Runin’ and Gunnin’

O ne of the most popular  quotes among fishermen on those dreaded tough days on the water is “that’s why they call it fishing instead of catching.” I’m sure we’ve all heard it more than we care to remember.

With that said, I am happy to announce that October has found its way to the Texas Coast. We are now entering into one of the best, if not the best, month for consistently catching big numbers of good quality fish.

The dog days of summer are in the rear view mirror now, but the heat is on when it comes to catching on Texas’s coastal bays and estuaries. It doesn’t get much better, or easier for that matter, when it comes to loading the ice chest than it does in October. Therefore, we probably won’t have to worry about hearing that for a while.

The cold fronts we will begin to experience this month will begin to purge the marsh and bayous of shrimp and baitfish. That will trigger a feeding frenzy, which will last well into December. Gulls and terns feasting on large pods of shrimp will be a dead giveaway to the coordinates of huge schools of trout and reds attacking from underneath.

If fast and furious catching is what you’re seeking, running and gunning with the birds is the easiest way to fill your fish box quickly. Shut down well ahead of the school and troll or drift until you can reach them with a long cast. Keep the wind at your back if possible to help make the long casts needed to get your lure to the fish.

I’m convinced there aren’t any baits you could tie on that won’t produce strikes when the fish are schooling under the birds. Topwaters, soft plastics, Rat-L-Traps, swim baits, jerk baits and spoons will all get the job done. We usually stick to soft plastics on 1/4 oz. lead heads so we can get good distance on our casts and not have to deal with trebles every time we catch a fish.

One of the best bits of advice I’ve ever gotten was from my mentor, the late Capt. Daniel Pyle, who always told me “keep em to a single hook.” This is definitely true a lot more often than not. Assassins, Zoom Super Fluke, and H & H Cocahoe Minnow in various colors always work well.

October is also a great time to experience some serious redfish action at the jetties. Dark colored plastics and Hoginars fished deep should provide you with lots of action on slot fish as well as a few oversized ones. Fish the deep holes and washouts for best results.

If you’d like to experience Sabine’s version of running with the bulls, break out the big rods and fish the jetties or the surf. Bait ’em up with whole or cut mullet or croaker and set your drag.

These big bulls don’t mess around once they realize they are hooked, and there’s no better time to do battle with them than October. 

 

 

 

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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