Hello Arroyo Partners:

It looks like winter has come and gone and nobody even noticed down here in the Rio Grande Valley.  We still have not received any decent rain and we are dealing with warm, humid weather at the moment.

I want to remind everyone that the ACWP will be holding several of their Work Group meetings in January.

The Arroyo Colorado Habitat Workgroup meeting will be held on February 9, 2012 from 2-4 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015, in Weslaco, TX.

Please make a note that the Arroyo Colorado O&E WG meeting will be held in conjunction with the Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on Thursday, February 9, 2012 from 5:00 -7:00 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015, Weslaco, TX.  We will be planning key activities for 2012 and want members of the O&E WG and Steering Committee present to help guide the decision making process.  We will have food and refreshments from 4:30-5:00 pm.  We will be announcing a very special fund raising event in partnership with the Valley Land Fund and the date for the first 2012 Arroyo Colorado Texas Stream Team Volunteer Monitor Training Workshop at the meeting. 

If you have any topics or suggestions to include on the Agendas for the upcoming workgroup meetings please call or send me an e-mail.

I have been getting reports that anglers and bringing in respectable catches of redfish and trout in between the cold fronts when the wind lays down.  I still have not been on the water this year but am “chomping on the bit” to get out there.   I will keep you posted.

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

Happy New Year!  I hope that everyone had a very happy holiday season with your family and loved ones.  Even though it feels like you need a vacation to recover from the holidays, it is time to get back to work. 

The Rio Grande Valley finally received some rain!  On the last day of the Irrigation Expo, a cold front triggered some showers throughout the Valley.  Right before Christmas and throughout the end of the year a cold front would seemingly blow through every 2-3 days resulting in 2 days of cold, wet dreary weather followed by 2-3 days of cold but clear, sunny skies.  The rain was by no means a drought breaker but it was nice to actually see the rain again.

I want to remind everyone that the ACWP will be holding several of their Work Group meetings in January.

Please make a note that the Arroyo Colorado O&E WG meeting will not be held on January 10, 2012 as scheduled.  It will be held in conjunction with the Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on Thursday, February 9, 2012 from 4:30 -5:00 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015, Weslaco, TX.  We will be planning key activities for 2012 and want members of the O&E WG and Steering Committee present to help guide the decision making process.

The Arroyo Colorado Habitat Workgroup meeting will be held on February 9, 2012 from 2-4 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015, in Weslaco, TX.

The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership will be hosting an Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on February 9, 2012 from 5-7 pm.  Food and refreshments will be served from 4:30-5:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at The Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.  We need your input so please make it a point to attend.

If you have any topics or suggestions to include on the Agendas for the upcoming workgroup meetings please call or send me an e-mail.

We have had some really great weather but I have not been out on the water just yet.  I have fresh line on my reels, some new top water lures and a pair of waders ready to go.  The water is still pretty cold so I might have to wait.  I will keep you posted.

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

I hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones. The Rio Grande Valley still has not received any significant rainfall.  The lack of rainfall has resulted in record setting demands for irrigation water in the Rio Grande Valley and is starting to have an impact on the amount of irrigation water available for next year.  The Valley desperately needs some rain.  A Pacific cold front blew in yesterday and dropped temperatures to just below freezing over night.  Another cold front is expected to blow in by Tuesday and will keep the temperatures hovering around the freezing mark after sundown for the next several days.  I hope that the cold weather does not negatively impact any vegetables or citrus that are out in the fields and orchards.  Next to my house in La Feria, they have been harvesting cilantro (coriander) and other greens for the last couple of weeks.  The smell of freshly cut cilantro fills the air until about 10:00 am and is absolutely amazing. 

The ACWP hosted several of their Work Group meetings in October.  The Ag Work Group summary has been posted on the website.  I have attached the summaries for the Habitat WG and the Steering Committee meeting.  Please review and provide comments/edits before we post the summaries on the website.  Three key topics were discussed during the Steering Committee meeting; 1) the formation of the Arroyo Colorado Urban Storm Water WG (AC-USW WG) to address the new MS4 permit and how the permit will affect the Arroyo, 2) that the local TXDOT office has joined the Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee and will be part of the Urban Storm Water WG and 3) the formation of the Arroyo Colorado Financial Development WG (AC-FD WG) to plan and develop different fundraising ideas and events to sustain the ACWP.

If you have any suggestions or comments regarding the AC-USW WG or the AC-FD WG please call or send me an e-mail.

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming event:

The Texas Irrigation Expo will be held December 9-10, 2011 at the McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd.  Please register at www.texasirrigationexpo.org to register for the event.

I made a run out to the Pt. Mansfield land cut a couple of weeks ago to try my luck at catching some bull-reds and got skunked.  All the conditions were perfect and I had some nice mullet but the tide was wrong.  I did manage to catch close to what seemed like a thousand hard head catfish.  I guess I have to admit that the 2011 fishing season, at least for me, has come to end.  It is time to clean up and lube your reels, strip of the old line and re-spool and wait for spring to roll around.

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

The drought continues.  A small cold front did manage to stir up some severe thunderstorms in Willacy and parts of Cameron Co. day before yesterday.  This line of storms did generate some heavy, localized, rain but it was not the gully washer we have been hoping for.  The Rio Grande Valley is still behind in it’s rain fall totals for the year.

I want to remind everyone that the ACWP will be holding several of their Work Group meetings in October.

The Arroyo Colorado Ag Issues Workgroup meeting will be held on October 19, 2011 from 9-12 pm at the Harlingen Pump-house.

The Arroyo Colorado Habitat Workgroup meeting will be held on October 20, 2011 from 2-4 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.

The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership will be hosting an Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on October 20, from 5-7 pm.  Food and refreshments will be served from 4:30-5:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at The Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.  We will be discussing the formation of two workgroups; the Urban NPS WG and the Financial Development WG.  We need your input so please make it a point to attend.

If you have any topics or suggestions to include on the Agendas for the upcoming workgroup meetings please call or send me an e-mail.

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming events:

The Valley Environmental summit will be held on October 28, 2011 at the McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd from 8:00 am-3:00 pm.  Please register at www.valleyes.org to secure your seat at the luncheon.

The Texas Irrigation Expo will be held December 9-10, 2011 at the McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd.  Please register at www.texasirrigationexpo.org to register for the event.

A couple of weeks ago, the annual hummingbird migration was in full swing in the Rio Grande Valley.  There was a span of about seven days when there were thousands of hummingbirds swarming every feeder and flowering plant they could find.  I was filling my feeders 3 times a day to keep up with them.  It is really amazing that the Rio Grande Valley is their last stop before embarking on a 500 mile, non-stop trip across the Gulf of Mexico.  I was able to slip away to get some fishing in a couple of times over the last month.  The fishing was a little slow.  We were targeting reds on plastic and topwaters and managed to snag a couple.  I have been doing quite a bit of yard-work and tree-pruning in preparation of fall/winter.  I have also been re-spooling my bigger rod and reel combos to be ready for the annual drum run.  I have heard that the reds are “schooling” but not “running” just yet.  I am planning to make a trip out to the Pt. Mansfield land cut later this week to try my luck.  I will keep you posted.   If you have a chance, be sure to wet a line.  I hope to see you out there.     

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

The drought situation in Texas is as bad as it gets. Down here in the Rio Grande Valley, we had some afternoon thunderstorms roll in off of the coast last week that really helped out. The weather prognosticators are calling for rain today and for the rest of the week. I am positive they are right this time,somehow, it always rains before and during opening day of the special white wing season in South Texas.

During the past month, we have been very busy writing final reports to close out theArroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan Implementationgrant/project. This grant/project ends today. A lot of time, work and money went into this project and the Arroyo Colorado and Lower Laguna Madre are better off because of that. I want to thank all of our Arroyo partners that helped make this happen.

Tomorrow, we begin work on theSustainability of the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership and Continued Implementation of the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan. The ACWP is very excited and pleased that we will be able to continue implementing the nutrient/pollution control measures outlined in the ACWPP. Once again, we will look to you, Arroyo Partners, to help us make this grant/project even more successful than the last one. I want to thank the TCEQ and the EPA for funding this project.

Beginning Monday, tune your radios to KEDT-FM for a 10-part series, "The Laguna Madre," an educational outreach effort sponsored by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The five-to-six-minute episodes will air weekdays at 8:04 a.m. and 4:44 p.m. on KEDT-FM 90.3 in Corpus Christi and KVRT-FM 90.7 in Victoria. "The Laguna Madre" explores the many attributes of this unique body of water on the South Texas coast through conversations with scientists, fishermen, birders and boaters. The series' goal is to raise awareness in the region about this wild, coastal gem right in our own backyard. The series is a part of the Harte Research Institute's ongoing outreach effort, "Gulf Matters: A Series about the Gulf of Mexico, America's Sea." If you would like to listen to the series, you can go to the Arroyo Colorado website to find a link to it.

A while back Allen asked Leslie Lee, TWRI, to make a Facebook page for the ACWP. She finished it last week and it’s up and ready.

We’re working on getting 25 “likes” so that then we can get a shortened, vanity URL name for it, so please like it and then share it with someone else.

Fishing has been tough under these extremely hot conditions. Fishing, for me anyway, has been hit and miss. We have been able to locate reds but they are been very finicky and the trout have been on the small side. Capt. Richard Lopez and I were able to round up same reds despite the tough conditions. The reds were hitting on the smaller 2”-3” size of top water lures. We even participated in the Fishing for Hope fishing tournament representing the “First Choice Power #1” fishing team. We were able to squeak out 4^th place in the red division in a very tough field of competitors. I heard scuttlebutt that the reds were just starting to “school up” in anticipation of the “drum-run” later this fall. I will keep you posted.

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

What a difference a few weeks can make.  Over the last two weeks the Rio Grande Valley received 3-5 inches of rain from a low pressure system and tropical storm Arlene.  Brownsville received enough rain that they are finally above their rainfall total for the year, for the first time since last year.  The native trees and vegetation are in full bloom and local wildlife have gotten a slight reprieve from the heat.

I want to remind everyone that the ACWP will be holding several of their Work Group meetings in July.

The O&E WG will be held next Tuesday on July 12, 2011 from 10 am-12 pm at the Agrilife Extension Center conference room.  The extension center is located at 2401 E. Expressway 83 in Weslaco, TX.

The Arroyo Colorado Habitat Workgroup meeting will be held on July 21, 2011 from 2-4 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.

The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership will be hosting an Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on July 21, from 5-7 pm.  Food and refreshments will be served from 4:30-5:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at The Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.

If you have any topics or suggestions to include on the Agendas for the upcoming workgroup meetings please call or send me an e-mail.

I was able to slip away to do a little fishing over the holiday weekend.  I caught a limit of trout (5) on two consecutive days of fishing, free-lining live shrimp.  We tried but could not find any reds.  I got some reports that reds and trout could be caught in the late afternoon under the "birds" in the back-bays of the LLM.  If you have a chance, be sure to wet a line.  I hope to see you out there.     

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

The Rio Grande Valley and most of Texas, still, has not received any rain.  To say that we are in a full blown drought would be an understatement. According to the National Weather Service, current drought conditions in the Valley are "exceptional," a technical classification even more drastic then "severe". The local weather prognosticators are predicting that a low in the Gulf of Mexico could provide some much needed rain to the RGV Tuesday and Wednesday.  We will wait and see what happens.

I want to remind everyone that the ACWP will be holding several of their Work Group meetings in July.

• The O&E WG will be held on July 12, 2011 from 10 am-12 pm at the Agrilife Extension Center conference room.  The extension center is located at 2401 E. Expressway 83 in Weslaco, TX.
• The Arroyo Colorado Habitat Workgroup meeting will be held on July 21, 2011 from 2-4 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.
• The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership will be hosting an Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on July 21, from 5-7 pm.  Food and refreshments will be served from 4:30-5:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at The Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.

If you have any topics or suggestions to include on the Agendas for the upcoming workgroup meetings please call or send me an e-mail.

Odwalla is donating $100,000 to plant trees in the United States this year. You have a vote in where those trees will be planted! Visit www.odwalla.com/plantatree and plant your tree in Texas. Each tree planted online equals $1 your state will receive to plant real trees in Texas State Parks. Last year you helped raise over $15,000 for trees at Garner State Park. This year's contest ends when there are 100,000 votes, so place your vote today! Texas ranked fourth in votes last year, being topped out by Maryland, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Let's put Texas in the top 3 this year!

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming meeting:

• The USIBWC will be hosting a Lower Rio Grande Valley Citizens Forum on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from 3:00 pm -5:00 pm at the Hoblitzelle Auditorium, TX A&M Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 2415 E. Hwy 83,Weslaco. There will be a presentation on Bacteria Levels in the Lower Rio Grande Basin by the CRP and an update on vegetation management in the Arroyo Colorado to reduce flood risk.

The fishing in the LLM has been outstanding.  This was verified by veteran Port Mansfield guide, Capt. Walt Kittelberger last week, in Richard Moore's "Nature Report".  In the report, Capt. Kittelberger states that the quality and quantity of trout in the LLM has sky-rocketed and are close to pre 1984 numbers.  After catching a nice stringer of trout along the King Ranch shoreline, he hooks and lands 2 flounder in some real skinny water.  This is exciting news for anglers, especially coming from an "old Salt" like Walt that has been fishing about as long as I have been alive.  You can see the video by going to ValleyCentral.com and then clicking on the neighborhood tab and then the nature report tab.  If you have a chance, be sure to wet a line.  I hope to see you out there.     

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

The Rio Grande Valley is in a full blown drought.  We have not received any rainfall since October.  There was some light rain in Western Starr County this morning but that has been it.  There are predicting a 30% chance of rain tomorrow.  We can only hope that they are right.    

April was a busy month in the Arroyo Colorado Watershed!  The Valley wide Spring Trash Bash was held on April 2, 2011.  

A Texas Waterways Cleanup event targeted the Arroyo Colorado on April 9, 2011.  This was hosted by Valley Proud Environmental Council and Valley Sportsman Association.  There were 40 volunteers and 5 boats that collected 20-40 lb bags of trash.

The ACWP also hosted and O&E WG, AG issues WG, Habitat WG and Steering Committee meetings in April.

There were also several Earth Day Events held in La Feria, Mercedes, Weslaco, San Juan, McAllen and Alton.  There were a couple more so I apologize if I left anybody out.

The Texas Stream Team hosted a volunteer monitor training workshop here in the AC watershed on April 23, 2011 and had a very nice turnout of students and professors from UTPA and STC.

I want to congratulate and thank all of the volunteers that showed up to help out.  You really make a difference in the Arroyo Colorado watershed and the Valley.

The TCEQ hosted their 2011 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards banquet on May 4, 2011 at the Austin Convention Center.  There were 8 Environmental Excellence Awards handed out that evening and 2 of the recipients were from the Rio Grande Valley.  Valley Proud Environmental Council won the award in the Civic/Community division and the Harlingen Irrigation District, Cameron Co. # 1 won the award in the Agricultural division!  I want to congratulate both organizations on receiving this great honor.  They were also 2 finalist from the Valley; the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership and the RGV-TPDES Storm Water Task Force.  All in all, I would have to say that the Rio Grande Valley was very well represented.  All of these organizations are located in the Arroyo Colorado Watershed and all of their efforts help the ACWP move toward our goal of a healthier, cleaner Arroyo Colorado.

The fishing has been rough.  The wind has been howling seemingly non-stop.  The only reprieve from the wind has been when a weak cold front has blown in.  Right after those cold fronts the fishing has been good until the winds start to pick up again.  I couple of weeks ago, Capt. Richard Lopez, one of our fishing buddies and I went out after one of the fronts blew through after work.  I was able to land a fabled grand slam; 1-25" trout, 1-22" flounder and 1-28" redfish!  This was my first grand slam in about 10 years.  We caught a total of 23 trout, 9 reds and 1 flounder.  Capt. Lopez produced another grand slam on Saturday with one of his clients!  This year alone, I have seen 4 keeper flounder come into the boat.  That is more than I have seen in quite a while.  I hope that the flounder population keeps rebounding.  I did not get an photos of the fish but included some photos of the TCEQ EE Awards Banquet. 

See more photos on Flickr

Looking ahead,
Jaime Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

The Rio Grande Valley is full bloom.  Everywhere you look, there is new, lush vegetation.  Despite the lack of rain, the Valley is green and beautiful.

I want to remind everyone that the ACWP will be holding several of their Work Group meetings in April.

• The O&E WG will be held on April 12, 2011 from 10 am-12 pm at the Agrilife Extension Center conference room.  The extension center is located at 2401 E. Expressway 83 in Weslaco, TX.
• The Ag WG meeting will be held on April 21, 2011 from 9:30 am-12 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.
• The Arroyo Colorado Habitat Workgroup meeting will be held on April 21, 2011 from 2-4 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.
• The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership will be hosting an Arroyo Colorado Steering Committee meeting on April 21, from 5-7 pm.  Food and refreshments will be served from 4:30-5:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at The Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015.

If you have any topics or suggestions to include on the Agendas for the upcoming workgroup meetings please call or send me an e-mail.

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming events:

• The Valley Wide Trash Bash will be held Saturday April 2, from 7:30 am -12:00 pm.  Check with your city officials as to where to meet in your city.  Hope to see some of you there.
• The Valley Proud Environmental Council Texas is teaming up with the Valley Sportsmen Club to host a Texas Waterways Cleanup event.  The waterway that they will target for cleanup is the Arroyo Colorado.  

  Laura Maxwell sent me the following; Please join us, Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 8:00 am-11:00 am. Volunteers will meet at the Rio Hondo Boat Ramp at 7:30 am.

  This is a boat clean up and if you have a boat and would like to participate, please call me at (956) 412-8004, or email at vpec@sbcglobal.net.

  The event will take place from the Rio Hondo Boat Ramp up river to the Port of Harlingen and down river to the Circle X. If you have a hook stick for pulling things out of trees please bring it with you. Remember sun screen, hats, water and gloves (some will be provided but always good to bring your own too!).

• The Texas Stream Team will be having a volunteer monitor training workshop on Saturday, April 23, from 9:00-5:00 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015 in Weslaco, TX. If you are interested, please contact me through email or Josh Oyer at 512-245-7591 and reserve your slot as soon as possible.  Slots are filling up as we speak.  Reserve your spot today.

I have been quite concerned as to what effects all of the floodwater that was released last year would have on the Lower Laguna Madre.  I recently read an article by Scott Null in the CCA's, March issue of TIDE magazine.  He quoted Mark Lingo, TPWD lead biologist, as describing the LLM as nutrient limited as far as organic matter entering the LLM. He went on to say that in the long term, the flush of fresh water should be an incredible boost for the entire bay and should result in a more diverse and healthy forage base.  The article went on to say that several local guides have seen an increase in the baitfish, shrimp and crab population this spring and that the trout, redfish and snook have responded by going on a serious feeding spree.  I was extremely excited to read this and it confirmed what I have been experiencing over the last couple of weeks out on the water.  There is baitfish and shrimp everywhere.   I don't ever recall seeing so much bait.  The shorelines are thick with bait pods and the trout and reds are feasting on all of it.  This Sunday, we caught 4 limits of trout and four reds.  We must have released 30-40 specks.  All of the trout were fat and very healthy. The reds were thick and feisty.  The LLM is responding well to all of the freshwater.  Only time will tell if it stays that way.

Looking ahead,
Jaime J Flores

Hello Arroyo Partners:

The Rio Grande Valley is settling into a spring weather pattern after 2 late cold fronts dropped temperatures below the freezing mark.  Farmers and citrus growers were extremely concerned about losing their crops and citrus to these late cold fronts.  So far, it looks like most crops and citrus made it through ok.  Today, we are expecting highs in the 80's with stiff south-southeastern breeze.

The ACWP hosted it's O&E Work Group meeting on February 8th and Habitat Work Group meeting and Steering Committee on February 10th.  All of the meetings were very productive and I will be posting the meeting summaries on the website very soon.

One of the topics in our Habitat Work Group meeting was the IBWC's plan to remove all mature trees and vegetation within the limits of the Arroyo Colorado Floodplain between Expressway 83 and FM 509.  The proposed works by the IBWC is in response to the flooding that the Rio Grande Valley experienced last year.  The IBWC estimated that the floodwaters in the above mentioned limits of the Arroyo Colorado flowed 4' above design and 1' from flooding low lying areas of Harlingen.  The IBWC contends that these works must be done before flood season begins. Our plan is to work with the IBWC to minimize the amount of trees and vegetation lost during this project.  If you have any thoughts or comments on this issue, please send them to me.

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming events:

• The Fiesta De La Feria is this Saturday, February 26, 2011.  This is an all day event with food, fun and music.  It will be held in downtown La Feria and is free to the public.  The AC watershed model will be on display.  Hope to see some of you there.
• The NRA Coordinated Monitoring Meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday March 30th from 10:00AM -3:00PM.  The meeting will be held at the Nueces River Authority Coastal Bend Division located at 1201 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas  78401.  Because the meeting will be during lunch, they are planning to pre-order sandwiches for anyone interested.  You can contact Kati Carberry at 361-653-2110, kcarberry@nueces-ra.org
• The Texas Stream Team will be having a volunteer monitor training workshop on Saturday, April 23, from 9:00-5:00 pm at the Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center located at 3301 S. FM 1015 in Weslaco, TX. If you are interested, please contact me through email or Josh Oyer at 512-245-7591 and reserve your slot as soon as possible.  Slots are filling up as we speak.  Reserve your spot today.

Well I finally made it out to the water to wet a line a couple of weeks ago.  I went out with Capt. Richard Lopez and one of our fishing buddies to do a little scouting for an upcoming trip.  We headed out from Port Mansfield to do a little wading.  It was extremely cold with a water temperature of 51 degrees when we left the dock.  We waded and waded at several different spots and had no luck.  It was now about four o'clock with not even a nibble.  On the way to our next spot, as I pondered why I was out here and why I could not feel my toes, Richard spotted some bait fish jumping and stopped the boat.  He jumped in the water and a hooked a nice red on his first cast.  I followed him into the water and also hooked a red on my first cast.  The water was thick with red and black drum and you could see them tailing and crashing bait fish right in front of us.  We were catching fish virtually on every cast.  This continued until the sun started to set.  We caught and released over 20-25 reds in about 45 minutes.  We also brought home 3 limits of reds, 1 black drum and 1 flounder.  What an awesome day!

Looking ahead,
Jaime J Flores