Corpusfishing.com

[Towboat Trash]

"Well old Yarborough Pass, yep, me and that old boy what was his name....Green....we was back in there towards sundown at the old bunkhouse, no wait, at the old house on stilts that Green had at the water well just before Black Hill and all that there. And I was with Smith come to think on it. And we was drinking some cold beer on the front porch there, and telling lies and more lies, ya know like fisherman do when they get together. And heck, I had just got done telling a real good joke, and doggonit if Smith wasn't laughing. So I reached over and said, "Hey doggone you! Ain't that even funny a lil bit!!" And right then and there old Smith fell right out the chair dead and stiff as a doorstop... And that was that, heck, he wasn't gonna be laughing at nothing no more, I musta killed him with the best one he ever heard!!!"

--Ralph Wade

Howdy everybody. Was sitting with Ralph just yesterday looking for answers from the wise old codger, when he pulled out a rod Pancho Brundidge built just for him for helping put a fence together here in town. The wrap was simple, the workmanship sound, and the rod told or held no lies, just the truth. The truth that trouble will always find us whether you want it or not, the world ain't gettin no better, and the old no younger. Our time with these precious ones that have lived through the entire world at war with eachother is limited and we had better take advantage of it. Because I have no idea what my generation will have to offer those young ones one day but stories of the good old days.

Of days of freedom unrestrained, of wars that were fought by the men in the trenches and by their women in the factories back home. Of days when the fish ran free in the surf, the bay, the lakes and streams....And when a disagreement brought a fight, then a shake, then maybe a friendship. When the law was beloved, and our leaders in our Capitol men of the working class.

Those days are no more. Where we're going I don't know, but I'll never forget the men like Ralph in my life that hate these foreign enemies abroad, have fought for my freedom, and who will NEVER apologize for their lives. Because good or bad, we all have our part to play, and all we can do is what is right, what is just, and what we can. I pray that this nonsense going on right now will end on the behalf of every federal employee right now laid off, on furlough, on whatever. Was talking with Ranger Bill the other day, and bless his heart, he doesn't even know if he'll get a paycheck next go 'round. And while in the private sector world this ain't a darn thing new, the reputation of the United States of America's employees has always been one of a default free career and of a steady paycheck. And the military going without their pay?? I'd rather give them a part of mine...how about some of these ole' pasty skinned, weak armed, no gumption fellas up in Washington get shanghaied for some towboat deckhand duty and we'll put my deckhands in charge up yonder...

So on behalf of myself getting thrown out of my beloved Padre just this Monday by fellas who no more wanted to toss me out than they wanted to be furloughed, let's talk some good times, instead of the sad....

What kinda politician would wanna toss this poor Pug away from her beloved sand?


What about this big-footed knucklehead?


"Esther" think not.....


And me? I was gone to the Island...


Because it never leaves my memory, I'd rather be "on the beach."


Hoo-Yah!


And with the storm of the 22nd still raging strong, the beach was unpassable except for a few additional knuckleheads like myself....










And I was reminded of the days of my youth, in a '84 F150 for 600 bucks that had 38.5 inch super swampers.....in swamps where the water ran strong through men's ruts....


But peace awaited those who made it to the other side...






I never have hated the bay, it's just a sailor's worse fear....water with boundaries, with sides, with limits on how far it can go, become, have been.....

We just weren't made for those limits, we need endless ocean....




And like this ole 1976 Evinrude, we need stability, the knowledge of generations past, and their wisdom....And maybe a lil OIL in our gasoline! Lol.


What a mess.





And once again, the darn ever growing "wind turbine apocalypse" was a glaring scar on the face of a once endless array of water and sky, light and darkness, dreams and unending horizons...









But sometime in the night's 2am darkness, sometime after catching some trout and some drum, and some more trout and drum....some straight ignorant should-have-been sailors arrived while I was sleeping that I just might know, and well----the rest? That's just history. Old Green just might have laughed, and Smith too....


And me? I had such a good hours long conversation with a great friend of mine that showed up amongst the ignorant future sailors that the sun came up before we knew it, and I had to take a nap on the tailgate...while wearing my "TEAM HARLDLIFE."

Team Hardlife forever baby!!!



But the sun coming up was so georgeous....featuring individual rays of light promising hope to a day filled with fish, adventure, and nothing but fresh salt air....




But my friends headed deep into Indian country, while I was horrified at the still strong southerly current...because this trip had been taken on the premise of either surf fishing or offshore zodiac tripping...and you can fight that norther driven current but you'll never win.


And I felt so guilty that I had left my loved ones behind, that I headed back to get them, heck. The sharks, the surf fishing, the zodiac...it could wait! Our loved ones can't! I knew tomorrow would hold dead flat surf, and darnit, the old lady hadn't been on the beach with me in a while. Heart strings are a strong pull, that a man just can't deny.






And Esther was so happy!


And off the grid we were...


Even Max!


And doggies got crazy! Who could blame em? We caught red after red after red....maybe 25 or more....bluefish too. Sometimes our fish would get chomped in half courtesy Mr. Blacktip. Which speaking of, continually ran up and down the 1st bar throughout the day eating on mullet at a leisurely 1 mph. Lol! Even the spanish mackerel showed up, and we stayed busy.







And doggies got baths.


And my big buddy at the 18.5 arrived to greet me as always he will until spring....


And life was good.




And my old lady and I caught about 25 redfish, no whiting, not a single hardhead but one, and a few spanish mackerel. She hates redfish as does Ralph and now me, and we just threw em all back. We sure ain't starving, and I gave up doing this for a living at 19 years young. And this bluefish was bitten in half during the fight, so out it went on a shark casted rig. Because the old timers are right, if you wanna catch a shark, cast a bait over the 1st bar. Problem solved.






So me and my lil girl Esther waited patiently for about an hour until Mr. Blacktip returned to harass everything.


BAM! Immediately passed of to Kat before she whooped my butt for messing with her rod and her fish----and it was a 6ft blacktip landed on a sealine 50 with a custom Buddhahead custom rod.....Lol!!! To this day she keeps talking about her arms and legs hurt....


And esther was HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY AGAIN!


And the morning brought serene skies and seas and some trout fishing....







But that trip had to end, and a new one begin, albeit without my old lady. Back to work she would go....and to the beach I would return alone and glad I had taken the time to give her a trip to the sand. And without a camper but with a nice lil boat!





And with a goal of daytripping to scout out a new spot offshore and then heading back home...not wanting to start a shark trip on the weekend which would of course finish out the first day with a complete mental breakdown from what would surely be a vehicle blowing through camp every 2 hours (totally unacceptable).








And fishing a spot I lost this summer when my GPS went in the drink never to return... but relocated and just as productive as before.







And the next daytrip brought storms...


And just a little ingorance. Typical!!! Lol.











But I still caught snapper that trip. The problem was, after maybe 25 snapper,every last one was either undersize or barely legal. Because unlike some folks who come up the beach from down south, hide their TX Registration numbers from me, and keep 15 to 20 undersize fish per person on the boat, I refuse to keep a fish that isn't legal. Too bad so sad, ain't none of us starving. As for you fellas, I reckon you know whatsup. You seen my dumb butt circling you.

And so it was time for a last shark/beach trip before work, with the first day to be spent launching and relaunching the boat to check for the existence of about 5 or 6 wrecks that I've been told about, found in old reading materials, etc....and to actually ride over their coordinates/mile markers and verify if old Poseidon has taken them the way of the sea or if they stubbornly remain rooted above the bottom...












And I stopped to take the time to put some 200mm action on the El Codo De Diablo, and put every one of you in the driver's seat of such a view...




So beautiful...






And the bay was so high that old Dunn's Green Hill camp was totally underwater....








And it was time to get back off that sand...and begin wreck number one, but AFTER getting into yet again some more 2nd gut baitball action! And the sharks strafed the boat time and time again as the spanish would dart in and out of the school....but the jacks continued to remain absent...strange....


And after an entire day worked itself into late afternoon chasing wreck after wreck, I finally met up with a friend of mine who's either luckier or better than most, I'll let him decide, and off we went to the last area. And as I unstrapped the boat and jammed out to some Sirius 80's hits, the millions of minnows and mullet in the wade gut scattered, and he threw a lure in JUST the right spot. And caught this 23 inch, 3lb fella!







But when he finally had to take off, I got after what my heart desired...and SURROUNDED a particular wreck with bait afte bait, hoping for something new...





And the peace settled in like a cloud over me.






Finally alone.
















But the night would be competely uneventful, and the baits untouched. Strange, but not the first time our best efforts remain only that, "efforts."


So I beachcombed the morning away, and soon found/tripped over something I've never found washed in before.


Senior Jay? What do we got going on here?? I always rely on your knowledge....the number directs to a school in Miami, and the inside held a satellite transmitter...




And the contents were very cool....















And as the winds continued to pick up, these fellas continued to take a precarious hold on anything to avoid being blown away. Whether a shell, the truck, or driftwood, they seemed to hold on fast....but what is this?


One even rode ALL the way home with me on the undercarriage of my truck, only to come popping out after I started washing the rig.




And finally, I would find this artifact. Found way downs south in the storm debris....what is it? I really remain unsure...it has a a type of wood grain marking to its one side...






But it was soon time to get thrown off, displaced, evacuated, rescued, heck-whatever you wanna call it!




Bye Padre....


You wooly devil you....




I'll never tame you, but you'll never whoop me either....




And the red ball minnows were so thick in the surf, which by the way was on fire with fish...






And it was soon time to disco boogie on off that Island and back to the house per the one and only big Federal Govt....with just enough time for one last stupid song!




That's about a wrap folks.
And all silliness aside, all goofiness and laughter on the back burner, there is really absolutely nothing funny about the American public being held hostage during political games not of our own doing, and being told that we aren't welcome on the very lands and parks and monuments that our fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought and died to call our home, and that belong to us all, not to some goofball up in Washington who hasn't figured out how to get along with anyone yet. I've never heard of such hogwash in my entire life as you and me and all of us being kicked OUT of everything from the Statue of Liberty to the conttonpicking seashore.

But such is life, and this too shall pass. We all got bills to pay, and the price of putting food on the table ain't going down anytime soon. So until I see all ya'll on the beach again, we're all getting a paycheck once more, and the powers that be in the District of Disarray either fight or get it figured out, fair winds and following seas...

Full speed ahead and Godbless.


-Colin
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Protect Padre at all costs for future generations to use and enjoy and never forget our freedoms aren't free.

www.padreislandexpeditions.com

[deputydawg]

Awesome!!!!!! I love the pics and your outlook on life and the Island! I have to go to work in a bit and am kind of bummed out about that and life in general today. You just made it a little easier to stomach. Hopefully those fools will work it out and OUR beach will be back open soon!

[shallowsport]

WOW! really cool report. Great pictorial review.

[FoldCatOne]

In retrospect, can you imagine what Ralph Wade might say or do if some mealy mouthed DC policeman or Park Ranger told him he couldn't go view the WWII Memorial??

[Dexter]

That was GREAT!
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Pinsbeach

><(((*> ~.~.~ ><(((*> ~.~.~ ><(((*>

[david weber]

Awesome Report!

[troutless]

AWESOME INDEED!~ Thanks I needed that. God Bless Colin

[kayakattack]

Awesome write up and amazing pictures as always , thanks for sharing
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[CopanoCruisin]

As usual, a very good spread and narration. I would especially like to thank you for mentioning Pancho, sure bright back some great memories. He was on heck of a fisherman, superior craftsman and a heck of a good guy. Thanks again.........cC

[fishinglady]

Thank you for sharing your adventures with such wonderful pictures.

[lifeaquatic]

Thanks Towboat for another totally "Trashy" report!

I mean that in an awesome way, of course

[wallhanger]

As I read your report like so many times before I felt like I was in the passenger seat for your adventure. Your writings are like reading straight from an adventure novel. That being said I think you are the man to do THE job. I think you are the man to write the books of Ralph and Billy. I think you would do them more justice than anyone could. They can just tell their story, you can put it on paper and bring it to life. They have so many great stories to tell that we are all dying to read but you sir in your creative writing could put it all together.

[HungerBuster]

I gotta tell ya, you REALLY have to love the island to even THINK of doing some of the things you make look easy. Least of which is towing a trailer through crap like that. AND have the energy to wash the rig when you get back to boot. Shesh. I feel small, but fulfilled Great report. FISH ON!
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Fish ON!

[Roofish]

Still look forward to your reports, God Bless & stay safe out there
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ROOFISH

[Towboat Trash]