Tag Archives: fishing

5wt Redfish

redfish, skinny, flats, guide, fishing, fly, saltwater, coast, texas, port aransas

Salty Bendo on a 5 wt hooked up to a nice 22inch redfish in 6 inches of water

So I get this call, last minute, and Matt says, “Can we go fishing tomorrow?”

“Absolutely!” I tell him. “Be at the dock at 9am. Tomorrow is a fine day to use the 5wt!”

And sure enough, while the main water bodies were frigid, getting skinny in my skiff was the key to finding the right water temperatures and those little lakes and creeks had loads of redfish in them.

redfish, skinny, flats, guide, fishing, fly, saltwater, coast, texas, port aransas

Uber skinny water redfish on 5wt couldn’t resist the chartreuse shrimp fly!

 

We didn’t find a single fish in water deeper than 12 inches. Matt did pretty work with his 5wt Scott rod and landed 9 redfish before 3pm! We got some very aggressive eats from these fish and the big ones we chased kept the excitement levels on top of the roof!

Forget about the weather and leave that up to your guide and it is sure he will put you on the fish!

Fall Run Update

“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

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Redfish Head First

 

 

 

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Hooked up again!

 

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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!

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Tom & Jerry

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Rich Waldner’s Spoon fly tricked this 29-incher with Outdoor Journalist Phil Shook on the long rod and with the fly of choice!

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David worked tirelessly on some of the toughest fish I have encountered this year!

 

Running of the bulls

Bull, redfish, fly fishing, texas, gulf, coast

Bull redfish caught in 8inches of water.

Port Aransas has a good bull redfish run but most notably in the deep channels, inlets and passes. Nonetheless, they do come up onto the flats at certain times (like NOW)! Sight casting opportunities have really kicked up lately thanks to a lack of clouds and the winds are more favorable in the morning making it possible to hunt for these bigger redfish.

redfish, fly fishing, port aransas, rockport, flats, saltwater, guide

Redfish HOG

 

If you want to get on board and take your shots a these big redfish give me a call! I’ve got a feeling August is going to be great!

black drum, gasper goo, texas, fly fishing, guide, port aransas

Peek-a-boo Black Drum

September has some dates open also and October is mostly booked but I do still have a few dates open at that time too. Remember if you come down, plan your lodging far in advance as vacancy in town can be difficult.

Super stealth is key and having a boat that can take you way way back in the back is a must! It takes a bit of work polling into places like this but it is worth every ounce of the energy and time it takes to get in and out. Beulah’s new Opal Fly Rod (newest saltwater line up) delivers the fly well to these fish even in tight quarters. And if you need to take a long shot at a trailer or put some extra pressure on a bruiser, this rod has the backbone and finesse to get the job done. With a bit of care one can even manage to take multiple shots at fish and with proper presentation these fish are eating! Along with those hefty redfish in the super skinny water are also good numbers of schooled up black drum. They aren’t puppies and put up a good fight too.

Give me a call and lets go fishing! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

slough, creek, redfish, texas, port aransas

Big fish like to run these gauntlets right after the hookup

 

Red Hot Winters

redfish, on the fly, fishing., port aransasOn the island town of Port Aransas in South Texas, winter-time is frowned upon by the locals except for a few reasons. We prefer board shorts and flip flops but hey, who doesn’t?

Despite the blistering cold north winds that prevail this time of year there are a several things that continue to give me the warm and fuzzies… If you suffer from chronic cabin fever like me, now is a great time to call up your favorite guide and go nail some blue-tailed redfish!

For one, the redfish this time of year are schooled up thick and I can assure you they have put on their feed bags! Recent examination of the stomach contents of a few redfish have revealed hefty amounts of thumbnail size crabs of various types as well as lady-finger shrimp… While the cast and retrieve are typically run at a much slower pace, the bites from these redfish are very consistent and extremely predictable. Finding these schooled up fish can be tricky and that’s why hiring your favorite fly guide can mean the difference between searching miles and miles of empty flats versus working the same mini flat all day putting numerous redfish in the boat.

redfish, blue tailed, fly fishing, port aransasSecondly, the “summer tourista” boat traffic is long gone, and only a fraction of the boaters remain. While most guys have stowed their fishin gear in exchange for camo underwear and shotguns, that (duck) season closes Jan25 and then, only the brave will thrive. This translates into large groups of redfish that are no longer spooked by the sound of some yahoo running his shallow water skiff across the flat only 50yds from you as if you weren’t there. And overcast skies and moderate winds provide camouflage for us. It makes it harder for us to see the fish but the better point is that it makes it harder for the fish to see us!

Port aransas, Texas, Coast, Fly fishing, redfishSight casting opportunities can feel non-existent in the winter due to heavily overcast skies, and trying to coordinate your schedule to nail a clear blue bird day will make everyone loose their hair. Nonetheless, we do get those days and if that is what you want, put down a deposit to get on the books and your guide will certainly call you the day before all goes bluebird! Being ready to strike on short notice can make for a glorious day of sight casting in skinny water during the winter as the sunshine will draw the fish into the shallows to warm up and get some fresh grub in their guts.

Even in cloudy weather though, these redfish are hungry and provide exciting action on the water with no-one in sight. Fortunately there are so many different places to launch that it is easy to avoid the worst of the strong winds and rough seas. This means we can get to these hotspots without having to cross the open bays where things are much more dicey. redfish, on the fly, fishing, port aransas, texas, coast

Staying dry is the secret to staying warm. By putting some thought and maybe a little cash into the clothes you wear a cold day on the water will be far from miserable. STAY AWAY from cotton fabrics!!! Synthetic materials are the way to go this time of year… not only are they lightweight but it will help keep you dry and comfortable. Cotton will absorb moisture and will have you chilled like a peel-n-eat shrimp within an hour. Personally I wear a double layer of under armor leggings and tops, and then at least one layer of fleece (top and bottom)… Next to go on is an essential wind jacket followed by my favorite Patagonia outer shell (jacket and pants). This shell will keep the wind and rain from reaching the core layers… The synthetic materials will help evaporate any sweat away from your body too. Multiple layers of wool socks, each layer being thicker than the one before is critical. Your hands and feet will get the brunt of the cold no doubt and to combat the stinging pain in the hands I wear Alpaca fingerless gloves. I chose alpaca wool because it is well known for being warmer than regular wool especially when wet. I’ve used sheep’s wool for years but once I experienced the true benefits of alpaca it has become a necessity that is worth every penny.

So, if you haven’t already called your fly guide and booked your next winter rendezvous with a redfish you might also want to know that winter time also means excellent chances at Gator Trout! The speckled trout are harder to locate and getting them to eat can be tough but don’t be surprised when you hook into another lousy redfish only to find out it is a Big ‘Ole TROUT!!! For all these reasons… this is why I love winter-time fly fishing! Keep your hooks sharp and your retrieves slow. Call Captain Kenjo! It’s a great bite this time of year!

trout, sea, gator, speck, fly, fishing, winter, texas, port aransas

The Den of Bud

One day last week I received an invitation to head South on a short scouting mission for Mr. Tarpon and jumped at the chance to test some flies and equipment and perform some checks in order to prepare myself for some very cool clients coming into town soon to fish with me.

tarpon, texas, coast, guide, jetty, fly fishing,

6+ Foot Tarpon was here

In the process I was fortunate enough to meet and spend some quality time with the great & legendary fly fisherman, Bud Rowland. His home is riddled with artifacts of grand proportion. A plethora of fly rods and reels, all with lines strung, flies tied to their leaders and ready to cast. They are strapped to the ceiling and walls like a high-grade weapons arsenal. Fiberglass replicas of colorfully massive fish jump out at you from every corner, some with long pointy harpoon-like bills, others baring fangs protruding from yellow mouths. Feeling like a kid in a candy shop, every miniscule item seemed to catch my attention.

Of course, with me being deprived of sleep, I didn’t prepare any questions for Bud in advance and thought that Bud might even be relieved if I did not bombard him with the same 20 questions he hears most frequently about his world record speckled trout which he bravely released. I also failed to even take a picture with Bud and myself… Lack of sleep can make things skip the mind. Nonetheless, it was an honor to hear some of his other stories and see many of the saltwater fly fishing relics and artifacts in his home, but the coolest part was just sitting quietly and listening to Bud talk about all the knowledge he has gained over the 40 years of fly fishing along the South Texas Coast.

bud rowland, mud, minnow, fly fishing, texas, coast, port aransas, guide

Bud Rowland’s Mud Minnow getting it done for Chris between storms passing in the distance

Truly amazed, I did manage to ask him a few squid-like questions, like how he got into fly fishing, and how he ended up calling South Texas his home. A bamboo fly rod was his first fishing rod ever, and when it came for him to pull up his Wyoming/Kansas roots, he told me it was either Texas where he had family, or Australia. I was pleased to learn that he chose Texas and that the fishing and outdoor activities here rival those that can be found in the Outback.

He even called the South Texas Gulf Coast a “fly fisherman’s paradise”, bringing another big smile across my face which I tried to hold back to no avail. Upwards and onwards, I think to myself, that is the same reason why I moved to Port Aransas. It is a legendary fishing port, formerly known for its enormous runs of tarpon and many other species and even today quality fishing experiences can be had most any day of the year.

Then, suddenly, in the blink of an eye, I was back on the Texas Highways pavement heading back to Port Aransas with a few of Bud’s flies in my shirt pocket. I consider myself to be truly lucky for having met Bud, and I hope to see him again soon, either on my turf, or his.

bud rowland, saltwater, flies, mud, minnow, fly fishing

Bud’s Mud Minnows… Top and right are actually tied by Bud.

The time is nigh, as tarpon are congregating outside the inlets and passes of the gulf, laying in wait to scarf down the next baker’s dozen of mullet as they run from the bulls. In October I have one set of dates left for prime-time tarpon fishing. This is one experience you should jump on like a PBR Cowboy and it is one that you will never forget as it takes a good amount of fortitude to battle these Silver Kings (and win).

Give me a call directly asap to get on the books and make sure to leave a message if I don’t answer! The phone stays on vibrate most of the day to keep from waking the family!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

 

Lucky Foot Dirty Hats

Speaking to a few local fly-flinging friends the other day the conversation turns to the topic of luck. Time and time again I wonder just how much luck we really have… and just how much of what seems like luck was good simply decision making and skill. Luck doesn’t seem to follow us every time we fish together, but I know how that can be… I usually only catch those coolest of fish when no-one is around to bear witness and there is no camera! And those are some of my favorite moments. Without the camera or witness it seems that the details of the catch are highlighted and stand out more vividly. Like the time a native Northeast Coast striped bass flew out of the back-side of a wave and smashed a white bucktail deceiver out of the air then slipped back into the water in an instant.

tarpon, catch, release, repeat, fly fishing, texas, gulf coast,

Coming into hand for the release

Then there have been some epic tarpon moments too… And just about anytime you get a strike from the Silver King it is monumental. One moment in particular was when it was absolute gang-busters and three of us guys fishing together had lassoed 3 very respectable tarpon with estimated weights of 40-lb, 60-lb and 80 pounds. AT NIGHT. On the rocks. I can assure you we didn’t just stand in one place to fight these fish! There was tons of jumping and running, playing jump rope with our lines dancing with mayhem in out boots.

Sometimes I intentionally fish alone and leave the photo bomber in the truck to add to the mystery of what might come. But most of us have those lucky items which for some strange reason we think it helps us achieve our goals to catch more fish, win the lottery, or get the best parking spot in the lot. This usually comes in the form of some article of clothing or something you can carry in your pocket like a coin or stone. We have all heard stories of lucky socks, lucky hats, and even lucky underwear. But not being much of a superstitious person, I began thinking to myself about whether or not I had any items like this. Hats don’t normally last long, since the sun and salt bleach them white in a matter of days and then they get blown off my head while underway and sink like rocks. I wont comment on my underwear to keep it PG, but I remembered one of my favorite hats that had been hung on my fly tying desk to rest although it was given to me only months prior. While on hiatus, I had failed to clean it since taking possession even though it is a well-fitting ball cap. It was given to me by Travis Smith and Rance Rathie while visiting their bad-ass lodge, Patagonia River Guides in Trevelin Argentina. But before I could even think of wearing it again, it needed to be sprayed with some serious laundry cleaner juice and a splash of fresh tap water. Once thoroughly soaked, I threw it in a trusty old plastic grocery sack. “This hat is going to need to soak for a few days.” I quite thought aloud.

PRG, jack, crevalle, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast, guide

Lucky PRG Hat!

So when I returned from South Padre Island I rinsed it off after a good scrubbin’ and set it to dry in the handlebars of Sarah’s beach bike. Then I found this picture from earlier in the year when I was fishing locked drags and straight 50-lb leaders for big jack crevalle on the North Jetty in Port Aransas,

And wouldn’t you know it, there was my lucky PRG hat on my head and severely faded by the scorching Texas sun. The hyper-salty water, bleaching sun, and loads of fish slime had caused it to fade 20 shades lighter in only a few months but it still fit well and seems as though the luck in it is still kicking. I call it mojo, you call it whatever you like, but I am going back to wearing this hat day in and day out again!

So, now that it is past midnight I will leave you with one final picture of a fish with which I have had beef since February. The score isn’t settled yet by far and honestly this beast won as I had to forfeit my win due to a poorly placed hook. While working a nook and cranny near Port Aransas and time ticking fast I saw this big ugly black drum cruising lazily near the water’s surface and I ran to grab my fly rod, knowing it had just the right fly already tied-on to get this guy to eat! I quickly stripped line from the reel of the Hatch 9+ and placed the fly within a foot or two as the beast turned slowly away and began moving left to right. Again, the fly lands close to the fish’s “business” end but I just could not seem to illicit a strike! Then finally the fly landed super close to the fish but still far enough ahead to allow it time enough to sink into the beasts lair, I thought I saw its gill plates flare and BAM! I set the hook.

black drum, fly fishing, port aransas, guide

Huggin the Big Ugly

We came tight but the fish gingerly swam left, then right causally, as if my sharp hook had only slightly irritated it. In short order the giant black drum came right to hand and as I lifted it from the water I discovered that the hook had caught the fish just behind the lips on its right cheek, confirming it to be an unofficial catch. So, I gave the Big Ugly a big ugly hug and back into the water it went where it lazily and seemingly blindly, swam away as if we had never met. “See you again soon my friend, until next time” I said.

There are some dates open in September for sight-casting to redfish on the flats and I expect to see some big bull reds there too as they prepare for their annual fall migration by fattening up on the tail-ends of all the finger mullet that have been taking whatever refuge they can in the bay but also getting ready to head out into the gulf and then South.

Give me a call directly asap to get on the books and make sure to leave a message if I don’t answer! The phone stays on vibrate most of the day to keep from waking the family!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

Hot Tail Continues

tailing, redfish, fly. fishing, saltwater, guide, port aransas, texas, gulf, coast,

There were too many of these to count!

The redfish has been more than cooperative and even with the extreme dead low tides we are still able to get into the skinny water with my skiff and put a hurtin’ on the large numbers of tailing red fish.

Justin fished with me recently and we absolutely had a blast trying to get him his first redfish on the fly! Not surprisingly the degree of difficulty in taking shots at these fish can be compared the technical difficulty found when bonefishing.

refish on fly, red, fish, fly, fishing, texas, gulf, coast, port aransas, guide

Optical Illusion! A 24inch redfish looks like 19inches up against Justin’s stature!

Undaunted and full of energy, Justin stuck it out and adapted well. His initiative that he took a week in advance to practice his casting accuracy by taking shots at paper plates in the yard at random distances certainly gave him he edge he needed to get the job done when taking shots at tailing redfish in only 8 inches of water! His exercise in patience paid off as well and for the first time he was able to sight-cast, hookup, and land this nice slot redfish. Of course he let it swim away, as it is only right and good karma to set free the first fish!

The weather has been more than cooperative, and the few passing clouds are nice and offer great reprieve from the scorching sunshine! I have some lat minute dates available and early August and late August are also open!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

Spring Is In The Air So Should Be Your Fly

So the story goes like this about this little fly…

The finger mullet are moving into my home waters in a nice steady flow and so I’ve been playing with sparsely tied mullet patterns. This is a difficult task to say the least being that the mullet are so damned fat-headed and it can take alot of  materials to get the fat and wide profile. Short and Stumpy they are.

hollow fleye, bucktail, seaducer, saltwater, fly, fishing

Hollow Fleye Seaducer

And one night in thinking over methods on how to get bulk yet tie sparsely, I put together this seaducer headed hollow fleye. Its another hybrid but of natural materials to keep it as light as possible yet maintain that bulky fat head.

A short time later I saw Matt’s the salmon fly hanging off the swollen edge of a particle board shelf. “Yes!” I thought and feverishly began to reproduce that pattern which was given to me by Matt, who is the brother of my good ‘ole buddy, Nate. We go way back and have gotten into fish trouble with our women many time! And, both Nate and Matt contribute to the Ohio Outdoors & Wildlife website which always has cool stuff about the outdoors. They are real critter getters!

Matt tied this fly during a video shoot with me of some “other” patterns with heavy metal music blasting in the background. He was muttering Dahlberg this, gawd-dang Dahlberg that and this was pretty much the only word I could understand. And that is certainly one of my favorite ways to tie flies.

He then fished this fly with me in their neck of the woods under heavy snow in a river with ice sheets floating down it. Personally I prefer ice in my tea! The fly was tied on an upturned eye salmon fly hook in about a size 1. And, as he already knows, I used it in Argentina for freshwater trout. They killed it.

Once I saw how violently the fish were attacking this fly, I cut it off my leader and put it away for safe keeping.

salktwater, flies, redfish, jetty, jacks, mackerel, trout, redfish

Name that Fly

Now it took me a while to find gray magnum rabbit strips locally but finally found them at Swan Point Landing thanks to Dave Hayward. Hareline products can not be beat.

Sitting down at the desk and clearing off a patch to make room for another short stack of materials I found the Tiemco 611S and whipped it up into this. Then, I just had to tie it on the ever famed for its power but always hated for its one time use kind of a hook, the Tiemco 600sp.… I couldn’t bare the thought of a tarpon scarfing down this fly and not getting a perfect hookset. when one does, one must be prepared!04-11-2014_PIC123456 363 kenjo-foot-wound-copyright

Hopefully the samurai wound on my foot heals quickly enough to avoid infection, cabin fever is setting in.I will certainly put it in front of some of these South Texas Coastal fish!

– Kenjo Fly

 

Learn to Fish Eat more Fish

On how the Hastings Bill could throw a wrench in the re-authorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act…

“We have to remember that what really matters is [TOTAL] mortality, which is the sum of all mortality, whether or not fishing-related.” – John McMurray.

red white fly grouper texas coast

Dinner Sized Comb Grouper on the Fly

When I read this, I stopped… grabbed at the stubble on my chin and thought to myself…

“Precisely! This signifies what we should do when factors “outside our jurisdiction” cause a [calculable] negative impact on fish species populations.”

Maybe there is some rough factor in the equations already that account for this, but I bet not everything is taken into account. I’d like to see a list but I am no expert in those things. It seems though the obvious proactive measure would be to reduce quotas across the board in order not disrupt the natural ebbs and flows of a balanced fish population.  Human impact factors are the greatest of all in the list of measurable conditions which negatively effect a fishery. There is endless amounts of data for that! avoiding the use of plastics every moment you have is one example of a counter measure to pollution.

I’ve been known to say, “If you want to eat ( the freshest of) fish, learn to catch it yourself!”

Not only will it taste better than any fish you have ever eaten, the sense of accomplishment when serving your meal will be absolutely amazing.

redfish, fly fishing,

Not dinner to go? Let it go!

My philosophy when fishing for the table is to simply realize that I do not need to take a “limit” of fish. Nor do I need to kill the most fish and the biggest of fish that the law allows. Especially if just because it is allowed.

Compare the amount of fish on your plate at a restaurant to the size of the fish on your plate at home. As a frame of reference, restaurants only serve 6-8oz portions and most of the time its in the 6oz size. A 20.5 inch redfish will feed two people nicely with some rice pilaf and grilled asparagus. That’s full enough for me. Thank you. Maybe on a hungry day I throw in some GMO korn.

On the occasions when I want to take a fish home for dinner, and especially when the fridge is bare except for a few vegetables I routinely don’t catch a keeper. The idea though if you do get into boatloads of fish is that you can carefully select the fish that is appropriately sized for your dinner that night without even risking swamping your boat because you killed limits of fish. Nonetheless, certainly respect the current laws in place. If these laws didn’t exist we wouldn’t have any fish for which to go fishing. This practice also helps reduce waste of fish after it has been taken for the table.

Only taking species which have a stable population is a good practice, and letting go all the ones that are big fish because they produce the largest reproductive biomass and especially those that are currently reproducing. And hell, if you caught tons of fish, after a long exhausting day you might pass out and forget to clean the fish. Doh! The gills should be red when you go to clean them. If the are dead too long or if they get hot too fast, the gill color fades considerably. That is exactly what Granddaddy taught me as a kid. Red gills are a sign that the fish is fresh. Any other color gills was a a waste of that fish’s life. Grandaddy was right. Make sure your fish has gills, then put it to your own taste test!

happy camping redfish texas coast

Vic with his keeper redfish that fed 4 people well.

If you know me, cleaning a tons of fish for a few hours is not my favorite thing to do. When only taking one or two fish for a single meal you will usually have a few cold pieces of fried fish leftover from the night before to snack on for breakfast!! Just dash on a little powdered cayenne pepper and hit the door to go catch some more!

Keeping the hooks sharp
Captain Ken Jones

 

 

Jack be nimble

… Jack be fish. Jack jumped over the fisher man.

Jackfish. Yellow bellies. Jack Crevalle. Give’em any badass name you want!

It is undeniably only a primal act of natural instinct to wait patiently perched on the tallest of rocks scanning the water while wolf packs of marauding crevelle cruise just outside of casting range on the crowded tip of a mega shrine made of red stone. Here fisherman from all sorts of watery trails convene in one place for a holy experience with a ravenous Jack.

Many are sighted and hundreds of casts thrown as offerings with a mighty heart and sometimes in faint confidence.

jack crevalle, fly, fishing, texas, coast, jetty, guide

Down in the S…

Then the brave soul encounters another soul of even greater brevity. It belongs to the fisherman. The best are patient. Keenly aware of their surroundings and quick to execute a precise cast and know when to retreat. That feeling, the twitch, the shake, the jitters and even the creeps, can make your hair stand on its end as if in anticipation of being jolted back to reality when the massive donkey jackfish crushes your fly out of nowhere and screams for the border. “HERE WE GO” he yells aloud!

A power and strength unrivaled in the saltwater world. Even the tightest drags and strongest of lines cannot seem to hinder the initial runs of these fish. Then, they get down and dirty and that is where you are most likely to loose. In the rocks, deep down on their flanking sides, the jack begins a process of swimming sideways and even in circles trying desperately to separate you from him. Talk about rocks being in hard places. It can end in an instant, faster than you can imagine or even react.

But with luck, a skilled angler can put maximum pressure on the fish from the instant you are hooked up together, to exerting maximum amount of turning angles on the fish when he is running from one side to the other, the techniques described below will certainly increase your odds at winning the jackfish lottery!

Fly Tech Section:

Since most saltwater fish are stronger and bigger, the butt section of the average saltwater rod is designed to do all the work. That is where your lifting power and turning capability stems from. For some people this is why they prefer fishing in saltwater over freshwater although many giants exist in sweeter waters.

Lets think about angles here for a minute, as it applies to the angle of the rod in relation to the angle of the water (horizontal) and in relation to the angle of the fish.

The most effective fish fighting method is to keep the butt section of the rod at a low angle to the water. That angle, in relation to the fish means that if the fish is moving left, your rod angle should be to your right, effectively putting pressure against the fish (from behind the fish) yet still off to its side (the fish’s left or right).

low left, angler, fly, fishing, texas, coast, gulf, jack, crevalle, saltweater, guide

Hard low and left angle on fish running right and tight to the rocks

If the fish is running straight away out in front of you and you’re loosing line fast, angle the rod slightly to the left of right, but keep the butt section quite low to the water, yet keeping the vertical rod angle no higher than 45 degrees to the water. If the rod is lifted higher than 45degrees above the water (horizontal plane) when fighting a fish, the mid section of the rod has to do all the work then, and that section is not as strong as the butt section (bottom ~3ft of the rod). This prevents you from putting maximum pressure on the fish and increases the possibility of breaking the rods Gink & Gasoline wrote an article on that.

Hope you find this explanation helpful and with little effort and patience the mighty Jack will pay you a certain visit you cannot forget.

Until next time, sharpen your hooks and I will work to put together a video on preferred knots to connect the fly, and to connect leaders with bite tippets.

-Captain Kenjo, Port Aransas, Texas