# New Redfish 9-20



## Hop (May 21, 2004)

I made a solo trip yesterday out of eagle point. I got the boat in the water around 8am and the wind was blowing 15+. I had second thoughts about going but the day before the wind laid around 10am so I decided to stick it out for a couple of hours. 
Fished Todd's dump with nothing to show but two small uglies and a couple of whiting (released). The tide was running out strong and the wind was howling and it made for some rough fishing. To top it off I had ship wakes run me off on 5 different occasions. I hadn't been to new redfish island in awhile and decided to run up in there to eat a sandwich and enjoy a beer. I took some pictures of ship wakes that I was contending with and then decided to head home. I looked off on the horizon to see birds going crazy. At first I thought it was because of all the shrimp boats that were in the area. I was wrong, the boats were off in the distance and the birds I saw were working bait. So I pounded out thru the heavy seas and get right on the birds. I don't have a trolling motor so I had to set up my drifts in hopes of running along side the flock. First few casts out yielded nothing on my rootbeer paddle tail B.A. Just then I remembered about a speck rig I had in my box. It had two red and white shrimps about 2" long on it. I tied it on real quick and made another drift. First cast a nice 18" trout that inhaled BOTH of my touts! I've caught several fish on speck rigs but never had one bite both hooks. So from 11am to about 1:30pm I caught several dinks, sandies, skip jacks, and scratched out 5 keeper specks. It was a fun trip but, I'll prolly be laid up in bed all day today so I can recover from the beating. I was going to try again this morning but, the wind is howling once again. Attached are a few pictures of my day on the water.
*!!WARNING!! *
*IF PICTURES OF DEAD FISH UPSET YOU PLEASE CLICK THE BACK BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER.*
Tight lines
--Hop


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## cfred (Jun 13, 2004)

Well done bro!! Wish we could have made a repeat trip today but I'm glad we called it. When I was seeing 18kts gusting to 23kts last night I knew we were in trouble but stranger things have happened so I figured it was at least worth waking up for. Since I was up I decided to get a line wet in the back yard, to no avail. Oh well there's always next week!

By the way, looking at those ship wake pics brings back memories. "Should we pull the anchor? Too late, hold on!!!!"

later


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## BertS (May 21, 2004)

Hop said:


> *!!WARNING!! *
> *IF PICTURES OF DEAD FISH UPSET YOU PLEASE CLICK THE BACK BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER.*


that's too funny........

congrats on a tough, but productive trip.....


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## Mullet (May 21, 2004)

*For the birds.*

No need for GPS coordinates. 
A picture's better. 
Just follow the birds.
Good thing you turned around to see the ship wake coming or you would have been flotsam out there.


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## Bob Samples (Jul 13, 2004)

Thanks for the story and pic's. It is 5:30 PM I still stuck in the office and you made my day! Thanx, Bob


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## Billy S. (May 24, 2004)

Good report. Nice pics. Not familiar with the locations you named. What bay system is that?


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## rlw (May 21, 2004)

How dare you pot-lick those poor birds like that!! A real fisherman don't need no stinkin'
bird to show him where the fish are!! And I didn't think you could fish birds with no trollin' motor!!!
J/K nice report and great pics glad you had a good trip.
Rick


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## popeye69 (Jul 29, 2004)

*Way to go Hop*

nice fish and way to ride out the conditions. Hope to make it down there soon.

Rob


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## GSMAN (May 22, 2004)

Good job on the catch! Man, that brings back memories! I bought my first boat at 17 years of age and used to drag it down to Eagle Point with my 74 Plymouth Duster. You kind of felt like a deer during deer season, looking over your shoulder for that monster ship wake. I live 15 minutes away from there but I drive 1 hour to the fish the Pass! Maybe I need to reevaluate my strategy!! You know what they say "The water is always greener on the other side"


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

*Lmao*



rlw said:


> How dare you pot-lick those poor birds like that!! A real fisherman don't need no stinkin'
> bird to show him where the fish are!! And I didn't think you could fish birds with no trollin' motor!!!
> J/K nice report and great pics glad you had a good trip.
> Rick


It's more like the birds were pot licking the fish! Their the ones pushing the bait to the surface! lol

I need a trolling motor. With out one your drifts look kinda like this.. lmao!
Makes me dizzy... 
It's hit and miss with the birds. They havent been working the same spot two days in a row. And of all the times i've passed thru this strech of water I've never seen birds there before. Just happen to get lucky and be in the right spot at the right time.
--Hop


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## beach (Jun 15, 2004)

Awesome pict of the ship waves. What marker is that in the back ground? I may want to go there with my surboard!


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## popeye69 (Jul 29, 2004)

*Cape?*

Where are the pictures of you in the cape?

Rob


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

DUN DUN DUN!!! Captain Chaos!!:ac550: 
I'm saving the cape for you Rob.. It'll match that pink thong you wear. Bwahahaha! 
I need to see if Mont will add this pic..








It's been the poster child for Cfred and I for the last few months.

I thought i was suppose to start work today but, it may be next monday.
On the up side i ran around Clear lake this afternoon. I bought a new to me prop from Outcast. I picked up about 2mph and lost a lil hole shot. It cavitates alot more but, it should help on those long hauls across the bay. I went from a 13-3/4x16 4 blade to a 14x17 3 blade. The new 3 blade needs more cup and another inch in pitch.

--Hop
Somebody turn the wind off!
Seabrook was under waterand the tide is running 2+ feet over normal.


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## Mullet (May 21, 2004)

*Tracking*

Looks like your about out of memory on that Garmin.
noticed I had used 89% of mine yesterday and had to erase.
Now I forgot where I went.


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

Oh the horror!!! Mullet it's not a garmin! It'a a lowrance! heheh
I've noticed that it starts to erase some of my old tracks when it adds to the new ones. Guess i need to update my tracks and only save the ones i truely need. IE the ones thru the skinny water..
--Hop


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## 11andy11 (Aug 12, 2004)

What jetty is that is the photos? I fish todd's dump alot on the south side out by the far piling and always nail slot reds and some trout. I am curious as to where the "new" redfish island is.


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

Head east young man! 
Right past tods dump.. You can't miss it, just look for the huge ship wakes!
It's where all the sail boats park for over nighters just off the channel.
--Hop


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## cfred (Jun 13, 2004)

*Drunken Etch-a-sketch*

Okay Hop, be honest. That's not really your GPS, you got drunk and were playing with an etch-a-sketch! That's too funny man, there's visual proof of how hard you worked for those 5 Trout. Good job bro!!!


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## GrapeNutsCereal (Sep 16, 2004)

ahh you scratched out the coords! hehe


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## Mullet (May 21, 2004)

*No trolling motor*

HOP
I thought you told me you didn't have a trolling motor.
No way the wind was that irratic or were you hooked up with a big red fish
that pulled you all around like that.
Maybe crayons.
Mullet Head


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

Mullet, I don't have a trolling motor. The birds kept moving from east to west. The wind was out of the NE and the current was running south. All those loops were every time i made a drift and had to fire up to get back on the birds. I even managed to break one of my reels on that trip. I sat on the butt of the rod and broke the bail on my spinning rig. Luckly i had the recepit and took it back to Acadamy. It was almost 2yrs old and they took it back! lol
Gawd i love that place!! 
Mullet if you need a deck hand or wanna ride along with me this weekend gimme a hollar. I'm hoping to make it out sat. If not, for sure on sunday.
--Hop


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