Bird Island Basin Laguna (Not Fly Fishing)

[Sagebrush]

Just did 2 days wading with some very nice fish caught. Long walk/wade to South Bird Island (2+ or so miles) . Wind was high as usual.

Caught a 27 and 30 inch red and several others first day. Reds on 1/4 ounce gold johnson sprite. Trout on DOA and bone corky.

Next day caught more reds largest 24" lost one very large trout landed one about 24"

Ready for some light wind so I can fly fish the same spots. Probably try Matagorda next.

[wittich]

Where is bird island?

[Sagebrush]

Past Flour Bluff (Corpus Christi) National Seashore/Padre Island, enter the park, Bird Island Basin is on your right. From the launch/fish cleaning Pier its about a 1 1/2 down the beach (right) (old boat then large dunes) and 3/4's of a mile across flat. Actually south bird Island. Has a stand of tall cactus plants. Lot of wading but the area between the dunes and bird Island (tall cactus plants) has trout starting a good distance from shore. Mixed sand and grass. Like the back side starting from far corner (protected). Near shore is probably good but it's been windy.

I start sliding my feet at first light.

[Sagebrush]

Didn't expect to hit the same spot again this weekend. Like the weekdays. Came down from San Antonio to buy a boat.

Saturday
Lots of traffic. 3 boats ran the shoreline I was approaching before I got to it.

Managed a few smaller fish trout and reds. Lost one good fish. Managed to catch one 6-7 pound drum out of a scattered school of hundred. So flat you could see all the fish milling around.

Today. Put in some major hours fishing that spot and back towards the boat launch. Continued to be snakebit backlash on nearly every cast. Fish come off the 1/4 ounce sprite even with bigger hooks.

Managed one biggie 28 1/2, Kept a 23 and 24 inch red. Got some pics before I released him. Trout fell off the hook while I was getting the stringer.

One red about 26-27 materialized in off color water in front of me. So close I couldn't cast. Stood dead still, he just floated in front of me. Then he noticed the reds on my stringer went nose to nose with them. He seemed to be aware of my of shape but he was more startled by a passing butterfly than me. Broke off as if to leave and circled back 3 times repeating the call to follow. Pretty funny should of got picture of that. Watched him get 15 feet away prepared to cast and the pinkish ghost dissappeared as quickly as he materialized.

The fish weren't in big schools, so there was enough action for one person. I think the day before there was just no where to hide for them.