Stay home or fish?

[GaryDroze]

School is cancelled tomorrow due to dangerous weather issues.

I am a teacher first, angler second...

Going fishing!

[Blue spinner]

I would say good luck but you don't need it
i just know it was BUT cold this morning when i left the river with the wind howling

[silverking]

LMAO. Gary, I'm a fanatic. I've fished when it was 28 degrees on my birthday. But even I wouldn't dream about going tomorrow. You're likely to freeze your gonads off. At least you won't have to contend with the lizards.

Good luck and be careful, my friend! Post a report for those of us sitting by the fire and watching the flurries outside.

[jsaunders]

Good luck. Hope you catch 'em. Doubt you'll have many boats you contend with...

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[jsaunders]

Gary tomorrow...

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[MudDucker]

This is duck hunting weather, not fishing. Unfortunately, I have to work!

[GaryDroze]

Got down to St Marks Refuge today just before noon. Totally blown out tides, air temp 38 with a strong north wind. Decided to scout an East River spring that I found while wadefishing some years back...

It was filled with eating size mullet. As in thousands upon thousands. One cast net throw yielded 16 keepers. Almost headed home after that (it was SO COLD!), but I saw a pocket of finger mullet nearby. Netted them, and gave a quick shot at the East River (freshwater) pool. Landed three bass, including one over 3 pounds. They were still hitting when I left due to total numbness in the fingers and toes.

I sent photos to Silverking. Maybe he can post as proof that sunrise snowfall is no reason to skip fishing in the Big Bend.

[BloodyChamp]

Got down to St Marks Refuge today just before noon. Totally blown out tides, air temp 38 with a strong north wind. Decided to scout an East River spring that I found while wadefishing some years back...

It was filled with eating size mullet. As in thousands upon thousands.

Landed three bass, including one over 3 pounds. They were still hitting when I left due to total numbness in the fingers and toes.

I sent photos to Silverking. Maybe he can post as proof that sunrise snowfall is no reason to skip fishing in the Big Bend.

The last time it snowed I pulled 3 bass out of the upper Aucilla the day after, in only a few minutes after wasting most of the day in an old borrow pit. I was conned into going Speck fishing by a friend and we were skunked on them in the borrow pit then we went ahead and slid into the then very fast moving river and caught those bass. Catching them out of that high fast water was as improbable as catching them a day after snow lol!

[silverking]

Pix posted for a true diehard. He might be certifiable, but the man catches fish.

[countrycorners]

cool

[Geno67]

Good job. You're nuts but the results speak for themselves.

[J Holden]

I've had some of my best days fishing in awful weather, whether it's storming like a hurricane or freezing cold and windy. Fishing in those conditions tends to be either awful or quite good and rarely in between.

Gary, I think you've got that refuge dialed in better than just about anyone! Out of curiosity, my dad says years ago he caught the hell out of bass and bream from both large pools on either side of the road. I've caught nice bass from the pool on the west side of the road with all the pads. What have you caught out of the pool on the east side of the road?

[kenfly]

Gary you are a very dedicated angler and it pays off


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[rockyg]

If I placed a mess of dead mullet in our kitchen sink I would be a dead man.

You are the man Gary......the man.

[GaryDroze]

My lovely bride won't let me clean fish in the back yard. She has something against raccoons.

J Holden: the freshwater options are in constant flux at the SMNWR, due mostly to so much variation in water levels (water control structures adjusted a lot), plus occasional saltwater intrusion, making for brackish/salt water at times in some pools. The second biggest largemouth I ever caught (10.3 lbs) came out of Stoney Bayou Pool #2 about 8 years ago, but at least 2 storms since then have pushed tidal surge over the levees, killing lots of freshwater fish. Bass are on the rebound, though, with some healthy, fat 5 pounders lurking. I think an expert panfish angler could find some chunky bream/specks there now, too.

My hypothesis on the quick bass growth there comes down to one word: mullet. Scads of them in those pools, and I bet the bass pound them like they do shiners in Lake Jackson.