“There once was a fish with the deep sea smile and it lived down deep in the sea a mile…”
Sunrise Surprise
When Jake called me up and asked me to fish the 83rd Annual Boatman’s Deep Sea Roundup there was no way I would turn him down. Simply because Jake is a great angler and sportsman, he is fun to fish with and can hang ten while throwing shots on the fly. Win-win situation even if we lose!
Early on Day 1 shortly after false dawn we landed this beauty of a redfish but my livewell pumps had died recently and we decided to ice the fish and hope she didn’t shrink too much by the 2pm weigh-in…
Official length and weight of this fish was 27.25inches (half an inch smaller than when alive) and 7.6lbs… Very likely a winning redfish!
Treat all Life with respect and everything becomes a gift.
On Day 2, we met at the dock well before sunrise again, this time Jake brought along his lovely bride Whitney, and Jake’s desire to see Whitney catch her first redfish on fly took priority. It was a gentleman’s gesture, and for me, there seemed to me to be no better gift than to give her the bow and shots at tailing redfish in the early morning hours of dawn. It was an honor for myself even to have participated and love seeing the beautiful expressions on everyone’s face when they get that redfish for the first time!
We still hunted for that lurking trout (21 inches was to beat from day 1) and Jake even spent the remaining time on the bow letting excessive amounts of mid slot redfish swim away untouched for that 1 chance at another tournament winning redfish and he displayed a level of patience that you don’t see often.
Captain and Crew! Yoop yoop!
Nonetheless, our 27.25in redfish on fly from Day 1 held up and we took 1st place in the Fly Division. Overall I would say this event was more than a success and a super fun time worth doing again and again.
“…And now, you see, our smiles shine down in the sea, at least a mile”
…Jacks attack. In Wolfe Packs. And they’re HAULING ASS! With Port Aransas behind them and Aransas Pass on their right, the Pack of jacks keep moving with their fins exposed on the surface of the water…
Teamwork Wins
“HOLD ON!!!” The water is frothy from the giant group of marauding jack crevelle but their presence is still overshadowing by the howling winds, open bay and huge whitecaps.
As we approach at charging speeds you begin to think… Can we get that fly in the water fast enough? Can I keep the line tight to make the oversized foam head POP!?!?!?!? Yes!?!? NO!!!! Wait a second… “FISH ON!!!!!”
In this short moment of the feed and hookup, serious thoughts parse our minds of everyday mundane worries and we think clearly, knowing the answers, yet still so much unknown… Confident yet humble…
The Angler wonders silently while being sprayed by the massive thrashing beast in the water… “Will the leader chaffe? What test is it? “Wait, What hook are we using?” So many things can go wrong in a split second its not funny, except it is, considering all that we try to do, sometimes 1 star may not be in alignment and the leader breaks, or the hook straightens… Or the hook pulls through flesh, sometimes the fish’s, sometimes ours.
After 2 blistering runs over a quarter mile of chase, the hefty jack crevelle succumbs to tension and decides to hang under the boat into a strong current, heading upwind towards Corpus Christi Bay… For 15 minutes… “Steady now, keep pressure!” You hear the captain speak calmly… Thats it, she dont like the boat but we’re gonna land this one guys!
Jack on Deck
Two wraps on the leader and Chris knows he’s got 8ft to go and with a nearly 4ft Jack at the other end it is only a matter of reaching for the tail in depths unknown and feel for contact… “You got it NOW, PULL!!!!! HAUL that fish into the cockpit! ” Yee-haw’s and Ooooh-OUI’s are exchanged. Hugs are generously given to and from everyone on the boat, just as the fish gave to you in your experience. Revive it, let it go, and the hunt can resume.
Call Captain Kenjo for prime dates and availability. June has a few dates open and July as well. Get on board NOW 361-500-2552 or email: [email protected]
NOW MUST BE ABSOLUTELY MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR! Wet-wading the hard sand flats, crispy air temps, cool wet feet and warming water while being surrounded by countless numbers of redfish with chances at BIG Bonus Trout…. need I say more??? Dinosaur Black Drum? Hummm?
It is happening now. The water temps are perfect for wadefishing and for redfish crushing large baits and wading is the absolute best technique for windy situations. Last couple days have been sick sight fishing and we are getting crushed. Rumor on the street is that the fish are hard to find and I couldn’t agree more. There is a recipe of environment variables that are crucial this time of year. Being in the right spot and AT THE RIGHT TIME will surely make a story to tell!
28 inches of fun
“The fleet of large black submarine redfish rise from the depths in formation, combing the shallows as they reach a comfortable hunting level, their food tightens formation as well and then absolute and utter mayhem ensue..”
I have a few dates left in February and March has more dates available.
Low-Light Stalking
We will be working this pattern as hard as we can, but its time to get your feet wet and get the numbers UP ASAP! I cant say how long this pattern will last!
Call me IMMEDIATELY for available dates and to get on board! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552
Often-times I am amazed at what we learn when spending time in the outdoors observing wild animals in their niche habitat. If you can slow down enough you will be amazed. Somehow, there are times when I see a fish and begin reading its behavior and I soon anticipate that the fish is going to make a turn there, and then we will have a good clean shot with the fly.
Return guest Tom (6’3″), caught this redfish 20 feet from us only seconds after I dropped to my knees and went on point as this 29 inch over-slot redfish came barreling towards us in sock-deep water through a thin line of spartina grass. Despite cloudy conditions Tom has learned how to present a fly close range to a fish that is closing the gap fast. Come fish with me and learn how to keep from over-shooting the fish that are charging you head on.
Look at that smile!
First-time Guest Barrie worked well through a tough day and prevailed when he learned how to lay the fly gently on the water and tweak his fly selection to entice some very spooky fish that had been keeping him on his toes. Dark grassy bottom, cloudy skies with plenty of wind made it difficult to see the fish but once he knew what to look for in this situation he was soon taking shot after shot at fish left and right. You can just feel the sense of accomplishment Barrie has just by the look on his face! With no time to loose, Barrie will be back again in June to overcome a whole new set of challenges.
Gail stuck 3 trout in 3 casts. The big one ate first but got away under the boat, but the other two just wanted to a photo op with such a fun lady!
Spotted sea trout, or speckled trout, are one of the most difficult fish to sight cast on the fly. Their body shape and markings make them excellent at the game of hide-and-seek, and their patience to lay motionless for extended periods of why many fisherman pass over some fine trophies without hardly ever knowing that a big sow trout was laying in wait for its next meal. It is a true spectacle though when you finally get a legitimate cast at a big ole mamma trout and she charges your fly like lightning then turns away at 90 degrees without breaking stride in defiant rejection of the chosen offering. Rumor has it this is common for trout anglers to experience which is why so many of them wade very deep edges looking for “easy-pickins”.
Traffic be damned, we spotted this houndfish at 80ft, closed the gap to 65 feet and Jose threw the fly right where it needed to be!
Its always good to be ready and being able to throw a clean cast out of 80-90 feet will prove to be invaluable in the salt even if the majority of the time only 30-50ft cast are necessary. Some fish just wont let you get closer and this houndfish was the same, as we moved towards the houndfish, it moved away from us and we were barely able to close the gap enough for Jose to fire off a beautiful cast and get the fly right where it needed to be. On the business end of this fish, rarely spotted inside the bay.
The alarm on his smartphone springs to life at 0430hrs and is quickly silenced by stiff, dry and cracked fingers fumbling to get the damn touchscreen on his phone to recognize his gesture. Within minutes a fresh batch of coffee is ready and out the door the early bird flies.
CREEEEEAK!!!
“I’ve got to figure out how to get that door to stop creaking!” he thinks to himself as he turns slowly to secure it behind him praying the rest of the family doesn’t wake up at such an ungodly hour. Replacing the hinges and even some oil just did not resolve all the horrific creaks this door makes. “This may require more research”, and he sticks the mental note in the back of his head, at the bottom of his priority list. Backing and Tailing Redfish are on his mind, consuming his thought processes.
Hooking up the boat trailer to the rusty old Silverado is a snap. Its been done so many times before. Locked and loaded, the Sunrise Guide is happy the garage door oil DID work well.
Another redfish release
SPLASH! The boat slides off the trailer and into the water, plugs? Check! The over-used engine fires up with ease and she idles dockside awaiting her passengers for the day.
As false dawn nears, part of the sky is illuminated between towering clouds providing just enough light on the water to race to the flats in search of tailing and backing redfish. “Hopefully we will see a school of redfish today” the Sunrise Guide thinks quietly as he begins to feed everyone’s imagination with “tips & tricks for redfish”. Within another minute, he can see on the face of his Anglers that it is already too much to remember. Experience is the best teacher sometimes.
Stalked this fine fish in a transition area where a steady flow of redfish and drum lasted practically all day. Nailed it!
Settled in on the flat, up on the pole looking for signs of life, a wake appears just ahead of the boat but on the upwind backside. “Damn near impossible shot. Gotta let that one go.” The guide whispers, and then suddenly another darts off in a long curving line to the left as it struggles to get outside of the Anglers casting range.
“Ya took too long to make a move on that fish but this is a good place to wade”, he mentions to his Guest. “Let’s start here. The Game has only just begun…” And the Sunrise guide knows just what is in store for his sleepy eyed Angler… A target-rich environment with lots of opportunities to sight-cast to redfish in such shallow water that their backs are in the air and if in a “deeper” spot, their tails will be waving for attention to the morning’s spectators.
What transpires over the next few hours for the willing anglers who are not afraid of a challenge, paints their imagination in full color through their own eyes engraving those moments in memory in vivid detail.
There are some quality sized redfish in the shallows right now and the tides are right for small groups to be found. I have a few dates open this week and a few in July, simply give me a call to get on board! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552
Pat nailed this bronze 28 inch redfish on a PERFECT day
Spring has most certainly sprung on the Texas Coast and many first-timers have gotten exactly what they came for… to sight cast Texas Redfish along the coast near Port Aransas. Many thanks to those of you who have fished with me so far this year! It is you and the fish together that has made it so great to be a fly guide in South Texas!
The red drum, trout and black drum are in great shape due to the good rains we have experienced for the past three springs. This has helped keep the fish well fed throughout the low periods while spawning and during the somewhat colder winters. The fresh water that comes in the form of rain here promotes life and abundance from the smallest of organisms to the largest.
First-timer Wolf stuck this fine 27 inch redfish with a trick cast out from behind a a 3-stick mangrove at close range.
What this means is a better than average redfish run this spring (currently going on NOW). And of course, another banner summer and fall. Hell, I am already looking forward to the winter. But lets not rush the seasons please. We have ALOT of fish to catch this year!
Lets get one thing straight about the Texas Coast. The Wind blows. It doesn’t really stop. If it does and youre out there fishing in no wind, you certainly spend a fair amount of time outdoors because if you waited for it to stop, it would blow again by the time you were ready to go. AND on most days if the wind isnt blowing you will wish it was blowing just to help keep you cool. All the better reasons to learn to cast in the wind. You can fish just about anytime.
Cloudy with a chance of Redfish
I betchya a school of tailing top-slot redfish 30-ft upwind is a damn good reason to learn to cast upwind. I can help you with that too. But lets have the casting lessons off the water. All the more reason to take a few casting classes through your local fly shop. Remember the hand-eye-coordination thing takes time to master, be patient with yourself and practice a few minutes everyday which is better than 8hrs on Saturday (with you guide). Weekdays are better anyways for fishing!
Speaking of weather, I have said it before, dont worry about the weather when you book. Even the National Weather Service can hardly keep their forecast updated fast enough.
Doubled-up First Timers
Any forecast for more than a few days out is misleading because the patterns are just changing more rapidly than before. BUT, despite the weather, good and bad, or whatever other people call bad, it hasn’t really slowed the fish down very much. It certainly hasn’t kept us at the dock, as long as there is a favorable route to the fishing grounds to keep us safe we will go. Of course, I need to see some excitement in your eyes too when it is time to leave the dock. The water temperatures are PRIME right now and should remain prime for a while more before dead of summer really sets in.
This period is when the fish are eating everything from crabs to mullet to shrimp to you name it. The fish are schooled up thicker and thicker each day and tailing more and more too. Again, despite the clouds, wind, rain or sunshine. All this is going on RIGHT NOW!
I have immediate availability for this week and some availability through April and May on into summer but dates are steadily filling up so don’t hesitate to book a trip based on the weather.
Vibrant Colors from Schooling Red Drum
There is a damn good chance you’ll get to see some redfish action much like what you might see in some heavily produced DVD. The only exception is you’re going to get to witness these fish doing their thing first-hand. Nothing beats watching a school of redfish stacked tight enough together you couldn’t put your foot between them, all in 8 inches of water with their tails waving in the air, flagging you from 150 yards away.
Sight-casted Tailing Redfish
And then, half way there, the fish’s position demands that you circumnavigate a 100ft oyster reef just to get close enough for a shot with the fly rod. The pressure is immense and continues to build all the way up to the fish. 80ft and closing, 50ft now, 40ft, 30FEET! Your guide then whispers, “Hey, Are you gonna cast? Take the shot!” and then finally… a cast is made and a fish is hooked. The End. Now, lets do it again!!!
This year of 2016 has been fantastic with many wonderful days sight-casting redfish of all manners. We got to see tons of fish!
They were laid up, crawling, cruising, floating, tailing, schooled up and blitzing in schools down the grassy shorelines, crushing any and all of the helpless baits that were so abundant this year. Over clean hard sand, in clear water brown bottomed creeks, out among the turtle grass patches and tickling their chins over the fine-haired shoal grass.
backing redfish
By my observations, fish numbers are up, mostly thanks to all the rain Texas has received in the past couple years. This benefits the bottom of the food chain and over time the bounty moves up. 2017 will be another chart topper!
Many thanks to all the Guests who fished with me this year, every time, every one of us got in on some great days, and mad props to those who stuck it out during the more difficult days. The unpredictable weather is exciting and the Number 1 reason why it is important to learn a wide range of techniques in casting. We all still managed to get our hands fishy and learned quite a lot in the process adapting our equipment and techniques to get in front of the fish.
Admiration of the Redfish
There were many first timers as well who got their first taste of saltwater fly fishing, and I know for certain that they are just as hooked as the fish they finally caught! I cherish these moments because then, even a small fish is GIANT!
Looking forward to 2017, the early months in the year can have exceptional opportunities to sight cast. Timing with the weather is easier in Jan/Feb/March so don’t hesitate to call and get on the books to reserve your date. This past Jan/Feb/March was incredible and if you ask me, its quite the best time to fish.
Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year! Here is a little video from when the fish were blitzing down the grassy shorelines. Tight Lines and Sweet Fishy Dreams!
Going thru some client emails I found a sweet little video that a client put together very nicely of a fantastic day in May sight casting redfish about my old skiff, the 16ft Ankona Shadowcast. Matt had a quick learning curve and within short order was nailing fish left and right. I believe we got 9 fish to hand that day and missed at least 5 others. The big ones escaped without much damage from us but beware, we’ve got our eyes on you again now during the FALL RUN GOING ON NOW!!!
Schools of black drum and redfish all day in one spot. Only reason to change spots is to give the school you’ve been whacking a break.
Single and doubled up reds cruising the open sand flats midday on a slack tide crushing crabs.
Slurped a top water crab fly
Redfish working an isolated turtle grass bed nailing grass shrimp, crabs, AND silversides.
Gangs of redfish in the mud creeks racing the grassy banks busting shrimp. Their crushers doing major damage to the blue crabs.
78 degree, calf deep water.Tails up for hours and well past sunset.
Mugshot
Sight casting to tailing fish no more than 30 feet away every 3 mintues. Nailing a fish 8 ft from your tippy toes after 6pm. That’s not easy with a 9ft rod. It’s always good idea to work on your short game!
These are just a few highlights of how great the fishing has been lately.
Some exciting new stuff is cooking for 2016! Book your next Texas Coast Fly Fishing trip today!
“It has been crazy!” to say it in as few words as possible. Somehow I thought being a sleep deprived fly fisherman all these years would make being a sleep deprived parent easier but let me tell you folks… There is no comparison. October was by far the busiest month of the year. Thank you to all my clients who fished with me during a crazy month and through some wild weather patterns!
Cat and mouse was played with the weather (and fish) all season, some of us got out there on some fantastic days and others persevered through cloudy days. A few others have had to reschedule.
The fish are still very prevalent and I am seeing schools of fish again mostly black drum and redfish mix throughout the day. The most consistent and persistent casters on cloudy days are seeing good action with speckled trout.
The redfish have been upper slot fish and I am seeing at least one over slot red per day. There are plenty of ham sized black drum around as well. It is beginning to look like the weather trend is 4-5 days between cold fronts with the day or two after the front subsiding being the best weather days… the day or two before the next front are trending to be cloudy but we’ll see if this farmer’s forecast pans out!
I’ve got a few days in November available, particularly before and after the holiday. Give me a call to take your chance to roll the dice!
Lastly, here are some of the photos that actually developed into halfway decent shots
Redfish Head First
Hooked up again!
I sight cast to this 40-inch heifer from the rock with a crab fly! Thanks to Bob for leadering the fish and shooting this photo!
Tom & Jerry
Rich Waldner’s Spoon fly tricked this 29-incher with Outdoor Journalist Phil Shook on the long rod and with the fly of choice!
David worked tirelessly on some of the toughest fish I have encountered this year!
