Planning a Fishing Trip

Y OU AND YOUR FISHING friend have been getting your tackle and boat ready and looking forward to a day on the water for weeks.

Let’s take a look at what other pre-planning you have control over, so you’ll go fishing on a day that has the most promise. Sportsman’s Daybook in Texas Fish and Game will help you select a day that combines the most fish biting factors.

The following is not about a specific day in March 2018, it is simply an example. Looking in the Daybook, you see that in the middle of March a day with a predicted low tide of -0.03 feet at 12:55 a.m. and a high tide of 1.08 feet at 8:25 a.m.

More than a foot of tidal change causes a lot of water to move into and out of East and West Matagorda Bays, and current is what you want. Water movement pushes bait fish, shrimp, and crabs into areas where trout, redfish, and flounders can feed on them.

Depending on where you decide to fish, your actual high tide time will vary, but you know that the tide will move in with force when you start fishing in the morning. If you fish until, say 1 p.m., you’ll experience a change from incoming to outgoing tide, which I have found, can also stimulate the bite. 

You also learn from Sportsman’s Daybook that on the day you are looking at, a minor feeding period will occur at 8:49 a.m. This is a time when the phase of the moon should stimulate feeding activity.

Another factor is water temperature. NOAA’s Coastal Water Temperature Guide at https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/cwtg/ will show you historical water temperatures. Let’s say you find that the historical average water temperature for West Matagorda Bay on the day you want is 63°F.

In March you can have a cool, cloudy day, which will leave the water temperature on the low side. This means the fish will move slower, so you should move your lure slower, and the trout bites will probably be faint.

On a warm sunny day, the water temperature, especially over shallow areas, will go up by about 5°F. This produces more active fish movement and a more pronounced bite.

Of course you cannot plan for the variance in water temperature. However, if you understand how the weather affects the water temperature and the bite, you can adjust your fishing approach accordingly. 

Finally the day you have selected arrives, and you and your fishing buddy meet at Matagorda Harbor at 6:45 a.m. You selected this meeting time because the sun rises at 7:30 a.m., and you know that first light is about 30 minutes prior to the sunrise.

Another bite-creating factor is to fish when the sun comes up or goes down. The problem on this day is, that the wind is stronger than you would like, 15 to 20 mph out of the southeast. A wind this strong is close to small craft warnings, so you have to be very careful running your boat. However, you decide you are able to go safely.

The strong wind also means that the incoming tide will be higher and stronger, because the wind is pushing water from the Gulf of Mexico into the bays. Otherwise it is an okay weather day—no rain, partly cloudy and air temperatures starting at 65°F.

You talk it over and decide not to drift fish in the open bay, because the winds would move your boat too fast, and the waves will be uncomfortable. You figure that going to the south shore of either East or West Matagorda Bays and wade fishing will work. The barrier islands will block the strong southeast wind, and you should still have relatively clear shorelines, back lakes, and bayous. 

When you arrive, you know the tide will be incoming, so you decide to wade fish the shoreline and entrances to the bayous. You position yourself about 20 yards from the shoreline. Then you cast to the shoreline, bayou entrances, and into the bay. You are constantly on the lookout for the welcome site of springtime baitfish getting blown up by predators.

Long before you actually go bay fishing, you can do some pre-trip planning that will pay off. Pick a day with strong tidal movement, a minor or major feeding period, and study the average water temperatures for that day and location. Now, make adjustments for the actual wind and weather and enjoy your carefully planned day of fishing.

The Bank Bite

Under the Bridge: In the village of Matagorda, a bridge goes over the Intracoastal Waterway carrying vehicles to the beach. Under this bridge, on both sides, you will find places to bank fish. Most of the time, water is moving swiftly so use a ½ ounce weight or more to keep your bait from moving with the current. Live bait is best, but fresh, dead shrimp will attract a bite as well.

 

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@fishgame.com