Mansfield Report: December 2025

Greetings from Port Mansfield! It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone, but here we are in December. As we ease into winter, I’d like to point out that it certainly took its good old time getting here. We had no significant cold—or should I say cool—fronts until just recently, and they were well behind schedule. Fish were eagerly awaiting a breath of cool air, as were most trophy trout enthusiasts. It seemed like we waited forever… which, in truth, we almost did. That said, once the water started to cool, the fish were ready to pack on some winter weight, and they didn’t hesitate.

Water levels remained high through late October and into November, which made fishing fun simply because the sand flats had all the right ingredients to support great action. First, there were rafts of mullet like I haven’t seen in years, and big, fat trout and redfish were right there amongst them. This scenario supported excellent topwater and subsurface twitchbait action. Many days we walked knee-deep water, zinging Mansfield Knocker topwaters and Darters, having the best time ever.

Exceptional trout in the 25–28-inch range were more consistent than in years past, and the reds stayed busy doing redfish things like they always do. Another bonus that sweetened the deal was that wind direction really didn’t matter much. One day we’d wade north, the next day south, and have the same or equivalent results. Heck, some days we didn’t even need our Simms waders because we were fishing so shallow. And on sunny days, wet wading was actually quite comfortable.

Our fun on the east side will run its course in due time, and we’ll eventually be back to probing the west side of the Laguna, along with a few of the back-lake areas. The east side cools quickly on cold nights but also warms fast on clear days. Fish often transition from deeper water to shallower flats as the temperature rises through the day until they reach their comfort zone. This behavior is predictable, and paying close attention to it will yield reliable results.

As for the west side of the Laguna, some fish just hold in those regions, likely due to bait availability, habitat, structure—or a combination of all three. I’ve historically said the heavier fish come from the west side of the Laguna, but I’ve started rethinking that somewhat, since my eleven-pounder came from the east side last January. That fish obviously had great genetics, plus she’d very recently ingested some big baitfish.

I believe points can be made for both east and west-side flats, but if I could only fish one side of the Laguna, I’d still choose the west. That said, your personal best could come from anywhere, anytime—just as mine did—so put your best foot forward and keep casting.

When it comes to lures and strategies for the coming winter, I’ll continue tossing topwaters as long as water temperatures stay above roughly 60 degrees. Wig-A-Lo plastics rigged on 1/16- or 3/32-ounce jigheads, along with subsurface hard baits, will be tied to my G2 Green Rods once temps dip below that mark. Keeping it simple makes sense, and this approach should give anyone a great shot at a personal best on any given cast.

Another tip for wintertime success—slow it down. A good rule of thumb is: the colder it gets, the slower you should fish. More importantly, make mental notes of every presentation that draws a strike so you can repeat it. Don’t be hardheaded, as I sometimes am, and try to force the fish to eat what you want them to eat; give them what they want. Again, keep it simple.

And since it’s Christmas time, don’t forget the anglers in your family. One of my favorite places to shop is Fishing Tackle Unlimited, which has everything an angler could ever need or want. They offer Simms gear, rods, reels, lures, fishing bags, and more. With a fresh seasonal restock, you’ll easily find what you need—or the perfect gift for someone else.