LSONews.com
LoneOStar Outdoor News
May 11, 2018
Page 11
Run and gun for Rockport- Old crankbait caught Fulton reds and trout Continued from page 1
By Robert Sloan
For Lone Star Outdoor News
HARVEY
Rockport-Fulton in Aransas County has rebounded well from the wrath of Hurricane Harvey, and the fishing for reds and trout is some of the best along the Texas coast. This is a huge area to fish that includes Copano, Aransas and Redfish bays. Guide Robert Hamilton, who has been fishing this area for around 30 years, said the fishing never really slowed down that much, the problem was getting to the fish. Many of the boat ramps were damaged, and there was a lot of debris in the bays. Also, there was the problem of getting live bait. But all that has changed. The bays have been cleaned up, bait is plentiful, hotels are up and running and two of the most popular places to eat Rockport guide Robert Hamilton nets a fish for Michael Gibson. Photo by Robert Sloan. in town, The Boiling Pot and Charlotte Plummer’s, are packed on just flat in the middle of nowhere. It was a combination of about any given day. shallow mud and shell. His first stop was good for two “Right now, we’re seeing good catches of both reds trout. Another was along the edge of grass and sand. and trout,” Hamilton said. “For trout, I’ve been fishing Some of his best spots can be found along the Intralive shrimp under popping corks. Reds are good on just coastal Waterway. Most of his shallow water flats are about anything, but two of my best baits are live pinfished with a popping cork, a 1/4-ounce weight and a fish and fresh dead ladyfish.” No. 4 or 5 thin wire Kahle hook. The one thing that keeps the rods bent on Hamilton’s “One thing I do is load up with a variety of live and 23-foot Haynie cat is his run-and-gun technique in a dead bait,” Hamilton said. “Shrimp are always in my shallow running boat that can access some of the skinlivewell. I’m always trying to get my hands on freshniest backwater flats around. caught ladyfish. That’s an excellent fresh dead bait that “I like to cover a lot of water,” he said. “If one spot reds can’t resist. Another good live bait is a pinfish.” doesn’t produce I’ll move to another one. On many Another Rockport guide that’s into fresh cut baits for days each spot I hit will give up one or two fish. That reds is Capt. Kyle LaFreniere. adds up after a few hours on the water.” Bait fishermen have been successful using live finger On a recent trip, Hamilton hit several different armullet, fresh cut mullet, often cut into two pieces, or eas during the first few hours of daylight. One was a pinfish. Please turn to page 17
Michael Boyd landed this 9.21-pound bass using the crankbait he lost last year. He snagged the lure in early May, and plans to use it again. Photo from Michael Boyd.
I was using.” Looking closer, Boyd saw the familiar groove marks on the lure, and realized it was the same crankbait he had lost nearly a year ago. “I washed it off, changed the hooks out and it will be ready to catch more big fish,” he said. “I’ve caught a lot of good fish on that lure, including a 9.21-pounder.” Boyd said Benbrook Lake is often overlooked for bass fishing. “The lake really has a lot of big fish, but it’s not mapped very well,” he said. “It has a lot of big drops and humps, and the bass stack up on them in the summertime.” When he saw the post, one of Boyd’s followers on Instagram, Shawn Blair, posted he had been on a crankbait bite, and managed to hook a lure as well, although not an old one of his. “Caught me a red craw lipless crank the other day,” he posted.
AMERICAN-MADE NEEDLEPOINT
MADE IN THE
USA ©2018 EAGLE CLAW FISHING TACKLE | DENVER, COLORADO | EAGLECLAW.COM L197