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I’ve been fishing with flies and fly rod in the marshes of the West Galveston Bay for about 15 years. I have never encountered a pot licker in the marsh. I haven’t even seen anyone fly fishing from a kayak where I fish in all that time (other that those few whom I have taken there). Naturally, I have understandably started thinking about these special red fish locations as my personal and private sanctuaries.
I suspect about 3 solid reasons why there are no pot lickers in the marsh (or other fools like me for that matter). 1) It is very, very hard, dirty, and usually hot fishing back in the mud, shallow water, and salt grass (pot lickers don’t seem to like difficult fishing); 2) my usual average success rate for catching a keeper size red fish is about 1 fish every 2 hours (no respectful pot licker would put up with this paltry catch rate); and 3) there is no one but me in the marsh who a pot licker can home in on and jump in front of (I also suspect that no pot licker worthy of the name would stoop to fishing out of a kayak).
Any other opinions to the contrary, I usually have much difficulty catching reds in the marsh during days with high tides that occur at dawn (there are always exceptions and this is probably a ridiculous over generalization). I fish usually from dawn till about 9 o’clock. This abbreviated schedule is a result of my age, health, and predilection My most successful days are when there is a dead low tide at dawn with incoming tide. My catch rate average during days of early morning slack high tide is not pretty. During these times I mostly find ways to talk myself into staying home. But thinking like that always leads me back to the always troubling maxim, “if you don’t go, you won’t know.”
When I was younger and stronger I would also often fish the last 2 or 3 hours before dark with good results. I mainly enjoy sight casting to keeper size red fish. In those locations where I fish, sight casting may mean seeing the back of the fish creeping along a bank, seeing a pod of reds working a grass line, seeing a shrimp frantically shoot out the water, or maybe even sighting the tip of a dorsal fin of a red snoozing in 6 inches of murky water. Very seldom where I fish do I see an entire red fish (if I’m close enough to see the whole fish, I usually have already spooked it). I have often paddled the kayak for hours without ever making a cast.
Anyway, get out there and give it a try in the marsh. You are not ever likely to see or ever have your tranquility disturbed by a pot licker. I’m not too concerned with sharing this priceless marsh information because it’s a well known fact that pot lickers are so ignorant that they can’t even read much less find their own fish.
However, If I ever do see one, I will paraphrase Kenny and holler, “Get out of my marsh.” and then start chunking marsh grass at 'em. So if you see me out there you better have your FWE sticker where I can see it.
A few photos from this past week in the west bay marsh:
I suspect about 3 solid reasons why there are no pot lickers in the marsh (or other fools like me for that matter). 1) It is very, very hard, dirty, and usually hot fishing back in the mud, shallow water, and salt grass (pot lickers don’t seem to like difficult fishing); 2) my usual average success rate for catching a keeper size red fish is about 1 fish every 2 hours (no respectful pot licker would put up with this paltry catch rate); and 3) there is no one but me in the marsh who a pot licker can home in on and jump in front of (I also suspect that no pot licker worthy of the name would stoop to fishing out of a kayak).
Any other opinions to the contrary, I usually have much difficulty catching reds in the marsh during days with high tides that occur at dawn (there are always exceptions and this is probably a ridiculous over generalization). I fish usually from dawn till about 9 o’clock. This abbreviated schedule is a result of my age, health, and predilection My most successful days are when there is a dead low tide at dawn with incoming tide. My catch rate average during days of early morning slack high tide is not pretty. During these times I mostly find ways to talk myself into staying home. But thinking like that always leads me back to the always troubling maxim, “if you don’t go, you won’t know.”
When I was younger and stronger I would also often fish the last 2 or 3 hours before dark with good results. I mainly enjoy sight casting to keeper size red fish. In those locations where I fish, sight casting may mean seeing the back of the fish creeping along a bank, seeing a pod of reds working a grass line, seeing a shrimp frantically shoot out the water, or maybe even sighting the tip of a dorsal fin of a red snoozing in 6 inches of murky water. Very seldom where I fish do I see an entire red fish (if I’m close enough to see the whole fish, I usually have already spooked it). I have often paddled the kayak for hours without ever making a cast.
Anyway, get out there and give it a try in the marsh. You are not ever likely to see or ever have your tranquility disturbed by a pot licker. I’m not too concerned with sharing this priceless marsh information because it’s a well known fact that pot lickers are so ignorant that they can’t even read much less find their own fish.
However, If I ever do see one, I will paraphrase Kenny and holler, “Get out of my marsh.” and then start chunking marsh grass at 'em. So if you see me out there you better have your FWE sticker where I can see it.
A few photos from this past week in the west bay marsh:
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