Matty Tourists

The Mouth of the Co has always been a good place to set a few rod holders, especially this time of the year. I had not wet a line in this area for ten years or better. Last time it looked more like the mouth of the Brazos. These days LCRA has set it up all pretty, with flushing toilets and everything. Spared no expense, the only thing LCRA isn’t doing for the area is maintaining the channel, that is to say dredging, as Mr. Dixon and I found out last year when we barred the company boat in some angry seas…but I digress. This is a story about a fishing trip.

So there we were, me and Dixon, feeling kinda like a tourist being as rods were deployed within 50yds of strangers and 4wd had not been engaged. However, the bight was strong in this location. Bait was plentiful and I taught an old man how to throw a cast net in exchange for an original Coors. Running hand sized mullet seemed to keep the redfish at bay with the preponderance of smaller bait working its way through the shallows with the falling tide.

Our little piece of real estate occupied a stretch about 70yds wide and approximately 150yds from the hip where the river meets the mouth, I coveted this area. About 20 mins after the first bait hit the water, let me discuss the water first…as the river channel meets the mouth, it cuts fairly hard left and the channel takes a fairly wide meander out toward the point of the northern jetty. This leaves a large expanse of flats that are dry during low tide and approximately knee deep at the time of deployment. The channel was a steep and drastic change, knees to nipples in 2 or 3 steps. So this is where I made my cast. Reading the water I developed a rough delineation of the channel boundaries and opted for short chucking in hopes of laying bait in water exactly similar to what I was standing in, only on the other side, human nature I guess. Around the way at the hip, the channel rolled in close, within 30yds of the high tide dry line.

So, 20 mins after the first bait hit the water, I picked up a solid run. Burned out 50-60 yds on the first surge then it was touch and go for about 10 mins. I gained in my lost line plus some and finally transitioned from my 30lb main line to the 100yds of 80# used to top off the spool and cranked the drag way down. Soon it was over, 58” of bull shark broke over the bar and I drug her on the sand. Quick picture, hook out, and back to the water.

The folks on the hip decided to hang it up just as Dyke showed up. Knowing the pot-licking-ness of these tourist areas I figured we should lick the pot first and waved Dyke down the beach to claim the new spot. Dixon followed suit in short order, just as the vultures pulled up. I threw my rods in the holder and whipped my truck in on the far side of Tom, closer to the hip and effectively blocking the intended path of the beat up Ford that was eying our spot. We had a standoff that lasted for about 10 mins. I decides to cap the situation with a final claim staking and slung a big rod out at a diagonal into the channel, effectively assertion our dominion over the entire spread. They backed down, backed up, and backed off. We fished.

Hung a few more bulls up to 67” and lost one at the leader that was better than 6 ½ , I gave chase, trying for a tail grab but she was faster than me in knee+ deep water. I considered diving on her but had no kinda weaponry on hand. Figured I’d have cut her loose anyway, but she did rob me of my moment in the photo and the chance to put the “de-liar” to her.

Sundown was coming on soon so I re-baited with some 12&14” mullet and slung to the channel; one far, one near. Tom and Dyke had burned off to go cuddle behind the dunes or something. Ryan and his wife pulled up, Ryan complaining that I need to learn to answer my phone (he needs to learn 11 missed calls probably means I aint on hand). We exchanged pleasantries and I told of the tally, just as his lips were puckering to call bull shit, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…zzzz…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I ensured the hook was well buried, offed the clicker and handed it off to Ryan as the other rod doubled and began to scream also. We were well hooked with a strong double as the sun was setting over the southwest jetty. Ryan hung his biggest shark to date and mine bit through the leader but I got the opportunity to lay an eye on it; another 5.5 ballparker.

The night bite was slow but the beers were tasty. Ryan frolicked in the surf naked in an attempt to re-bait (didn’t want to get his pants wet) while out cholo and cholet neighbors looked on. He managed a nice birds nest in one and (the best indicator that one is well footed in the realm of solid drunk) a snapped line PLUS a massive line cutter of an eagles nest in the other. We drank the night away after that. I kept a line out and woke to a 12” mullet still alive on my line and the tide WAY out.

The reminder of the trip slid by without too much excitement, we landed a number of slot reds, all around 24”. Ryan learned the hard lesson “everything you bring to the coast is disposable” when he lost a setup. He hunted for the missing rod & reel for about 20mins to no avail. Upon bait switch time I struck the luck. My surf weight snagged his line and we made full recovery. No fish attached, but a good strip down and cleaning and she’ll be good as new.