Finally got the wife to go fishing with me again, we left Moultrie about 10 AM and headed for Keaton. We both had to get new licences, so a quick stop at Wilson's and lunch on the road and we finally got on the water a little before 1P. Weather and winds were perfect, so headed to our fishing spot a bit North of Keaton and stopped for bait. After getting plenty of small pins and grunts on bait rigs, set 2 cork rigs out with baits on and waited. Wind was out of the East at first but soon changed to SW. Put 2 nice trout in the box after about 30 mins. and then started moving around in 5-6 ft. water looking for stained and spotty bottom. Found plenty of both and enjoyed the next 3 hrs. catching several fat trout to 17.5''. Ended up catching 8 keepers and kept the 6 biggest. It's just hard for me to keep a barely 15'' trout if bigger ones are biting so we let the 2 smallest keepers go. About 4 PM it slowed down some and we caught a sailcat, ladyfish, and a pesky lizardfish that seemed to be following the boat and grabbed whatever jig I brought in.
High tide was at 3:30. At 4:30 I told her we best go if we didn't produce on this one last drift. About that time, I got a bite and then she got one. For the next 15-20 minutes we both fought and landed 2 big redfish, and we were in 7 ft. water a long haul from the hill!
I still don't know how we kept the 2 lines from crossing and losing both fish, but it all worked out. Hers was 22'' and went in the box. Mine was 28'' and weighed 12 lbs. on the Boga grip. After 2 quick pictures(sorry we don't have them here, it was a regular camera and a cell phone pic.) we released the big boy.
But it was amazing, my biggest red to date and only the first one this year. I couldn't have been any prouder of Neva, she netted both of the reds by herself. Then today she cleaned and filleted her red while I had to work. She said I taught her well, maybe I did. But it was a great first trip of the fall season. Now I'm ready to go back!!
