Hotspot Focus: Rockport told him sternly, “That’s a big fish, and if you want to land him, keep your rod tip up no matter what.” He grabbed the rod, leaned back into the weight of the fish, and said “Holy @#$% what do I do?” “Wait ‘til he stops running. If he does, then reel down and lift up; don’t reel while he’s stripping drag. All it will do is mess the line and the reel up and spook the fish even more.” The fish headed toward the deep water off San Antonio Bay. I got ready to cut the anchor loose. As I watched, half of the spool line disappeared. My mind went back to the stories, and even though I didn’t convey my next thought, I knew it would take a minor miracle to land this fish on 12-pound line. Those other fish had broken 50- to 60-pound braid on more than three occasions. The good news: The fish headed to deep water. The line on the spool was getting less and less. Then as if on cue, the fish turned and we made up some of the lost line, only to have the run-and-turn sequence repeated 10 or so times. After about a 25-minute fight, the fish saw the boat and ripped most of the line off once again. This time when it turned, it headed straight for my boat with Adam barely able to keep up. I kept saying, “Reel, don’t allow any slack.” Twenty yards from the boat, I grabbed the net and was issuing instructions: “Our only chance is to swim him into the net. If we miss and he goes under the boat, it’s all over.” The fish was coming like a freight train straight at the boat. I readied the net...10 feet...50 feet...2 feet...now! The head went into the net. I heard Adam say, “Oh my god, he’s a monster!” Only a third of the fish would fit in the net, and I knew one or two thrashes and it would roll out of the net back into the bay. I grabbed my dock rope, made a loop, threw it at the tail, and pulled it tight. One hand on the net the other on the rope, I couldn’t lift the fish out of the water. It took three of us to get the fish into the boat. It was a black drum of monstrous pro72 |
A u g u s t
ALMANAC Digital.indd 72
2 0 1 2
T e x a S
portions: 60.5 inches long, 17 inches thick from belly to bottom of dorsal. The tail was 12.7 inches wide and it maxed a 75-pound scale. My wife said it looked freakish, almost like a throwback to the Jurassic period. The fish was in excess of 25 years old based on my research, and I am convinced it is not the only monster in these waters. There really wasn’t much time to marvel, and I mentioned in the haste to get this ugly beauty back into the water; that it might well be a state record (but just another fish story once back in the water). In my humble belief, a fish this magnificent deserved to be turned loose, so as the big bull drummed away like a deep bass percussion instrument, we lowered it back into the water. After a few seconds of reviving, it swam away with a soaking swish of its big tail. “My Lord!” Adam said. “Who would have thought such a fish would be here.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! Note: In 1983, there was an attempt to cross reds with black drum with some success. The idea was to combine the size and power of a black drum with the speed and attitude of a redfish a for sure-winning game fish. A good friend and local guide caught one of these 10 years ago and has a picture of the trophy. Half the body from the tail up was redfish, with the upper half black drum. It, too, was caught in the area close to Ayres. Copano Bay – Grass lines between Newcomb Point and Shell Point are good for trout using free lined mud minnows. The deeper edges of Shell Bank Reef are holding trout with croaker, the preferred bait. The shallow parts of this reef are good for reds early morning on a rising tide with cut mullet and free lined finger mullet being the bait of choice. Aransas Bay – Long Reef is holding some trout with free lined croaker. Target the ends of the reef and don’t be afraid to cast over the reef and fish the other side. Poverty Reef is good for keeper black drum using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Don’t move your bait here, wait for a hit/ bite or you will break off in the shell. St. Charles Bay – McHugh Bayou is a F i s h
&
G a m e ®
T F & G
good place for reds using cut mullet or mud minnows. Get into the mouth of the bayou during a rising or falling tide. The deepwater transition at the mouth of Cavasso Creek is a good place for trout using free lined shrimp. Drifting this area is a good technique. Carlos Bay – On high tide, the shell reefs around Carlos Lake are good for reds using finger mullet or cut mullet. Throw on top of the reefs and don’t move your bait until you get a strike. Mesquite Bay – The mouth of Little Brundrett Lake is a good place for reds early morning using Berkley Gulp crab under a bubble cork. Approach this area quietly or better yet anchor out and wade into the mouth of the lake. The new spoil area off of Roddy Island is good for some sheep head action. Small hooks and cut squid are the ticket here. A few drum frequent this area as well. Ayres Bay – Mid Bay Reefs are holding a lot of gaff top and some keeper trout using live shrimp under a popping cork as the bait of choice. The area close to Ayres Island is a good place for reds on a high tide with early morning preferred. The bait of choice here is mud minnows or finger mullet.
the bank bite Midweek, the cut between St. Charles and Aransas Bay is a good bet for trout and a few flounder. A Berkley Gulp jerk shad works well here is root beer and New Penny colors or as close as you can get to those colors. Throw into the deep channel and slowly jig your lures up to shallow water. Don’t pull your lure out of the water too soon as flounder often hit the lure right at the edge of the shallow water.
Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601
A L M A N A C
7/27/12 8:52 AM