TEAM JO-JO:
After watching fishing videos all weekend, I knew I had to make a trip on Monday. I texted Sr. first mate Big Don on Sunday, "Can you make it Monday?" He quickly replied, "Yessum." I texted back, "5 AM Waffle House in Chalmette," and he confirmed with a "10/4."
With everything set for our trip aboard the Bay Flat Sr, we headed to our version of Disney World, known as Delacroix Island. The excitement was palpable as we prepared to seek out some action with the Silverwonders (NMR type) and Redwarriors, aiming for those hefty 16 to 20-inch fatties.
As dawn broke, we gathered our gear and launched from Delacroix. The air was crisp, and the water shimmered with promise. The early morning light painted the marshes in hues of gold and green, setting the stage for what we hoped would be a day full of adventure and bountiful catches.
Big Don and I were ready for whatever the day would bring, eager to find the hotspots where Silverwonders and Redwarriors lurked. Every cast held the potential for a thrilling catch, and with our rods in hand, we embraced the anticipation and excitement that only a day on the water can bring.
SIGNS:
· Loveofthepack and Daughterofthepack with her family on a trip to Mexico, be gone for a week, be back late Saturday. Me got the whole week to me self, and all the fishing me can handle.
· Once again me BIG fish at table, donated 4 “C” notes to the cause, me just not lucky in poker!!!!
· Up at 3:30 for our 5 AM meet up at Waffle House in Chalmette
· No wildlife sightings along Hwy 11 or 90
· Not many boats on Hwy, gas stations, and/or boat launches
· Me made a stop at Fisherman’s Friend and picked up 2 pounds of fresh dead shrimp for Big Don to use. He sometimes needs a little advantage with the catching department.
· As me drove down the road to Fisherman’s Friend a rabbit crossed me path, now that be a real good lucky sign for sure.
· Me first at Waffle House Big Don right behind me, transferred all his gear into FORD transporter and we on our way.
· Check point Alpha, water level in canal at junction down about 3-4”
· Check point Bravo, water at Reggio canal falling really hard, looked tail end of a falling tide
· Delacroix Hwy looked deserted, not much activity along same.
· Reached the home of the Bay Flat Sr, neighbor Big Eddie already loading up with first mate they to heading out early.
· Crew made quick work loading the Bay Flat Sr
· Huston we have a problem:
§ No power to lift, Big Don had to jump up on deck at main breaker and flip smaller ones to get us power.
§ Once me in Bay Flat Sr and started to place our gear me noticed me left GPS on, problem # 2 battery dead.
· Took care of that problem with me Audew portable power source, Hook up to boat battery and Yamaha Dream Machine fired right up, took unit with us in case we needed it again.
· Made our way to Lionel for some much needed go juice
· Off to Team Jo-Jo’s spot # 14 to start our day, it be a perfect spot with the winds we had today, all be at our back.
CONDITIONS:
· Perfect
· Wind: S.S.W. 18-20, S.S.W. 12-14 mph, windy it be
§ Real rough ride across Little Lake it be.
· Water status: Little ripples, slight chop, not bad at all
· Sky: some cloud cover, but sun hot without them, had top up on Bay Fla Sr, kept sun off me, and made it easier to stay out late, we stopped fishing at 1:45 PM
· Temp: Mild , warm, hot, hottest
· Water level: down 3-4”
· Water Temp: 86.10 F
· Salinity: 1.20
· Specific Conductance: 2390
· Pressure: 29.96 R
· Water clarity on a scale of 1-7: 7 plus, looked great.
· Caernarvon Outfall: site off ft3/s
· Tide: tail end of a falling tide, start of a rising tide, don’t get any better than this.
· Peak tide: 04:47 L 0.33’
· Peak tide: 17:12 H 1.64’
· Major Feed Time: 04:20 / 16:40
· Minor feed time: 23:35 / 10:05
· Tidal Coefficient: 63
· Penty bait in water
· Crabs swimming with ride a real good sign you have a true tide
· Fish Activity
· Average Activity
· Boats out and about: One boat in areas we fished!!!
· ONEOFTHEPACK’S REPERTOIRE OF TECHNIQUES / STRATEGIES
· Be safe.
· Have fun.
· This be me daily therapy for ALL me aliments.
· Put some run time on the Bay Flat Sr and the Yamaha Dream Machine
· Gather Intel for future trips, and to share with fisherperson, (on Facebook) to help assist them in their choice of areas to fish, lures to use and presentation of same to the elusive Silverwonders.
· Catch what catch can.
· Learn what learn can.
· Catch (25) Silverwonders any size needs to get me count numbers for May up to over 400 caught.
· Find a spot # with the seven fundamentals / criteria of catching:
1 WIND AT YOUR BACK: (We used to Cajun anchors , (15 feet of water) to keep up parallel to current line and on an angle to also have wind at our back, perfect set up it be.)
2 MOVING WATER: (Tail end of a falling tide, caught fish with it, then turned around about 10:01 and came in, Silverwonders really got active with that change of tide.)
3 WATER CALRITY: ( A 7 plus, perfect it be, hope it stays that way for some time, Team Jo-Jo’s zone 1 & 2 on map has the best-looking water in these areas.)
4 HOLDING FISH: (Spot # 14)
5 PATIENTS: (3 cast nothing, asked Big Don to put dead shrimp on, action was immediate with a nice Redwarrior, then it was on, on, on, had about 1 ½ hour slow time, but after tide changed it was on, on, on again.)
6 SKILL: (Tight lining current line, boat position a plus)
7 LUCKS: ( Having Audew portable power unit with us)
· Oneofthepack ‘S repertOIRE of TECHNIQUES / PRESENTATIONS:
· Anchor up cast & retrieve slowly along the bottom, with a twitch every now and then, tight lining…………………………………95% fish caught this way
· Drift with the wind cast & retrieve (DWWC&R)……………DID NOT TRY
· Oak River Troll (ORT)……………….(2) Croakers
· Reverse Oak River Troll (RORT) ………..DID NOT TRY
· Oak River Skim (ORS) ……………DID NOT TRY
· Cork ……..Nothing
· Lake P Troll (LPT)…………….Did not try
· Drop Shots: Did not try
· Dead bait……(3) Redwarriors, (2) Flounder, all Silverwonders caught with lures.
· Live bait………………None
· Oneofthepack ‘S repertOIRE of LURE DU JOUR:
· 3” H&H Purple Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head with gold hook……………Did not try
· 3” Chartreuse Glow Beetle, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook………….Did not try
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H ¼ oz. round white head w/gold hook……………Did not try
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 3/8 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………This rig did most of the damage with Silverwonders.
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with H&H 1/2 oz. round white head w/gold hook……………DID NOT TRY
· Matrix Shad Lemon Drop, matched up with 3/4 oz. round lead head w/ 2 trailers, ……Did not try
· Tandem rig, ¼ oz. round H&H jig head with gold hook, matched up with Matrix Shad Lemon Drop …..Caught 3-4 Silverwonders, and (1) big flounder
AREAS / SPOTS / NUMBERS ON THE MAP FISHED:
OUR REWARDS:
· Lived to fish another day.
· (34) Silverwonders, 29 Miniwonders
· (5) Redwarriors
· (3) door mat Flounders
· (1) Sheepshead
· (4) Croakers
· (3) Gaff Tops
· (1) Hard head
· (2) Popped lines BIG fish
· (1) ½ trout, shark bite it right in half as Big Don reeling it in
· (2) Tangled lines
· (1) Bushel of grass
· Cheese Hamburger w/ drinks as provide by Sr. fist mate Big Don, thanks man me needed that.
· Being on the water with one of the best fisherpersons me know, that be Big Don.
· Wonderful day, great conditions, with good results.
· Lessons learned:
§ Not leave GPS on when trip completed.
§ Always have me Audew unit with me in FORD transporter.
§ Fisherman’s Friend has the best fresh dead shrimp.
§ S.S.W. wind a good challenge to catching, but spot # 14 filled the bill for it.
§ Team Jo-Jo spot # 9 only caught one, but me think tide was dead when we were at it.
§ Big Don used dead shrimp to help get us some action as lures were slow in AM. Need to have at least some dead shrimp with you this time of year.
§ Bay Flat Sr Bimini Top works, just need a little Maintenance to be done to it, me know me going to need it from now on.
· Best fishing trip of my life, until the next one.
FISHERPERSON OF THE DAY:
Big Don drew first blood , (17” Redwarrior) with dead shrimp, got 2 more, then a real nice flounder, flowed up by a Sheepshead. How ever after falling tide slowed and the dead bait bites stopped, Big Don was in my world which is “Tight Lining” and the Silverwonders seemed to NOT like his technique / presentation.
Me was slow getting out of the gate, but once the tight line action picked up , me was on, on, on, one after another came into the Bay Flat Sr. Also managed a Redwarriors, and a couple of croakers, got skunked with the Flounders.
But if we go with fish in box, me have to say Big don be fisherperson of the day, just the (3) Flounders alone gave it to him.
SUGGESTIONS:
Try to fish a changing tide, find a current line adjacent to deep water, fish lures real slow along bottom let current move it along bottom, fish down drop off.
Have some dead bait for slow periods and catch what catch can!!!!
PONDER OF THE DAY:
Each new fishing day brings new opportunities. You must search to be able to find these opportunities.
Q&A:
It is “Treat Yourself” day. What impulsive tackle purchase are you making?
TEAM JO-JO’S future stratagem:
Big Captain Don, (aka Perchwhisper) called, (missed call ) so me called him on way home . ay what you doing tomorrow says he, nothing says me, want to chase some perch in pod, yessume say me, now 6 AM tomorrow ( Tuesday ) we will be in Bay Flat Jr. chasing fish of a different scale, until then:
Good Fishing
Team Jo-Jo & Oneofthepack
釣り先生
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