Great Expectations for Fall Season

Writing this during the first week of October, fall officially arrived several weeks ago but we didn’t see much of a change in the weather until the remnant of a Pacific hurricane brought much needed rain to south and central Texas last week. Cooler temperatures are on the way as we have already received our first small push of north-northeast wind. Local weather forecasts are calling for continued mild northerly flows which is pretty much a common occurrence along the Middle Coast at this time of year.

The fishing in Rockport has been tough by my standards. Given that I am pushing the 69-year mark, what I consider good is not what many would need to achieve in order to feel good about a day of fishing. Remember this, I love to fish and I love to catch fish of just about any size, but in my profession there are standards that I impose on myself as far as the size of the fish we’re catching. In many other fishing arenas, numbers often trump size for many anglers. I truly wish that I was of that school of thought, but I am not.

Tough bites are not at all uncommon during the later parts of the summer season and even possible in the early fall periods in some systems. I get frustrated for my clients when the trout bite suffers due to the continued hot conditions and the relentless summer fishing pressure. Personally, I like the challenge of a tough bite, knowing that many will struggle and the struggles will lead to disinterest, resulting in early departure in the day. This allows for a calming period for the fish, resulting in a return to normal feeding patterns. I think the problem that I run into most is that my older clientele and I don’t handle the heat as well as we once did and this causes some issues for us. No doubt that hydration is the key to managing the day.

I update my Fishing Club Members every day for the most part, even if I am off for the day. The club updates keep me dialed in a little more with the patterns due to having to recall every wade of the day at day’s end for them in their club updates. Great way to continue to learn, plus retain what is going on out there for sure. Practice makes perfect, right?

As temperatures begin to slowly decline, I do notice that I am beginning to see some slight changes in weekly patterns. Weak fronts do not typically trigger the types of feeding activity as those that arrive later in the fall or winter. Tides are typically high in October, creating some good backwater opportunities. Over the past two years I have noticed an increase in the size of trout we are catching in our back lakes and drains. Much of it has to do with the fishery recovery since the big freeze and the new trout regulations that limit us to just three fish with a retention slot of 15- to 20-inches. I just cannot imagine that we will not see any great fish this fall and winter here in the Rockport area, especially if Mother Nature plays nice and gives us another winter without a killing freeze.

Cooler air temperatures equate to cooler water temperatures, and this is one of Nature’s signals to our bays inhabitants that it is time to begin to prepare for harder times. Harder times being mainly a lack of easily accessible food sources. Mullet become the primary source of food in Rockport. The shrimp, small pinfish, croaker and piggies all migrate to deeper waters or the Gulf beaches. In the Baffin and Lower Laguna regions, mullet is the primary food source most of the year, one of the reasons that the trout grow faster and larger in these portions of the Texas Coast. I also notice that the bite will become more consistent and last for longer periods during the day as we move into fall and then winter. Just this little drop in water and air temperature makes our days more comfortable and more productive.

We had a weak front push through the area with about 1.25 inches of rain, and just about a 5-degree drop in air temperature made the day. So, that day’s high of 89° felt very good compared to the previous days with steady 95° air temperatures. It’s only fall on the calendar, not the water right now, but there is definitely change in the air.

I start seeing trout using the drains that feed our backwater lakes more during periods of tidal movement as we progress deeper into the fall season. Once in the lakes, I am confident that most of the fish stay there as long as a substantial and stable food source remains in place. During daily periods of strong tidal movement, I love working the deeper bends and turns in the drains. Trout are ambush feeders and strong tidal movement in a decreased strike zone will often create a consistent and predictable pattern. I remember in years prior to the 2021 Freeze, days where 4 to almost 6-pound fish were common when working certain drain systems and backwater lakes.

Trout will bunch up in small schools this time of year in the drains and back lakes, pushing water at times just as redfish and drum will do. Last year in one of the larger back lakes in Rockport, I saw several schools of trout that seemed to have about a dozen or more fish that appeared to be in the 6-pound class. Our drains and back lakes are full of grass right now and that is exciting for the upcoming season for both fishermen and duck hunters. Duck hunters only have about 90 days in their season, so be respectful when fishing in areas where duck hunters are hunting. I don’t hunt ducks anymore, but I do respect those that do.

With the increased amount of bottom grass that I am seeing, I expect to have some good opportunities to fish some of the new 6^th Sense Shindo, 5.2 Flush and Texas Custom’s mid-strolling (fork-tailed) lures that are specifically designed for this application. I am learning this pattern so not going to act as though I truly know much about it. Stay tuned, I’ll figure it out; I promise.

When fishing over pretty much solid grass bottom, I like to swim my soft plastics quickly, twitching them with a high rod tip action or a lower side to side rod tip angle. I find that soft plastic baits with more buoyancy and a flat tail work the best. Texas Custom’s has a terrific straight-tailed bait that has a flat tail by design for just this type of application. We will also have days when a paddletail design allows for specific techniques at various levels within the water column. This can be especially true when working the shallow grass flats in the back-lakes in search of redfish. As I have stated for much of my career, I am really not a paddle tail guy, but I find that the 6^th Sense Party Paddle works extremely well, and this bait has found its way into my trout fishing arsenal. This lure will also fit nicely into the “downsizing” category, along with the highly successful MirrOlure Lil John.

Fall is also a time when I will start depending on the Texas Customs Double D, Custom Corky Soft-Dine XL, and the new Floating Soft-Dine XL. Like the Custom Corky Floating Fat Boy Series, they’re not true floaters, but their greater buoyancy lends to presenting effectively in the upper portion of the water column over shallow grass. I need to see large areas of active bait to build my confidence to throw the Double D and Soft-Dine lures, but that’s just me. I am anxious to see cooler water temperatures and the better quality of trout that I feel it will bring to the Rockport area.