Author: Mike Coker
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Sprigs! Pintails back in the day
Pintails were the only ducks we really chased back in the day. By “back in the day” I mean the late ’70s and early ’80s along the Gulf Coast. What a wonderful time and place to be a teenager. It helped that our family owned Portland Marine and I had easy access to a variety…
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H-E-B | Our Texas, Our Future Films: Redfish Revival
This is a really cool short film about the redfish recovery efforts in Texas. Our Dad, Glen Coker, was involved in this fight and I recall him going to Austin to meet with state representatives. My parents owned Portland Marine at the time and the commercial fishermen were not happy about the new regulations. We…
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Coker Boys fish Matagorda back lakes
We love fishing the back lakes of Matagorda Island for trout and redfish. Typically, we start off fishing the shorelines with top-waters. My personal favorite is a bone Super Spook Junior. As the day heats up, we either wade out to deeper water or set up on the cuts and drains. Typically we change out…
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Kayak Fishing Redfish in Seadrift
We had another successful fishing trip to the Seadrift area. The Seadrift and Port O’Connor bay systems hold endless possibilities – reefs, marshes, jetties, with endless islands and shorelines. Charles suggested taking his kayaks and using our Gulf Coast as a mothership. So, we loaded up and headed out at sunrise. We hooked up a…
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How to choose a kayak for fishing
Kayak fishing is a great way to get out on the water, explore new areas, and catch some fish. However, choosing the right kayak for fishing can be a daunting task. There are so many options available, it can be difficult to know where to start. In this blog post, we will compare and contrast…
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PIKES PEAK OR BUST
June 14, 2004 and we finally we are off to Colorado! Our route took us through Junction, Fort Stockton, and onward. Around Ft. Stockton, we noticed the engine was sputtering like water or trash in the gas as we had just filled up at Junction and had no earlier problem. We called Bill Cardell, with…
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Laguna Custom Rods
The popularity of high-end fishing rods has continued to evolve through the years. In the past, you were forced to choose mostly between mass-produced rods and custom-built rods. My Dad had a nice workbench where he built up custom rods on Fenwick blanks with decorative thread wraps. Now, the serious angler on the Gulf Coast…
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The perfect hog hunting rifle!
Hunting wild hogs has become a mainstream sport in Texas due to the proliferation and destructive nature of this invasive species. Being a non-game animal, there are very few restrictions on how they may be hunted. They may be pursued year-round by almost any means necessary. So, what makes a good hog hunting rifle? The…
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Bennett SLT10 Self-Leveling Tab System Review
We added a pair of Bennett self-leveling 10″ trim tabs to our Gulf Coast Classic 18 and could not be more pleased with the performance! One of the best investments ever at only $123. They have made a dramatic improvement in our hole shot while fishing the flats. Like most boats, our Gulf Coast will…
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Port O’Connor Redfish
We made a weekend trip to Port O’Connor post cold front. For our part, the fishing was fairly slow with bait hard to find. Perhaps we didn’t hit all the right spots but we ended up scratching out a few fish. Interestingly, all of my reds were caught on top-water! Always a blast watching the…
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Jackery Solar Generator 1500 Review
The Jackery Solar Generator 1500 is a great choice for both work and play. Living on the Gulf Coast has taught me the importance of having backup power for when the electrical grid gets knocked out by a hurricane (or freak ice storm!). Jackery is a leader in clean, green, portable power solutions and their…
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Green LED light bar for hunting vehicle
It frequently amazes me that hunters often feel the need to light up the woods as if it were daylight. I am the complete opposite in that I want just enough light to safely drive from camp to hunting area with minimal disruption. When driving my F-150 I turn off all of the lights other…
