Texas Fishing Trip

Posted On February 15, 2011
Every once and a while we need a break from the constant freezing temps of winter so at 2:00 am on Thursday morning Charles, Todd and I loaded up our backpacks and drove to Buffalo to catch a 6 am flight out to San Antonio, Texas to spend a couple of days away from the ice and snow and hopefully catch some fish... the ice and snow was gone but the cold that has been gripping Texas was still around greeting us with freezing temps and tough fishing. We landed at noon and headed to our good friend Bill Dee’s place to pick up our rods and baits, and then drove out to La Grange to meet up with the rest of the clan.

Friday morning  Charles and I headed out in the 22 degree F air in Paul Sonnier’s BassCat and tried to figure out these fish that were shell shocked by the colder than usual 54 degree water temps. The last time we were here, 2 years ago, the water temps were in the 70’s being a power plant lake so we knew it would be tough. The first day the fish were hiding in the deepest dead bullrush piles in less than a foot of water but with another cold night on the way they vacated the areas and became increasingly difficult to catch.

Saturday I fished with Steve and Kelly Schmidt and we caught a few fish on grass flats in 3 to 7 feet of water and we continued the pattern in the afternoon as I fished with Chuck Owen. Sunday was our day to leave so Todd and I headed to a rip rap bank to finish the trip and as the temps began to warm the fish began to cooperate.... catching 8 in a little over a couple of hours.



The bait that we used to catch our fish was a 3.5” Power Team Lures Texas Rig Jig on a 1/2 oz Football head. I fished it on a Shimano Cumara Reaction 7’11” with 40 lb Power Pro and a 17 lb XPS Fluorocarbon Leader. The real trick for us was to leave the bait still as long as possible before slightly shaking it and dragging it slowly across the lake bottom. When the fish hit it, they pounced all over it. All in all the fishing was secondary to a great time spent with good friends from Texas and the trip reminds me why Southern hospitality is tough to beat. A great way to spend a couple of days dusting the rods off and trying to work the rust out of our hibernating fishing  game. I’m already looking forward to our next trip!

Tight lines

JP

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About

JP DeRose
JP DeRose

Joined November 17, 2010

Raised in Southern Ontario, JP DeRose has had a passion for angling that has remained constant in his life. Throughout high school and University, JP’s ardor for competitive sports carried over into fishing and flourished while chasing Salmon and Trout drifting rivers which eventually led him to lake fishing and finally into tournaments. In 2005, JP decided to step into Canada’s highest level of fishing competition by entering the Pro-Am circuit as a boater after only 5 years of competing in small tournaments, winning Rookie of the Year in convincing fashion. In 2006, WFN (World Fishing Network) was created and filmed the Pro-Am Series. In an interview, JP was a natural in front the camera and represented WFN for that season as their sponsored pro. Winning the 3rd tour stop that year, JP quickly adapted to being in front of a camera and was sent to iCast to try his hand at interviewing which quickly led to his own show, a WFN original production called Getting School’d with JP DeRose. Now in its 4th season, Getting School’d has become an authority on new gear and instructional fishing. Dedicating his free time to the Canadian Bass Anglers Federation, JP has held the position of club president for the past 7 years and continues to grow his chapter dedicated to developing fishing at a grass roots level. With over 130 top 10 finishes and 30 wins in tournaments over the past 11 years, JP’s primary focus aside from Getting School’d and competing in tournaments is to help people become better anglers through seminars, breaking down the techniques and tactics that lead to angler versatility and success. Sponsors: WFN, Shimano, G Loomis, Power Pro, PowerTeam Lures, Megabass USA, BassCat Boats, Yamaha Canada,,, Humminbird/Minnkota & Dr. Spinnerbait

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