North of Keaton
Posted: May 21st, 2007, 11:43 am
I had one of those weeks last week 
and my wife's family reunion Sat. so I decided to get up early and hopefully unwind on our gulf waters Sunday morning (Lord forgive me). I launched at Keaton about 7:00 a.m. and headed north. I stopped in front of Yakes Creek and retrieved my Redneck Depth Finder (Cypress pole) from the bottom of my skiff and figured I was in 5 1/2 feet of water over spotty bottom. Short trout and bass. While I', glad I had fish cooperating, all I caught last weekend was shorts and I couldn't do that again.
I motored in between the shores and some oyster bars in a couple feet of water. The tide was leaving and had the wind at my back pushing me through the beds. I had a 4" white gulp under a ct and didn't do much of anything. I grabbed my other rod without the thunder and caught a short red. I through my thunder out behind the boat and started up my Redneck trolling motor (same cypress pole) and headed toward a point. After a couple minutes I looked at my rod and it was bent over, but wasn't bouncing or anything, figured I'd snagged a bunch of grass or something. When I strted to reel it in I could tell it was a fish. A nice 14" flounder went in the box. He swallowed taht gulp whole, I could barely see the lead. Rufus had some toofus, so I let him hold onto it till later. I set up a drift that was taking me between two bars. When I was able to cast next to them, my jig stopped like I hit a rock, but this rock moved. My drag screamed and my rod bent like nothing I had seen before. The fish rolled about 30-40 feet away. It was huge. My adreline started pumping, but the fish had the upper hand. It started towing my little carolina skiff. It got a little closer and I could see it was a huge red, nothing like I had ever caught before, I knew it was not going to be legal, but it was a contest of wills, I had to get hime in the boat. It would head toward one barnacle, oyster covered bar, and I would try to get him turned and then a rock. He towed me right through a school of his kin. There were redfish literally jumping beside me like mullet. Finally after about 15 minutes I was able to get him in the boat. Now, understand my new dilema, I am fishing alone. I grabbed my net when it was beside the boat but then he tore off under me. I dropped the net and dunked my rod under water to prevent a breakoff. No! Towards the prop! I got my rod under the motor, disaster averted. That happended three times before I finally get his head out of the water and slide the net under. Don't ask me how. I measured him and he went 32", a record for me. I never caught one over 20" before. Luckily, I hooked the corner of his mouth and was able to quickly revive and release him. I caught 5 more fairly quickly and kept one for the grease.
I got home and told my wife of my adventure and she asked if I had brought the camera. I wish I had, but everytime I do I get butkus, and I end up babysitting a #$#%^& camera making sure it doesn't get wet and all that. She said nobody would believe me and that's fine, cuz I know what happened. I have never been in a school like that, and never caught such a great fish. What a great day.
From now on, I will take a camera and make sure I have passengers so I can keep more than one.
and my wife's family reunion Sat. so I decided to get up early and hopefully unwind on our gulf waters Sunday morning (Lord forgive me). I launched at Keaton about 7:00 a.m. and headed north. I stopped in front of Yakes Creek and retrieved my Redneck Depth Finder (Cypress pole) from the bottom of my skiff and figured I was in 5 1/2 feet of water over spotty bottom. Short trout and bass. While I', glad I had fish cooperating, all I caught last weekend was shorts and I couldn't do that again. I motored in between the shores and some oyster bars in a couple feet of water. The tide was leaving and had the wind at my back pushing me through the beds. I had a 4" white gulp under a ct and didn't do much of anything. I grabbed my other rod without the thunder and caught a short red. I through my thunder out behind the boat and started up my Redneck trolling motor (same cypress pole) and headed toward a point. After a couple minutes I looked at my rod and it was bent over, but wasn't bouncing or anything, figured I'd snagged a bunch of grass or something. When I strted to reel it in I could tell it was a fish. A nice 14" flounder went in the box. He swallowed taht gulp whole, I could barely see the lead. Rufus had some toofus, so I let him hold onto it till later. I set up a drift that was taking me between two bars. When I was able to cast next to them, my jig stopped like I hit a rock, but this rock moved. My drag screamed and my rod bent like nothing I had seen before. The fish rolled about 30-40 feet away. It was huge. My adreline started pumping, but the fish had the upper hand. It started towing my little carolina skiff. It got a little closer and I could see it was a huge red, nothing like I had ever caught before, I knew it was not going to be legal, but it was a contest of wills, I had to get hime in the boat. It would head toward one barnacle, oyster covered bar, and I would try to get him turned and then a rock. He towed me right through a school of his kin. There were redfish literally jumping beside me like mullet. Finally after about 15 minutes I was able to get him in the boat. Now, understand my new dilema, I am fishing alone. I grabbed my net when it was beside the boat but then he tore off under me. I dropped the net and dunked my rod under water to prevent a breakoff. No! Towards the prop! I got my rod under the motor, disaster averted. That happended three times before I finally get his head out of the water and slide the net under. Don't ask me how. I measured him and he went 32", a record for me. I never caught one over 20" before. Luckily, I hooked the corner of his mouth and was able to quickly revive and release him. I caught 5 more fairly quickly and kept one for the grease.
I got home and told my wife of my adventure and she asked if I had brought the camera. I wish I had, but everytime I do I get butkus, and I end up babysitting a #$#%^& camera making sure it doesn't get wet and all that. She said nobody would believe me and that's fine, cuz I know what happened. I have never been in a school like that, and never caught such a great fish. What a great day.
From now on, I will take a camera and make sure I have passengers so I can keep more than one.
Congratulations on the big Red 
Carry one of those waterproof disposables that's what I do.