Last week our whole family spent the week at South Padre Island. We had all five kids, four spouses, and seven and one-half grandkids, all on two floors of one big house on the beach. The week didn't get off to a good start when my boat was rear ended on the first trip to the ramp. The lady's car had major damage, especially with the motor skag guard through her windshield. We weren't deterred, with a little, make that a lot, of JB Weld and a big hose clamp on the lower unit we were in the water very soon. It turns out there is no public boat ramp on South Padre Island. The private ones charge $10. A pint of shrimp goes for $9.50. After all that we ended up with only four keeper trout.

The surf fishing was different. Late one evening I tried a root beer colored bass assassin in the surf. On the third cast I had a big hit and all I could do was watch the line peel off my trusty Abu Garcia 280. The big fish thrashed the surface three times. It went over the third bar and I handed the rod to Ryan. I thought maybe he would follow it in the surf, but he thought it might be a shark that was already in a foul mood, so he just held on until all the line was gone and the fish broke off. I put on a DOA shrimp and tried again and two casts later the DOA got hit and all that was left was the head. I knew it was time to quit. Two days later, in the same location, an angler beached a five foot Black Tip (shown above). Later Ryan did catch a small Black Tip with cut bait. I was surprised at the fish in the surf with so many swimmers. The beach was really crowded.

I talked to Jerry Hill last evening. He said the trout are still pretty active. He said his friend picked up ten on the outside of Traylor on Monday. I had some friends say they picked up some really big trout at Long Reef about a week ago.