the same stuff they give u in the water repair kit.





troutsupport said:


> The aqua seal is a thinner version of shoegoo. It's not the exact same. Aquaseal is thin enough to be absorbed into fabric and even neoprene, where shoegoo is too thick. It will work for a little while. Or ... if Scott can thin it a little, not sure what the best thinner would be, then a thinned version would work.
> 
> nice write up Scott.


So you guys made me do what I wind up doing all the time. Researching a subject till my eyes bleed. Let me tell you what I learned, so none of your eyes have to bleed:

Shoe Goo works, by all accounts. It dries a little bit firmer than some other things, but that makes sense for shoes. The regular version doesn't have UV inhibitors in it, but you don't need that for the sole of a shoe either. If you're going to use it, you'll want to thin it - use toluene for that. Obviously be very careful with the toluene, and don't get it on your skin. The main solvent built into Shoe Goo is toluene, so you probably don't want to get that on your skin either.

Then there's AquaSeal. They make a number of different products, and they don't really do a good job of telling you which one to use for which application. Some are clear, and some are black. I found a sheet on one that said it is "moisture curing", which means exposure to moisture is good - but for some reason it still says to wait a long time before putting it in the water. Scott is confused.

AquaSeal makes one product that is UV curing. Similar to Loon or Bondic, I'm sure, as they all harden in the presence of UV. It seems like it would be very good to have a small tube of that with you, in case you have to make minor repairs in the field. That stuff hardens in just a few seconds, and you could really save a fishing trip with it. The ones I've used have gotten a little more rigid than I would really like for waders, but for a pinhole it shouldn't matter. I would want to get it through the hole, and a very thin layer on both sides of the material. It would harden all the way through, and that spot definitely wouldn't leak.

They also make another product called AquaSeal + Neo. I presume that's for neoprene. (That's what I wound up buying.) It looks like they used to sell the same stuff under a different name. It's black, but I honestly don't care what the waders look like, just that they don't leak. It's also pretty runny - thinner than the clear AquaSeal I've used in the past. That kind of surprised me when I first squeezed some out.

So, being runny, it spread out into a very thin layer. As Tobin described, it seemed to be absorbed into the threads pretty well. The layer seemed so thin, I could barely tell it was there, so after it dried a bit I put a patch on the inside as well. And then a second very thin layer on the outside later. The next morning, the resulting patch had filled the hole, and was so pliable that I wasn't worried about an edge peeling up or anything like that. It was more like part of the fabric. The good news is, it doesn't leak anymore. I don't know about bigger holes, but this stuff was perfect for a pinhole.

I did something else that some of you might find helpful. Finding the hole in a pair of waders can be a real pain. Especially a tiny hole like this one (from a dorsal spine). I have one of those rechargeable spotlights for the boat. I went into a darkened room and shined it inside the waders until I saw the pinhole of light. I also saw a few other tiny bits of light, mostly in a line of stitching in seams. That's where this thinner AquaSeal + Neo is really nice. I was able to put a very thin bead over them, smooth them down so that they were even thinner, and get them sealed before they became a problem.

I've never had good luck with thicker stuff over seams. It always cures to firm, and winds up pulling away. This stuff winds up feeling and looking like part of the fabric. I'm feeling pretty good that spot isn't ever going to leak.

I put my slicker top on yesterday, and caught some nice fish in the rain. When I came in, my socks were dry.


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## jmooreoutdoor (Dec 6, 2019)

Thanks for sharing. Lots of good info


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## caddis (Jan 22, 2012)

Where is Scott? He hasn't posted in over a month.
I hope he's okay.


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## EIGHTSKATE (Feb 19, 2016)

Wondering the same yesterday.


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## Moochy (Sep 13, 2014)

He is still lurking around Rockport. He became an Uncle last week(not blood related).


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## WillieT (Aug 25, 2010)

Look forward to his posts. Glad to hear heâ€™s okay.


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