On the Comal

[KG_Soldier]

On the Comal


Dan Barnett's chart (http://www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com/...ish_tables.htm) said today, Jan 3, would be an excellent day to fish, long feeding cycle: 10:37am to 3:37pm (I add 32 minutes because I'm at 98 degrees longitude). Weather called for showers in the morning and full blown thunderstorms starting sometime in the afternoon. I've gotten quite a bit done during break, so I decided I'd give the Comal a shot on my Kayak. High 50.

Last night I broke out the waders--duck hunting warm, totally waterproof, really light ones--and my hooded rain jacket, decent insulation and pretty much waterproof. I cleaned and added new 6lb. Stren xt to both my little Shimano Sedona 750FBs (smallest they make, or close to it--only rated to 6lb. test). Both reels attached to little 4'6" Shakespeare "Catera" ultra light rods--super light, but a little backbone (each rig cost maybe $40, but I've used both these reels, extensively, the last two years without a problem with either).

Its always fun to pick out lures for the imagined trip, but I’m pretty consistent: five 1/8 ounce pumpkin seed "bitsy jigs" and six each of three different color Berkley 3" power craws: pumpkin, brown, and a dark--almost red--brown. I added a tiny torpedo and a Rapala broken-back minnow (a real small one) and some worms (pumpkinseed, of course), hooks (size 1 worm hooks), and bullet slip sinkers (1/16 oz). I threw in my trusty beetle-spins for good luck, and because they work real well: gold spinner, black and red and yellow double-tail grubs.

What a nice morning. I got out of bed at 6:30 and walked Brutus (my Lab) the two miles down to the "Crosswalk Coffee Shop" and had some oatmeal and a triple shot skim latte (WOW, BZZZZ). The sky was gray but not ominous; brisk breeze, maybe fifteen, southeast; but you could feel the moisture in the air. I was pumped. The barometer had to be pretty low and falling. Things looked good.

The jolt from the coffee made lowering my "Drifter" Ocean Kayak down the 70 ft. slope no problem. After getting all my tackle, waders, and other gear (two big bottles of water) down the stairs, I went back up and checked the shed and made sure everything was okay in there. It surely was.

I made it down the steps and got everything loaded into the Kayak and it in the water with me in too without falling, sometimes a difficult task after checking the shed.

I wore my Oakley polarized fishing glasses, amazing. The Guadalupe, behind my house, is really low, drought last two years, except for the occasional flash flood. The water is crystal clear. I could see the large limestone plates and few small bass hanging out in the Cypress roots, but I was after the smallies, so I pointed upstream and made for the confluence of the Comal and its constant 71 degree water. Needless to say, not a soul in sight. Three groups of Wood Ducks and even a flock of around eight Gadwalls (I call 'em Gray Ducks, cause that's their real name) took off while I paddled upstream. I could see every rock and piece of brush and break in the limestone in the river.

I was real tempted to stop and fish around the confluence but didn't, up the Comal. The Comal's even clearer than the Guadalupe. I stroked my way up the river real slow (it's incredible how quiet the Kayaks are), looking for bass and checking out the contour. I stopped about a mile up, a little past the Garden Street Bridge--my traditional smallmouth hole. But a flash flood a while back pushed a lot of rocks and pea gravel into the deep spot and no smallies around, so I drifted back to the next bend which has a little shallow faster moving water and then a nice little drop-off.

I like to keep the nose of the Kayak pointed upstream and just let the jig bounce along the bottom, trying to maintain "feel." First drift, light tap, set hook, POW. I could tell it was a smallmouth right away--strong. It pulled a little drag and I pointed my rod straight up, but it bent in half. I set the hook again and held on. In the six foot deep water I saw at least five other smallmouth (all bigger than the one I'd hooked) striking at him. My heart pounded; I'd found 'em.

I let the Kayak drift downstream away from the school of smallies and then reeled in the fish, took a picture, and let the 15 incher go. Then I paddled back up the right bank and made the same drift. No fish. Third drift, Bam another nice one. Again I saw some really big ones: five, six pounders. Over the next two hours I caught and released 18 smallies, most around 14 to 16 inches, and two pretty small ones (ten inches or so) had round wounds on their sides. I wondered if they'd been hit by one of the big ones.

Then the rain started falling and the temperature dropped to the mid 40s.
I made one last drift, nothing. It rained harder. Okay, one more, BINGO, BIG BIG smallmouth. I set the hook hard as I could; they were hitting light and I'd seen my line moving to the right, so I dipped my rod and let him have it. He immediately started taking drag. I had to tighten it a little. It was like he was pulling me around. The rain was falling and I was enthralled. This one was the one I'd been looking for. He came up and jumped right next to me--at least seven pounds. I about had a heart attack, kept telling myself, "Stay clam, stay calm, let the rod wear him out." He was big, he was fat, and he still had a run left when I got him up next to me. He dove down fast; I held the rod pointing up, bent in half. The drag squeaked and the line broke and my heart sank.

Thunder and lightning started booming and flashing, so I headed back home. I didn't even throw a lure other than the jig and craw worm the whole trip, but I did use all three colors--didn't seem to matter, but the big one hit the pumpkinseed jig and craw worm. I pulled my hood over my cap, snugged it up, and started downstream.

I took about ten pictures with one of those Kodak water cameras. The morning of Saturday Jan. 13th is another prime day, maybe I'll go with eight pound test on one of the reels.

I'll put some pictures up after I get 'em put on a cd.

[KG_Soldier]

I wanted to go back in the morning, another prime day, but it's rained all evening--hard. Even the Comal will be off-color due to what little run off it gets from Dry Comal Creek. Looks like the 13th it is. Any rich Lawers or engineers wish to come see one of the most beautiful places on earth? I swear I live in Eden. I might even let Jim in the shed. :) And I'll be kicking myself about tightening that drag on the big fish. I have a lot of confidence in that 6 lb. trilene. I'd've got him had I left the drag alone--panicked again. But I swear my heart was in my throat when the big bastard jumped within six feet of me. I wanted to keep that hook set. That's why I tightened the drag. KG_Soldier<--depression.

[KG_Panzerschreck]

Ive learned the hard way many a time my friend that you dont mess with Smallmouths unless you have at least 8 LB. test, or your Roland Martin and your using a 700 dollar reel and a 1000 dollar rod.

BTW, We Snyder boys use 8 Lb. test Silver thread exclusively for everything from Trout to Stripers. I only ever had it break on me once and that was on a Brown Trout in the river that was probably pushing 30 inches. It only broke when he stripped out all my line and broke my knot at the end of the line.