Will Fall Fall in the Month of September?

SABINE LAKE & PASS

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

 

THE FIRST OFFICIAL day of fall is Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Even though that doesn’t mean much.

Texas’s upper coast in September is, more often than not, just an extension of August. Yet it still gets me excited. A big reason is seasonal change.

Even though it might not occur this month, it is so close we can almost taste it. I personally love the changing of the seasons, especially when going into fall and spring. The idea of changing patterns and techniques to coax the big three into biting just makes me happy.

Another big reason for all the excitement is the fact that Texas’s bays are producing in a big way. Here on the upper coast, the fish are feeding aggressively and taking a variety of artificial lures as well as live bait. It’s as if they can sense the changing of the seasons well before it shows on the thermometer.

We are not quite done with summer just yet. However, knowing what the not too distant future will bring is enough to get us excited—along with the bait and fish.

On Sabine Lake, fishing the mouths of the bayous along the eastern shoreline should yield some impressive stringers of trout, redfish and flounder. The mouths of these bayous have long been “go to” spots for locals and almost always attract and hold baitfish.

Good tidal movement pushes shrimp, mullet and shad in and out of these bayous. That, in turn, attracts predator fish. These fish will be more than happy to inhale any of these baits as well as an assortment of artificial lures.

Good choices for soft plastics include H & H Cocahoe Minnows, Down South Lures, Zoom Super Fluke and Gulp! Shrimp and Swimming Mullet. Great color choices are salt and pepper/chartreuse tail, glow, new penny and chartreuse. Topwaters such as She Dog and Skitterwalks in bone and pink/silver as well as gold spoons and Catch 2000s will also get serious results.

As usual, your chances of finding fish are greatly enhanced when fishing either an incoming or outgoing tide. Work the points over good and pay special attention to areas where the current forms small eddies.

If these points are holding bait, especially shrimp, glass minnows or small shad, you should be in business. If flounders are what you’re looking for, slow drag a Gulp! Swimming Minnow or other curl tail grub tipped with fresh peeled shrimp on a 1/8 or ¼ ounce lead head.

When you feel the trademark “thump,” give it a couple of seconds then set the hook hard to make sure the hook penetrates its bony mouth. Live bait fishermen have always done well by dragging a mud minnow or finger mullet using a fish-finder rig with the weight about 18 inches above the hook.

For trout and redfish, work your lure a little faster. Bounce it off the bottom by popping the slack in your line or keep it a little higher in the water column. Again, keying on areas where bait is present will greatly improve your chances. I’ll be excited this month whether fall actually falls or not.

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•  •  •

Location: Sabine Lake
Hotspot: Island Reefs
GPS: N 29 45.106, W 93 53.307
(29.7518, -93.8885)

Species: Speckled trout and redfish
Best Baits: Soft platics
Contact: Capt. Bill Watkins
409-673-9211
.9782018@sbcglobal.net
www.fishsabinelake.com
Tips: October on Sabine Lake is a premier month for fishing under the birds. The Jetties will only have a few trout; redfish are always there.

Location: Galveston West Bay
Hotspot: Confederate Reef
GPS: N 29 15.7549, W 94 55.177
(29.2626, -94.9196)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Soft plastics or small topwater lures
Contact: Capt. Paul Marcaccio
281-788-4041
captpaul@gofishgalveston.com
www.gofishgalveston.com
Tips: Confederate Reef is 3/4 mile long. Try to be careful to not walk on the shell; walk on th edge. The fish can hear you walking will move away.

Location: Matagorda West Bay
Hotspot: Cottons Bayou
GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816
(28.5075, -96.2064)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Van Critendon
361-648-1886
raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com
Tips: Capt. Critendon says he is fishing a lot of grass and sand bottoms, early in the morning with topwatrs, then changing to soft plastics as the sun rises in the sky.

Location: Galveston East Bay
Hotspot: Deep Reef
GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581
(29.5134, -94.6764)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Small topwaters
Contact: Capt. Paul Marcaccio
281-788-4041
captpaul@gofishgalveston.com
www.gofishgalveston.com
Tips: Small baits–She Pups, Baby Spooks, small Skitter Walks in chrome, bone or chartreuse shoule be magnificent early. Falling tides are essential.

Location: Galveston East Bay
Hotspot: Hanna’s Reef
GPS: N 29 28.7029, W 94 45.703
(29.4784, -94.7617)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Down South soft plastics with a 3/8 or 1/2 jig head
Contact: Capt. Glenn Boyd
409-789-6225
boydgw1@comcast.net
www.boydsguideservice.com
Tips: At the beginning of September the trout should be transitioning out of the deeper waters of Galveston Bay back into over the reefs of East Bay.

Location: Galveston East Bay
Hotspot: Pepper Grove
GPS: N 29 27.838, W 94 41.635
(29.4640, -94.6939)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Down South soft plastics with a 3/8 or 1/2 jig head
Contact: Capt. Glenn Boyd
409-789-6225
boydgw1@comcast.net
www.boydsguideservice.com
Tips: You almost want to hang up one time to know where the bottom is, and then work your way up grandually, ‘clinking’ it along off the shell. Actually the sound helps draw the fish.

Location: Galveston Bay
Hotspot: Helicopter Pad
GPS: N 29 26.41, W 94 48.8999
(29.4402, -94.8150)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Saltwater Assassin
Contact: Capt. Glenn Boyd
409-789-6225
boydgw1@comcast.net
www.boydsguideservice.com
Tips: My favorite color is Woodpecker…red with green, while using a 1/4 oz. jig head. You don’t need a lot of weight. Jerk it real good, like a wounded fish.

Location: Galveston Bay
Hotspot: Milk Jug
GPS: N 29 26.8099, W 94 49.4599
(29.4468, -94.8243)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Saltwater Assassin
Contact: Capt. Glenn Boyd
409-789-6225
boydgw1@comcast.net
www.boydsguideservice.com
Tips: Helicopter Pad, Milk Jug and Old Pilings are underwater structure you will find in lower Galveston Bay that will work the first part to mid September. After that it depends on weather changes.

Location: Port O’Connor
Hotspot: Jetties
GPS: N 28 25.212, W 96 19.5439
(28.4202, -96.3257)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Van Critendon
361-648-1886
raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com
Tips: I like to throw a colored bait that resembles needle fish or glass minnows (light green or almost crystal clear).

Location: Galveston West Bay
Hotspot: North Deer Island
GPS: N 29 16.954, W 94 56.223
(29.2826, -94.9371)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Soft plastics or small topwater lures
Contact: Capt. Paul Marcaccio
281-788-4041
captpaul@gofishgalveston.com
www.gofishgalveston.com
Tips: A lot of people walk along on top of the shell, because it’s easier walking, but it spooks the fish. It doesn’t sound bad to you, but the fish sense the noise with lateral lines along their body.

Location: Galveston Trinity Bay
Hotspot: Robinson Bayou
GPS: N 29 35.0637, W 94 34.4947
(29.5844, -94.5749)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Paul Marcaccio
281-788-4041
captpaul@gofishgalveston.com
www.gofishgalveston.com
Tips: Marcaccio recomends drifting, using soft plastic tails in either Limetreuse, pearl, plum, or Chicken-on-a-Chain along with a quarter ounce jig head.

Location: Matagorda East Bay
Hotspot: Boggy Cut
GPS: N 28 44.043, W 95 49.6579
(28.7341, -95.8276)

Species: Speckled Trout and Redfish
Best Baits: Down South soft plastics with either 1/2 or 3/8 oz jig head
Contact: Capt. Kendall Kersh
979-248-1871
kendallkersh@gmail.com
www.puresaltadventures.com
Tips: With a 3/8 oz. jig head you can cast a bait a long way and not have to get right up on a slick.

Location: Matagorda East Bay
Hotspot: Chinquapin Reef
GPS: N 28 43.9939, W 95 47.9539
(28.7332, -95.7992)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Down South soft plastics with either 1/2 or 3/8 oz jig head
Contact: Capt. Kendall Kersh
979-248-1871
kendallkersh@gmail.com
www.puresaltadventures.com
Tips: In September the trout and redfish begin to school…shrimp migration causes the fish to school up, and the birds will start working pointing to where the fish might be.

Location: Port O’Connor
Hotspot: Coast Guard Flats
GPS: N 28 29.6869, W 96 27.1009
(28.4948, -96.4517)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Van Critendon
361-648-1886
raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com
Tips: If I’m working stained water, then I’ll go with a darker color.

 

•  •  •

September: Time for Shrimp Fest

SAN ANTONIO BAY AREA

Reported by CAPT. CHRIS MARTIN

Email Chris Martin at bayflats@gmail.com

Visit Online: BayFlatsLogde.com

 

IT’S BEEN HOT the past few months, but temperature changes should be in store for us in this month’s weather forecast.

September historically marks some of fall’s first noticeable cold fronts along our portion of the Texas coast. We’re not talking about huge temperature swings here, but noticeable differences, nonetheless.

Cooler air temperatures will spark a slow cooling cycle for coastal water temperatures as well, which in itself is a signal to all marine life that a change in seasons is once again about to get underway.

In addition to wind and weather changes, other September transitions include the slow movement of speckled trout from shallow locations to some of the larger bay water masses. It’s a subtle change that begins this time of the year. The trout are no longer spawning, and fall hasn’t really started yet.

Trout that anglers have been successful in finding along sandy shorelines, may now be slowly relocating to deeper areas abundant in mud and grass. These relocation efforts often make it tough in finding a steady September trout bite. However, when anglers do locate the trout, they will often find them in numbers.

Changes in September may mean anglers will have to cover a lot more water than they’re used to, as they search for an active trout bite. As usual, finding bait will still be a key component to finding the trout.

Baitfish receive the same signals as the trout do regarding seasonal changes. So, they will begin their own transitions. Baitfish will move from one spot to the next in their never-ending search for food, safety, and comfort. So, what kind of bait will September trout be looking for?

If you’ve been a speckled trout enthusiast for any period of time, you’ve probably seen, or at least heard, a story of a trout being caught that has another fish hanging out of its mouth.

Some of these are fairly big—almost as big as the trout, itself. No kidding, a speckled trout will eat just about anything it can fit inside its mouth. This is going to be whatever is most plentiful and available to them at the time. For September, one of the most abundant things they’ll be feeding on is white shrimp.

White shrimp spawn offshore in the Gulf of Mexico beginning in March. Post-larval shrimp then ride the tides from offshore to estuarine bays as they look to settle over soft mud or peat bottoms. Such places along our part of the coast include the many back areas of Matagorda Island.

Late September’s decreasing water temperatures accelerate the need for the white shrimp to begin their migration back to the Gulf. This means the trout will be gorging themselves with the shrimp as the shrimp attempt to make their exit.

Shrimp, in general, are not strong swimmers. Because of this, they rely heavily on tidal movement and water currents to aid them in their migration efforts. As an example, the shrimp will use the flow of water created by a falling tide to help them get their fall migration underway.

The shrimp will be exiting the back lakes during a period of outgoing tidal movement via the many assorted bayous, cuts, and drains that empty the lakes into the many secondary bay systems. Many of the narrow and shallow bayous and cuts, won’t move as much shrimp as will a deeper and wider cut.

A deeper and wider opening equals more water flow, which equals more flow of shrimp. All of the shrimp that drain out of Matagorda Island’s backcountry marsh, lagoons, ponds, and bays eventually feed through the major openings out of Matagorda Island and into San Antonio Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay.

Some examples of such openings in the Seadrift and Port O’Connor area include the entrance to Panther Lake, the mouths of Twins Lake, Pats Bay, Long Lake, South Pass Lake, Contee Lake, Pringle Lake, and the entrance to the Army Hole.

All of these places are a bit deeper and have a bit more moving water. This also means the water is generally going to be a bit cooler and will contain more oxygen. Of course, these locations are very attractive and comfortable places for speckled trout to hang out where there’s an abundant food supply.

Have fun and be safe!

•  •  •

ROCKPORT AREA

Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

Email Mac Gable at captmac@macattackguideservice.com

Or Visit Online: macattackguideservice.com

 

THE TEXT MESSAGE came around 10 p.m. Angler Alert !!!!. I ignored it and went back to sleep. It did it three more times.

If I hadn’t just spent $300 on a new phone, it would have been thrown against the wall. Marketers, I thought.

“If it weren’t against the law there would be a bounty on them paid by the ear,” I said out loud. The text was from an old client who had decided to buy a boat for him and his wife because they truly loved to fish.

He agonized over the decision and often called me for my two cents worth. I truly enjoy talking to folks about fishing. If time warrants, I will talk your ear off, but this angler was wearing me out.

I finally told him if he bought a boat, I’d take them out on the maiden voyage to acclimate them to the new vessel. Rule of thumb I had told them: if you want to fish more than five times a month, then your own boat might be the best choice.

However, boats are a hole in the water you sink money into, now and going forward. They bought the boat. On the maiden voyage we caught fish, and all God’s children were happy. So, I cut them loose and would miss them as clients.

A few months down the road, the other shoe fell. He and she were frustrated they were not catching fish. After another scolding about texting me late at night, we got into the particulars of their fishing approach. As many before him (and I’m sure many to follow) they bought every device, lure, and bait that would fit on the boat—high dollar rods and reels, knives, flares, PFDs, ice chests. The list went on.

This guy was 24 carat solid gold in his intentions. He was attempting to conquer fishing all in one fell swoop. How can you NOT love folks like this, however misled they might be?

I agreed begrudgingly to take them out again in their boat. I believed I knew the cause of their lack of catching. However, I knew the phone calls wouldn’t stop until I showed them as OJT (on the job training) is worth 10,000 words in angling.

When I met them at the dock, the boat looked like a Bass Pro Shops floating advertisement. Heck, even I was intrigued by some of the items they had bought.

“Permission to come aboard?” I said.

“Absolutely!” came the reply. “This is your boat for the day, do whatever you need to do.”

“Take everything off the boat,” I said.

“What?”

“I want to go through your gear.”

They looked hesitant but complied.

“Take your favorite rods, but only two. I will bring one of the rods you used when on my boat. Do you want to lure-fish or bait-fish today?”

“Both!” they said.

“Not happening,” I said in a friendly tone. “Right now, we are going to commit to ONE approach, just one.”

“Bait,” they both said.

“Okay, what kind did you get?”

“Four kinds.”

“We are fishing with just one today, and that’s live shrimp. Do you have any?” Luckily, they had two quarts.

“You can use the other tomorrow if it lives.”

That was unlikely, because it was all mixed together, but that’s another story. After unloading at least 10 rods, a similar number of PFDs, and a truckload of tackle boxes, we were set to fish.

The lecture began. “Keep it SIMPLE, focus on one approach per fishing trip until you master that approach. Unsuccessful anglers give up way too soon. They switch from THIS to THAT all day long, never truly understanding the why, the when and the where.

“It takes stubborn persistence to do this, but it is absolutely the best way to learn. When an angler fails, he/she has half the puzzle solved. Bait types, lure types, type of rods, type of rod action, fishing line, approach to an area, all have the proper place and time for success.

“The new boat owner is also a new angler for all practical purposes. Many try to squeeze too much into too little, and the result is nothing is truly learned.

“Today we will fish with shrimp, and you will be the guide. I will do the rigging on the rods to give you a leg up, because it often changes day to day so pay attention in detail. Sink or swim, fish or no fish, you will be better shrimp anglers at the end of the day.

“Get a notebook and record how you fished, what worked what didn’t, the area fished, conditions, and results. Keep it simple, so you can go back and review and understand for future trips.

“This type of angling is slower-paced no over thinking and helter-skelter activity; it’s simple in its approach but highly effective. It is also less stressful, and you enjoy the many dimensions of fishing instead of just one or two. This is called a full day of fishing.

“Less wealthy folks have a leg up here, as they can’t afford to buy the many options available, but learn to succeed through perseverance with what they have.

“Here’s the best part. We never learn it all. It’s continued growth for the young and the old. Some anglers are better than others, simply because they are farther along in this growth cycle. Catching fish is not a miracle you just need to learn how to go about it and to persevere.”

•  •  •

The summer has seen bait stands with plenty of bait. However, check ahead before planning a live bait fishing trip. The bait can disappear very quickly.

Copano Bay: Mud minnows free-lined are a good bet for trout and reds near Smith Channel. Early morning is best on a moving tide. Shell Bank Reef is good for trout using croakers. In the early morning fish tight into the reef and deeper as the day heats up.

St. Charles Bay: Some nice red action near Twins Creek using free lined finger mullet. The reefs in front of Boy Scout Camp are good for trout using free-lined croakers. This area is best on a falling tide.

Aransas Bay: The area near Allyns Lake is good for reds and some trout, using free-lined croakers. The area near Blind Pass is a good spot for reds. It can be heavily fished during summer, so be respectful of other anglers. Finger mullet on a light Carolina rig works best.

Mesquite Bay: Rattlesnake Reef is a good wade spot for trout top using top waters in bone and white and soft plastics in new penny color. Wades on the shoreline of Bludworth Island using sand eels in new penny and morning glory colors are good for trout.

Ayers Bay: Finger mullet free-lined just off Second Chain Island will produce good reds. This area is heavy shell, so let the mullet work without reeling in until you get a bite. Some keeper trout are just off Ayers Island. In the early morning fish close to the reef, and later in the day fish farther out in the deeper water.

Bank Bite: If you’re into endurance fishing, the long wade to Newcomb Point can be very productive. This is a good spot during the hot days of September. Live bait is best and a quart of shrimp in a bait bucket works well. Keep it simple using a silent cork and move slow working the cork from shallow to deeper water.

•  •  •

•  •  •

Location: Port Aransas
Hotspot: Dagger Flats
GPS: N 27 49.7597, W 97 10.6099
(27.8293, -97.1768)

Species: Flounder
Best Baits: Soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Jack McPartland
361-290-6302
treblejcharters@yahoo.com
www.treble-j-charters.com
Tips: Drag it across the bottom; don’t bounce or jig the solft plastic. You actually drag it over the fish, making the fish react.

Location: Redfish Bay
Hotspot: Dagger Island
GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659
(27.8350, -97.1711)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Live finger mullet
Contact: Capt. Jack McPartland
361-290-6302
treblejcharters@yahoo.com
www.treble-j-charters.com
Tips: McPartland free lines live finger mullet, rigged Carolina style so it can’t swim off…generally best all-around bait for redfish.

Location: Upper Laguna Madre
Hotspot: Intracoastal spoils
GPS: N 27 33.6839, W 97 16.759
(27.5614, -97.2793)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Live Croaker
Contact: Capt. Adam Doelle
361-649-6509
adoelle@hotmail.com
Tips: The swivel blends in with everything else, doesn’t shine versus a gold or silver swivel.

Location: Upper Laguna Madre
Hotspot: King Ranch Shoreline
GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.1079
(27.4856, -97.3518)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Popping cork with live shrimp or Gulp
Contact: Capt. Nino Gonzalez
361-332-1568
nino@redtailrods.com
www.captninogonzales.com
Tips: Capt. Gonzalez’s favorite Gulp colors for use under a popping cork are white or New Penney.

Location: Aransas Bay
Hotspot: Mud Island
GPS: N 27 56.635, W 97 1.266
(27.9439, -97.0211)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Jack McPartland
361-290-6302
treblejcharters@yahoo.com
www.treble-j-charters.com
Tips: In the fall, McPartland prefers the strawberry color. A gold spoon also works good.

Location: Espiritu Santo Bay
Hotspot: Pringle Lake
GPS: N 28 18.984, W 96 30.865
(28.3164, -96.5144)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Live shrimp under a popping cork, cut bait, or soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Billy Freudensprung
979-997-2244
billyfreudensprung@gmail.com
Tips: Fish the drains using shrimp under a popping cork, drains that are coming out of marshes. Just sit a the side of drain and work a popping cork.

Location: Espiritu Santo Bay
Hotspot: Saluria Bayou
GPS: N 28 23.9839, W 96 25.1479
(28.3997, -96.4191)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Live shrimp under a popping cork, cut bait, or soft plastics

Contact: Capt. Billy Freudensprung
979-997-2244
billyfreudensprung@gmail.com
Tips: Rigging the popping cork: I like the Mid Coast cork. It has a weight underneath and swivel. I tie my leader, usually about two feet, and then a number four croaker hook.

Location: Corpus Christi Bay
Hotspot: Shamrock Cove
GPS: N 27 45.369, W 97 9.733
(27.7562, -97.1622)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft plastics or live finger mullet
Contact: Capt. Jack McPartland
361-290-6302
treblejcharters@yahoo.com
www.treble-j-charters.com
Tips: The flats should be good for redfish and the deeper water over reefs should yield trout.

Location: San Antonio Bay
Hotspot: Shell Reef
GPS: N 28 12.9319, W 96 47.155
(28.2155, -96.7859)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Van Critendon
361-648-1886
raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com
Tips: I prefer wade fishing because once I find a school of fish I can be more quiet, stay with the fish, and then I can walk away and leave the fish biting.

Location: Port Aransas
Hotspot: Traylor Island
GPS: N 27 56.6849, W 97 4.4609
(27.9448, -97.0744)

Species: Flounder
Best Baits: Gigging
Contact: Capt. Jack McPartland
361-290-6302
treblejcharters@yahoo.com
www.treble-j-charters.com
Tips: Capt. McPartland explained anglers will have their chance for flounder in October as the season is closed in November. You can still fish with rod & reel for flounder, but no gigging.

•  •  •

Welcome to the Amazement Park

BAFFIN BAY

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

Email Gerad Merritt at GeradMerritt@gmail.com

Visit Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

 

THE MONTHS OF September and October have the ability to produce some amazing fish, especially in Baffin Bay. The water is slowly, but surely, starting to improve in quality, and the fish are adjusting accordingly.

The key to these particular months is to find your fish and find them early in the morning. As water temperatures rise throughout the day, the fish will move to deeper water and stay there until night falls.

Croakers are still the preferred bait method for my clients and me, but not just any croaker will do. In these months, the croakers are becoming larger in size, and the phrase “big bait equals big fish” is not always correct.

With that being said, bait selection is paramount. The croaker I tend to favor in early fall are around four inches in size. Lures are also an option for this time of year, and they make a great choice in addition to live bait.

During these months, I still fish the same patterns as mid-summer, but set out for deeper structures earlier in the morning. The tides are starting to become more “normal,” meaning we typically do not see a drastic high or low tide.

With more of a normal fluctuation, you should not see too much of a change in the fish patterns based on the tide going out or coming into the bay. This factor helps you to find fish in the same spots day after day.

I generally start my mornings fishing grass and weed lines. Once the temperatures start to heat up, I then start making my way into the deeper water tables until I find what I’m looking for.

My general rule is to avoid fishing in the same spot for more than fifteen to twenty minutes when searching for trout. In my experience with croaker fishing, if there were decent fish at “this spot,” we would have already caught some.

Fishing for red fish in our bay can be complicated, as we don’t have an outlet to the gulf. This makes it hard to catch them leaving or entering the bay. They typically tend to stay in the bay rather than moving in and out, and once you find them, it’s on.

Nevertheless, it may take quite a bit of searching to locate the redfish. Usually when you find a couple of reds, they’ll stick to that area until something pushes them out, or you’ve caught the handful that were there (which will happen and is fun to do).

The bigger bull reds are sometimes found behind the path of a pod of porpoises or just mixed in with trout on a structure of rocks. This can be an awesome fight for an angler on light tackle.

Whether you favor trout or red fish, Baffin Bay offers plenty of challenging opportunities for the adventurous angler.

•  •  •

•  •  •

Location: Lower Laguna Madre
Hotspot: Arroyo Colorado
GPS: N 26 20.266, W 97 29.5909
(26.3378, -97.4932)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch
Contact: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero
956-226-3561
saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com
Tips: We had a really good spring for big trout, and they stuck around for the summer. For the wade fishing angler, they should still be around in October.

Location: Baffin Bay
Hotspot: Badlands
GPS: N 27 18.447, W 97 25.993
(27.3075, -97.4332)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Topwater artificials
Contact: Capt. Nino Gonzalez
361-332-1568
nino@redtailrods.com
www.captninogonzales.com
Tips: Topwarters early, looking for sand potholes with weeds around the pothole.

Location: Baffin Bay
Hotspot: Badlands South
GPS: N 27 17.152, W 97 25.053
(27.2859, -97.4176)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Popping cork with live shrimp
Contact: Capt. Nino Gonzalez
361-332-1568
nino@redtailrods.com
www.captninogonzales.com
Tips: In October, we should still have some good schools of redfish around. Bird activity is not the big indicator of fish activity. Look for slicks or sand pocket potholes.

Location: Baffin Bay
Hotspot: Kennedy Shoreline
GPS: N 27 15.598, W 97 27.6509
(27.2600, -97.4609)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Popping cork with live shrimp or Gulp
Contact: Capt. Nino Gonzalez
361-332-1568
nino@redtailrods.com
www.captninogonzales.com
Tips: Rigging the popping cork: If I’m fising with live shrimp, I’ll use an 18 inch drop and 3/0 croaker hook. If I’m using Gulp, I rig the same way, but use a 1/16 ounce jig head to put the Gulp on.

Location: Lower Laguna Madre
Hotspot: Butchers Island
GPS: N 26 38.1019, W 97 23.149
(26.6350, -97.3858)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch
Contact: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero
956-226-3561
saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com
Tips: Once the big cold fronts start coming through, croaker will be hard to find and I will start using piggy perch for the winter. When the perch become hard to find, then I switch off to Corkies.

Location: Lower Laguna Madre
Hotspot: Greens Island
GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465
(26.3923, -97.3244)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch
Contact: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero
956-226-3561
saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com
Tips: Rigging the croaker: A number five circle hook, croaker hook. During the summer I use a number four hook because the croaker are smaller.

Location: Lower Laguna Madre
Hotspot: Horse Island
GPS: N 26 20.3539, W 97 20.2489
(26.3392, -97.3375)

Species: Speckled trout
Best Baits: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch
Contact: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero
956-226-3561
saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com
Tips: Set the chatter weight right by the hook, maybe 8-10 inches above the hook. In deep water, bring the chatter weight down closer to my hook.

Location: ICW Lower Laguna Madre
Hotspot: Stover Point
GPS: N 26 12.138, W 97 17.8489
(26.2023, -97.2975)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Topwaters or soft plastics
Contact: Capt. Carlos Garcia
956-433-6094
texasredfish20@gmail.com
Tips: Fish along the spoil banks off of the ICW, and look for the color change.

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