Underrated!

For whatever reason, the thought of November fishing brings to mind the famous old school comic, Rodney Dangerfield, and his popular catch phrase, “I get no respect.” Many outdoorsmen put fishing farther down the list of things to do at this time of year as attention turns more toward hunting. I completely understand looking forward to hunting season, I have a huge love for shooting waterfowl, and I take advantage of that when it’s available. I also know what happens in the lakes and bays this time of year, so I keep the fishing gear close at hand as well. Many anglers will set their fishing gear aside until the warmer months of spring come back around in order to pursue deer, ducks, and other critters this month, and they couldn’t make a bigger mistake while doing just that. November offers some of the most prime opportunities to catch both numbers of fish as well as trophy fish, all while doing so with huge reductions in crowds and pressure.

Easily the best thing about November in Texas is the weather; the first really good cool fronts signal the beginning of something special and the end to the excessive heat of summer. Both air temps and water temps are prime this month for angler comfort and fish activity. The magic 60–70-degree range on water temps will trigger intense feeding activity from many species of fish, especially speckled trout and redfish. This time of the year is widely associated with schooling fish under the birds, and that program will also be in full effect. It will be interesting to see the quality of fish that show up under those birds this year after the borderline perfect summer we enjoyed on Sabine. Over the last several years we have found huge numbers of undersized trout while fishing the birds. It wasn’t uncommon to sift through dozens of fish in order to find a limit of Texas-sized keepers. This past summer we saw a fantastic surge in the numbers of both keeper-slot fish and quality fish, bordering on trophy class. The resurgence of better fish has many anglers, including myself, hoping that we may see a glimpse of what was once considered common years ago and that was big schools of solid keeper trout under the birds and bragging sized trout on the flats and shorelines.

If you plan on chasing fish this month, there are several things to consider and a few little tricks to keep in your hip pocket that may help you catch a few more fish. Obviously the most popular pattern is going to be the “run and gun” style of chasing the birds as they shadow or hover above feeding fish. I see lots of folks make some mistakes that keep them from enjoying the frenzy or at least being as successful as they should be. The biggest issue is how to approach the school. The most common error is approaching from the downwind side instead of coming in from upwind where you have better boat control and more opportunity to stay in front of the school. Another issue is approaching too fast and too close before shutting down the big motor. If you want to really “make some friends” be the guy who ruins the bite for everyone by running in and spooking the fish, I promise you that will get you plenty of dirty looks, single finger salutes, and maybe a name or two that you cannot speak in church. Take the time to slow down and approach the school using your trolling motor and cutting the fish off in the direction they are moving. This will 100% catch you more fish and friends at the same time.

Another little trick that will help you catch more fish when they are schooling under the birds is to hang around a few minutes after the frenzy dies down. Many times the fish will just drop out and go deeper until they can push that bait to the surface again and start feeding once more. I see so many fishermen just automatically leave an area to go find the next set of birds when things slow down under the set they were just fishing. Many times those fish that just seemed to quit will fire right back up in the same spot if you give them a couple of minutes. Sometimes all it takes is hooking one fish and have it thrash around on the surface to get that school of fish kick started again. One more bit of advice to help you out while chasing the birds, don’t pass up a set of terns that are working. Many anglers call the terns “liar birds” because often times when they are working they aren’t actually on fish. If you pull up to a set of terns that are working you can usually see if they are on fish by the surface activity underneath them. Terns are always worth a look when they are working because they are usually on some sort of bait and many times fish are going to be near so don’t overlook them and pass up a gift.

Now, besides the schooling pattern, there will be anglers who will take advantage of the opportunity to catch a big fish this month. Most folks don’t associate November with big trout but that would be a mistake. The combination of water temps, air temps, available food, and changing water levels make November a prime month to pursue big fish like trophy trout and oversized redfish. Wade fishermen have long known about the potential for epic days in early winter where big trout prowl the warmer shallow flats as bait dumps out of the marsh drains like an endless buffet. Tried and true areas near deeper water like the islands that border the ICW are fantastic locations to wade and chase big trout this month. The Louisiana shoreline will also be a big player at this time as the bait from the marshes will congregate along those banks after being dumped out by tides or north winds. This combination of ample bait supply and cooler water temps will fuel aggressive feeding from both trout and redfish. My career-best speckled trout on Sabine, a 30.5-inch 10-pound specimen, came from just this scenario in November many years ago, so I have an understandable fondness for this pattern and time of year.

While many will turn their attention to the big trout, there will also be those who cannot pass up the opportunity to chase the schools of big, oversized redfish that will be terrorizing the lake. The months of October and November are probably the best times of the year to find these big schools consistently and they just don’t quit when you find them. For some reason these bigger schools stay farther out off the shorelines, so you have to be willing to run and look around for them. Once you locate them it’s not uncommon to stay on a school for an hour or more as they gorge on shrimp and shad with reckless abandon. It’s always a treat to find these fish when they are active because of the show they put on as they crash bait. One word of advice, if you happen upon these fish, use baits with a single hook because they are so much easier to remove from the fish and allow you to get back into the action. Single hooks are also easier to remove from a fisherman if you happen to have an accident during the chaos.

This month offers up a ton of options and possibilities for those of us blessed to call the Texas coast our home. Even though the fish or other game may seem to be endlessly plentiful, please take the time to be a good steward of the resources and respect the limits so future generations can enjoy these opportunities as well. As always, if you get the chance, take a kid or someone new to the sport with you next time you go fishing.