Bay Flats Lodge - First Class Act - PACKTX

cnifong

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2/15/2008 9:47 PM

Went down on a day guided trip with Chris Martin with Bay Flats Lodge. I tagged along with Ken, Jason and Bruce. The whole deal was absolutely the best guide experience I've ever had. Chris is a great guy that answers all questions and bends over backwards to accomodate you. The fact that he puts you on fish is a nice bonus too.

The lodge accomodations are fantastic -- you feel like you're in a resort. I'll definitely be going back and would highly recommend it.

Craig

SightCast

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2/16/2008 11:15 AM

I have to echo Craig...let me tell you what a great day Friday, Feb 15th on the water with Bay Flats Lodge (www.BayFlatsLodge.com). The fishing trip turned out great and I was excited to finally get to see some more of the "Back Country" lakes that our absolutely endless. In years past, PACK's many kayak angling campout trips to Panther Point have located some nice fishing spots. But let me tell you, I have always wanted to venture deeper into some of these back country lakes to discover more isolated kayak angling destinations.

I had talked to Chris about setting this trip up last September. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time. Our arrival to lodge was great. The weather appeared to be cooperating for us to proceed with the trip since we had news of the next cold front being delayed. The lodge is absolutely a "work of art" with beautiful decor. The outside beautiful rock pavilion where the very friendly Chef grills some absolutely beautiful gourmet steaks (kudos to the Chef!). The main lodge meeting room is decorated with fishing and duck hunting adventure themes including big flat screen TV's to see the latest duck hunting and fishing shows. The lodge rooms are very spacious and comfortable which include a little living room to visit and relax watching TV.

The next days' adventure began at 5:00am with breakfast in the lodge. We left at 5:30am in Chris's airboat due to low tide conditions which would allow us to get into some back lakes without fear of getting stuck. We started out wading in an area back lake by wading into deeper water to locate a trophy trout. I stuck a 20.5" trout on a Skitterwalk. The water temp was a little cold and we didn’t locate much action here. So we left and went into the second spot of the day and there we found a lot of bait and the trout were there. Chris and I each caught 3 trout each at about 20.5 inches (here they wanted a 1/8oz head jig with a Mardi Gras color Norton bull minnow tail). In addition, we landed probably another 7 keeper trout a piece. Meanwhile, Ken and Craig managed their share of trout just to the left of us and further down Bruce was slamming the trout on a Corky (he caught about 30 trout). We all ate a nice lunch on the airboat and then proceeded to our last back country lake of the day where we finally located some reds mixed in with the trout. Here we managed a top water bite since the water temp had risen. Chris slammed a 27.5 in Red. We all caught fish here and it was a nice way to end the day with a top water bite. The day was made even more memorable since all of us agreed we would do a big fish $ pot. And Chris won the pot with a MECCA MOGAN Red. Chris, Jason, and Bruce all tied with a 20.5 inch trout. Click Here (once there scroll to page for trip date video/photos for 2-14-08; date sb 2-15) to see more videos and some photos of the trip. Only 3 trout were kept for the day since we had fish in the freezer...so we were all about CPR (Catch-Photo-Release). Click Here to see Capt Chris's summary report for this trip.

We made our short journey back to the lodge with some great memories to take back home that day. A special thanks to Capt. Chris Martin and his wife Deb for the great hospitality. Also, thanks to Chris for the many years of being a "PACK CUP" tournament sponsor for PACK's Annual Kayak Angler event. Chris, we are already looking forward to our next trip soon!

Tight Lines,

JT - aka "SightCast"

SightCast

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2/16/2008 11:37 AM

SightCast

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Posts: 234

2/16/2008 11:58 AM

“Fantastic February”

Guide Lines, by Capt. Chris Martin

February 13, 2008

Basketball season is more than halfway over, and a month from now 65 collegiate teams from across the nation will begin slugging it out at this year’s NCAA “March Madness” round ball tournament for a chance at the 2008 crown. But why let them have all the fun? I’ve started my own basketball-type amusement, but with my game being played in an entirely different arena – the cold, clear coastal waters of wintertime. February often represents the coldest month of the year for the state of Texas, and the coastal plains are no exception. Blustery, northern-blown clouds fill the skies with the approach of turbulent frontal passages, which are then generally followed-up by a pattern of two or three bluebird days, slack tides, and the ever so popular gin-clear water that results as a condition of lower mercury levels on the thermometer. After that, south winds usually begin to re-dominate, and then the whole cycle starts over again with the onslaught of the next cold front. But it is the period just immediately ahead of the front’s arrival, and the period represented by the second and third days following a front’s passing that my outdoor court game comes into play. Naturally, I’m not out on one of the area flats literally tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal with four of my buddies. That would be silly. What were you thinking? Instead, I’m using a Waterloo HP Slam Mag 6’6” fishing rod, Shimano Core reel, Sufix Braid line while maneuvering the presentation of my artificial plastics in much the same manner as that of a basketball player handling the ball while dribbling it to the basket. I achieve this by pumping the lure across the bay floor without reeling it in. This tends to keep the targeted bait in front of the fish a longer period of time, and creates minute vibrations and mud clouds as it slowly works its way across the bottom. As of late, this methodology has paid-off substantially while fishing for redfish using the Mardis Gras color of Norton’s Bull Minnows rigged to a Norton 1/8-oz. laser-lock jig head. And with the brilliant water transparency provided by that of the wintertime cold, it often becomes very easy to pick-up on where these reds are located. With redfish being primarily a bottom-feeding species, they spend a lot of their time foraging and rooting their nose in the mud in search for food. As they do this, mud boils, or cloudy waters, become quite evident in the otherwise translucent water. My recent strategy has me keying-in on mud boils the size of (again) basketballs, then casting my bait beyond the mud boil. I’ll slowly reel the bait within a close proximity of the murky water, and then begin my dribbling procedure as I work the bait across the area. This technique has already provided its fair share of limits of reds this February, and should continue to do so throughout the remainder of the month.

Because February offers the amount of opportunities for foul weather that it does, it’s always important to uphold safety as one of your top priorities. Before heading out, leave an estimated itinerary, or float plan, with folks who can be available in case you do not return when you think you will. Additionally, it’s not a bad idea to wear your life jacket while underway across a rough wintertime bay, or at any time for that matter. Remember that the water at this time of the year can fluctuate between the mid 50’s to the high 60’s, and if you inadvertently find yourself in the drink, there may not be anyone around for quite some time to offer help. It is also critical to remember the importance of proper attire. Layer your clothing, and include such items as a stocking cap and a pair of warm gloves. To keep water out of your waders in the event of an unanticipated slip or fall, institute the use of a belt around your exterior waist-line. You would hate to have to cut your big-speck career-day short due to you being too cold and too uncomfortable. The more comfortable you are throughout the day, the longer you will be able to fish. Be quiet, and remember to fish slowly.

NEWSFLASH - Bay Flats Lodge is growing, and we've consequently added another full time guide to our already long list of professional staff. Meet a great ambassador for the sport of saltwater fishing and waterfowl hunting, Capt. David McClelland. David has been fishing and duck hunting the Port O’ Connor and Seadrift areas since 1983, and is married to Dawn and has a wonderful family of four children. David served our country five years in the U.S. Marine Corp, during which time he attended Survival School and Scout Swimmer School, and served a tour of duty in Operation Desert Storm as a Marine sniper. David is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Captain and holds a Texas Parks and Wildlife Guide License, and he captains a new 21-foot Shoalwater Cat rigged with a 200 ETEC outboard. David takes great pride in his equipment and keeps his rods, reels, duck decoys, and boat in perfect condition. He is as genuine a person as you will ever wish to meet, and works great with kids and family – he truly works hard for his customers – David’s normally the last one to come in from a long day on the water.

In closing, I once again wish to remind everyone of the fact that the month of February is rapidly booking-up, so please phone or email me to learn more about our February Fishing Special. Remember to practice CPR, “Catch, Photo, and Release”, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Guide Chris Martin, Port O’Connor/Seadrift region. www.BayFlatsLodge.com…1-888-677-4868.

Fubar

Posts: 72

3/13/2008 12:18 PM

sounds like a great trip!

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