[ClassicMako]

Big fish. Good report.

[ClassicMako]

Nice seeing you out today. I had a good day. When you stopped by I had 8 in the box and threw back a 19”er. The bite went dead while you were there… did you have a skunk in the new sled? And I shit you not, 5 minutes after you hauled ass it went haywire for about 45 minutes.

I can tell by the tone of that motor when you’re running that you have absolutely zero buyer’s remorse. Sweet boat for sure. Like driving a Porsche on the water. You’re not sneaking up on anyone though. I could see that rooster tail and hear you gunning 5 miles out!

[ClassicMako]

A long time ago… probably almost 30 years now. I went to a seminar with Capt Herman Solar. He mentioned the same thing about the birds. It’s been so long, but I vaguely recall him saying something like, “those birds know there’s baitfish and shrimp there, the bait is just too deep at this moment. So the birds sitting are waiting for that bait to be pushed to the surface. Then it’s game on.”

[ClassicMako]

I noticed the same with the tide. My spot lock was running at 1-2 early on and then 0-1 by 8:00am. By 8:30am it was damn near slack.

[ClassicMako]

NE/Door pt area.

[ClassicMako]

Good advice for sure. Gonna run that way in 2 weeks if weather permits. Next week is a bust, my son has a 4 day swim meet in Biloxi.

[ClassicMako]

There’s a handful that the FishWeather app picks up if you have a subscription. 2 along Chef Hwy. Lakefront airport. Causeway (mid lake). And Black Bay. Somewhat helpful, but not great.

[ClassicMako]

Yeah. Signs of life (croakers) are always a good thing. I’m on a streak of catching a ground mullet almost every trip. I’d love to get in on a box of those rascals. Good eats.

Saturday I should have broken a path across to the Biloxi marsh. It was manageable. I may do that Friday if the wind cooperates.

I need a nice calm day to find/explore the old shell pads. That’s been weighing heavily on my mind.

[ClassicMako]

That’s my plan. Keep trying stuff until I find something that gets me a little more consistent and confident.

Lake Borgne was on my plans for Friday. But sometime during the night my back went to hell and I had to scrub the mission.

Got my Arkansas trip in 10 days. Eager to get into the Smallmouth & Largemouths on the reservoir.

[ClassicMako]

I don’t know much other than what I see while I’m out. I haven’t pulled up on an area and seen anyone hammering fish. But according to the social medias, plenty people are wearing them out. Most being the usual suspects, (guides, friends of guides, pros). I got no clue where.

[ClassicMako]

I’m guessing Pearl River water made its way up in there and funked it all up. This time of year I usually have good trips in there. Especially when the tide is falling all morning.

[ClassicMako]

My house/systems battery is a LiFePO. Holds steady 12.9-13V all day. 25 lbs too. Eventually I’ll change my cranking batts to lithium as well. My trolling motor battery is a 36V LiFePO and is going on 10 yrs old. 32 lbs too! Keeps weight down and takes up minimal space.

I have a Garmin side scan & chirp transducer on the trolling motor. The graph on the bow reads from that. Aft I have a 1kw 200/50hz in hull transducer. It can read at any speed or sea condition. It’s 18 years old now. I need to upgrade it.

I picked up that Tatula reel on accident. Was going to my dad’s duck camp with my son about 10 yr ago. Stopped at Bass Pro because I needed a rod for him to do some perch fishing. Figured I might as well get something I can use for more than 1 purpose. It’s been great. Wish I had another. I’ve got 4 other Tatula reels. But that’s my go-to.

For what it is… a 33 yr old boat, it’s well appointed. I’m OCD, and everything has to have a place. I hate any clutter on the deck. I have storage for 10 rods below deck and 8 under the gunwales. And I like convenient access to the electronics. I have 3 screens at the helm and 1 on the bow. I can see the upper helm screen from the aft cockpit. Would I like a little less draft, yes. And a pair of 300s might happen in the next year or 2.

• This reply was modified 2 hours, 18 minutes ago by  ClassicMako.

[ClassicMako]

I’d rather be lucky than good… Most days.

[ClassicMako]

Man I wish. I begged him to blow off his workout today and come fishing. But he’s a committed young man. He signed to swim at a small university in Springfield, MO in the fall. You know how much I like fishing in the Ozarks… got an excuse to go up there more than once a year now!

[ClassicMako]

Looks clean. Last Friday (Oct 31) on my way back in there was a huge plume of dirty water falling out of the West Pearl in the Rigolets. Stark color and even temperature change in the plume. But now that I think about it, the East shoreline of Lake Borge was almost as bad that day. After several days of hard north winds. I was able to find decent water deep in the bayous. The tide wasn’t really moving on Oct 31 either, but I still came out of there with some fish. Wasn’t any real signs of bait on Oct 31 either.

Gonna shift gears and battle the masses on this side I guess. Ugggg