Greetings from Capt. Dave & BAYMEN!

On board today, new clients Professor Robert G. Bone, G. Rollie White Chair Emeritus in Law, University of Texas School of Law, and his wife, Elizabeth Schultz, for light tackle striped bass.

At first light, an easy west wind, high tide with a slight chop, and water temps 64 degrees. Skies were clear and stars were bright as I dropped in.

As we headed out, I remarked it felt like early fall with a nice cool nip in the air. In the middle of the bay, I stopped and took a look around to decide which way on the compass we were going to go to start the morning. I took a small chance and ran to a spot that held fish last week. It was a good choice! We pulled up onto the flats and found fish right away under birds! Never saw the micro bait, but bass were breaking topwater and the birds were telling us where to go.

Both Bob and Elizabeth were tight to fish with double hook-ups on rubber crank baits. I switched Bob over to a topwater popper and the bass would follow, tail slap, but would not take the popper. Back to the rubber crankbaits and it was game on! Nice, strong fighting bass with broad sides and shoulders. Many just under slot and two were slot keepers that were released. As the tide dropped, we were fishing in 3-4 fow and bouncing around between fast moving small schools of fish. The blitz went on for about an hour and a half and then the fish began to leave the flats on the dropping tide.

We moved on to spot #2 of the morning. A deep channel that typically holds bass on the dropping tides. I switched us up to Baymen Jigs in 1 oz and dropped them down. Not a single bump and not a single fish marked in this spot. HOWEVER – a BIG blow-up off the bow. No idea if it was a shark, BFT, or giant striped bass. We drifted over the area and never marked and never saw another blowup. What was that massive fish…?

Spot #3 had perfect structure fishing conditions. Dropping tide, west wind, little rips and calm waters. It looked perfect as many of my spots do. We drifted the alley for several hundred yards without a single follow or hit on the topwater poppers. The fish were not there.

Onward to Spot #4. Zip. Nobody home.

Spot #5 – Hello! Fish busting bait on topwater with a handful of birds showing us the way. We switched back to rubber crankbaits and it was game on! Small schools of fast moving bass that were a little skittish of the boat in 4 fow. But we kept after them and hooked up on quite a few fish.

Spot #6 – More bait, birds and bass under bright, sunny conditions! Rare to have fish up on top mid-morning in early August inside our bay. We worked these fish and it was just so much fun. Rubber cranks were the ticket, but we also landed a few on Baymen Jigs when the water was deep. Schools of 20-50 bass were on top and at one point, I marked 200 bass deep down on the bottom. Back to the Baymen Jigs… WHAM! Fish On! But the fish did not hold and were running and gunning. Land one or two, and then they were 500 yards away. We stayed with them for the rest of the morning and had a blast following them around. One finally try to get a bass to take the Intent Tackle Popper: Fish would follow and tail slap and knock the popper into the air with their snout. It was exciting to watch. Finally we got ONE bass to take the popper and Bob set the hook and had a wonderful fight to the boat. What a great morning. 

Total catch and release today was 25 striped bass, 4 slot keepers. All on light tackle, playing musical chairs and switching out rods and lures non-stop, depending on what depth the fish were feeding in and how they were feeding. And that is what makes this game so much fun! Another great morning on the bay.

Back at it. STAY POSTED:

Capt. David Bitters, BAYMEN, baymenlife.com 31 Years Guiding The Bay. Still In Love.

Soli Deo Gloria!