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Mid-Coast Bays: July 2010
Terri fell in love with her
We are well into the swing of summer fishing patterns here on the mid-coast. The wind has finally subsided allowing us to venture out of the protected back lakes and onto our outside shorelines, mid-bay reefs and, at last, the bountiful waters of the Gulf surf. The water temperatures have risen forcing trout and reds to look for cooler locations over sand and deeper oyster reefs.
While I still enjoy sight-casting to wandering pods of redfish in our back lakes, some of these lakes have become inundated with thick seagrass making it difficult for most lure chunkers to use their arsenal effectively. If drifting for redfish in these grassy lakes is what you are hoping to do I would advise getting an early start before floating grass takes over by afternoon.
Most of the shorelines that border West Matagorda, Espiritu Santo and San Antonio Bays have hard sandy bottoms with patches of grass and deeper guts. San Antonio Bay also has some of the best producing mid-bay reefs. These are the areas fish will migrate to this time of year in search of not only bait but also cooler water and our summer breezes help keep these less protected areas more aerated.
As of late, wading deep or anchoring on drop-offs adjacent to deeper water have been the key to catching. I am not a huge fan of wading up to my neck but that seems to be what it takes to get into a solid bite lately. Holding steady when you find a bite is imperative to staying in the fish. I watch too many anglers unknowingly walk forward as they reel in a fish. After landing a few, the angler has inadvertently wandered into the area where he had been catching fish causing the bite to shut down. This can be a real headache if it happens on one of the days when we look for hours to find the bite, only to lose it shortly.
The surf has really turned on in Port O'Connor but it is not uncommon to have to travel more than 15 miles east or west of Pass Cavallo to find a good bite. Keying on feeding birds, jumping bait and/or pelicans on the water or sitting along the beach is always a good first step to finding feeding fish. Speckled trout can be found feeding between the first and second guts with redfish hanging in the first gut next to the beach. Soft plastics and surface plugs have both been producing in the surf but make sure to use at least 10 to 12 inches of minimum 20lb test line leader and 30 lb is even better due to the many aggressive toothy critters besides reds and trout that you will catch while fishing surfside.
If you are wading these areas it is a good idea to use a long stringer such as ForEverlast's 15' - G2 Pro Stringer tied loosely to your belt due to opportunistic sharks that linger in the surf. Another good idea is to fasten the stringer with a quick release clip that will allow the stringer to slip away easily if a shark grabs it. Don't forget your stingray protection. I don't leave my boat without my ForEverlast Ray Guard Wading Boots paired up with neoprene socks to keep my ankles from chaffing. If the full boot is not your preference, ForEverlast also makes Ray Guard Shields that fit over any wading bootie.
Mid-bay reefs in San Antonio Bay have been producing some nice catches over the last couple of weeks. You most definitely have to "reef hop" some days before a solid bite is found but I can assure you it is worth the hunt. Make sure there is bait present before deciding to fish any of the reefs in San Antonio Bay. Birds working are also noteworthy because it is no secret there will be fish underneath. However, in our neck of the woods, if those birds are not working near a reef, chances are the fish I find under them will be mostly small trout and gafftop catfish.
Getting a very early morning start this summer could be the key to catching or just fishing. Please remember to drink plenty of water and lather on the sunscreen. Notice I said LATHER! I have to say while any sunscreen is better than none; I am NOT a big fan of the new spray-on sunscreens when on the water. Since we always have some sort of breeze here on the coast I notice big slicks on the water from the overspray after applying the spray-on stuff. This can't be good for our aquatic friends and can be avoided by using creams and lotions. Just my two cents!
While I still enjoy sight-casting to wandering pods of redfish in our back lakes, some of these lakes have become inundated with thick seagrass making it difficult for most lure chunkers to use their arsenal effectively. If drifting for redfish in these grassy lakes is what you are hoping to do I would advise getting an early start before floating grass takes over by afternoon.
Most of the shorelines that border West Matagorda, Espiritu Santo and San Antonio Bays have hard sandy bottoms with patches of grass and deeper guts. San Antonio Bay also has some of the best producing mid-bay reefs. These are the areas fish will migrate to this time of year in search of not only bait but also cooler water and our summer breezes help keep these less protected areas more aerated.
As of late, wading deep or anchoring on drop-offs adjacent to deeper water have been the key to catching. I am not a huge fan of wading up to my neck but that seems to be what it takes to get into a solid bite lately. Holding steady when you find a bite is imperative to staying in the fish. I watch too many anglers unknowingly walk forward as they reel in a fish. After landing a few, the angler has inadvertently wandered into the area where he had been catching fish causing the bite to shut down. This can be a real headache if it happens on one of the days when we look for hours to find the bite, only to lose it shortly.
The surf has really turned on in Port O'Connor but it is not uncommon to have to travel more than 15 miles east or west of Pass Cavallo to find a good bite. Keying on feeding birds, jumping bait and/or pelicans on the water or sitting along the beach is always a good first step to finding feeding fish. Speckled trout can be found feeding between the first and second guts with redfish hanging in the first gut next to the beach. Soft plastics and surface plugs have both been producing in the surf but make sure to use at least 10 to 12 inches of minimum 20lb test line leader and 30 lb is even better due to the many aggressive toothy critters besides reds and trout that you will catch while fishing surfside.
If you are wading these areas it is a good idea to use a long stringer such as ForEverlast's 15' - G2 Pro Stringer tied loosely to your belt due to opportunistic sharks that linger in the surf. Another good idea is to fasten the stringer with a quick release clip that will allow the stringer to slip away easily if a shark grabs it. Don't forget your stingray protection. I don't leave my boat without my ForEverlast Ray Guard Wading Boots paired up with neoprene socks to keep my ankles from chaffing. If the full boot is not your preference, ForEverlast also makes Ray Guard Shields that fit over any wading bootie.
Mid-bay reefs in San Antonio Bay have been producing some nice catches over the last couple of weeks. You most definitely have to "reef hop" some days before a solid bite is found but I can assure you it is worth the hunt. Make sure there is bait present before deciding to fish any of the reefs in San Antonio Bay. Birds working are also noteworthy because it is no secret there will be fish underneath. However, in our neck of the woods, if those birds are not working near a reef, chances are the fish I find under them will be mostly small trout and gafftop catfish.
Getting a very early morning start this summer could be the key to catching or just fishing. Please remember to drink plenty of water and lather on the sunscreen. Notice I said LATHER! I have to say while any sunscreen is better than none; I am NOT a big fan of the new spray-on sunscreens when on the water. Since we always have some sort of breeze here on the coast I notice big slicks on the water from the overspray after applying the spray-on stuff. This can't be good for our aquatic friends and can be avoided by using creams and lotions. Just my two cents!