Keaton Beach - Saturday
Posted: May 13th, 2007, 1:23 pm
Good day everyone! I had the great pleasure to share my boat with not only a good flats fisherman, Reel Cowboy, but to help show a new guy, Jeff, to the inshore fishing world's salty tricks. 
We didn't exactly tear 'em up, but we had a marvelous day on the flats. 
Met up with Reel Cowboy @ KB about 8:30 a.m., launched, and peeled out to try some of RC's numbers going towards the Econfina area. Tide was rising, air temp about mid '70's, with the water temp @ 75 degrees on the surface. Clear skies (except for the hazy smoke
) and Gin-clear water, with floating grass strung out close in for miles! 
No matter, we caught some fish on silver & gold hard baits (Ya'all should know by now I throw Mirrolures, Rapala's, & Yozuri plugs, but I forget what RC was tossing...he'll tell you)!
Soft baits like Gulp & Slurp in the New Penny, Natural, & Curly-tail White colors, Exude shrimp in Silver/Red flake & Gold/Red flake, Saltwater Assassins in Drunken Monkey & Candy Corn, & DOA Shrimp in Rootbeer flake, White w Pink tail, & Natural colors worked the best. Mostly, the pesky Pinfish chewed the tails off our soft baits. They especially like pestering poor Jeff!
After running down the coast across from Hickory Mound and towards Rock Island and fishing some deeper waters (including trolling for Mackeral) without success, we scampered back to the Birdroast near the channel marker @ KB. A nasty Ladyfish stole my Silver Mirrolure and somewhere along the way I lost a whole plastic tray of fine Mirrolures overboard.
Across the channel in 3 feet of water I put on a floating Blue back/Silver Mirrolure and caught an 18"er trout - finally, we didn't have to release one! Then, a few casts later, the captains catches a short Cobia - what a fight (but, it went back)!
RC was cut off at least twice during the day to mystery fish (probably spanish or blues) and Jeff was taught the lesson of too loose a drag when drifting baits that get hung up in the grass and you think a fish is running off with the line! 
RC didn't see the humor after the thrid "cry wolf" episode when he is standing there net in hand... 
I have always been affected with what my family and friends call "Reggie Luck". It's either all bad, or all good, and can change in an instant!
Here is an example: We put the boat on the trailer & say goodbye to RC. So, Jeff & I take off for Perry dreaming of that fine steak dinner at the Chaparral House - right? Wrong! The right tire on the boat trailer blows out one mile from the exit road going to Hwy 98 - Oh, Ohh!
However, I am right down the road from an old garage facility and pull the limping rig into the owner's driveway just as he is leaving to go somewhere and Reel Cowboy pulls up behind us. The gentleman changes the tire, I give him $10.00, a hansome handshake, RC heads home to Georgia, while the Jeffmiester and me are headed to the "fillet of cow" steakhouse! Now, that's "Reggie Lucky"!!! 
Ah, I forgot to relay to you that Jeff's wife expected him home by 3:00 p.m.
I explained to Jeff that the blown tire was "just the pitiful excuse he was looking for" by staying over his time limit! 
Well, I was trying to save the boy's marriage! 
Errr, I don't think the excuse worked very well, sorry. I plan to bring Jeff to the meeting next Thursday - I think we have another member...ya'all welcome him!
