Crab Crusher

Day 1: Despite moderate north winds and cloudy skies, new guest, Mark from Colorado, arrived at the dock 45 minutes early and without even fastening the skiff to the dock he stepped aboard without hesitation and we hauled ass to the flats. We shared our anticipation levels as I explained the drill for the day as we held onto the slightest hope the sun would pierce the cloud layer for a minute or more… In short order, as we worked along a grassy shoreline we began to see redfish flushing from prime feeding habitat. Most all our shots were close range and by noon Mark had nailed five fine redfish to 25inches.

Bull-Rushing Redfish

There was a short lull in the action but by mid afternoon the redfish began to work in our favor again and Mark nailed a few more and missed several other eats. But that wasn’t the end, Mark was hooked as much as the redfish and on the way back to the dock he asked if we could fish the next day. “YES!” I exclaimed, and it was written, we would meet the next morning even earlier.

Texas Redfish

Day 2: Thicker clouds and a light rain greeted us as the sun worked tirelessly to break the horizon but the flat light would stick with us all day and we never got a glimpse of the sun. The fish were a little more spooky than yesterday but the tide was an inch or two lower and some floating shoal grass had rafted up along some fabulous stretches of shoreline. Undeterred, Mark nailed 3 fine fish before noon when we broke for a quick sandwich and booted up to wade into the marsh to hunt down some quality redfish at very close range. We got a couple shots at some smaller cruising fish and then we began to hear a WHOP! over here and then another WHOP! over there. And it wasn’t long we had a tail pop-up just 30-feet away in the thick cord-grass and we slipped into position to take a shot.

Low-Light Stalking

Next thing we know the fish is 8 feet away from our toes, in calf deep water and Mark makes a 10foot cast and sweeps the rod left to get the fly in front of the fish and… WHAMO!!! The next 24inch redfish crushed the crab fly and threw water everywhere ripping thru the tall tough grass straining the 25lb fluorocarbon tippet. And that is why we run the bigger leaders, so we can stay buttoned to the fish in the thick cover. We both wished we had the costa sunrise optics all weekend due to the heavy overcast and rainy skies but the Smith Chromapop Bronze mirrored lenses really helped get it done! We ended the day with tailing schools of redfish and bull-rushing mid-slot doubles closing in on the fly from 2 different angles and crushing it, hooking up Mark on a pumpkin orange 26-inch Texas Redfish with no time to spare before we hauled ass back to the dock so Mark could catch his flight!

Bull-Rushing Redfish

We left’em biting, tailing, and schooling… The skies have already cleared tonight and the weather forecast all this week is GOLDEN!

I am available so call immediately to get in on the great action under perfect sight-casting conditions!

-Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552