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Mid-Coast Bays: December 2012
My Shallow Sport is versatile enough to double as a snapper boat on calm days.
Redfish, Redfish, Redfish! Our redfish action in the Seadrift-Port OConnor area has been nothing short of phenomenal and the bronze bruisers have saved many a fishing trip for this guide.
Many people think of the redfish as a staple catch in their daily bag, but being normally known as a trout guy along my part of the coast I steer more towards the reefs and shorelines of San Antonio and Matagorda Bays to chase my speckled friends instead of trudging through the backwater mud holes for the line strippers of the marsh.
Dont get me wrong during a normal day of fishing we will still catch reds but I seem to find myself starting to target these guys on a more regular basis during this time of the year when the weather is up and down with new frontal systems muddying up my more normal haunts of the open bay. Even more important I find my customers wanting to target the redfish more and more. It seems over the years I had neglected the redfish and my regular clientele now wanted to chase the reds for their aggressive feeding habits and ferocious battles that will ensue.
The great thing about the redfish is that it doesnt seem like the passing frontal systems have much effect on them, at least not as much of an impact on their behavior as the speckled trout we find in the same areas.
This means that if I have a group of guys wanting to still go out during the second day of a blowing cold front and the water is torn up from the floor up; we can head to the protected backwaters located on Matagorda Island off any of the major bays in this area and still be able to target productive feeding from the bronze beauties.
When drifting the backwaters for redfish I really dont stick to one certain type of lure as they are not generally bashful in what they will take. We will throw MirrOlure She Dogs, Bass Assassins Die Dapper rigged weedless; Manns Waker and Baby Waker will also get plenty of playing time. Dont forget about ol faithful weedless spoons.
A lot of the newer customers I have been acquiring are slowly getting into wading or they just dont think there is any reason to leave a perfectly good boat. Not a problem! Coastline Marine of Seabrook has given me the ultimate boat for that or just about any other challenge involving bay fishing. My 24 Shallow Sport (Sport Model) can handle my clientele plus me for a day of fishing the backwaters either drifting or wading the backcountry.
I am now fishing out of my third Shallow Sport acquired from Coastline Marine of Seabrook and as anyone that knows me very well will tell you, I love going to my office every day, meaning my Shallow Sport. It doesnt matter where I am fishing, this is one of the most angling-friendly crafts I have ever owned. Me owning three of the Shallow Sports is a testimonial in itself and as I have told every manufacturer that I have dealt with, if I am satisfied with their boat and their service to their boats and customers I will stay in them and I have guided out of more brands than most people could ever imagine. Here is a small list of boat brands I have used in my guiding career thus far: Boston Whaler, Mako, Sea Dart, Blue Wave, Flatlander, Majek, Explorer, Shoalwater Cat and I have never been in a more stable, usable and more finished boat than my Shallow Sports. When I get ready to sell my boat at the end of each year there is usually a list of buyers waiting for it.
If you are interested in test driving a Shallow Sport I am at Charlies Bait Camp most every day of the week or we can arrange a meeting time that suits you. My Sport 24 is rigged with a 225 Yamaha SHO four stroke and I have installed the TRP lower unit. Cole and Chad at Coastline are perfectionists when it comes to rigging these boats and I have had zero issues with anything on the craft. Something that most people cant say about their boats rigging job.
Fish hard, fish smart!
Many people think of the redfish as a staple catch in their daily bag, but being normally known as a trout guy along my part of the coast I steer more towards the reefs and shorelines of San Antonio and Matagorda Bays to chase my speckled friends instead of trudging through the backwater mud holes for the line strippers of the marsh.
Dont get me wrong during a normal day of fishing we will still catch reds but I seem to find myself starting to target these guys on a more regular basis during this time of the year when the weather is up and down with new frontal systems muddying up my more normal haunts of the open bay. Even more important I find my customers wanting to target the redfish more and more. It seems over the years I had neglected the redfish and my regular clientele now wanted to chase the reds for their aggressive feeding habits and ferocious battles that will ensue.
The great thing about the redfish is that it doesnt seem like the passing frontal systems have much effect on them, at least not as much of an impact on their behavior as the speckled trout we find in the same areas.
This means that if I have a group of guys wanting to still go out during the second day of a blowing cold front and the water is torn up from the floor up; we can head to the protected backwaters located on Matagorda Island off any of the major bays in this area and still be able to target productive feeding from the bronze beauties.
When drifting the backwaters for redfish I really dont stick to one certain type of lure as they are not generally bashful in what they will take. We will throw MirrOlure She Dogs, Bass Assassins Die Dapper rigged weedless; Manns Waker and Baby Waker will also get plenty of playing time. Dont forget about ol faithful weedless spoons.
A lot of the newer customers I have been acquiring are slowly getting into wading or they just dont think there is any reason to leave a perfectly good boat. Not a problem! Coastline Marine of Seabrook has given me the ultimate boat for that or just about any other challenge involving bay fishing. My 24 Shallow Sport (Sport Model) can handle my clientele plus me for a day of fishing the backwaters either drifting or wading the backcountry.
I am now fishing out of my third Shallow Sport acquired from Coastline Marine of Seabrook and as anyone that knows me very well will tell you, I love going to my office every day, meaning my Shallow Sport. It doesnt matter where I am fishing, this is one of the most angling-friendly crafts I have ever owned. Me owning three of the Shallow Sports is a testimonial in itself and as I have told every manufacturer that I have dealt with, if I am satisfied with their boat and their service to their boats and customers I will stay in them and I have guided out of more brands than most people could ever imagine. Here is a small list of boat brands I have used in my guiding career thus far: Boston Whaler, Mako, Sea Dart, Blue Wave, Flatlander, Majek, Explorer, Shoalwater Cat and I have never been in a more stable, usable and more finished boat than my Shallow Sports. When I get ready to sell my boat at the end of each year there is usually a list of buyers waiting for it.
If you are interested in test driving a Shallow Sport I am at Charlies Bait Camp most every day of the week or we can arrange a meeting time that suits you. My Sport 24 is rigged with a 225 Yamaha SHO four stroke and I have installed the TRP lower unit. Cole and Chad at Coastline are perfectionists when it comes to rigging these boats and I have had zero issues with anything on the craft. Something that most people cant say about their boats rigging job.
Fish hard, fish smart!