South Padre: October 2025

I would like to begin by defining the term, higher education. Higher education is traditionally an optional stage of formal learning at a university, college, or professional school. Remember that I mentioned optional; higher learning is not for everyone, as some may choose to pursue a trade instead.

In fishing, like everything else, there is room to grow and learn every day on the water. Learning and trying to achieve greater success on the water requires higher education. Not only on the water, but also at home studying the behavior and patterns of fish, along with the weather, and how it affects fish. And then there’s tides, and how they influence feeding. Finally, there’s also the solunar influence. You see, there’s a lot more science involved in this sport we love than you might first imagine.

You can be like the majority of anglers, happy to get on the water occasionally and maybe catch a few fish. Or, you can be among the few who seek a higher education by reading on the internet, asking questions of those more knowledgeable than yourself, attending seminars, or reading magazines like this one. No one can deny that knowledge is a good thing.

I don't claim to know everything, but I have been studying the science of fishing for a while now and have picked up on some things that have brought success for myself and my clients over the years. It wasn't always like this, though. I was pretty ignorant and did things that weren't very smart in my earlier years. Every time I went fishing, I had a ritual of dunking my reel in the saltwater to bring me luck. Boy, was I wrong!

I didn’t own a boat in the beginning, so I would paddle out on my surfboard as far and deep as I could go and then drop the bait way out there. Fast forward to today, I now own a boat and try to go as shallow as possible to chase fish. I've come a long way, and I hope this opening statement motivates you to become or continue being a lifelong student in the science of fishing.

Redfish are becoming more numerous on the flats in the Lower Laguna. This is a seasonal thing and I expect it will continue due to the favorable weather and cooler water temperatures that fall months tend to bring. Earlier in summer the redfish were found up skinny on eastside sand flats and shallow back bays west of the ICW. These fish didn't last long in those areas, however, as the shallow water soon became too warm. In October, that pattern reverses and the water remains cooler throughout the whole day. Overall, we should see more redfish on the flats this month.

As for the trout fishery, the future looks promising, given the number of big trout we are seeing while fishing the flats. The ICW is still holding plenty of trout, and limits are easily attainable. Look for trout to start venturing out of the deeper water of the ICW and moving into grass flats and scattered pothole areas.

The drop-offs along sand bars adjacent to deeper water have been parking lots for easy limits of trout, and this pattern should continue in October, not only along the drop-offs but also on the tops of the bars. Working a topwater can be an effective way to attract trout, particularly when targeting the tops of sand bars and spoil islands. I mentioned topwaters, which are always fun, but when they are not committing to surface baits, Z-Man's Big BallerZ and PaddlerZ in Plum/Chart, Sexy Penny, and Beer Run have proven to fool many trout recently.

Slicks will continue to give the trout’s presence away. In previous articles I have talked about slicks in more detail, but this time I'm going to give you some homework and tell you to look up information about slicks and how to read them while you are out on the water.

October marks the beginning of great fall fishing, which leads into winter, my favorite season of all. October is also known for the prettiest sunsets of the year, and the weather is pleasant enough to stay out all day. There's only one thing I dislike about October; the days will be growing rapidly shorter, and the nights come quicker than you think. Try to become a student of the sport, you will be rewarded with bigger and more consistent catches.