FishNet Daily News Lower Laguna Madre Fishing Report

April 11, 2007 - The airboat nuisance is not as bad as it has been the last three months, however, the LLM still resembles a jungle of bamboo poles and white floats marring what used to be pristine waterways and posing a hazard to boaters hoping to early bird it, so be careful. Let’s hope the company responsible for the on-going seismic testing will clean up after themselves.

Heavy spring traffic is making it tough to match winter totals, but we’re limiting daily on redfish in shallow and “going deep” for trout as soon as that last red is landed. Freddy says, “If you want bragging rights, a fish gripper with digital scale is best for weighing and safely handling big sow trout full of eggs; Berkley’s 14” Lip Grip Scale is the tool for the job.”

This is the time of year to fish the deep, east side pot holes between the Convention Center and Gas Well flats for specks using Maulers trailing a Gulp bait or plastic shrimp tail. Spring winds churn oxygen into the salty bay energizing marine life and allowing us to make long, productive drifts.

Capt. Janie Petty was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, where she fished off shore and in the surf as a child with her family. She met her husband, Capt. Freddy Petty in 1978, and has been fishing the Lower Laguna Madre since then, first as a commercial fisherman, and then guiding chartered bay trips for the last 25 years. The Petty's have built a reputation as concerned and informed participants in the endeavor to preserve our natural resources in the South Texas bay system. Janie is also an artist, painting watercolor portraits, and a volunteer firefighter with the Laguna Vista Fire Department.

Photo Gallery

Little girl, big fish, know what I mean. Ruth Vela with a very nice red caught while fishing early one morning with Capt. Janie

Annual MAFTA weekend in September. Looks like a bunch of happy campers, and this is just the first day!

Father and sons after a great day fishing with the other Capt. Petty, Aug. 2nd.

Kathleen and buddy proudly holding two of the reds they caught with Capt. Janie on July 24th.

Doss Myrick, his wife, Jane and her dad, Karl caught their limit of reds and three nice trout fishing with Capt. Janie Petty out of Laguna Vista on Fri. Jan. 20th., and boy was it windy!

The tides have been lower than we've ever seen. Just when we thought it couldn't get any lower...surprise! The water was barely covering the end of the boat ramp, not only making it tough to pull the boat out with the trailer boards hi and dry, but leaving little maneuverable water in the marina in Laguna Vista on Thurs. Jan. 19th.

Photo taken as the setting moon and sunrise combine to paint a pretty picture. A little chilly, but the fish were biting...this was minutes before the angler landed a 30 inch redfish.

What a crew! John, Tom, Tom, and Gene fished with Freddy and I Sat., Feb. 4th. My guys were limited on reds with a flounder and trout by 9:00. While we messed around waiting for the other boat to limit, they did just that and added two oversize to top off a great day of winter fishing!

Tom Neustrom, a professional guide from Minnesota, who happens to be a great friend and just all 'round good guy, holding a red, caught on a Berkley Gulp Shrimp. Give Tom a call and he can put you on some fish when you're up in his neck of the woods.

Photographs courtesy Janie Petty - www.fishingwithpettys.com