The View: May 2017

Spring winds dictate how we fish for trout in April and May. Matagorda anglers are always trying to get in the middle of East Bay in five feet of water because there is always a chance of catching a speckled trout as long as your arm.

I have said so many times but it is worth repeating: I can't believe how many big trout continue to be caught in East Matagorda Bay. The cool thing is anyone has a chance at catching a gator trout - rookie or expert. The really cool thing is most Matagorda anglers are taking care of the big fish.

Smile, take a photo, then let her go. Keep smiling, keep talking about how big she was and then pat yourself on the back for taking care of our natural resources. I and everyone else thank you for putting the good of the bay ahead of your self-worth.

When tides are above normal, the east end of the bay around Brown Cedar Flats seems to hold more fish while the west end around Raymond Shoals holds bigger fish on low tides.

Best baits have been a Gulp or live shrimp under a popping cork, but Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, Hogies and MirrOlure’s Lil Johns have worked as well.

When the wind blows harder than 15 knots from the south, the best option is to wade West Matagorda Bay. Grass beds along the south shoreline hold clean water, but it is the dingy water that actually holds most of the fish. Afternoon incoming tides are ushering in wads of glass minnows and trout follow the minnows. We are throwing small topwaters, MirrOlure Soft-Dines and soft plastics on 1/8-ounce jig heads.

Back lakes are holding beautiful reds while wading or drifting. If you wade you can really stay with a school and keep from dispersing the crowd with hull slap from your boat. If you must fish from a boat, make long casts with plastics or shrimp under corks. Aim for the potholes in the sand.

Reefs along the north and south shorelines of West Matagorda Bay are holding large concentrations of reds. Popping corks with about a foot of leader and a live shrimp have been deadly. Lure guys are chunking gold spoons, broken-backs, soft plastics and Humpbacks. The reefs around the Cullen Houses have been good on the south side and Shell Island and Twin Island has been best on the north shore.

Flounder are beginning to show in the bayous along the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay. Waders have scored more bites on scented soft plastics like Gulps and MirrOlure Lil Johns. Dragging the muddy bottom of sloughs and bayous has been the best bet. Spring tides have pushed more flatfish tight to the grass where they are dining on mud minnows, small shrimp and glass minnows. Work the same terrain off the Intracoastal and around Brown Cedar Flats near Sargent.

Offshore guys like Capt. Michael Kubecka said wahoo are moving in to the deeper rigs and around the Flower Gardens. Swordfish bite has been good along the Hilltops. Tilefish and barrelfish have been very productive dropping in 900-1000 ft.

Grouper are good on the shallower rigs and wrecks in 150-250 feet of water. There are lot of amberjack, too, but AJs are not in season so they must be released.

Watch the Texas Insider Fishing Report on Fox Sports Southwest April-September. I'll will be giving the weekly middle coast report. Show times are 11 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Follow our catches on Instagram @matagordasunriselodge.