The View: May 2022

Spring winds and tides dictate how we fish for trout in May. Matagorda anglers are always trying to get in the middle of East Bay in five feet of water because there is always a chance of catching a speckled trout as long as your arm.

Smile, take a photo, then let her go. Keep smiling, keep talking about how big she was, and then pat yourself on the back for taking care of our natural resources. I and everyone else thank you for putting the good of the bay ahead of your self-worth – It’s working! Our bays are rebounding and it’s all because of changing attitudes geared toward the good of the resource.

When tides are above normal the east end of the bay around Brown Cedar Flats seems to hold more fish. Look for swollen tides in May and make long drifts with plastics and live shrimp. We will continue to work mud and shell flats on the west end of East Bay when the wind allows.

Best baits have been a Gulp, Vudu, or live shrimp under a popping cork, but Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, and MirrOlure Lil' Johns have worked as well.

Back lakes are holding beautiful reds while wading or drifting. If you wade you can really stay with a school and keep from dispersing the crowd with hull slap from your boat. If you must fish from a boat, make long casts with plastics or shrimp under cork. Aim for the sandy potholes.

Reefs along the north and south shorelines of West Matagorda Bay are holding large concentrations of reds. Popping corks with about a foot of leader and a live shrimp have been deadly. Lure guys are chunking gold spoons, broken-backs, soft plastics and Humpbacks.

When the wind blows harder than 15 knots from the south the best option is to wade West Matagorda Bay. Grass beds along the south shoreline hold clean water, but it is the dingy water that actually holds most of the fish. Afternoon incoming tides are ushering in wads of glass minnows and trout follow the minnows. We are throwing small topwaters, MirrOlure Soft-Dines, and soft plastics on 1/8-ounce jig heads.

Flounder are beginning to show in the bayous along the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay. Waders have scored more bites on scented soft plastics like Gulps and MirrOlure Lil Johns. Dragging the muddy bottom of sloughs and bayous has been the best bet. Spring tides have pushed more flatfish tight to the grass where they are dining on mud minnows, small shrimp and glass minnows.

Black drum action in May is good with larger tides, especially on the large, shallow reefs. Back lakes with shell like Oyster and Crab lakes are all about black drum. Drum love fresh shrimp and it’s a good game plan for lots of bent rods.

Offshore guys are taking advantage of calm days to get out and catch state water red snapper. Wrecks and reefs inside the nine mile territorial waters have been prospering lately. Look for kingfish and other pelagic species to work closer to the beach this month.

I will be giving the Garmin Middle Coast fishing report on the Texas Insider Fishing Report on ATT Sportsnet SW and Bally’s SW every Thursday-Saturday. Show times vary weekly due to the Astros and Rangers schedule.

Please continue to take care of our resource and consider releasing more than you harvest.

Check out Sunrise Lodge video: http://vimeo.com/m/58631486