Coastal Forecast: Galveston

Good Things Appear on The Horizon!

I N BRAZORIA COUNTY, where I live, our County Judge says the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey will take several years to “undo.”

That’s somewhat sobering, since Harvey was not a real strong storm in the way of wind and tidal surge. However, heavy rains associated with it caused flooding from Houston to Galveston and throughout out coastal Brazoria County. Some of the flooding was because the mouth of the San Bernard River was again “sanded” shut.

My hunting property in Brazoria County is a couple of miles from a bend in the river. Water that could not easily drain to the Gulf backed up to flood my land and cover the county road in front of it for some time.

Following that event, funds collected after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill are expected to be used in a $10.7 million project. The project will re-open the river mouth and work on a couple of other coastal projects, including the Quintana Beach Fishing Pier.

The river mouth opening needed to be considered for a lot of reasons. It’s too bad it took Hurricane flooding to get it done.

Because March is not a ‘hot’ month for coastal fishing, it should be a good time for the Gulf to drain.

Because March is not a “hot” month for coastal fishing, it should be a good time for the Gulf to drain. This will flush all the freshwater and get saltwater nursery areas ready to produce this spring. Heavy flooding always “cleans” the bays and coastal streams, so conditions for coastal fish species should be improved.

Salinities should be good enough for speckled trout and redfish, with flounders beginning to show in deeper spots. The cold weather black drum fishing should be better in the cleaner areas, also.

The other factor concerning weather and coastal fishing comes with the hard freeze the upper Texas coast dealt with in Late December. Some fish kill could be expected.

Not many fishermen ventured out in weather hitting well below freezing. Normally, nature reacts to such conditions by kicking into a “higher gear” when warmer weather—and water—returns in the spring. However, this is something we’ll just need some time to determine.

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Of course, cold weather should be gone by now, and we hope any damages it may have caused are being understood and addressed. Folks in other areas who routinely deal with much colder weather probably think we Texans over-react to the temperatures we sometimes get, but we do deal with it. We just don’t much like it.

Events such as the black drum “run” might be delayed into March, and warmer weather flounder will also be later than in more normal years. The deeper water of the Gulf protects many species from such weather damages, and provides a rebounding population very quickly—almost a restocking. So we should see an even more productive spring.

Most of March should be spent in getting boats, tackle, and other equipment in good shape for the coming active fishing season. You should also follow closely the local fishing and environmental reports. 

Even if we have to make adjustments to our techniques and areas of efforts, this is just part of the sport. By the end of March, most questions about fishing conditions should be at least partially answered, and our watery lives will be getting back to “normal”

The Bank Bite

Location: If temperatures are still on the cool side, deeper water will be more productive, but on warmer days bay reefs and sandbars in the surf will begin to hold fish. The immediate area of passes and river mouths should be productive.

Species: Trout, reds, and flounders will return with warm tides, and should be hungry.

Baits/Lures: Cold weather encourages the use of natural baits that leave a scent trail in the water, but plastic jig tails and flashing spoons will draw strikes as well.

Best Times: Early is not as important as letting some warmth get into the water. Sunny days will be good, and more comfortable for fishermen

 

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@fishgame.com

 

Roy Neves

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