Scott with 2 big’unz at dark 30.
-Capt. Jeff Larson

Happy Holidays And Merry Christmas From The Saltwater Lodge!
The November wrap up:

We had great diver shoots. As most of you know, Redheads are a staple to the Duck Strap when its 70 degrees and no wind. It is so Awesome when you have a hundred drop into the X. This is when everyone needs self control with the old itchy trigger finger. The key to adding other species to the strap was finding other divers. Blackjacks, Goldend eyes, Buffys, etc. with an occasional puddler was the on the bay strap. The inland waters were either feast or famon. Teal, Spoonys and Whistlers hit the strap when they showed up for the day. There were high hopes for Cold Fronts to push the water out of the bay and bring more ducks. They just petered out for the most part. There was 1 day, I had a Blast and Cast, a front came through in the morning, made it into the Gulf and backed up by the evening. I’m not a Meteorologist and dont get pumped up when some person on TV gives us a forecast that is anyone’s guess. I definitely enjoy using my weather Apps on my smartphone. Weather apps are a good guideline for Up-to-date information. They track real time information from weather stations around the area which is better than a general guess. Pre Front no matter what size turned the fish on like a light switch. If you fished you caught. Good luck this month should remain the same.

The first part of December has been really good for fishing. Redfish, trout and flounder are being caught every chance you can get outside. Artificials (soft plastics) and live shrimp have been the best baits to catch trout and flounder. Cut mullet is the steady bait of choice for reds. Plastics and Gold Spoons are the artificial but we have been using while wadeing for redfish. Bull reds are steady on sardines. The tide has finally dropped and cooled off which has played a big part in getting on schools of fish for a rather quick limit. The Saltwater Lodge Scouting for ducks report is looking like a barn burner. The puddle ducks are loading up on the bay since the water has dropped. The back bay grasses are being exposed to the ducks and makes for easy pickings for both puddlers and divers.

Flounder gigging is back. The limit is still just 2 until December 16th. Scott Weiler, the Lodge Foreman and I went after some record breaker flounder a few nights ago.. Since the limit was still only two, we did not get in a big hurry and went out about 10:30 p.m. we reached our first spot and it look like we were a little late because we were only seeing flounder beds. The beds we were seeing looked like 5 pound plus fat flattys. Scott ended up getting his pers personal best that night which was a record breaker in his own rights. It was around 5 or 6 pounds. The flounder we found were on hard sand that night. They were close to drop offs and guts that led to deeper water.

Roger T who builds the TnT Gig n Lights has a couple of dozen set ups if you need one for the reopener of the 5 fish limit or for Christmas. The great thing about Rogers lights is he warranties them for a year. He will also replace the light for his cost if you get it to him at the shop. These lights are for walking. He will also custom build u a boat gig if you need some for gigging out of the boat.

There is another outdoor excursion that goes overlooked in Calhoun County. Bird watching is becoming more and more popular because we have several hundred different species of birds that winter here. The whooping crane which is on the endangered species list is a rare bird that birders flock here to get a look/see at the few that are left in the world. These private tours are available at the lodge.

The Mowdy Pro Team has a list of its guides in our area who can get you on your quarry of choice. They are also getting geared up for the Houston Boat Show. Frank and Robbie are telling me there will be another price increase due to the rising costs of raw materials. We are just giving our readers a heads up. See their ad in the paper to order yours today or go for a test ride.
The Saltwater Lodge phone number is 361 785 DUCK. Call Scott to set up your lodging, food and guide.

Wishing you Merry Duck Straps, A Cooler packed full of fillets and a few more 2015 memories for your diary,

Captain Jeff Larson
281 217 0399

Young Guns filling their straps.
-Capt. Jeff Larson