Jim Blackburn

It was Decmeber 13th, about 72 degrees, no wind,

total sunshine, and very low water with a very slight falling tide! Get ready for an awesome true fishing story!! I was fishing alone which I do a lot of when not guiding and headed for the 3 island area of the Lower Laguna Madre. While I was cruising in about 8" of water in my 18' Hell's Bay skiff, I ran over several redfish. I said what the heck and shut down. With no wind and a very slight falling tide, I was drifting at about 1 ft. every 4-5 seconds. SLOW!! After about 5 minutes of drifting the fish settled down and my first cast was to a 28" trout in a bathtub size white sand hole. Bam, she ate it and the fight was on. About 8lbs.+ she wallowed around on the surface and I lost her after about 45 seconds of fun!! Then the redfish started to pop up everywhere and I mean everywhere. I promptly hooked a tailing redfish and lowered my trusty Power-pole. I fought the fish up to about 15'from the boat and realized that with no wind, and almost no tide, the fish could pull the bow of the boat around at will. I had a BRAINSTORM! I let the fish pull the bow of the boat around until it lined up with the next closest tailing redfish and then raised my Power-pole. Then the redfish was my GUIDE and towed me over to the next closest redfish and I quickly released the fish only to be in perfect position for my next fish!!!! Unbelievable! I pulled off this new patent pending(Ha!)new technique about 6 times before I finally quit and just lowered my Power-pole and let the fish come to me. I ended up hooking the one monster trout and 24 redfish in about 3 hours of fly fishing. My best day ever in such a short span of time. On my last two fish of the day I pulled off my other patent-pending techiuque (The Texas Two Step) and hooked a redfish on my fly rod, lightened the drag, put down the fly rod and picked up my spinning rod and hooked my second simultaneous redfish on spinning gear. After landing both redfish, I was totally done. I was still surrounded by fish but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Ha!! What a DAY!!!!

Fish Species: Redfish, trout
Bait Used: Flies
Tackle Used: 8 wt. fly rod
Method Used: sight-fishing to cruising and tailing fish
Water Depth: 8
Water Temperature: 66 degrees
Wind Direction: none
Wind Speed: none

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Jim Blackburn

About The Author: Captain Jim Blackburn

Company: Grand Slam Backcountry Charters

Area Reporting: Texas Lower Laguna Madre - Florida - Utah

Bio: Join Capt. Jim Blackburn with over 25 years of saltwalter fly-fishing experience aboard his state-of-the-art Hell\'s Bay Boatworks guide edition 18\' skiff. Sight fish the Lower Laguna Madre for Redfish, Sea Trout. Or cast to structure for Snook, monster Mangrove Snapper, Jacks, Ladyfish and baby Tarpon. Or head to the Gulf and fish for adult Tarpon, Spanish & King Mackerel, and Jack Crevalle.

970-846-1734
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Jim Blackburn