2022 Salty H20 Thread.... Let's go! Part 1

[Hollywood]

Nice. I can't catch flounder on rod and reel to save my life.

That makes 2 of us, my initial hookset yanks the bait away from them.

[justletmein]

That makes 2 of us, my initial hookset yanks the bait away from them.

It's like trying to train a Lab not to chase a ball, just can't stop myself.

[twright]

Had a good time in the Billfish Pachanga this past weekend. Didn't get in the money, but an overall good trip. I also got to see Dax my son in action on the boat he works for. He is the one in the rain jacket in the photo.

[El General]

Nice. I can't catch flounder on rod and reel to save my life.

Go slower.

I got a buddy that grew up fly fishing fresh water like most of us grew up fishing regular gear in the salt. He won a shallow sport at the Austin CCA Banquet and I had to teach him how to throw a baitcaster.

Anyway, we are fishing outside this little marsh drain gut on a good outgoing tide and I catch a red on the left side of it and wave him over. He comes over and starts fishing the right side (which was kind of the outside of the curl so to speak) and starts sticking flounder after flounder. Good fish. 18-19" and I'm getting jealous and have my three reds, but don't want to say anything. He sees me watching him and asks if we can switch and he can get on the reds. I say no problem.

So we switch and I can't get a bite. I ask him what he was throwing. It's what I was throwing. After a long and frustrating while where he misses a bunch of fish, he finally strings his second red, so I ask him to show me how he was catching those door mats.

He wades over and throws right where I am throwing and he gets bit on the first cast. Hooks up and lands the flounder like a pro (we would slide them on our do-nets back then before we heard of a net).

He was working that bait so slow it was barely moving and he was setting the hook like a **** rainbow trout set on some mountain stream by raising his rod hand to the sky. It wasn't working on those reds for ****, but it sure worked on those saddle blankets.

He also had an old whippy as hell All Star Shrimp Tail Special for a rod, which I think helped out.

We were on the tail end of the tide so I only got one before the bite turned off, but it was enough for proof of concept.

[El General]

Got out Saturday evening. No tide movement way back where I go. I sight casted to several with no interest at all. Moved to different water that wasn't as clean but not bad and started throwing at high percentage targets. Got a red on a drain and the other off a grassy point. That trout must have been lost, I was a long way from a bay lol. It's so salty even a long way inland, we need some rain to push em back out where they belong. Got em on the Motor Oil and White again.

Was the water really muddy? We used to fish motor oil/white or similar when the water looked like chocolate milk.

[Mexico]

Had a good time in the Billfish Pachanga this past weekend. Didn't get in the money, but an overall good trip. I also got to see Dax my son in action on the boat he works for. He is the one in the rain jacket in the photo.

Great pictures!

[kevin nicholls]

It wasn't muddy, just off color. All the fish I caught were reacting to the lure hitting the water (caught a few undersize reds also). They bit as soon as it landed. In the clear water I was in first they just watched it go by, and I threw different types and colors at them. I have a lot of confidence in dark lures like black, purple and motor oil. Sometimes to the point of being stubborn.

[buckhunter1999]

That makes 2 of us, my initial hookset yanks the bait away from them.

One thing that I have started doing when targeting flounder is changing my hook set angle. Normally, I set the hook with an upward motion. When fishing for flounder, I set it more at a 45 degree angle. I believe the angle in which they normally strike and the way there mouth hinges, is a perfect combination to yank the hook straight out of their mouth when you set the hook straight up.

I don't know if it actually works, but it seems to have gotten me a few more hook ups.

[twright]

Great pictures!

Yea, there was a pro wildlife photographer on board and another mate that really knows how to use GoPros.

[twright]

Mexico we are going to have to connect one day and do some fishing. You still have that old Ranger you bought from me years ago? Hope you are getting some time to fish. Its been a good one this year when I can get out there.

[Quackerbox]

9 out of 10 flounder I catch on rod and reel is no different than a trout or red hookset. I caught some pigs last year on a wade and the little island they were smashing bait on was SHALLOW. Had to work the bait fast and caught two around 20''. I wasnt sure what it was so they got yanked! Caught 3 in a about a dozen casts the trip before that the same way.

There are occasions where its different. Panhandle and I waded a drain the other day that had some reefs on either side and it dropped off to a muddy bottom. I figured there was flounder on it and even saw a couple bust when I got got close. I worked that drop off slow and felt that tale tail thump. Gave it a quick snap and sure enough, flat fish. I expected flounder to be there and we caught some

[Mexico]

Mexico we are going to have to connect one day and do some fishing. You still have that old Ranger you bought from me years ago? Hope you are getting some time to fish. Its been a good one this year when I can get out there.

No sir sold that to a buddy years ago! Anytime you need an extra guy on a blue water trip let me know!

Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Going to Galveston for a family deal this weekend any where to walk and wade right now? Depending on weather I plan on hitting the surf. I’ve really never fished out there so any tips would be appreciated.

[DUKFVR]

Going to Galveston for a family deal this weekend any where to walk and wade right now? Depending on weather I plan on hitting the surf. I’ve really never fished out there so any tips would be appreciated.

Galveston Bay side of the pass can be good. Park & wade to the east. Lots of guts to hold fish.

[El General]

Be careful wading near San Luis Pass.