# Port Mansfield Star Trout!



## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

Well Thursday we (my wife and I) headed to Port Mansfield with a client of mine and his wife... We were going to be fishing for 4 days with Captain Danny Neu.

We got into Port around 5:30 on Thursday and got to the house and got settled in and then off to The Mansfield Club to get in the boat for some afternoon fishing and scouting.. we drifted the nooner hole and E. of Bennies for a while and we picked up a couple of fish but nothing to really get excited about. 

Friday morning we got up and headed straight to Bennies and off the boat Donny and I went while Danny drifted with the ladies... we picked up a few fish but not really the usual Mansfield bite I am accustomed too... so we stayed there a while and headed further south into Styrofoam and found the going to be just as hard.. a few dinks and a rat red so we headed even further S into the mouth of the Arroyo and there we found some fish but nothing really outstanding... I did catch a 22in but not what we are looking for... so we headed in that day with 7 keeper trout to 22in and ZERO on the reds! 

That night I suggested to Danny that we needed to take a gamble and go North to our favorite BIG TROUT HOLE... This particular hole has given up several trout over 30in and I new it might produce again! I new it was risky but at this point I felt we weren't going to catch any numbers of fish so why not go for the ELUSIVE BIG GIRL!!!! We pulled into our hole at about 6:45 and started a little drift... after a few casts with a strawberry and white NSEJ for some odd reason my line broke off and I had to re-rig.. I decided to put on a Super Spook Jr. Gary Coleman and on the second cast it happened.... BLUSH... it sounded like a toilet flush and the Super Spook was completely GONE!!! As I set the hook I felt what I new was a good fish rather it a red or trout.. as I played it to the boat and with Capt. Neu on the net as we got first glimpse of her and that black back Danny exclaimed This is a HUGE TROUT... this is the one you have been after.... as I headed for the front of the boat Danny got the net around her and I had finally got my BIG TROUT.... we headed straight to Harbor Bait after a while of nothing else happening in our hole. She was 31.25inches and went 8.4Lbs and is 3rd right now in the STAR lower coast.... Needless to say my day was done and my trip was made!!! 

THE GAMBLE PAYED OFF IN A BIG WAY!!!


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## TX CHICKEN (Jun 4, 2004)

*Awesome fish!!*

Nice fish--glad to see one coming from PM. I fished down there the last 2 days and could barely buy a bite. 
Congrats!!
Mike


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## ROOSTER REDCHASER (Feb 25, 2005)

Congrats Jode..........awesome fish, great story. Tell Danny hi for me!

Bill

ps. Wonder what kind of rod you were using?


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## EchoDuck Jr. (Jul 16, 2004)

Great story and nice fish . 
You caught my STAR trout I was after. again, nice fish


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## RussellG (Jun 23, 2004)

Great fish Jode. Congrats! The Redfish are still scarce huh? They have to be hiding somewhere.

rg


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## 79_ag (Sep 24, 2004)

Very nice trout are you gonna mount thaT BIG GIRL?


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## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

*Indeed*

Yes she is headed to Palermo's on the island...

We couldn't find redfish to save our life... Might be the first time ever I have been down there and not brought any redfish home.

All in all the fishing was off in my estimate... It wasn't good at all.

BUT IT ONLY TAKES ONE FISH!


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## Sow Trout (Jun 28, 2004)

Congratulations! Danny gets a little credit too. Way to go.


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

31 1/4" is a great trout, congratulations. What kind of rod were you using? LOL


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## kdubya (Jun 27, 2005)

LOL @ Kenny.... Got my rod ordered week before last, and waiting on delivery.
Dream trout Jode. Very nice job, congratulations.


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## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

*Thanks and Capt. Danny Neu*

Thanks to all of you....

I need to give a lot of the credit to Capt Danny Neu... He is an incredible BIG TROUT fisherman and guide. I have been fishing with him for 4 years and frankly he has taught me everything I really know about fishing in the bay...

He is a extremely knowledgable person on Port Mansfield since he has fished it since he was 6 years old. He is a great guide with women and children also, very patient and loves to teach the sport. REMEMBER he fishes ARTIFICIAL ONLY. (Just a heads up)

If you are in Port Mansfield and want a really good guide that takes care of you give him a call at 979 942 0165.

Jode-


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Reaaaaallllly nice trout, but I know you already know that.
Congratulations on your fish.


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## stelvis (May 26, 2005)

*Nice Fish, but.....*

Enjoy it while you can Shupe, 'cause in 2 weeks Jim, Warren and I will be bumping you out with 1st, 2nd and third place 9-10 & 11 lb-ders.

hahahah.....Good fish and it is almost as big as you!


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## Spekaholic (May 21, 2004)

Great job, Jode. Awesome pics as well.

Hope your place in the STAR holds.


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## lxa393 (Jul 27, 2005)

Way to go Jode. Awesome fish and she is a beauty. Looking forward to receiving the Texas Wader soon and get myself one like that or bigger.......


Jeff


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## CaseyS (Nov 24, 2004)

*Jr*

"Super Spook Jr. Gary Coleman" LOL

Nice Trizzout Dogg!!!


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

Nice fish, Thanks for sharing the story!


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

Jode:

Did u c my boat moored? I hollared at you guys a few times while you were pulling out of harbor. I tried to hollar at you on the radio on Sat. I think you were calling Buena Fortuna mentioning something about a shallow sport with a blue kayak on it, if I remember right. I saw it in port. Anyhow, great catch my friend, I expect to be breaking it soon myself in the cut, which is where I should have fished on Sat. We found reds and trout both days, but no tournament winners. 6lb reds and 24-26" trout. Oh well, next year, if things are slow and lay out like this year, I will send everyone to our spot and bail to the cut in my boat and "Rack back on the BIG Mother Hacks" which was my plan this year but let everyone else strategize while I was cleaning fish. Email me or you got my# next time you head south, maybe I will be going at the same time. Again congratulations on the "Big Girl" Welcome to the club, if that is your first!


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## Melon (Jun 1, 2004)

Sweet!


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## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

*Yes Stew*

Yea saw your boat down there but never saw you... we were in the first slip by the cleaning table... yes she is my first trout over 30... I have caught a 29 7/8 but honestly she wasn't 30 so she went back in the water... the good thing about this girl is that she's certified so there is no ? she is well over 30 which is really nice... I was pretty hopped up all day Saturday and still am today...

The trip though wasn't too good... we just couldn't find the numbers of fish we were looking for... We really wanted to put my clients wife on an over sized red and heck we only caught one rat.. MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE POTLICKED YOU!!!!

Thanks Again!


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## Eltruchador (Apr 8, 2005)

Jode, you stold my fish! I was going to catch her in that area this coming December. I guess I'll have to target some of her kin.

Again, congratulations on a job well done.

Do you think you could talk to Stew and see about getting me into your club (as an honorary member, of course). It would only be temporary, until this Winter or so, when I get my 30"+ gator and become "full pledged". 
I've been close on two occasions, just over an inch shy each time. I blame the lack of size to not having the right equipment, but now that I'm hooked up with "da rod" , I know it's only a matter of time.


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## chickenkiller (May 24, 2004)

Jode,
I guess i don't have to ask how the reel preformed... Congrats!!!


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

Nice fish, dude! Congrats. I love the north area but everyone wants to fish south all the dang time. Oh well. Congratulations.


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## Sight Cast (May 24, 2004)

Mant that trout eats the ones we strung. Nice fish of a lifetime bro!! I'm going to target that size this weekend in POC.


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## Savage Rods (Apr 27, 2005)

*Jode's Trout*

Beautiful Trout!!!!! Nice job to you and Danny. Let's find a place on the wall for that mount. Give me a call when you go again. I have a Laguna Rod that's dying to get broken in.

Don


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## Big Al (Feb 16, 2005)

*Congrats!!!!*

Your trip is beyond expectations when a Speck is hauled in this size and time of year. Great photos and again Congrats!


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

LOL sure El Troucha, it will only be temporary though. LOL Well, if you would have answered my call Jode I would have hooked u up on the reds. With all honesty, we released around 100 keepers culling for bigger fish. That was Saturday alone. Maybe next time hehehehe. I like most of the other people here normally elect to fish north, but this time, a little honey hole down south was producing so I went with the majority on this one. I was going to send the other 2 on my boat in that Shoalwater sitting in the parking lot of the club while I headed north to the cut in search of some hog legs but against my better judgement went south because the numbers were there. Talk to u soon..... Come potlick me next time...


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

Maybe I should make a trade for a few rods for a location lol since I broke 2 rods from all the catching this weekend..... LOL The american Rodsmith did not bother me too much, but my team billystix broke my heart when it went snap!


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## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

*Ughhhhhh*

Stew...

Man that stinks on the rods... Sounds like I will be getting a call from you to do some major UPGRADES on your equipment!!!

That rod I caught that trout on is 4 years old... AN ORIGINAL Texas Wader!

We went down S some but just couldn't get into them... MY DANG PHONE RAN OUT OF BATTERY while I was down there and I forgot the dang charger!!

We will have to meet up down there for some power fishing one weekend...

Give me a call and I will hook you up on some QUALITY RODS!!!

281 931 1601.

Jode Shupe


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

LOL yea thanks. Thought u might want to be added to the logo emporium on my boat and shirts hehehe j/j. 

I saw you running past us heading north on Friday as we were fishing. My AR rods are probably 3-4 years old, but that BS Team edition rod was only a few months old! 

My phone was plagued with the same disease, but I tried to give ya a shout on the radio when I heard you calling another boat. 

Team Tran Cat to Team Laguna, come in? Radio silence.......LOL


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## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

*Proud*

I'd be proud to outfit that PUUUURTY rig with Laguna stickers anytime...

Just give me a call and we can GET'eR DONE

JDS-


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## nasakid (May 21, 2004)

*Nice!*

I can't tell you how much I've thrown that lure without a bite in Lower West G. Bay. Glad it paid off for you! haha


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