FORECAST CENTER: Saltwater – May-June 2022

FORECAST CENTER: Freshwater – Issue
April 24, 2022
THE TF&G REPORT
April 24, 2022

Transitioning Quickly Into Summer

SABINE LAKE & PASS

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

THERE’S SOMETHING EXTRA special about the months of May and June for coastal saltwater fishing. It’s a magical transition between mostly consistent, but somewhat unpredictable spring, and flat out, full-throttle, sunburned and salt-sprayed summer.

This is a two-month span of comfortable, fishable air and water temperatures. Water temps will consistently be above 70 degrees and weather patterns are beginning to stabilize, thus giving the green light to all the fun sport fish of summer to prepare for the invasion of ecosystems coast wide.

Bait of all kinds are plentiful, and the fish are getting into attack mode. All the fish catching ingredients are beginning to come together as lighter winds will prevail, allowing you to fish some of the places you haven’t been able to in recent months.

The predominant southerly flow and strong tides will move the pretty water and predator forage throughout the system. Here on Texas’s uppermost coast, summertime saltwater specialists have been chomping at the bit for a taste of some good old Gulf of Mexico angling action.

Although summer is not quite upon us yet, it is close enough. A lot of folks here on Sabine will take advantage of the summer-like conditions and hit the jetties and surf.

Speckled trout have found their way to the beachfront. If you can catch a calm morning with green water, you should be able to locate them. Any sign of jittery finger mullet or skipping shrimp should mean you’re in a good starting spot.

Giving them a variety of baits to choose from will help your chances, but usually light-colored soft plastics on ¼-ounce lead heads will do the job. It’s hard for them to resist a glow, White Ice or chartreuse Cocahoe Minnow, Zoom Super Fluke or Down South Lure.

It’s also wise to keep a couple of top-waters and gold and silver Johnson Sprite Silver Minnows handy as well. The jetties should also start to come alive during the second half of May with real nice boxes of trout and reds being mixed in.

If you can get your hands on a couple of quarts of live shrimp you should do real well fishing the rock piles and washouts. You can’t go wrong by rigging with a Kahle or small treble hook about three feet under a popping cork, free-lined, or with a split-shot about 18 inches above the hook.

If live shrimp is not an option for you, similar results can be achieved with live finger mullet or shad. Just make sure you have your cast net, and you shouldn’t have any problem finding bait in the channel or along the jetties.

Soft plastics worked fairly deep along the rocks will also work well on trout and reds. Put them on a ¼-ounce lead head and let them get down there a bit, to see what happens. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. With summer just around the corner, now is the time to get it jump started.

•  •  •

School’s Out

GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

Email Derek York at spotstalkerfishing@yahoo.com

 

SCHOOL’S OUT for summer, and the fishing is heating up.

This time of year is one of my favorites as everyone is anticipating summer. With the kids getting out of school, what better time to get out on the water and enjoy Galveston Bay?

Although there are so many species to chase in the bay, this time of year also really kicks off some of the best nearshore fishing in the Gulf. Large schools of jack crevalles busting the surface, sharks of all sizes, cobias and tripletails showing up in larger numbers all mean greater options for those that know what to look for when out on the bay or nearshore Gulf.

These species are more common in the gulf waters, but they do venture into the bay. Jacks can be seen schooling all over the lower part of the bay, especially near the Texas City dike and around the causeway.

These fish are such a blast to catch and normally will hit about anything you throw to them. When I’m out on the water, I try to keep at least one heavier spinning setup rigged with a big soft plastic or a popping cork and live bait rig.

Cobias and tripletails can also be found in the bay, usually near some type of structure such as the gas wells near Bolivar. You can also find them around crab trap floats and other floating debris.

Tripletails are such an amazing species owing to their color changing capabilities and are often mistaken for trash on the surface. So be ready and always be on the lookout for these unexpected visitors to our area.

Sharks are much more abundant in our bay than most people realize, but they play a valuable role in our ecosystem here keeping species in check. With bull sharks being the most common, the blacktip, spinner and bonnethead sharks are here in good numbers during our warmer months.

They can provide a lot of action if you want to catch one of these toothy critters. These species can be found all over our bay system and can be targeted multiple ways.

Typically, I fish with two to four lines out for sharks. Two will usually be floated out with balloons and a rig of live or dead bait. The other two are soaked on the bottom or freelined.

With so many sharks in the bay, most wade fishermen will tell you they can be a nuisance. If you keep fish, try to use a longer stringer or one of the new fish bags. This might help you save some of your filets.

The trout and redfish bite this time of year is usually wide open. Quality catches come from all of the reef systems in the bay. Top-waters, artificials and live bait all work well this time of year. So,, get out on the bay or gulf and go catch some memories. And make sure to take a kid fishing.

•  •  •

The New Trout Reality

MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

Email Mark Talasek at MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com

 

SPECKLED TROUT numbers have declined due to the freeze last year. Trout bag limits have been lowered to three per angler. Slot length raised from 17 inches to 23 inches. 

Many more fish are going to be returned to the water. As we adjust to the new trout regulations, there are a few techniques we can practice when releasing.

Catch and release is always recommended. If a fish needs measuring, be as delicate as possible. Try to minimize touching the fish if possible.

Redfish have been a staple for Matagorda anglers in the wake of last year’s freeze.

Redfish have been a staple for Matagorda anglers in the wake of last year’s freeze.
(Photo: Mark Talasek)

Slime provides a protective barrier and handling or letting them flop on your boat removes the slime. Hold the line and grab the hook with some pliers, then shake the fish over the water and release. 

Time is a major factor. Getting the fish back in the water ASAP will definitely lower the mortality rate. Doing your part will help the fisheries rebound.

Fishing has been pretty steady, but trout numbers are not what we have been used to in the past. Yet numbers are increasing.

Redfish have continued to be our staple, and wade fishing grass beds in west bay is productive. Soft plastic imitating a glass minnow is irresistible.

Top waters are sure to get a blowup. Focus on bait in thigh deep water and be sure to have a long stringer if you’re not catching and releasing. There are some hungry sharks looking for an easy meal.

Back lakes continue to hold limits of redfish. Live shrimp under a cork or mullet on the bottom will always get a pull.

Drifting deep shell in east bay is hit and miss when the wind lays down, but if the surf is calm, it’s a no brainer. Get in it. It will make a beginner look like a pro.

Flounder gigging has been on fire, and numbers have remained consistent. It’s a great way to beat the heat and fill up the freezer.

Give me a call for your next fishing trip in Matagorda.  (979) 479-1397.

 

•  •  •

HotSPOTLight:

 

•  •  •

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay
HOTSPOT: Ladies Pass
GPS: N 29 28.471, W 94 43.251
(29.4745, -94.7209)

Galveston East Bay: Ladies Pass

Galveston East Bay: Ladies Pass

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts
281-796-4647
TIPS: Focus on the bait, not the spot where you have caught fish before.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay
HOTSPOT: Trinity Bay Wells
GPS: N 29 41.677, W 94 47.325
(29.6946, -94.7888)

Galveston Trinity Bay: Trinity Bay Wells

Galveston Trinity Bay: Trinity Bay Wells

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Gold Spoon
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Marcaccio
281-788-4041
gofishgalveston.com
TIPS: A gold spoon, 1/4 or 1/2 oz. works well around the wells.

LOCATION: Galveston Upper Bay
HOTSPOT: Burnet Bay
GPS: N 29 46.11, W 95 3.048
(29.7685, -95.0508)

Galveston Upper Bay: Burnet Bay

Galveston Upper Bay: Burnet Bay

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts
281-796-4647
kmr668@yahoo.com
TIPS: Productive colors in the soft plastics are plum/chartreuse, chicken-of-the-sea, and chartreuse/glitter. It really depends on what the water conditions are as to what color works best.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: Snake Island
GPS: N 29 9.565, W 95 2.215
(29.1594, -95.0369)

Galveston West Bay: Snake Island

Galveston West Bay: Snake Island

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts
281-796-4647
TIPS: Fishing mid bay reefs, don’t cut the reef in half; go from one end of the reef to the other end of the reef, then idle back around the reef and set up to drift the reef again.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: Campbell Reef
GPS: N 29 21, W 94 52.325
(29.3500, -94.8721)

Galveston West Bay: Campbell Reef

Galveston West Bay: Campbell Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croakers
SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts
281-796-4647
TIPS: Fish croakers when the water heats up, probably by the end of May, free lined with a split shot. Drag them on the bottom and wait for a bite.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay
HOTSPOT: Bird Island
GPS: N 28 43.86, W 95 45.617
(28.7310, -95.7603)

Matagorda East Bay: Bird Island

Matagorda East Bay: Bird Island

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier
409-354-3865
TIPS: Consistent winds out of the southeast should put the south shoreline in a protected area.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay
HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou
GPS: N 28 38.685, W 95 54.067
(28.6448, -95.9011)

Matagorda East Bay: Boiler Bayou

Matagorda East Bay: Boiler Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic Shrimp Tails
SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: If you like to throw artificials, start off at daylight throwing topwaters and switch to plastics with no heavier than an 1/8 oz. lead head. Black is always a good color, also Chicken-on-a-Chain.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay
HOTSPOT: Mitchells Cut
GPS: N 28 45.123, W 95 39.453
(28.7521, -95.6576)

Matagorda East Bay: Mitchells Cut

Matagorda East Bay: Mitchells Cut

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier
409-354-3865
TIPS: The main thing to look for is bait activity along the shoreline. Don’t jump out of the boat unless you can see bait activity.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay
HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou
GPS: N 28 30.552, W 96 12.453
(28.5092, -96.2076)

Matagorda West Bay: Cottons Bayou

Matagorda West Bay: Cottons Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier
409-354-3865
TIPS: May is good for wadefishing, focusing on the south shoreline of Matagorda West Bay, focusing on drains. Cottons and Greens…a lot of flats and grass beds, with drains that run between the grass beds.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay
HOTSPOT: Greens Bayou
GPS: N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565
(28.4956, -96.2261)

Matagorda West Bay: Greens Bayou

Matagorda West Bay: Greens Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier
409-354-3865
TIPS: Use small topwaters. A lot of the baitfish at this time of the year are small.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake
HOTSPOT: South Causeway Reef
GPS: N 29 47.221, W 93 55.919
(29.7870, -93.9320)

Sabine Lake: South Causeway Reef

Sabine Lake: South Causeway Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork
SOURCE: Capt. Eddie Hernandez
409-721-5467
www.goldenhookguide.com
TIPS: Drift the channel cut with live shrimp under a popping cork.

•  •  •

The Weird, Wonderful, and Slimy Truth

ROCKPORT AREA

Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

Capt. Mac Gable

Email Mac Gable at captmac@macattackguideservice.com

Or Visit Online: macattackguideservice.com

 

This article is a collection of data points and research that has been circulating the past few years. I was asked to write the article in hopes it will heighten awareness.

 

A FEW YEARS AGO, I wrote an article about one of the seldom seen marvels of our bays. At that time there were just a few lone voices crying in the wilderness about the health and sustainability of the Rockport bay systems.

It was, and still is, a big concern. A few of us were amazed more focus was not given to the biodiversity that makes these bays unique. A key player in this ecosystem is the ecological powerhouse, Crassostrea virginica, the oyster.

The phone rang. It was a retired game warden, one who has helped me over the years and whom I consider a friend. 

To my giddy amazement, he wanted to talk about oysters. Over the course of the next few days, he shared with me a new focus and interest being driven by some special folks. These people include, but are not limited to, game wardens, TPWD, doctors, biologists, fishing guides, CCA, Flatsworthy, concerned sportsmen, and environmental groups.

I will cut through scientific brio and go right to the issue: the over harvest and poor use of the bycatch of the oyster. The scientific and political spin words are numerous: clutch, repurpose, reuse, triploid oysters, vertical relief, intertidal, community composition, recruitment, biomass, hydrologically, baffle effect, closure matrix, to name a few.

Don’t get lost in these words like I did when I researched the latest scientific data. The issue, the justification for the issue, and the resolution of the issue, however, strategically involve some of these words.

The numbers speak for themselves: 76 million pounds of oysters were harvested from Texas bays last season. That’s 761,605 sacks. 621,340 sacks came directly from bays supporting Rockport or 81.6 percent. That’s 3.68 miles of oyster reef a foot deep and 50 feet wide. The delectable portion of an oyster is only 10 percent of an oyster’s weight, which begs the question “What happens to the rest of it?” Or in this case, the shell.

Well, it can be repurposed some say…hmmm. “Repurpose” in this case means trinkets, wind chimes, jewelry, wall decorations, ground for roads, fertilizer, or feral hog attractant, just to mention a few.

It can be reused for its original purpose, which is a home for oysters and the foothold for future oysters or the other 300 aquatic species that utilize oyster reefs. “Reuse” is not “repurpose” or vice versa. The truth is, very little oyster shell is returned to our bays. It is sold, consumed by industrial profits.

I can tell you that a lot of people would have us strung up by our Buster Browns if you or I dug up 300 to 400 tons of material off the bottom of the bay and used it for profit or for personal use.

Oyster fishermen are very transient. The improvement of boats and new technology allows mobility in mass fleets that no longer remain close to their home base. Some oyster boats traversing Rockport waters come from the east coast or even foreign countries.

Harvesters and consumers are knowledgeable about this delectable crustacean, but not about the reefs they create and their impact on the health of our bays and fisheries.

Scott Mcleod spent much of his adult life as a game warden on the Rockport bay systems, and he can attest, as I can, to the decline of our oyster reefs. Many experts believe 85 to 90 percent of our oyster reefs have been lost. Large oyster reefs can be 1,000 years old, but it takes just a few years of over-harvesting to compromise their ability to regenerate.

The height of a reef is key to its ability to grow and reproduce. The higher the spat (juvenile oyster) is in the water column, the faster it grows and reproduces. As anyone who has fished Rockport bays in the past 10 years would agree, seeing the tops of oyster reefs at high tide is getting to be a rare sight.

Migratory birds use the tops of these reefs to feed and cannot do this if the reef top is too deep. I can’t remember the last time I saw a whooper on top of a mid-bay oyster reef.

A high vertical relief (height of the reef) protects our shorelines, mitigates wave action and changes the hydrology (water movement) creating underwater barriers or protective biological jetties during storms. The silt from large storms can easily cover reefs with low vertical relief.

A healthy unharvested oyster reef has an economic value of $20,000 per acre. A harvested one is $880 per acre. To restore an oyster reef costs $600,000.

Oyster fishermen and harvesters are NOT the boogey men. They are hardworking folks who run their business by a set of rules handed down by the state. As the reefs diminish, the need to follow these rules often are outweighed by the need to make a living.

These rules are applied and monitored by the TPWD, and in my estimation they have applied these rules consistently and equitably. However, the rules need more teeth—we are losing our reefs! When we enjoy oysters as table fare, keep in mind that the oyster on your plate is 25 times more valuable on a reef.

The resolution is multifaceted. Support Bill HB51 and its future. Update the current matrix which allows for closures when harvesting criteria are met to include a quantitative quota to every harvest area.

Return the bycatch shell to the reefs they came from as soon as possible. This is not sterile aggregate, but rather a biological creation that is a great foundation for many forms of aquatic life.

What if we do nothing? There are currently two precedents that could predict our future. Hurricanes devastated Louisiana the past 20 years, leaving oyster reefs covered with mud silt and debris.

Many perished, forcing oyster boats to seek their livelihood in Texas. The loss of these reefs had devastating impacts on fisheries. The loss of protection these reefs afforded the shoreline has been felt in recent storms.

Some experts believe restoring oyster reefs could be a viable answer to Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing shoreline.

The over-harvest of Chesapeake Bay destroyed 3/4 of the oyster reefs in that area.Its financial impact is in excess of 4 billion dollars. Restorations have been in the tens of millions of dollars with no end in sight. Restoration is not the preferred choice. Managing sustainable commercial harvest is.

It’s sad those at the top of the food chain (we humans) seem to always overlook the importance of those at the bottom (such as the oyster). Ignoring the seldom seen importance of our oyster reefs is a huge mistake.

Get involved! The CCA is a great place for data on this subject. Attend public meetings offered by TPWD and provide input in person or online.

A special Thank You to Scott Mcleod for his tireless work and passion to protect one of The Last Great Oyster Reefs on our planet!

• • •

Copano Bay: The mouth of Mission Bay is good for reds and black drum. Free-lined live shrimp is best here on a high tide.

St Charles Bay: The mouth of Cavasso creek is holding trout. Use live croakers or mudminnows free-lined.

Aransas Bay: Long Reef is a good spot for trout using free-lined croakers. The bite here is best in early morning. Reds can be caught in early morning as well.

Dunham Bay: The back of Dunham Bay next to the salt grasses is a good spot for reds using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig. High tide is best.

Carlos Bay: Drifts across Carlos Lake are producing keeper trout using a popping cork with Berkley Gulp shrimp.

Mesquite Bay: The best spot is the mouth of Cedar Bayou. Wades in this area can produce keeper trout and reds. Use croakers or finger mullet as bait. Berkley jerk shad is also a good choice in morning glory and new penny colors.

Ayers Bay: Second Chain is the spot for reds. Cut mullet or menhaden free-lined is the best choice early morning with a falling tide.

•  •  •

Open the Gates

CORPUS CHRISTI AREA

Reported by CAPT. JOEY FARRAH

Email Joey Farah at jfarah@gmail.com

 

OPEN THE GATES of Summer, folks. Fishing here in the Coastal Bend is flaming hot!

Changes to our trout populations after the freeze of 2021 have pushed a new slot and bag limit on speckled trout. Although trout are numerous, we are trying to build back a spectacular fishery.

Live bait fishing for trout with croakers has become a summertime tradition over the last 20 years. It’s still a very productive way to get into easy action, but those baits are expensive. To freeline a live croaker in the Laguna Madre, you need to find an open sand pocket in the flats and anchor up, then throw it into the open sand.

Fishing the sides of the ICW canal, is a great place to catch fish after the morning rush of boat traffic. In Baffin Bay, fish the sand pockets along the shallow shorelines and the large rock formations out in the deeper water. Remember that all trout over 23 inches are to be released quickly to avoid stressing them.

This overslot trout was released from the flats along the northern side of Baffin Bay.
(Photo: Joey Farah)

To bring diverse species to hand, we use artificial lures year-round. On any given cast, you can hook a trout, redfish, flounder, or black drum, but I have solid game plans to target a gamefish species.

First light will find me tickling topwater lures along the shallow flats of the south shoreline of Baffin Bay. Explosive strikes will stop your heart and find you holding your biggest trout to date for a quick picture and a release. Shallow water redfish will blow up on a topwater as well, especially at dawn.

Drifting out toward the drop off on the south shore, you will find schools of trout where the grass flats fall off into the deeper water. Wade or drift with a DOA three-inch Cal Shad. Glow/chartreuse is an all-time favorite.

Long drifts across the flats in the Laguna Madre will provide unlimited shallow sand pocket targets to throw soft plastics into. Redfish and trout will hide in the grass, watching the open sand, and waiting for your lure. DOA five-inch swim baits mimic a shad perfectly.

Rig this with a ¼-ounce jig head and you will hook into great action as you present this bait along the flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Canal.

Look for redfish to be closer to the shoreline and spoil areas that line the ICW canal. Soft plastics under a popping cork can sound off some great action as well, adding vibration and surface action to entice gamefish to strike.

I drift fish the ultra shallows, casting to redfish and trout, and watch these predators explode on our baits in only a foot of water. Many times, we see schools of fish before we make the cast.

There are miles and miles of untouched water on the east side of Baffin Bay and Nine Mile Hole that are some of the best shallow water fishing in the world. As the sun rises, the ability to see into the water becomes your best tool.

Sight casting to redfish is very exciting. A light 1/16-ounce Owner Sled Head, rigged with a Super Model Down South Lure soft plastic is completely weedless and is a bait they can’t pass up.

Live shrimp under a popping cork is still a great way to catch all species of fish in these break open days of summer fishing. Match your length of drop to the water depth, keeping the shrimp just above the bottom. Always use a small split shot a few inches above the hook to keep the bait from jumping out of the water and away from the fish. Drift or anchor over rock piles in Baffin Bay for summer black drum and trout.

The shallow muddy bottoms are where you will find the redfish in the Badlands. Drifts with shrimp and popping corks around the spoil islands along the ICW in the Laguna Madre will keep you in the action your entire day. Follow all of our hookups on Facebook at Joey Farah’s Backwater Fishing. Come experience the best fishing and fun in Texas!

•  •  •

HotSPOTLight:

Port Bay, Texas

•  •  •

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay
HOTSPOT: Boat Hole
GPS: N 27 41.281, W 97 15.126
(27.6880, -97.2521)

Corpus Christi Bay: Boat Hole

Corpus Christi Bay: Boat Hole

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Croaker, gold spoons, and/or soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly
361-533-0982
fishfinderguideservice.com
TIPS: Color doesn’t really matter. If it goes by a redfish, he will eat it. Get out early, or fish into the evening.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay
HOTSPOT: Pot Holes/Grass
GPS: N 27 49.721, W 97 14.338
(27.8287, -97.2390)

Corpus Christi Bay: Pot Holes/Grass

Corpus Christi Bay: Pot Holes/Grass

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly
361-533-0982
fishfinderguideservice.com
TIPS: There are a bunch of sand guts that run through there that will hold trout.

LOCATION:
GPS: N 27 46.018, W 97 9.239
(27.7670, -97.1540)

Corpus Christi Bay: Shamrock Cove

Corpus Christi Bay: Shamrock Cove

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly
361-533-0982
fishfinderguideservice.com
TIPS: Look for slicks or bait fish activity and you can expect to catch some good trout

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay
HOTSPOT: Pringle Lake
GPS: N 26 18.925, W 96 31.151
(26.3154, -96.5192)

Espiritu Santo Bay: Pringle Lake

Espiritu Santo Bay: Pringle Lake

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Billy Freudensprung
979-997-2264
TIPS: Check out the back lakes in June. When the hardheads and gaftops start showing up, that’s when we start throwing nothing but croaker.

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

Espiritu Santo Bay: Contee Lake

Espiritu Santo Bay: </b?Contee Lake

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Billy Freudensprung
979-997-2264
TIPS: Pop the croaker every now and then, kind of wait about 10-15 seconds, give the croaker a little pop, make him start moving around. A lot of times little movements like that will get the trout’s attention.

LOCATION: Port Aransas
HOTSPOT: Super Flats
GPS: N 27 54.669, W 97 2.196
(27.9112, -97.0366)

Port Aransas: Super Flats

Port Aransas: Super Flats

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Jack McParland
361-290-6302
TIPS: Park and throw live croaker, free lined in a sand/grass pothole.

LOCATION: Port Aransas
HOTSPOT: Stedman’s Reef
GPS: N 27 52.982, W 97 7.483
(27.8830, -97.1247)

Port Aransas: Stedman’s Reef

Port Aransas: Stedman’s Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker, live mullet, or perch
SOURCE: Capt. Jack McParland
361-290-6302
www.treble-j-charters.com
TIPS: Fish the outer edges of breaks and grass

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay
HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef
GPS: N 28 15.925, W 96 47.346
(28.2654, -96.7891)

San Antonio Bay: Chicken Foot Reef

San Antonio Bay: Chicken Foot Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Flapp’n Shad soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Brandon Kendrick
936-671-3477
www.rfguideservice.com
TIPS: Use a Flapp’n Shad in plum or Key Lime color with 1/4 oz. jig head. In June the trout are aggressive. Try to get deep in the water for the deeper fish.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Natural Cut
GPS: N 27 35.519, W 97 17.516
(27.5920, -97.2919)

Upper Laguna Madre: Natural Cut

Upper Laguna Madre: Natural Cut

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly
361-533-0982
fishfinderguideservice.com
TIPS: Pop the croaker every 30-40 seconds, bounce it off the bottom. This method works well for redfish as well.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: East Flats
GPS: N 27 24.958, W 97 20.627
(27.4160, -97.3438)

Upper Laguna Madre: East Flats

Upper Laguna Madre: East Flats

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Croaker
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly
361-533-0982
fishfinderguideservice.com
TIPS: Anchor up and throw croaker, just keep bumping around until you find the right fish.

•  •  •

Summer Brings Out the True Sport of Fishing

BAFFIN BAY

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

Capt. Gerrad Merritt

Email Gerad Merritt at GeradMerritt@gmail.com

Visit Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

 

LET’S TALK ABOUT fishing the early months of summer, May and June. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Croaker season is just beginning and the challenge of determining where the fish are located that are willing to feed on small croakers brings out the true sport of fishing.

I start the search by picking one of my favorite rock structures and check to see what is feeding in that area. After rock structures, I will stop at a variety of shorelines where I target grass lines and drop offs using different fishing techniques. Some of these procedures include throwing bait from shallow to deep water and vice versa. A few other methods are targeting potholes in the grasses, watching for birds working, and oil slicks.

It is imperative to remember trout are ambush hunters. Paying attention to where you hook your croaker at these drop offs is key. It can help your fishing as well as hurt it.

If I find that fish are biting when I throw to the deep side of a drop off, I hook through the nose of a croaker. If you hook through the tail and can’t get a good hook set, you can move the hook up the body and get the hook into the fish’s mouth quicker.

Hook size is another thing to consider. The hook needs to be matched to the bait. If the bait is a bit small, a smaller hook may be required. I fish a number five or possibly a number six in May and the first part of June if the bait crop is smaller than desired.

Keep in mind that when you fish with croakers, a trout will hit it broadside and turn the head into its mouth before swallowing. This can take time, so you will have to give some line to the fish to allow this to happen.

Depending on the size and health of your bait, you may have to attach weight to the line to keep the bait under the water’s surface. To do this, I attach either split shot, clamp-on weights, or a slip weight, while I keep in mind that the speed of the current needs to be factored in.

This is a perfect time of year to get out and explore everything Baffin Bay has to offer. I hope you can take advantage of these methods to enjoy saltwater fishing with your friends and family.

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HotSPOTLight:

Middle Ground, Texas

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LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado
HOTSPOT: Three Islands
GPS: N 26 16.282, W 97 17.702
(26.2714, -97.2950)

Arroyo Colorado: Three Islands

Arroyo Colorado: Three Islands

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters
956-455-2503
TIPS: Try fishing water that has a little “bit of dirt.”

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

Baffin Bay: Badlands South

Baffin Bay: Badlands South

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp under a popping cork
SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters
956-455-2503
TIPS: Drift with braid line when the bait is a distance from the boat. You don’t want that stretch in the line.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel
GPS: N 26 0.405, W 97 16.465
(26.0068, -97.2744)

Lower Laguna Madre: Brownsville Ship Channel

Lower Laguna Madre: Brownsville Ship Channel

SPECIES: Mangrove Snapper
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp
SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters
956-455-2503
TIPS: Find structure, a place with rip-rap coming down into the water. Use a very small slip shot weight, or a torpedo weight at line end, then 18 inches to two feet of 25-30 lb. leader line with a circle hook.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: Marker 2
GPS: N 27 5.898, W 97 26.604
(27.0983, -97.4434)

Port Mansfield: Marker 2

Port Mansfield: Marker 2

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork
SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters
956-455-2503
TIPS: Drift with live shrimp under a poppi9ng cork. A Mansfield Mauler or Styrofoam cork that is weighted and designed to rattle.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: North Jetty
GPS: N 26 33.893, W 97 16.498
(26.5649, -97.2750)

Port Mansfield: North Jetty

Port Mansfield: North Jetty

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork
SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters
956-455-2503
TIPS: Don’t need a separate leader, just use Fire Line braided, in 8 or 10 pound test, tied directly to the hook.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: Rocky Slough
GPS: N 27 10.639, W 97 26.445
(27.1773, -97.4408)

Port Mansfield: Rocky Slough

Port Mansfield: Rocky Slough

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Kelly Wiggler soft plastics
SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters
956-455-2503
TIPS: Anything with a chartreuse tail. A bone/diamond works real well for wading. In a Salt Water Assassin, try the 10W40. Other colors are Root Beer/chartreuse or a red/chartreuse on a 1/4 oz. jig head.

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