This
one was 40 inches and was released.
My Dairy
Thanksgiving 2001
11/22/01
It was Thanksgiving and I decided that I had better get to PINS to give her a big thank you from me. Looking back on the year, she has been like a lover that you feel should just give you a little more than she is offering. You know she has the goodies, but she is keeping them until she thinks the time is right. We have had weed, high tides, and just about everything in her arsenal. Well this was going to be my day.
I hit the beach and looked south, shook the hand of Sandman and wished him a Happy Thanksgiving. (Sandman is a winter Texan that lives on the beach from November until early summer when he migrates back north.) Leaving civilization behind,it would be 20 miles before I would make contact with another human. The water was looking good, and the driving was perfect. I approached the high banks and started to see the Mullet thick in the water making their way south. At the twenty I came across a couple of fishermen, Kenneth Byars from Beeville and his mate, who were tending to the third over- size red they had caught that day, and it was still only 7.30am.
This
one was 40 inches and was released.
I got the picture and jumped back into little yellow as I just needed to get away from everyone and spend some time with PINS and what she had to offer. I had only proceeded about 5 miles south when I noticed a wave action that looked like a sandbar had developed at the 25. I could clearly see the waves and whitecaps breaking about 200yds from the beach, about a mile deep and maybe a ¼ of a mile
wide. As I got closer I could see that it was not a sandbar but it was fish ripping the water up like I have not seen before. Birds were working it and Dolphin were rolling on the far side of it. The mass was moving north at about three to four miles per hour. I moved North and rigged my 11ft 9in Cabelas Breakaway (Same as the All-Star 11ft 9in). I had on it the Diawa 30 HVT, and on the business end I hung a 4 oz silver lure. As I waited for the pod to come with-in striking distance, I was thinking of all the times I had people say to me, “No, I don’t want to do that longcasting, I am a fisherman.” Well this was fishing at the extreme end. If I had not spent all those days walking up and down the field practicing casting, if I had not got what is arguably the best all around fishing rod in my hands, if I was not using a low diameter line and a shock leader, there would not be a chance in hell that I would be able to reach these fish. I bet only a very few people in Texas could take advantage of this situation. This was not going to be a fishing pendulum, this was an all out best cast I could muster. I lined like I was on the Ockey and blasted the lure into a perfect arc. I could see the lure heading towards the commotion. As soon as the lure hit the water I felt the line start to peel from the reel. Slowly I got the edge on my still-unseen prey. Well in a few minutes I had her on the beach. They were young Jacks just tearing up the Mullet.
Thanking
PINS
This was on the very first cast using my Titanium All-Star rod and Corado reel loaded with power pro. 20lb.
281/2inch Red Released as oversize.
I hit the Jetties and was disappointed to see a lot of people had got the same idea and had come around by boat. That was enough to get me moving back north. I had only got about three miles North and could reach over the third bar. I used a FORM and a 130 sinker to launch a small Mullet. No sooner had the bait landed and the clicker was clicking. This beautiful 41inch red was what was doing the clicking.
My
Next stop would be the 39 wreck. The speakers on my CB interrupted Bob Dylan
half-way through The Jack of Hearts. It was Spur and Mark (Froghunters calling
for Nickaway) They were still only
at the 17 mile and I was at the 47 mile maker.
I made it to the 39 before they got there and fished it as I still needed
to get some fish for the ice-chest. They stopped about 2 miles North of the 29,
but we had contact. In very short
order I got these two keepers. Spur and the Froghunter’s joined me and we
fished together for a while.
Here are some pictures of my Thanksgiving.
The crowded beach on Thanksgiving
Boat washed up on beach
Me <My Keepers and little yellow.
Osprey on the beach.
Rock Hoper with his 27 inch Red.
Spurlock with Spanish and Red. He does
fish.
Flowers on the beach and the wreck of
the Nick
PINS loves me. She gave me the best of days. She did hold something back though!! As I left the beach I was looking at the sunset . Four Doe’s were on the sand dune. I stopped and lifted the camera for the shot-of -a- life- time. As I focused the shot the deer melted into the sunset. She was still holding something back for the next time.
Till the next time . Regards Nickaway