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Reports & Forecasts: Nov 2009
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
Cooler temperatures in November will initiate the migration of big trout from deeper water onto the flats. The best lures to throw are those that don't fall fast in the water column. Try original Norton Sand Eels (big ones) on either eighth or sixteenth ounce jigheads. Also, try suspending hard baits like MirrOlure Catch 2000s, Catch 5s, and MirrOdines or the jointed Thunderstick by Storm Lures. Any colors work, but we usually stick to the more natural colors in clearer water and brighten it up a bit when the water is stained. Corkys can be hard to find, but they catch BIG trout. All colors are good, but my favorites are coppertop and orange with black back. All the styles of Corkys catch fish, but my go to is the FatBoy. If you don't care about big trout and you're looking to load the boat, the birds should still be picking. Try heavier jigheads (1/4 or 1/8 ounce). Shrimp imitations work best under birds: glow H&H Beetles and Salty Grubs, glow Sand Eel Jrs. and opening night MirrOlure Soft Minnows are the main soft plastics of choice.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
"The fall is looking really good," James says. "Trinity and East Bay are both salty and the water's in good shape everywhere. Once we get a couple more cold fronts, the wading should really pick up. Right now, there are small trout all over the place and good schools of reds. The bays are just full of shrimp and the birds are already working; that ought to stay true right on through the month of November. We are catching fish today on a variety of lures. We've caught some nice trout, up to four pounds, on black/chartreuse SheDogs. The guys are also doing well with red shad and chicken-on-a-chain Bass Assassins. I like to throw the old 51MirrOlure in pink and yellow, I believe the color code is 704. It works for me because it doesn't require much effort to give it the action to catch fish. For people who have arthritis or other problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, the old school MirrOlures are really good that way. Basically, all we need is a little cooler weather and a break from the strong south winds and the fishing will bust wide open."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
November sets up as a great cast and blast month, Jim predicts. "We've been having some real good dove hunting, and that should carry right on into the winter. And of course duck season starts up this month. I'll be doing a little of everything in the coming weeks. The fishing has been improving since the water cooled off a little. I had one trout about seven pounds last week, and we are catching plenty of solid three to five pound trout, and of course plenty of slot reds too. The quality trout and the reds are mostly shallow enough for wading now. I've been getting some on topwaters, especially when I'm covering water on a flat. When there's good current and I focus on the drains, I like the twitch baits like Corkys, Catch 2000s and 51MirrOlures better. The key is location, not so much lure choice. The birds are already working too, so easy limits are available there. When you find flocks hovering over shallow water, there are usually some bigger trout and redfish. The flocks out in the middle tend to be hanging around the smaller trout."
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
The high tides associated with the autumnal equinox spurred a good topwater bite in Randall's area. "We got these bull tides and the water flooded over the shell pads real good, and the fish went up there on the prowl. Mostly, the redfish have been more plentiful than the trout, and on some days, they've been much easier to catch on live bait than lures. Once November gets here and the temperatures start falling more, we'll see a return to more consistent lure fishing. We always seem to have some great days on topwaters when that happens, and the pattern of fishing mud and scattered shell with Norton Sand Eels will also heat up. It's my favorite time of year in some ways, because it becomes possible to catch lots of fish and quality fish without having to use live bait. The migrating schools of bait fish and shrimp move into our area in abundance in November. We should find good numbers of trout, redfish and flounder following the migrating herds. Paying attention to signs like slicks and rafted bait and mud stirs is key."
Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski
Bay Guide Service | 713.725.2401
"November is a great time to be on the water!" Charlie says with enthusiasm. "We have several reliable patterns to work with here in the Matagorda area this time of year. Those who like to wade shorelines will find their fish to be bigger this month than in recent ones. The shrimp start dumping out of the marshes and the trout and reds feast up on them and get fatter. The fish are just more aggressive too, so topwaters generally work better. It's also possible to wade the reefs with the topwaters and do well at times this month. Of course, the birds will be working all over the place and for those who like the anticipation and thrill of chasing the flocks, this is a great month to do it. Drifting the scattered shell and mud in the vicinity of the reefs will pay off consistently for those who are more interested in numbers than in the size of the fish. Overall, it's just a good month to catch fish in a variety of ways, and if the weather isn't too harsh, the availability of several productive patterns can keep the people scattered out some. Some people have tunnel fishing on birds here in the fall, but there are lots of other options."
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
Fishing has been fair to average lately in our local waters. We are just now starting to see big tides which should help fishing tremendously. Our trout have been tough to figure out. One trip we can catch them out at the rigs and the next trip they will not be out there, but be up on flats over sand, grass or shell. The best lures for these finicky fish have been chicken-on-a-chain Bass Assassins and Mardi Gras Norton Bull Minnows. Our redfish bite continues to be our savior as our bays seem to be covered up with them. We are still seeing big school of reds gathering on shorelines chasing shrimp. We've also come across some big schools headed to Pass Cavallo to make their migration into the Gulf for breeding purposes. Lots of oversized fish up to thirty nine inches have been caught in the open bays, with most of the fish in the back lakes ranging from twenty two to twenty six inches. Hopefully, the next few good cool fronts will heat up the bird action in East and South Bays.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
Lynn says that he's been concentrating most of his efforts on the redfish over recent months. "Mainly, it's a redfish thing. We're just able to consistently catch them more than the trout lately. We like to throw topwaters at them as much as possible. I get people who ask me, 'When do you like to switch off the topwaters and move over to soft plastics?' I tell them, 'Not until I stop catching fish on my topwaters!' In the moderate weather months like October and November, it's possible to catch fish on top all day long. And there's nothing like it, of course, in terms of the sheer excitement factor. We do find a need for Corkys and other twitch baits this month, and we'll use soft plastics as necessary too. Normally, I like to fish bright sandy pockets on grassy shorelines in the fall. Another pattern that works, especially when the tides are dropping behind the fronts, is to work the mouths of drains coming out of marsh lakes. When doing that, the moving water is perfect for using twitch baits."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Fishing for reds in San Antonio and Mesquite Bays has been good lately, Blake reports, and he's excited for the return of cast and blast outings. "November will bring back the cast and blast adventures. We'll be trying to shoot our limit of ducks in the marsh lakes early, then fish our way out. Most years, the reds are plentiful either in the lakes or along the shorelines adjacent to the entrances to the lakes. They are easiest to catch on soft plastics much of the time, but we'll stay open to the possibility of catching them on topwaters and twitch baits too. Though trout fishing has been kind of slow over the last few months, it may pick up in the cooler waters that come with the season. Some years, we catch quite a few big trout while we are focused on the cast and blast thing. They can school right in there with the reds this time of year, and they'll take the same lures too. It is a time of plenty and a time for potentially once in a lifetime outings. Coastal bend bays and marshes offer a variety of ducks and of course, outstanding fishing."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Yahoo!! Not much has changed since my report from last month. The water level is still up, but not so much that it has scattered the fish. The water in the Laguna Madre is in great shape, in terms of its clarity, especially on the shallow, sandy flats. The water temperature is still in the mid eighties and we know this is no problem for any fish. Sight casting is still the main game that I am playing, mainly with redfish, black drum and some speckled trout. A good set of polarized sunglasses is really necessary for sight casting and my Costa Del Mar shades with brown lenses have really worked well for me and my clients. The sunglasses are particularly needed on cloudy days. Another item that is sometimes forgotten is at least eighteen inches of a good twenty pound fluorocarbon shock leader to make the lure appear more natural. Any shape and color of lure will work, as long as it is a good penny or pearl colored Blurp Sea Shad or a three inch Berkley Gulp shrimp!
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
The clear water in the north half of the Upper Laguna Madre has Joe excited about the prospects for the fishing in the coming month. "It's been somewhat hot lately for this time of year, and the fish are scattered a bit. We are having good luck on the redfish, even sight casting some in the clear water between the bridge and Bird Island. The high tides have put plenty of water on the shallow flats and there are fish up there for those willing to be patient and look for them. I expect the tides to return to a more normal level in November and with cooling temperatures, the fish might return to the edges of the flats and drop offs into the channels. I've been having good luck with soft plastics rigged on lighter jigheads while working the shallow flats on these high tides, but if some stronger cold fronts push fish to the drop offs, I'll get back to my drill of throwing heavier jigheads, which I like because they provide me with better feel and control while probing the deeper water."
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
Florida pompano, bull and slot redfish and large schools of jack crevalle will highlight the November surf fishing but there will be numerous other species available as well; including large Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, sandbar sharks (now catch and release only), some bull and blacktipped sharks and tigers are possible. Anglers seeking large jack crevalle should drive slowly watching the water's edge and pay close attention to any areas where brown pelicans are present. There will be lots of whiting. Bottom fishers are most productive with peeled, fresh, dead shrimp and Fishbites. The finger mullet migration will be in full swing and live-lined or cut mullet will be a premium bait selection. Light wire leaders will be necessary on mackerel and bluefish. Some speckled trout may be available on M51 and M52 Mirrolures. Watch NE winds as they will stack water on the beach and avoid incoming cold fronts. Avoid driving during high tide periods as tides are usually a bit high this time of year and usually the best conditions are the second day behind incoming cold fronts.
Port Mansfield | Terry Neal
www.terrynealcharters.com | 956.944.2559
Very predictably, September brought us high tides and scattered fish. The catching remained fairly consistent; we just had to work a bit harder to find them. The water temperatures began dropping with the arrival of the first norther. Six inches of badly needed rainfall helped keep the bite going and marked the change into fall patterns. October's continued cooler temperatures will move more fish up onto the grass lines and on the flats. Fall is usually the best time of the year for fishing the King Ranch shoreline. The shorelines north and south of the Big Oaks area should become very productive for the serious wade fishermen. The offshore fishing will continue to improve as the water temperatures in the nearshore Gulf of Mexico begin to cool. Good Luck fishing, release what you can't eat.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
One of the great things about finally getting much needed rain in the Lower Laguna Madre is that we are starting to catch snook without running all the way to the Brownsville Ship Channel or South Bay. Recent trips have netted a twenty two inch (photos only) and a twenty eight inch keeper, encouraging us to make at least one drift per day in search of the best eating fish in the bay. The worst thing, though, is brackish water. East winds make the west side visibility poor and push fresh water onto the flats, making it harder to find targets. We're still able to limit on reds throwing Cajun Thunder cigar corks with Gulp three inch shrimp in new penny, pearl and molting colors, but the trout limits are fewer and farther between. The flounder fishing has been good using Gulps on quarter ounce jigheads with about an eight inch leader jigged along the sides of channels, or around pilings. Snook are biting the cork rigs that we use for reds and trout, but will also hit weedless half ounce gold spoons and topwaters, floating grass permitting.
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
Cooler temperatures in November will initiate the migration of big trout from deeper water onto the flats. The best lures to throw are those that don't fall fast in the water column. Try original Norton Sand Eels (big ones) on either eighth or sixteenth ounce jigheads. Also, try suspending hard baits like MirrOlure Catch 2000s, Catch 5s, and MirrOdines or the jointed Thunderstick by Storm Lures. Any colors work, but we usually stick to the more natural colors in clearer water and brighten it up a bit when the water is stained. Corkys can be hard to find, but they catch BIG trout. All colors are good, but my favorites are coppertop and orange with black back. All the styles of Corkys catch fish, but my go to is the FatBoy. If you don't care about big trout and you're looking to load the boat, the birds should still be picking. Try heavier jigheads (1/4 or 1/8 ounce). Shrimp imitations work best under birds: glow H&H Beetles and Salty Grubs, glow Sand Eel Jrs. and opening night MirrOlure Soft Minnows are the main soft plastics of choice.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
"The fall is looking really good," James says. "Trinity and East Bay are both salty and the water's in good shape everywhere. Once we get a couple more cold fronts, the wading should really pick up. Right now, there are small trout all over the place and good schools of reds. The bays are just full of shrimp and the birds are already working; that ought to stay true right on through the month of November. We are catching fish today on a variety of lures. We've caught some nice trout, up to four pounds, on black/chartreuse SheDogs. The guys are also doing well with red shad and chicken-on-a-chain Bass Assassins. I like to throw the old 51MirrOlure in pink and yellow, I believe the color code is 704. It works for me because it doesn't require much effort to give it the action to catch fish. For people who have arthritis or other problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, the old school MirrOlures are really good that way. Basically, all we need is a little cooler weather and a break from the strong south winds and the fishing will bust wide open."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
November sets up as a great cast and blast month, Jim predicts. "We've been having some real good dove hunting, and that should carry right on into the winter. And of course duck season starts up this month. I'll be doing a little of everything in the coming weeks. The fishing has been improving since the water cooled off a little. I had one trout about seven pounds last week, and we are catching plenty of solid three to five pound trout, and of course plenty of slot reds too. The quality trout and the reds are mostly shallow enough for wading now. I've been getting some on topwaters, especially when I'm covering water on a flat. When there's good current and I focus on the drains, I like the twitch baits like Corkys, Catch 2000s and 51MirrOlures better. The key is location, not so much lure choice. The birds are already working too, so easy limits are available there. When you find flocks hovering over shallow water, there are usually some bigger trout and redfish. The flocks out in the middle tend to be hanging around the smaller trout."
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
The high tides associated with the autumnal equinox spurred a good topwater bite in Randall's area. "We got these bull tides and the water flooded over the shell pads real good, and the fish went up there on the prowl. Mostly, the redfish have been more plentiful than the trout, and on some days, they've been much easier to catch on live bait than lures. Once November gets here and the temperatures start falling more, we'll see a return to more consistent lure fishing. We always seem to have some great days on topwaters when that happens, and the pattern of fishing mud and scattered shell with Norton Sand Eels will also heat up. It's my favorite time of year in some ways, because it becomes possible to catch lots of fish and quality fish without having to use live bait. The migrating schools of bait fish and shrimp move into our area in abundance in November. We should find good numbers of trout, redfish and flounder following the migrating herds. Paying attention to signs like slicks and rafted bait and mud stirs is key."
Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski
Bay Guide Service | 713.725.2401
"November is a great time to be on the water!" Charlie says with enthusiasm. "We have several reliable patterns to work with here in the Matagorda area this time of year. Those who like to wade shorelines will find their fish to be bigger this month than in recent ones. The shrimp start dumping out of the marshes and the trout and reds feast up on them and get fatter. The fish are just more aggressive too, so topwaters generally work better. It's also possible to wade the reefs with the topwaters and do well at times this month. Of course, the birds will be working all over the place and for those who like the anticipation and thrill of chasing the flocks, this is a great month to do it. Drifting the scattered shell and mud in the vicinity of the reefs will pay off consistently for those who are more interested in numbers than in the size of the fish. Overall, it's just a good month to catch fish in a variety of ways, and if the weather isn't too harsh, the availability of several productive patterns can keep the people scattered out some. Some people have tunnel fishing on birds here in the fall, but there are lots of other options."
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
Fishing has been fair to average lately in our local waters. We are just now starting to see big tides which should help fishing tremendously. Our trout have been tough to figure out. One trip we can catch them out at the rigs and the next trip they will not be out there, but be up on flats over sand, grass or shell. The best lures for these finicky fish have been chicken-on-a-chain Bass Assassins and Mardi Gras Norton Bull Minnows. Our redfish bite continues to be our savior as our bays seem to be covered up with them. We are still seeing big school of reds gathering on shorelines chasing shrimp. We've also come across some big schools headed to Pass Cavallo to make their migration into the Gulf for breeding purposes. Lots of oversized fish up to thirty nine inches have been caught in the open bays, with most of the fish in the back lakes ranging from twenty two to twenty six inches. Hopefully, the next few good cool fronts will heat up the bird action in East and South Bays.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
Lynn says that he's been concentrating most of his efforts on the redfish over recent months. "Mainly, it's a redfish thing. We're just able to consistently catch them more than the trout lately. We like to throw topwaters at them as much as possible. I get people who ask me, 'When do you like to switch off the topwaters and move over to soft plastics?' I tell them, 'Not until I stop catching fish on my topwaters!' In the moderate weather months like October and November, it's possible to catch fish on top all day long. And there's nothing like it, of course, in terms of the sheer excitement factor. We do find a need for Corkys and other twitch baits this month, and we'll use soft plastics as necessary too. Normally, I like to fish bright sandy pockets on grassy shorelines in the fall. Another pattern that works, especially when the tides are dropping behind the fronts, is to work the mouths of drains coming out of marsh lakes. When doing that, the moving water is perfect for using twitch baits."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Fishing for reds in San Antonio and Mesquite Bays has been good lately, Blake reports, and he's excited for the return of cast and blast outings. "November will bring back the cast and blast adventures. We'll be trying to shoot our limit of ducks in the marsh lakes early, then fish our way out. Most years, the reds are plentiful either in the lakes or along the shorelines adjacent to the entrances to the lakes. They are easiest to catch on soft plastics much of the time, but we'll stay open to the possibility of catching them on topwaters and twitch baits too. Though trout fishing has been kind of slow over the last few months, it may pick up in the cooler waters that come with the season. Some years, we catch quite a few big trout while we are focused on the cast and blast thing. They can school right in there with the reds this time of year, and they'll take the same lures too. It is a time of plenty and a time for potentially once in a lifetime outings. Coastal bend bays and marshes offer a variety of ducks and of course, outstanding fishing."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Yahoo!! Not much has changed since my report from last month. The water level is still up, but not so much that it has scattered the fish. The water in the Laguna Madre is in great shape, in terms of its clarity, especially on the shallow, sandy flats. The water temperature is still in the mid eighties and we know this is no problem for any fish. Sight casting is still the main game that I am playing, mainly with redfish, black drum and some speckled trout. A good set of polarized sunglasses is really necessary for sight casting and my Costa Del Mar shades with brown lenses have really worked well for me and my clients. The sunglasses are particularly needed on cloudy days. Another item that is sometimes forgotten is at least eighteen inches of a good twenty pound fluorocarbon shock leader to make the lure appear more natural. Any shape and color of lure will work, as long as it is a good penny or pearl colored Blurp Sea Shad or a three inch Berkley Gulp shrimp!
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
The clear water in the north half of the Upper Laguna Madre has Joe excited about the prospects for the fishing in the coming month. "It's been somewhat hot lately for this time of year, and the fish are scattered a bit. We are having good luck on the redfish, even sight casting some in the clear water between the bridge and Bird Island. The high tides have put plenty of water on the shallow flats and there are fish up there for those willing to be patient and look for them. I expect the tides to return to a more normal level in November and with cooling temperatures, the fish might return to the edges of the flats and drop offs into the channels. I've been having good luck with soft plastics rigged on lighter jigheads while working the shallow flats on these high tides, but if some stronger cold fronts push fish to the drop offs, I'll get back to my drill of throwing heavier jigheads, which I like because they provide me with better feel and control while probing the deeper water."
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
Florida pompano, bull and slot redfish and large schools of jack crevalle will highlight the November surf fishing but there will be numerous other species available as well; including large Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, sandbar sharks (now catch and release only), some bull and blacktipped sharks and tigers are possible. Anglers seeking large jack crevalle should drive slowly watching the water's edge and pay close attention to any areas where brown pelicans are present. There will be lots of whiting. Bottom fishers are most productive with peeled, fresh, dead shrimp and Fishbites. The finger mullet migration will be in full swing and live-lined or cut mullet will be a premium bait selection. Light wire leaders will be necessary on mackerel and bluefish. Some speckled trout may be available on M51 and M52 Mirrolures. Watch NE winds as they will stack water on the beach and avoid incoming cold fronts. Avoid driving during high tide periods as tides are usually a bit high this time of year and usually the best conditions are the second day behind incoming cold fronts.
Port Mansfield | Terry Neal
www.terrynealcharters.com | 956.944.2559
Very predictably, September brought us high tides and scattered fish. The catching remained fairly consistent; we just had to work a bit harder to find them. The water temperatures began dropping with the arrival of the first norther. Six inches of badly needed rainfall helped keep the bite going and marked the change into fall patterns. October's continued cooler temperatures will move more fish up onto the grass lines and on the flats. Fall is usually the best time of the year for fishing the King Ranch shoreline. The shorelines north and south of the Big Oaks area should become very productive for the serious wade fishermen. The offshore fishing will continue to improve as the water temperatures in the nearshore Gulf of Mexico begin to cool. Good Luck fishing, release what you can't eat.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
One of the great things about finally getting much needed rain in the Lower Laguna Madre is that we are starting to catch snook without running all the way to the Brownsville Ship Channel or South Bay. Recent trips have netted a twenty two inch (photos only) and a twenty eight inch keeper, encouraging us to make at least one drift per day in search of the best eating fish in the bay. The worst thing, though, is brackish water. East winds make the west side visibility poor and push fresh water onto the flats, making it harder to find targets. We're still able to limit on reds throwing Cajun Thunder cigar corks with Gulp three inch shrimp in new penny, pearl and molting colors, but the trout limits are fewer and farther between. The flounder fishing has been good using Gulps on quarter ounce jigheads with about an eight inch leader jigged along the sides of channels, or around pilings. Snook are biting the cork rigs that we use for reds and trout, but will also hit weedless half ounce gold spoons and topwaters, floating grass permitting.