Always have a plan B

PLAN A - Barry S and myself joined in with the Houston Fly-Fishing Club this weekend to fish PINS with Capt. Billy Sandifer. We left the Yaks at home for this fishing adventure. Plan A was to fish the surf with Capt. Billy Sandifer, 4-wheel down Padre Island National Seashore beach to the Port Mansfield jetties at the 60 mile marker to sight cast to Jack Crevalle, Tarpon, Reds, Ladyfish, and Spanish Mackerel. Barry and I arrived Friday to pre-fish PINS, we drove down to about the 30 mile marker checking things out. The wind was blowing hard, raining off and on the whole time. We didn’t see any baitfish in the surf, the surf was choppy. Things weren’t looking very promising for the weekend. What we did see were birds in big groups sitting on the beach right at the waters edge, and dark patches of seaweed in the first gut. We also explored Yarborough. The PARK had plowed the entrance to Yarborough Pass making driving it a snap.

Saturday at 5:45 am a dozen of us from the Houston Fly-Fishing Club met up at the PINS Malaquie Visitor Center. The Trip Leader who had been in contact with Capt. Billy reported that his Friday Group had jumped two Tarpon, Jacks were in the surf at the 30-mile marker. Others who had made it down to the Mansfield Channel on Friday reported the fish were there. We were told that the reason the birds were in-groups at the waters edge was that they were picking up baitfish as they washed up on the beach. Also, the seaweed we saw in the first gut was holding Anchovies. We saw the fish signs but didn’t recognize them. All participants had arrived at Malaquie Saturday morning and were eager to hit the beach, but the only problem was, it was raining cats and dogs with the wind pumping. Capt. Bully arrived and advised all of the mornings weather forecast: rain/wind/ruff surf/high surf/storm surge. Driving down the beach would be difficult. The Outing was called off. We were also advised that this was the third year in a row that the Houston Fly-Fishing Club outing with Capt. Bill Sandifer had been called because of weather.

PLAN B - Barry and I then decided to head over to Aransas Pass to see if fishing conditions were any better. Location 1, on the flats we waded around a couple of mangrove islands. Lots of baitfish, but no takers for what we were throwing/offering. Location 2, East of the Light House Lakes we fished a channel that fed into the bigger boat channel. Current was ripping out and the fish were there. Every cast we were landing Ladyfish/Skipjacks. It didn’t matter what bait we were throwing, the bite was on. We were getting an average of 3 hits per cast. You would cast out, fish on, it would dance, throw hook; another Ladyfish would hit the lure immediately. Again, you would average three hook ups per cast. Barry got his fly rod out and started immediately to hook up. Barry had one fly that must have landed 30 fish, it was mutilated but was still getting fish. Only one trout was landed between us. Barry and I both admitted this was probably the most fish we had ever landed on one outing. After about 3 hours of none stop action the rain finally caught up with us. We made it back to the car just has the downpour began. We also noted 3 rain spouts with the rainstorm.

We missed our outing with Capt. Billy but still managed to have one heck of a fishing adventure.