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Mid-Coast Bays: May 2013
Shorelines are paying off this spring.
There are certain things every good angler should know, one is how fish react to weather. Although no one will ever truly master the art of seasonal patterns, a better understanding of them will make you a better angler. Our springtime patterns here on the Middle Texas Coast are in full swing and seem to be right on par with where we were last year at this time.
Most anglers keep mental notes and/or written diaries of our outings in hopes that the details of past successful trips will help us succeed when faced with dilemmas under similar conditions when the time arises. Many of my customers believe I have "secret spots" and while the idea of having my very own "spot" that produces fish every time I fish it sounds great but it just isn't so. I do however have places that I prefer to fish under certain conditions. When deciding what areas I should target on any given day, there are many things I take into consideration. Variables such as air and water temperatures, wind speed, and water levels, are just a few of the things I think about before deciding on what area should be holding the most fish under those particular conditions.
With our water temperatures being considerably warmer than what they were a month or two ago most of the fish that were inhabiting our warmer back lacks will now be moving out to the cooler outside sandy shorelines of our bays. The reefs in San Antonio Bay will also hold good numbers of trout but unfortunately opportunities to fish the reefs in the open bay can be hit and miss due to our seasonably high winds this time of year.
Maturing shrimp start to leave their backwater estuaries into the bay in early spring so on calmer days expect to find birds working over shrimp in Matagorda, Espiritu Santo and San Antonio Bay. It is hard not to get excited when you find birds working over shrimp because everyone knows there are fish to be found under the birds. Unfortunately more often than not, fish found feeding under "our" birds are typically skipjacks, gafftop and small schoolie trout. However, there is a different scenario that may play to your advantage. If you ever come across birds feeding up shallow or near the crown of a reef you will find those fish to be of better size and very few non-target species will be in the mix.
Since these fish are usually feeding aggressively the use of live bait is not needed. I prefer to rig my lines with a cork, a mauler-type being my first choice, above a short leader attached to an 1/8 ounce jighead. I typically opt to use a 4 inch Bass Assassin Sea Shad. Color selection is not of huge importance since fish feeding under the birds will strike at just about anything that hits the water. The use of soft plastics also gives you an advantage over live bait since you do not have to replace the bait after every catch.
If the wind is blowing, keeping you off of the mid bay reefs, find a good sandy leeward shoreline to concentrate your efforts. Keying in on fleeing baitfish will be essential on where to start your wade. Redfish are known for hugging shorelines in an attempt to ambush their prey up against the grass. Two lures that are a must have in your arsenal when looking to hook up with a redfish are a 1/2 ounce weedless gold spoon and my personal favorite, a Mann's Waker crank bait in the croaker color. Both baits are easy to use and reap big rewards when targeting reds.
Don't be leery of tying on a topwater this time of year. Water temps should still be mild and floating grass doesn't start to become a real problem till around mid-June. When the wind is calmer I will opt for a smaller size topwater and just the opposite for windy days. If you get lots of blow ups but no hook ups switching to a soft plastic lure usually seals the deal.
Mother's Day comes in the month of May so here's hoping all of you mothers have a totally awesome Mother's Day because you deserve it! And to my fishoholic mother, I send you a big hug and many kisses. You should know you are my hero!
Most anglers keep mental notes and/or written diaries of our outings in hopes that the details of past successful trips will help us succeed when faced with dilemmas under similar conditions when the time arises. Many of my customers believe I have "secret spots" and while the idea of having my very own "spot" that produces fish every time I fish it sounds great but it just isn't so. I do however have places that I prefer to fish under certain conditions. When deciding what areas I should target on any given day, there are many things I take into consideration. Variables such as air and water temperatures, wind speed, and water levels, are just a few of the things I think about before deciding on what area should be holding the most fish under those particular conditions.
With our water temperatures being considerably warmer than what they were a month or two ago most of the fish that were inhabiting our warmer back lacks will now be moving out to the cooler outside sandy shorelines of our bays. The reefs in San Antonio Bay will also hold good numbers of trout but unfortunately opportunities to fish the reefs in the open bay can be hit and miss due to our seasonably high winds this time of year.
Maturing shrimp start to leave their backwater estuaries into the bay in early spring so on calmer days expect to find birds working over shrimp in Matagorda, Espiritu Santo and San Antonio Bay. It is hard not to get excited when you find birds working over shrimp because everyone knows there are fish to be found under the birds. Unfortunately more often than not, fish found feeding under "our" birds are typically skipjacks, gafftop and small schoolie trout. However, there is a different scenario that may play to your advantage. If you ever come across birds feeding up shallow or near the crown of a reef you will find those fish to be of better size and very few non-target species will be in the mix.
Since these fish are usually feeding aggressively the use of live bait is not needed. I prefer to rig my lines with a cork, a mauler-type being my first choice, above a short leader attached to an 1/8 ounce jighead. I typically opt to use a 4 inch Bass Assassin Sea Shad. Color selection is not of huge importance since fish feeding under the birds will strike at just about anything that hits the water. The use of soft plastics also gives you an advantage over live bait since you do not have to replace the bait after every catch.
If the wind is blowing, keeping you off of the mid bay reefs, find a good sandy leeward shoreline to concentrate your efforts. Keying in on fleeing baitfish will be essential on where to start your wade. Redfish are known for hugging shorelines in an attempt to ambush their prey up against the grass. Two lures that are a must have in your arsenal when looking to hook up with a redfish are a 1/2 ounce weedless gold spoon and my personal favorite, a Mann's Waker crank bait in the croaker color. Both baits are easy to use and reap big rewards when targeting reds.
Don't be leery of tying on a topwater this time of year. Water temps should still be mild and floating grass doesn't start to become a real problem till around mid-June. When the wind is calmer I will opt for a smaller size topwater and just the opposite for windy days. If you get lots of blow ups but no hook ups switching to a soft plastic lure usually seals the deal.
Mother's Day comes in the month of May so here's hoping all of you mothers have a totally awesome Mother's Day because you deserve it! And to my fishoholic mother, I send you a big hug and many kisses. You should know you are my hero!