Sorry for the late report, but fishing everyday this old FART just doesn't feel like sitting on keyboard at the end of the day. The attached photo has been lost for a long time but I just recently found it and thought it was a shame not to share it with other fishermen.
The other day there was a post on a fishing forum about 36" plus and 25# trout killed during freezes and/or caught in TPWD gill nets, but no one produced photos! Due to bashing and other BS associated with some sites I choose not to post a remark, but afterwards, I thought some people would like to see a 36" plus trout weighing over 14# caught in 1952. Knowing the people and make up of this site!!!!!
I said here it is BELOW:
The attached picture is of a 36" plus trout caught from the Arroyo Colorado (Lower Laguna Madre) by my Dad in 1952. Picture was taken by Bob Brister (Houston Chronicle) who was with us on the trip. The fish weighed 14 plus pounds on Ike and Mary Eichblatt's vegetable scales. Ike's Place turned into Sanchez's Bait Stand. (Arroyo City) We gutted, grilled and ate them back then!!!!
For length references, look at my dads arm, he was 6' tall and most men that height, the distance from their elbow to their wrist is 12" to 14". You can do the math! Also note his arm is angled toward the camera, so that angle would make the arm measurement even shorter!
I was 3 years old and the average height for a 3 year old is 39"!
Also note the size of the trout's head!!!!! Compared to my Dads!
This post is not to start an internet debate if the fish was truly that length or not, I just thought some would like to see it!
For those interested I'm the kid in his underwear! Didn't know you needed pants until I was older! Still spend most of my time in Shorts! Fishing Shorts that is!!!!!!!
Hope you enjoyed the photo.
Now for my report. We have been consistently catching 17" to 20" trout, good signs of what is to come! Most of our fish are coming from 3 to 4 foot of water on the outside edge of the grass. Both areas north and south of the Port are holding fish. Days when the wind is below 25 MPH we are getting a GOOD top water bite. But when they approach 25 to 30 MPH plus just can't get them up. Then it's a Cajun Thunder with a Gulp 18" below. Almost cheating using a Gulp, I still feel they are better than live shrimp.
Colors of choice for top waters, Bone chartreuse on clear days and black chartreuse heads on dark colored days and off color water. Soft plastics: Nuclear chicken, Cajun pepper, new penny and purple chartreuse. Capt. Ted got his last group into the reds and caught and released a number of over sized and limits of slot for the grill. Spoons and Cajun pepper have been his go to baits.
We are getting close to the wind fans shutting down and our bay and offshore becoming much more tolerable than fighting gale force winds daily. Here come the Tarpon!!!!!!