Mansfield Report: February 2026
Marie and Catie working a warming trend with high atmospheric pressure as described in the story.
Greetings from Port Mansfield! Here we are, pretty much in the heart of trophy trout season, which will likely continue through the month of April. As noted in previous months’ writings, our winter came a little later than usual, with delayed cold fronts spread out longer than normal. So much so, the day following Christmas had us wet wading, as water temperatures were in the upper 70s. I cannot recall wet wading in late December, but nonetheless, we were doing just that. Following Christmas, we had a good cold snap which triggered just what I was hoping for, but it was unfortunately short-lived. During early winter, we’ve experienced huge swings in temperatures, and it has been remarkable to see fish adapt accordingly. Quite frankly, it has not been too terribly hard to pattern them based on our mostly warm weather.
With water temperatures in the upper 70s one day and then dropping to the upper 50s over the next couple of days, fish vacate the shallow flats and fade out to at least waist-deep water—or even deeper—depending on how many sunny versus cloudy days we receive. If it’s sunny, they simply move back to the flats sooner to warm. If it stays mostly overcast following a front, it may take a few days for them to start transitioning back to the knee-deep water I so love to fish.
Something worth noting: occasionally, those sunny bluebird days can be in your favor, depending on the duration of a cold snap. During an extended period of cold weather, fish will seek out and remain at depths that enable them to withstand low temperatures. They may gradually acclimate—depending on water temperature at the onset—or enter a state of reduced activity until conditions improve, such as during a warming trend brought on by clear skies and sunlight. Although these circumstances often coincide with high barometric pressure, fish still need to eat and will respond to rising temperatures by moving—along with baitfish—toward shallow areas, which warm more quickly. It’s at this moment when anglers often have their best shot, despite the barometric pressure. Photos of sizeable trout set against clear blue skies are familiar to many, and this explains my perspective on the circumstances surrounding those notable catches. Please note the photo below with Catie and Marie, as we executed precisely on this strategy recently.
As we move through February, we can only hope cooler weather prevails and settles in across our bays. This will help give anglers what they’ve been waiting for since last winter—bigger bites, heavier fish, and a legitimate shot at a personal-best trout. As mentioned above, I’ll continue to follow this pattern and, with a little luck, it will pay off for my anglers. A simple, slow approach will be key, which aligns well with my style of fishing, along with a grid approach if I’m confident fish are in the area. Patience will be another critical component. Just recently, on a trip, I knew we had big trout in front of us, but we were dealing with zero wind and a lot of floating grass. I knew we had to wait it out for some current to develop and for wind to help us. Sure enough, the breeze kicked in, funneled the grass away from us, and the water movement provided some much-needed assistance.
Once we had “open lanes,” thanks to Langmuir circulation (check Google), to work our topwaters and Corkys, it was on. We salvaged a day when some might have become discouraged—and moved on. With that said, we did catch a break in getting some wind, and without it we might have chosen an entirely different approach. Nothing is more frustrating than leaving fish to go look for fish.
In closing, the Houston Fishing Show will take place February 18–22. This event provides an excellent opportunity for anglers to network and explore the latest products in the industry. Fishing Tackle Unlimited will offer exclusive deals on rods, reels, lures, apparel, and kayaks. Anglers interested in the G2 Green Rod are encouraged to visit our booth and experience it firsthand. I’ll be available to answer any questions regarding this rod. Please visit the FTU section, located near the Mansfield Knocker and KWigglers displays.
Remember, fresh is better than frozen.
