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Mid-Coast Bays: November 2013
Ben Ellis and his young (already skilled angler) daughter, Lilly, enjoyed a morning of catching and releasing many reds.
Ahh, the cool crisp mornings I have waited so long for have finally arrived. Fall is by far my favorite time of year to fish. What's not to like? Shorter days and cooler air temperatures means cooler water temperatures and aggressively feeding fish. And while I will continue to frequent the San Antonio Bay mid-bay reefs and the surrounding marshes and back lakes often, Hynes Bay in the northwest corner of the system will get a lot of my attention in the coming weeks.
If you are a Texas history buff you will find that Hynes Bay has some interesting facts associated with it, especially involving the Karankawa Indians. However, since this is supposed to be a fishing article, so I will skip the history lesson and tell you why Hynes Bay is a hot spot in the fall.
Hynes Bay is unique in that it is locally considered more a part of the Guadalupe Delta than an extension of San Antonio Bay proper. Local runoff plays a role but the largest contributors of freshwater into the estuary are the San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers that merge several miles upstream of the delta region.
Hynes Bay itself is a shallow bay averaging about three to four feet in depth. Every fall after the passing of a few strong cold fronts, the shrimp larvae that have been living in the marshy delta waters will have grown to near adult size and start to migrate out into the open waters of Hynes, Mission, Guadalupe and San Antonio Bays. Hynes is always one of the first bays where this activity will be witnessed.
Once the shrimp start to migrate out into the open bay, birds can be found hovering above schools of trout and sometimes reds, trying to get their fair share of munchies, and this pushes huge numbers of shrimp to the surface where the birds get their chance. Gulls resting on the water are also a good indication that there are fish feeding in the area, maybe just a bit more scattered.
The feeding frenzy tends to be at its best during early morning and usually subsides by midday. I should also mention that a north wind is always better than south in Hynes. Light south wind won't hinder you too much but if it's blowing harder than about 10-12 mph from the south, Hynes get muddied up quick and not nearly as productive.
When you find the birds working, it is best to motor upwind and stop about 100 feet from them and drift in so you don't spook off your quarry. Or better yet, if you have a trolling motor, use it to get within casting distance. Wading is not a good option because of the muddy bottoms across most of Hynes Bay. Besides, you may find yourself hopping from one group of birds to another in a matter of minutes some days.
My number one setup for fishing birds is an 18-inch 20-pound leader on a Mauler or popping cork with an 1/8 ounce Bass Assassin jighead. Soft plastics work about as well as live shrimp without the constant need for re-baiting. Lure color is usually not critical but to be safe I lean toward the natural patterns of Bass Assassins' 5-inch Saltwater Shad.
When you can see bait and fish busting the surface it doesn't take but a couple pops of your cork before you are hooked up. Many species take advantage of these migrating shrimp so don't be surprised when you catch a little bit of everything under the birds – gafftop, skipjacks and hardheads will be there too.
You will likely hook quite a few smaller trout, and if they aren't hooked too deeply, it's always a good idea to use a de-hooking tool (looks like a candy cane with a handle on the straight end) so that you flip them off the hook and back into the water without even touching them. When the hook is lodged deeper you'll probably have to use pliers but be as gentle as possible; these are next year's keepers and maybe a trophy some day.
Pick a pretty day and make fishing a priority in November; I promise you will not be disappointed.
If you are a Texas history buff you will find that Hynes Bay has some interesting facts associated with it, especially involving the Karankawa Indians. However, since this is supposed to be a fishing article, so I will skip the history lesson and tell you why Hynes Bay is a hot spot in the fall.
Hynes Bay is unique in that it is locally considered more a part of the Guadalupe Delta than an extension of San Antonio Bay proper. Local runoff plays a role but the largest contributors of freshwater into the estuary are the San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers that merge several miles upstream of the delta region.
Hynes Bay itself is a shallow bay averaging about three to four feet in depth. Every fall after the passing of a few strong cold fronts, the shrimp larvae that have been living in the marshy delta waters will have grown to near adult size and start to migrate out into the open waters of Hynes, Mission, Guadalupe and San Antonio Bays. Hynes is always one of the first bays where this activity will be witnessed.
Once the shrimp start to migrate out into the open bay, birds can be found hovering above schools of trout and sometimes reds, trying to get their fair share of munchies, and this pushes huge numbers of shrimp to the surface where the birds get their chance. Gulls resting on the water are also a good indication that there are fish feeding in the area, maybe just a bit more scattered.
The feeding frenzy tends to be at its best during early morning and usually subsides by midday. I should also mention that a north wind is always better than south in Hynes. Light south wind won't hinder you too much but if it's blowing harder than about 10-12 mph from the south, Hynes get muddied up quick and not nearly as productive.
When you find the birds working, it is best to motor upwind and stop about 100 feet from them and drift in so you don't spook off your quarry. Or better yet, if you have a trolling motor, use it to get within casting distance. Wading is not a good option because of the muddy bottoms across most of Hynes Bay. Besides, you may find yourself hopping from one group of birds to another in a matter of minutes some days.
My number one setup for fishing birds is an 18-inch 20-pound leader on a Mauler or popping cork with an 1/8 ounce Bass Assassin jighead. Soft plastics work about as well as live shrimp without the constant need for re-baiting. Lure color is usually not critical but to be safe I lean toward the natural patterns of Bass Assassins' 5-inch Saltwater Shad.
When you can see bait and fish busting the surface it doesn't take but a couple pops of your cork before you are hooked up. Many species take advantage of these migrating shrimp so don't be surprised when you catch a little bit of everything under the birds – gafftop, skipjacks and hardheads will be there too.
You will likely hook quite a few smaller trout, and if they aren't hooked too deeply, it's always a good idea to use a de-hooking tool (looks like a candy cane with a handle on the straight end) so that you flip them off the hook and back into the water without even touching them. When the hook is lodged deeper you'll probably have to use pliers but be as gentle as possible; these are next year's keepers and maybe a trophy some day.
Pick a pretty day and make fishing a priority in November; I promise you will not be disappointed.