Categories: Uncategorized

Colorado River – fish magnet

 

Tommy Countz, 281-450-4037, tcountz@sbcglobal.net reports that the lower temps have put a lot of trout and also some redfish in the Colorado River. Typically the river doesn’t begin to produce until the latter part of November, going into December.

“All we are doing is drifting and casting. In the bays I throw nothing heavier than a 1/8 oz jig head. In the river, a lot of the times the fish are down in 15 feet of water. Then I go to a 3/8 oz lead head.”

Countz likes bright colored paddle tail baits, something that imitates a mullet, something that you can swim the bait back to you. Chartreuse is one of his favorite colors.

“We are just drifting along the west bank of the river, casting toward the bank, out toward the middle sometimes, but primarily toward the bank. Prior to the recent cold temperatures, they were hitting topwaters pretty well. It’s not that the east side of the river won’t hold some fish, but the west is much more consistent.”

Going north from the Bay, does anywhere along the river work, or are there better locations than others?

Countz says anywhere on the river can produce catches, especially from the Hwy. 521 bridge south. When the river gets really crowded, as it will get at times, go a little further up north on the river, even as far as the edge of the nuclear power plant. “The fishing can be pretty consistent with a lot less competition. With the conditions we are having, it is salty all the way up there.”

River fishing courtesy: Let the current take you down the river, using your trolling motor when needed. Don’t anchor even though when if you begin catching fish.

“What you never want to do on the river is throw your anchor out, stop, and fish one spot,” says Countz. “It limits you to one area and it also screws up everybody else that’s making drifts. People need to understand that they are going to be more productive if they continue moving, come back through, hit it again, rather than just stopping in one spot.

“You could sit there and throw for three hours before you get another fish. A lot of people just don’t get that in their head.”

One of the busiest days of the year on the Colorado is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Countz said one day he counted 50-60 boats from the ICW all the way up past Selkirk.

Another option: Night fishing is really good on the river in December. A lot of people have piers and turn their lights on and fish can be caught under the lights.

 

Tom Behrens

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