A Tale of Two Months

SABINE LAKE & PASS

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

LISTEN: (3 Min, 41 Sec)

WHAT MORE COULD ANYONE ask for? Over the course of these next two months, we are blessed to be able to fish two very exciting, very productive and very different techniques in our efforts to outsmart the three most sought after inshore species on the entire Texas coast.

Starting with September, the month that the calendar says fall officially begins. If you’ve lived in southeast Texas long enough you know that just because the calendar says that fall has arrived, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the thermometer is going to support that theory. In fact, many times what the calendar tells you is the exact opposite of what the mercury is reading. September on Sabine is often just an extension of the summer heat wave we’ve grown so accustomed to. Therefore, for the time being, we will continue catching fish the same way we have been for the past several months. That means that channel, jetties and all points south of the causeway bridge, we are not quite done with you yet. The topwater bite in the ship channel should remain consistent early and late for the next few weeks. This should produce some hefty stringers of trout and reds. Once the UV rays begin to penetrate the water and the blowups become less frequent, make the switch to soft plastics bounced off the bottom or under a popping cork.

Locations with good bait holding bottoms and fluctuating depths are areas you will want to key on. Good tidal movement and the abundance of baitfish is what keeps these areas at the top of most people’s list. The same should hold true at the jetties as we still have a few more weeks of late summer patterns there also. Again, throwing topwaters early is a good idea. Make the switch to soft plastics around mid-morning.

As the month of October begins to make itself comfortable here on Sabine, you’ll notice that the cool fronts will become a little more frequent and intense. These will be the first ones to make any significant difference in air and water temperatures. These ever increasing fronts will slowly begin to bring lower than normal tides that will pull water from the back lakes and purge the marsh and bayous of shrimp and baitfish, and the much anticipated fall bite should blast off from that point on. The shrimp will finally have the green light to ride the current out of the marsh and venture out into the open waters of the bay. Once there, they will be happily greeted by hungry trout, reds and flounder. This is a continuing process that gains momentum with each new front. This is only the beginning of the declining fall temperatures and as a result, the mouths of the bayous, shorelines and open bay are all excellent places to locate fish. Birds working over schools of hungry predators will be telltale signs that some of the shrimp have indeed decided to relocate from their summer home in the marsh and set their sights on the big water. Chasing birds in the fall is by far the most popular means for catching quick limits.

October brings with it the first real fronts of the year which tend to raise the bird chasing bar up a few notches. The amount of bait, coupled with lower water temperatures allow the big 3 to really showcase their dominance in the food chain. Hopefully we’ll see you down here experiencing the tale of two months.

• • •

It’s Time to Get Outside

GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

Email Derek York at spotstalkerfishing@yahoo.com

LISTEN: (3 Min, 8 Sec)

EARLY FALL IS HERE and there are many opportunities to get out and enjoy the outdoors in the Lone Star State. From fishing to hunting and everything in between it’s just a great time of year to be outside. Galveston Bay offers some of its best fishing opportunities this time of year for specks, redfish, flounder and more! And with so much going on this time of year, it is nice to be able to enjoy a day of fishing without so much pressure from other anglers.

Redfish are spawning this time of year and can be found in huge schools in the bay and around the gulf passes. These bigger schools are usually the “bull” reds, fish that measure over 28 inches, and provide some fast action and a great fight on lighter tackle. In the bay I fish with artificial lures like a soft plastic on a ½ ounce jighead to make long casts and get down to the fish quickly. When fishing around the jetties, my typical setup is using some type of cut bait fished on the bottom. It is not uncommon to catch big numbers of fish this way. My best day at the jetties was 50 redfish one October a few years back.

Spotted seatrout, or speckled trout, are a lot of fun to target this time of year if you like fishing the birds and covering a lot of water. Sometimes it can be frustrating when you are catching lots of smaller trout, but just remember to change your tactics and try fishing deeper or with a different type of bait or lure. A lot of the time, the bigger trout are down deeper, and you just need something to get down to them quicker and avoid the smaller “schoolie” trout. There are several great places to look for birds from the shoreline if you are wade fishing or fishing from the bank. The Texas City Dike, Galveston Island State Park, Christmas Bay and the beach front are all great options for access to these fish.

And as most of us know, fall is flounder time and October has quickly become one of the busiest months to fish for them due to the closure during November and the first half of December. A lot of these fish can still be caught in the marsh areas around drains and deeper areas, but we have also had some great days in some of the winter “hotspots” around the Galveston channel and other deep-water areas. A jighead with a Gulp swimming mullet is always one of my favorites along with Chickenboy Lures’ Bubba Cluckers. Chartreuse, hot pink, white and red are all great color choices for flounder, but sometimes all you must do is get a lure in front of them and they will eat about anything.

I hope all of you get to enjoy this time of year and remember to take a kid or someone who has never had the opportunity to go fishing.

• • •

Best Time of the Year

MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

Email Mark Talasek at MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com

LISTEN: (1 Min, 30 Sec)

FALL IS HANDS DOWN the best fishing of the year! Everyone that steps on my boat asks me that question. That first cold front cools the water temperatures down. This triggers the shrimp migration from the marshlands to the gulf. Redfish and trout eat the shrimp pods pushing them to the surface where birds eat them. They catch it from both ends. Find the birds and there will be fish.

I like throwing soft plastics with a 1/4 ounce lead head. Light color in clear water and dark color in dirty water. My dad used to tie on tandem lead heads. Get two grown reds on the same line and you have the fight of your life. Best have your drag tightened down.

Top waters will attract plenty of action. The little school trout will pop them up like a popcorn machine. Live shrimp under a popping cork will get a strike every cast. Let the bait sink down when you cast. Sometimes the bigger fish are deeper.

I enjoy chasing reds in the shallow water. Nothing beats seeing tailing reds with their flags in the air, nose on the bottom, eating everything in their path. I usually throw finger mullet. Reds can’t resist them. I always remember the advice of captain Raymond Cox. Let the mullet sit there. Don’t move it. You will only confuse the reds. LOL!