Winter Bliss

This time of year, when all environmental conditions align perfectly, Texas beaches set the stage for incredibly exciting and rewarding adventures. Cool, bluebird days have a way of reaching through waders to touch the soul. Once vigorous cold fronts begin rolling through repeatedly, a predictable pattern develops. Normally, optimal conditions occur two or three days after a strong front passes over the coast.

Then, the waters fronting the beach run calm and clear, and the fish become most active. This window of opportunity presents the prime time for maximizing the potential for an epic aquatic event. Particularly in southern extremes of the state, inshore fish feed like crazy during the lulls between blue northers. Magnum trout and mature reds often invade the surf zone with ravenous appetites. Several species of sharks are also present, which warms the hearts of people like me.

In December, winter officially arrives, both on the calendar and in terms of the patterns we fish along the beachfront. With the fall and its associated migrations finished, the fish we find in the surf zone at the beginning of the winter generally stay until at least March. We're fortunate to have so many resident species, but some are particularly abundant and active in the surf when the weather is at its coolest. Of these, three species pique my interest the most.

These fish have different appealing aspects and are of widely different sizes, but they all provide loads of fun for me and the folks I spend time with on charters. The delicacy known as the pompano, the iconic red drum, and the somewhat scarce sandbar shark all motivate my thoughts and activities this time of year; they're all active, sometimes with one species preying on the other.

The smallest member of my revered trifecta, Florida pompano, occur throughout the Gulf and across most of the Atlantic Ocean. Shaped and structured much like jacks, they grow to a maximum size of just a few pounds, but they're all muscle, and pound for pound one of the hardest fighting fish in the sea. Starting in November and throughout the winter months, massive schools of these fast, energetic fish invade the surf zone looking for small crustaceans like ghost shrimp and coquina clams.

Once the waves fall silent and the water clears after the passage of a strong front, pompano usually become very active. Though they occasionally show up in the shallowest water close to the sand, they're often more numerous in the deeper first and second guts. Long casting rods like the Breakaway surf models generally aid in the efforts to make long casts to reach the greatest concentrations of these aggressive fish.

When they're abundant, pompano are pretty easy to catch. The simplest way to target them effectively is using fresh dead shrimp for bait, threaded onto 3/0 coated hooks. I prefer Catch Sharks PompMaster leaders, which are designed to carry two hooks. I often cut a shrimp in half before threading it onto the hook, then tip the hook with a brightly colored piece of Fish-bites, a synthetic bait with lots of impregnated scent attractant. This tandem usually proves irresistible to one of the tastiest fish in our waters.

The second species on my list, red drum, or redfish, are available throughout the year, but in winter we catch more of the mature giants. Because of their heft and strength, they provide plenty of challenging fun for folks who hook them on medium-light surf tackle. In all months, redfish can be found in coastal waters throughout the Lone Star State, but in December, South Texas specifically experiences an epic bull-red run. Massive breeding fish which can attain lengths in excess of 50 inches and weight well over 30 pounds become relatively abundant in the shallows of the Padre Island beaches.

Like the pompano, the jumbo reds gather in great schools. I've experienced catching over 20 bull reds in a single evening on charters. They certainly aren't the fastest fish, but their mass and sturdy strength make them powerful fighters. My favorite bait to use when targeting these brutes is either a large mullet or a chunk of whiting. Once caught, these revered fish look attractive in pictures with the smiling anglers who fought them and won.

Another energetic species rounds out my trifecta of favorite targets in the wintertime surf. Sandbar sharks have several attractive qualities. Some people think of any shark caught off the beach as a sand-shark, possibly because they have sandy coloration. In fact, the skins of many shark species have hues which might be described as tan, or sandy looking. Our most common shark, the blacktip, has basically two light brown colors. Another species abundant in our waters, the Atlantic sharpnose shark, does too. Consequently, many people refer to these species as sand-sharks.

Sandbar sharks are certainly not sand-sharks. They look similar to blacktips, but attain much greater size, sometimes reaching lengths approaching 8 feet and weighing well over 200 pounds. Most wouldn't think the cold waters in the surf in winter would be home to such an impressive predator, but sandbar sharks enter the waters fronting our beaches this time of year in order to mate.

I've personally tagged and recaptured sandbar sharks in nearly the same exact locations and on nearly the same dates, many years apart. Second to blacktips, sandbar sharks are the species most frequently recaptured, despite their relative scarcity. Texas has one of the best fisheries for this species in all of North America. These feisty, hardy sharks provide incredible action when hooked on rod and reel, sometimes breaching the surface repeatedly during the fight.

Significantly, sandbar sharks are the largest fish likely to be encountered off Texas beaches during the winter months. They have ravenous appetites and can be targeted with various types and sizes of baits, from small fish to massive 10 pound jacks. I'd say a large whiting on a 20/0 circle hook looks like candy to this species.

Whether hoping to do battle with a large shark or bull red, or to stock the freezer with some of the finest table fare in the ocean, the surf zone provides attractive options to anglers with variable priorities during the year's coldest season. On some days, landing some of all three of my favorite targets is possible. I'm going to focus on increasing my winter charter schedule this year and will be offering various discounts. Please text or email me about booking a great winter trip for yourself or for the whole family. For many reasons, this is my favorite time of year, partly because of the solitude inspired by gentle waves softly washing onto mostly deserted beaches. Sometimes, the only problem is figuring out which of the fun and exciting options to exercise.