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Mansfield Report: September 2008
The slow-wobbling 1/4 ounce Johnson weedless spoons were consistent.
The Lower Laguna Madre has an interesting fourth quarter coming up and September will be prime time to explore Hurricane Dolly's impact on this delicate yet resilient ecosystem system. Fishing proven patterns and traditional areas will be exciting but searching for new possibilities sculpted by Dolly's wrath will be a certain cure for boredom on the water. Let's never be so frightened of failure that we fail to try new things; this fall season should give us plenty of opportunity.
Predictably, August got off to rough start. Timbers, pilings and planks bobbed or lay barely submerged along the west side of the ICW, making low light navigation out of the Harbor nerve-wracking if not dangerous. It was curious to see boaters still blasting through these areas. Luckily no one has been hurt as of this writing. Huge amounts of wave and wind-ripped seagrass took lots of water away from the dedicated lure fishermen, and extensive runoff from the Arroyo Colorado had the surface water brown and fresh all the way to the East Cut. This is a rare event for a hypersaline system.
The fish were still there though, and catchable, but it was far from our normally exotically clear waters anglers travel long distances to experience. We rescheduled all of our trips for two weeks, unsure we could meet expectations. That being said, much of the shallow east side remained clean, and scattered groups of aggressive redfish patrolled near the shallow sand/grass line most mornings.
Some good catches were made, and the tried and true slow-wobbling 1/4 ounce Johnson weedless spoons were consistent producers. Topwaters had their explosive moments as well, especially smaller sizes in bone or chrome, but the reliable plastic tail worked as usual when all else failed. We are still relying on darker colors such as plum or dark strawberry on 1/8 screw lock jig heads. It appears that our redfish populations are as strong as ever and promise to delight many sight fishermen this fall. It won't be long before we see schooling activity in force as mature fish prepare for their annual exodus through the jetties.
Trout fishing during the period was typical for late summer, with the most consistent action along outer grasslines, submerged points and spoils. Limits of average-sized fish were fairly easy on tails, and we're happy to report "average size" seems to be ever improving. With ramp pressure reduced by fuel prices plus allowable limits halved by the state, it's not hard to predict the future health of the seatrout fishery barring any catastrophic event.
September can be full of surprises and no one knows what the weather patterns might be. It can be the hottest month of the year or start to cool off rapidly, but traditionally, tide levels will start to rise and that alone will alter fishing patterns. The white sands against the island should attract more redfish and tailing action should become more consistent. Calm mornings can reveal tails waving in all directions on the shallow flats, one of most thrilling events you can experience below your knees. We prefer to wade quietly into them and become the focused hunter, being patient to pick the fish you want and slowly easing into good casting position. Unless you have a good poling skiff, wading is often the only way to get on them as there is often not enough wind to drift.
These fish can be skittish so presentations need to be precise and subtle. Many lures will work, but I'll probably just stick to a pumpkinseed/chartreuse paddle tail. I can stop it, start it, or swim it slowly into their strike zone. The vibration of the tail can help raise their heads from the plume of silt they are often wallowing in. If you know something works for you, why change unless experimenting?
As far as September's trout go, they will be approaching the end of spawning season. With any luck it will be time to get those big topwaters back out, and use them with more confidence longer into the day. There will always be some monster loners on the shallow east side, with and near the bait and reds, but greatest potential is usually found over deeper sand pockets and along the west bank. Shorelines will become more active, especially early, and current swept structure such as points on submerged spoil banks will hold schools of aggressively feeding fish. Slicks, curious birds, and nervous bait will tell us when it's "on", but during slower periods, a loud topwater like MirrOlure's She Dog can call up some heavy fish even during the middle of the day.
As mentioned, many new areas have probably formed and others changed in Dolly's wake. After Hurricane Brett in 1999, several hard-packed bottoms turned into silt, while other boggy areas were swept clean. New guts and fish holding swales were gouged, grasslines were moved, potholes rearranged, and sand was pushed into new humps and ridges. It will take time to completely assess what has been changed and even longer to determine what has been changed for the better, but with some motivated effort, the more enthusiastic fishermen among us might well ferret out some new and highly productive areas to call their own, at least for a while.
School is back in session, vacationing anglers are back at work, the tides are rising and the water is cooling off. It's time for the gritty to get out there and make memories.
Predictably, August got off to rough start. Timbers, pilings and planks bobbed or lay barely submerged along the west side of the ICW, making low light navigation out of the Harbor nerve-wracking if not dangerous. It was curious to see boaters still blasting through these areas. Luckily no one has been hurt as of this writing. Huge amounts of wave and wind-ripped seagrass took lots of water away from the dedicated lure fishermen, and extensive runoff from the Arroyo Colorado had the surface water brown and fresh all the way to the East Cut. This is a rare event for a hypersaline system.
The fish were still there though, and catchable, but it was far from our normally exotically clear waters anglers travel long distances to experience. We rescheduled all of our trips for two weeks, unsure we could meet expectations. That being said, much of the shallow east side remained clean, and scattered groups of aggressive redfish patrolled near the shallow sand/grass line most mornings.
Some good catches were made, and the tried and true slow-wobbling 1/4 ounce Johnson weedless spoons were consistent producers. Topwaters had their explosive moments as well, especially smaller sizes in bone or chrome, but the reliable plastic tail worked as usual when all else failed. We are still relying on darker colors such as plum or dark strawberry on 1/8 screw lock jig heads. It appears that our redfish populations are as strong as ever and promise to delight many sight fishermen this fall. It won't be long before we see schooling activity in force as mature fish prepare for their annual exodus through the jetties.
Trout fishing during the period was typical for late summer, with the most consistent action along outer grasslines, submerged points and spoils. Limits of average-sized fish were fairly easy on tails, and we're happy to report "average size" seems to be ever improving. With ramp pressure reduced by fuel prices plus allowable limits halved by the state, it's not hard to predict the future health of the seatrout fishery barring any catastrophic event.
September can be full of surprises and no one knows what the weather patterns might be. It can be the hottest month of the year or start to cool off rapidly, but traditionally, tide levels will start to rise and that alone will alter fishing patterns. The white sands against the island should attract more redfish and tailing action should become more consistent. Calm mornings can reveal tails waving in all directions on the shallow flats, one of most thrilling events you can experience below your knees. We prefer to wade quietly into them and become the focused hunter, being patient to pick the fish you want and slowly easing into good casting position. Unless you have a good poling skiff, wading is often the only way to get on them as there is often not enough wind to drift.
These fish can be skittish so presentations need to be precise and subtle. Many lures will work, but I'll probably just stick to a pumpkinseed/chartreuse paddle tail. I can stop it, start it, or swim it slowly into their strike zone. The vibration of the tail can help raise their heads from the plume of silt they are often wallowing in. If you know something works for you, why change unless experimenting?
As far as September's trout go, they will be approaching the end of spawning season. With any luck it will be time to get those big topwaters back out, and use them with more confidence longer into the day. There will always be some monster loners on the shallow east side, with and near the bait and reds, but greatest potential is usually found over deeper sand pockets and along the west bank. Shorelines will become more active, especially early, and current swept structure such as points on submerged spoil banks will hold schools of aggressively feeding fish. Slicks, curious birds, and nervous bait will tell us when it's "on", but during slower periods, a loud topwater like MirrOlure's She Dog can call up some heavy fish even during the middle of the day.
As mentioned, many new areas have probably formed and others changed in Dolly's wake. After Hurricane Brett in 1999, several hard-packed bottoms turned into silt, while other boggy areas were swept clean. New guts and fish holding swales were gouged, grasslines were moved, potholes rearranged, and sand was pushed into new humps and ridges. It will take time to completely assess what has been changed and even longer to determine what has been changed for the better, but with some motivated effort, the more enthusiastic fishermen among us might well ferret out some new and highly productive areas to call their own, at least for a while.
School is back in session, vacationing anglers are back at work, the tides are rising and the water is cooling off. It's time for the gritty to get out there and make memories.