Surprising Winter Limits

SABINE LAKE & PASS

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

 

THE TWO COLDEST months of the year are not exactly the most comfortable to cruise the bay in search of fish. So, it’s understandable that so many people choose to stay indoors rather than bundle up and try their luck.

Sometimes, however, on the frigid days of late winter, opting to stay in the warmth of home may not be your best bet. For those who are willing to brave the elements, fishing the upper coast of Texas can really pay off.

Those who write off fishing in January and February are missing out on some of the best opportunities that Galveston and Sabine have to offer. Most people are aware that winter fishing has the potential to produce serious trophy trout. I think a lot of people would be surprised, however, by the numbers of solid trout and slot reds that the upper coast produces in the cold months.

Fishing for trophy trout in the winter has always been and will always be common up and down the Texas coast. The idea of catching limits of trout though, when the wind chill factor dips deep into the 30s doesn’t enter lots of people’s minds simply because they don’t think it’s possible.

The truth is, it can and does happen on a fairly consistent basis. It’s winter, and the water temperature is at its lowest point of the year. This means you might have to work a little harder, but when you find yourself in the right place at the right time, the results may surprise you.

The big difference between these fish and summertime schoolies is the overall quality of the fish. When we locate schools of trout in winter, they are usually very solid. We don’t have to weed through a bunch of small ones to get to the no doubters. Catching a mess of fish in the 17- to 22-inch range is not at all uncommon. The redfish bite can also be very good with most running in the mid to upper echelon of the slot.

Locating bait is not always easy this time of year. However, if you happen to stumble on some mullet, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to work that area over pretty good.

More often than not, when you find bait, you catch fish, and sometimes strike gold. Try to concentrate your efforts in the clearest water you can find, in areas that have a good hard mud bottom. You won’t find yourself in the right place at the right time if you opt to stay indoors.

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Location: Chocolate Bay
Hotspot: Chocolate Bayou
GPS: N 29 11.622, W 95 9.948
(29.1937, -95.1658)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics with a 1/4 oz. jig head
Tips: The fish are going to go deep. Best days are bright sunny days when the sun has had a chance to warm the bottoms. Fish gravitate to a combination muddy/shell bottoms.

Location: Campbell’s Bayou
Hotspot: Mud Flats
GPS: N 29 20.745, W 94 54.389
(29.3457, -94.9064)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics
Tips: Basic lure color choice: Clear water-light colors; dark or off color water, use darker colors.

Location: East Matagorda Bay
Hotspot: Brown Cedar Flats
GPS: N 28 43.989, W 95 41.702
(28.7331, -95.6950)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics or Corkys
Tips: After a front, you have to think about where those fish are going to go when the tide falls real hard. It will stack the fish up in some deeper areas.

Location: Matagorda
Hotspot: Colorado River
GPS: N 28 40.542, W 95 58.08
(28.6757, -95.9680)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics with a 1/4 oz. jig head
Tips: Rivers, creeks and bayous will produce the most fish.

Location: Sabine Lake
Hotspot: Coffee Ground Cove
GPS: N 29 58.1, W 93 46.09
(29.9683, -93.7682)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics with a 1/4 oz. jig head
Tips: If you are looking to catch a lot of fish, switch to soft plastic bait,” said Capt. Jaynes. His favorite colors are Texas Roach or Glow/Chartreuse. Color choice depends on water quality.

Location: Surfside/Freeport
Hotspot: Dow Plant
GPS: N 28 56.438, W 95 19.825
(28.9406, -95.3304)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics with a 1/4 oz. jig head
Tips: The Brazos River in Freeport, around the Dowell Chemical Plant is a “well-kept secret”. A lot of trout come from out the river in the colder months.

Location: West Galveston Bay
Hotspot: Offats Bayou
GPS: N 29 16.819, W 94 51.507
(29.2803, -94.8585)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics with a 1/4 oz. jig head
Tips: In January catches of numbers of fish probably will not happen, so concentrate on catching bigger fish.

Location: West Galveston Bay
Hotspot: Redfish Cove
GPS: N 29 6.101, W 95 6.569
(29.1016, -95.1094)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics with a 1/4 oz. jig head
Tips: “In January the fish will exit the flats to find the deeper, warmer water. But that’s not to say you can’t catch a big trout in January on the flats.

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Winter Trout Anglers Head to the Front Lines

SAN ANTONIO BAY AREA

Reported by CAPT. CHRIS MARTIN

Email Chris Martin at bayflats@gmail.com

Visit Online: BayFlatsLogde.com

 

WHEN COASTAL BEND anglers hear that a winter cold front is expected soon, they start kicking things into high gear. Years of experience tell them they can anticipate a strong trout bite just prior to the front.

Depending on the front’s strength, the wind may be calm, and the water slick, or a 30 mph wind might be pumping out of the south. Regardless, they know that scheduling their trout efforts around the approaching front can result in a lot of fun action.

Pre-frontal trout fishing has been a treat for coastal anglers for decades and is still favored to this day. It’s a time that has been described by some as being legendary—unmatched throughout the rest of the year.

Others claim fishing prior to a front is either hit or miss, with great fishing, or no action at all. No matter the case, here are a few pre-frontal practices that have worked well on wintertime trout.

Seek Protection

Like we said earlier, winds ahead of a winter front can be minimal, or strong. Given our location, however, we typically see strong south winds as warmer air rolls in off the Gulf of Mexico.

In this case, fishing a shoreline along the southern end of San Antonio Bay or Espiritu Santo Bay is advantageous. Doing so will protect you from the strong south wind, and those shorelines present you with miles of fishing alternatives.

Some great locations are places where you can wade right up to the bank in two to three feet of water. Such an area is found in spots along the bayside shoreline outside of Pringle Lake.

A lot of pre-frontal fish have been taken from that particular stretch of shoreline in the past. It offers wind protection, lots of marsh grass, and altering bottom structures, shell, mud, slight drop-offs, and such. You can work shallow if you prefer, or you can work deep, and all without having to walk very far.

In these pre-frontal conditions, it isn’t uncommon to find some of the fish in a schooling pattern. These typically are not large schools of fish, but they’re schools, nonetheless. That’s why you’ll often catch several of the same kind of fish, with many of them nearly the same size. It can be epic fishing, however, and something you’ll definitely want to try sometime.

Effective Baits

A lot of wintertime coastal anglers are artificial bait enthusiasts. Some of the finest action you’ll find before a front will be while using artificial baits—on the surface, and below. If you’re fishing protected water, try locating the bite on top first. Look for slight disturbances in the water’s surface and target those spots with a bone or dark-colored top water bait.

If you see a mullet jump, throw toward it. If you see a tail, toss beyond it and slowly work your bait back across it. If you see V-shaped ripples appearing across the surface, go after them. These are all signs of fish presence, so learn to fish the signs aggressively, especially since your time’s limited.

No action on top? Look to the middle and lower portion of the water column with a favorite suspending bait or plastic tail. Proven slow-sinker choices in the past have been the Corky Fat Boy and the MirrOdines.

Some of the best plastic tail action has come from shrimp imitations, like the D.O.A., GULP, and Storm Wildeye. Favorite colors this time of the year are often white/chartreuse, white/pink, pink, and morning glory.

After your cast, take the slack out your line with a few cranks on the reel. Then, let the bait sit still before giving it a slight twitch and taking the slack out again.

The majority of strikes may occur while the bait is motionless, or just as you start the twitch. The slightest difference in your presentation can make a huge difference, so keep trying until you find the best method.

Be Safe

When a wintertime front blows across the Texas coastline, the weather can turn treacherous in a matter of minutes. Whatever your situation may be, plan ahead of time to be out of the path of the immediate wind wall.

If you wait too long to leave the bite, you might not make it across the bay before the front arrives. The winds can become fierce, and you don’t want to be caught in open water when they hit.

Seek safe shelter if you have to, because it’s not worth risking your life unnecessarily. The key to success here is to know the forecast ahead of time, and plan for safety accordingly.

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ROCKPORT AREA

Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

Email Mac Gable at captmac@macattackguideservice.com

Or Visit Online: macattackguideservice.com

 

Loneliness

AS OF THIS WRITING it appears we have a new President; COVID-19 has a grip on our lives like a proverbial vice; there are protests and riots in our streets; the economy is in the tank; and it is hard to say what home staple will take the place of toilet paper as the apparent pandemic survival item.

Even for the hard-core survivalist, these are, to say the least, challenging times. Common sense seems to be all but nonexistent. One client called me trying to talk me out of retirement and shared his insight on the current global situation.

He said “Capt. Mac, you must be a prophet. Years ago, you said it would not be a world power from without but rather the tiniest of bugs/bacteria that would bring our society to a grinding halt. Well, you don’t get much smaller than a virus, and the world as we have known it seems caught in COVID purgatory.”

Although we both chuckled at his comment, I didn’t find his next statement all that amusing. “The hardest thing for me these days,” he continued, “is not the isolation or the mask, but rather it is how when in a crowd I feel totally isolated and alone. Six feet might as well be six miles.

“Technology was supposed to connect the human race like never before, yet even before the pandemic, if one walked through the busiest airport in the world 82 percent of people were either on the phone texting, tweeting or whatever new sterile verbs one can apply for the masses engaging in some less than human form of communicating.”

Truer words have never been spoken in my humble opinion. Okay, so I am old school, and, in my day, it was long hair and transistor radios that seemed to occupy our lives. The radio (and the television) was one of ‘the devil’s tools.” In 1984 a study showed workers felt real happiness was to be “at home.” I wonder how that’s working out for those same folks today. Social media is driving we the people farther apart. Am I the only one who can’t seem to find any truth on the internet? If the truth is there it is so clouded in a predominant grey zone it is unrecognizable.

The truth is we need human interaction, blessing one another, edifying one another, sharing with one another and YES!!!! touching one another. Look it up.

By the way, I could care less if it’s politically incorrect—none of this can truly be accomplished using today’s technology. Sharing a physiological piece of ourselves, which relates to the way in which a living organism functions, has NOTHING to do with the SIM CARD/SOFTWARE function of our cell phones or search engines or video conferences.

Nowhere is this interaction better applied than in outdoor activities such as fishing or hunting, or simply enjoying a quiet sit on a saltwater bay, freshwater lake, the twilight of the deep woods, or in the majesty of the mountains. In these sanctuaries one doesn’t have to worry about the spread of a lethal virus, the insanity of rioting, or being fearful of the words or language we use.

It’s where communicating is using the ancient art of simply talking. It’s in places such as this that this 65-year-old “old schooler” has never been fearful or lonely.

Play the cold snaps to your advantage. Much has been written about this, and from experience much is in error. I have found the BEST time to fish is 48 to 72 hours after a hard, cold snap. Yes there are exceptions, but percentages favor that time frame.

I like scented baits this time of year. The gin-clear water is void of the phytoplankton that rules the warmer months. Just a small amount of scent like Berkley Gulp or even old frozen menhaden / shrimp can bend the odds in one’s favor.

Copano Bay: The Turtle Pen area is a good place for reds especially on warmer days. Cut mullet free-lined or on a light Carolina rig is a good choice. New Penny Jerk Shad works as well. The LBJ Causeway is always a good bet for sheepshead action. I like squid on a small kahle hook and braided line to stop break offs.

St. Charles Bay: Some reds may be found off Egg Point with finger mullet and cut menhaden, free-lined. Twins Creeks is a good spot for black drum using peeled shrimp under a silent cork.  If no bites, take the corks off and free-line.

Aransas Bay: Some trout may be found at the east end of Hog Island with live shrimp free-lined or under a popping cork. Fish off the deeper edges of the island and be patient. On colder days, focus your fishing over dark mud bottoms as this holds the heat of the day and can turn the bite on. The mouth of Allyn’s Bight is a great spot for black drum using live shrimp under a silent cork. Trout and reds frequent this area as well. Warmer days are best here.

Carlos Bay: Carlos Trench is the area to fish on colder days using free-lined live shrimp. Rattle traps work here as well. On warmer days drift across Carlos Lake using soft plastics in new penny and electric chicken can produce some fun trout action.

Mesquite Bay: The mouth of Cedar Bayou is a great wade spot for trout using live shrimp in new penny and morning glory-colored soft plastics. The bayou is not open to the gulf, but trout and reds and a few flounders still hang in this area. Beldon’s Cut is a good spot for reds using free-lined finger mullet. This bay can get very rough when hard north winds blow. Being weather savvy is wise when fishing here.

Ayers Bay: Ayers Reef is the go-to spot for trout on warmer days when using free-lined live shrimp. This is a heavy shell area, so let the bait sit until you get a bite.

Bank Bite: A tactic that I used for years is called pier drifting for a variety of species. This involves a stiff rod (seven foot is a good length) and some tough line like Finns or Trilene braid. The technique is to tip a small kahle hook with shrimp, squid, or cut mullet and walk it down the pier holding the rod tip straight down towards the water. The key here is the speed: too fast and the bait runs shallow, too slow and it runs too deep and gets tangled or broken off.

The neat part is that the walking motion / movement sets the hook. I have caught sheepshead, black drum, trout and even flounders doing this. One can cover a lot of area and fish multiple fishing piers using this technique, and if your spouse asks you can say “I’ve been exercising.”

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Location: Rockport-Fulton
Hotspot: Long Reef
GPS: N 28 3.618, W 96 57.679
(28.0603, -96.9613)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Down South & Kelley Wiggler soft plastics
Tips: Whatever soft plastic you choose, make sure to fish slow across the bottom.

Location: Corpus Christi Bay
Hotspot: Nueces Bay
GPS: N 27 51.894, W -97 21.132
(27.8649, -97.3522)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Soft Plastics
Tips: Gulp New Penney and any other soft plastic in purple are productiv colors.

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

Species: Speckled Trout and Redfish
Best Baits: Soft Plastic Paddle Tails or live shrimp
Tips: If it’s blowing, fish the flats behind an island. Redfish should be there.

Location: Corpus Christi Bay
Hotspot: Demit Island
GPS: N 27 41.5335, W -97 14.8159
(27.6922, -97.2469)

Species: Speckled Trout and Redfish
Best Baits: Soft Plastic Paddle Tails or live shrimp
Tips: Flounder gigging action should be picking back up. The spawn run will be pretty much over and they should beginning to migrate back inshore.

Location: Espiritu Santo Bay
Hotspot: Contee Lake
GPS: N 28 17.779, W 96 33.157
(28.2963, -96.5526)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Cut crab, Carolina Rigged
Tips: Ray Ortega is not a licensed guide, but extensive knowledge on how to fish the Port O’Connor area.

Location: Espiritu Santo Bay
Hotspot: Pats Bay
GPS: N 28 15.787, W 96 37.382
(28.2631, -96.6230)

Species: Redfish
Best Baits: Cut crab, Carolina Rigged
Tips: In January, fish the back lakes for redfish over mud and shell.

Location: Espiritu Santo Bay
Hotspot: Long Lake
GPS: N 28 16.772, W 96 36.698
(28.2795, -96.6116)

Species: Redfish & Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Cut crab, Carolina Rigged
Tips: If weather permits, fish the same back lakes over mud and shell along the south shoreline of Espiritu Santo Bay.

Location: Mesquite Bay
Hotspot: Cedar Bayou
GPS: N 28 6.708, W 96 49.812
(28.1118, -96.8302)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Down South & Kelley Wiggler soft plastics
Tips: Fish seem to like the round body of Down South soft plastics, and the willow tail of Kelley Wigglers that’s dipped in Garlic

Location: San Antonio Bay
Hotspot: Cedar Point
GPS: N 28 14.184, W 96 39.659
(28.2364, -96.6610)

Species: Speckled Trout & Redfish
Best Baits: Live Shrimp under a popping Cork
Tips: Live shrimp under a popping cork is an effective way of fishing back lakes.

Location: San Antonio Bay
Hotspot: Guadalupe Bay East Shore
GPS: N 28 24.803, W 96 45.342
(28.4134, -96.7557)

Species: Speckled Trout & Redfish
Best Baits: Live Shrimp under a popping Cork
Tips: If you’re wading, concentrate your efforts around Panther, south of Panther and Cedar Bayou

Location: Upper Laguna Madre
Hotspot: King Ranch Shoreline
GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.108
(27.4856, -97.3518)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Slow Sinking Artificial Baits
Tips: The color of the lure I use depends on whether it’s sunny or cloudy. Early in the morning I like to use a brighter color. Pink is a favorite color.

 

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Winter is Prime Time for Die Hard Fishermen

BAFFIN BAY

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

Email Gerad Merritt at GeradMerritt@gmail.com

Visit Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

 

FISHING IN THE winter months is great for the die-hard fishermen. Conditions can be tough with cold air, wind, and low water temperatures, but don’t let that stop you from chasing the fish of your dreams.

You will undoubtedly want to take advantage of the better weather days, for good wade fishing and sight casting in the shallows. For days with poor weather conditions, overcast and cold, you will want to look for the fish to be a little bit deeper and aim for mid-thigh water levels or deeper.

You will notice this time of year; the fish will typically switch their diet. This is important to take into consideration when using live bait, and you will be most successful with live shrimp.

On warmer days, the fish staying deeper will be attracted to something different than the shallower swimming fish want. You should change your lure options frequently to find a color and style that you find works, then move forward.

Persistence is key this time of year. I like to use these months to try new things and even tend to look for different areas to fish. If the trophy you are looking for is not in one spot, there’s a good chance it will be at the next.

I have learned over the years that some areas are just better to fish in the winter versus the summer. Fish tend to stick to patterns. Once you can figure out what pattern they are following, you are typically set for a good time.

Don’t forget to layer up under your waders when wade fishing, but try to remember not to limit your movement. You may start shallow but end up deep. In this case, you don’t want to ruin a good wade session by having to move to the boat to strip layers. In my experience and opinion, a good waterproof jacket in these months is a must and will save a lot of headache as the day moves on.

I like to take notes on weather and water conditions frequently and try to keep a fishing log to help me remember what and how I did on particular days. I also do my best to remember to log techniques and styles I used that did and did not work.

This can help an angler with planning what, where, and how to fish on the next trip. Find what works for you on those particular days, log it and stick with it.

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Location: Baffin Bay
Hotspot: Cat Head, North Shore
GPS: N 27 18.382, W 97 26.263
(27.3064, -97.4377)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Slow Sinking Artificial Baits
Tips: Favorite slow sinking artificials: Fat Boys and Corky lures

Location: Baffin Bay
Hotspot: Kennedy Rocks
GPS: N 27 16.255, W 97 26.7329
(27.2709, 97.4456)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: MirrOlure soft plastics with either a 1/8 or 1/16-ounce jig head
Tips: When the water is clear I like to throw the Morning Glory color. I use the MirrOlure soft plastics because they are already scented. I think that enhances your chances of attracting fish.

Location: Baffin Bay
Hotspot: Badlands
GPS: N 27 18.447, W 97 26.293
(27.3075, 97.4382)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: MirrOlure soft plastics with either a 1/8 or 1/16-ounce jig head
CTips: If you any sunshine and there are rocks around, the rocks heat up pretty quick. They’re kind like fish magnets.

Location: Port Mansfield
Hotspot: Dubbs Island
GPS: N 26 43.2409, W 97 25.6
(26.7207, 97.4267)

Species: Speckled Trout
Best Baits: Corkys
CTips: Wwading is the only way to go if you are trying for that bite of a lifetime.

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: Corkys
Tips: Muddy bottom is crucial. The mud retains

 

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