CORPUS CHRISTI

Reported by CAPT. JAKE WHEELIS

The Winter Games Begin

LISTEN: (2 Min, 19 Sec)

AS WINTER GETS IN FULL SWING, it can be very rewarding to bundle up and get on the water to catch a fish of a lifetime. With the majority of the bait and Fin fish migration over, this time of the year is a lure fisherman’s Dream.

January is my favorite time of the year to fish. That being said an eye for the weather is essential for having a successful and safe fishing trip this time of year. With multiple fronts passing through weekly, it can be very rewarding to be able to fish right before the fronts hit. Keying on shallow flats and bars with deep water and mud adjacent. Like the hundreds of spoil banks and islands we have in the Upper Laguna Madre. Post fronts with barometric pressure high and colder water we like to focus on deeper guts and holes with a muddier bottom. Like Kates Hole, Boat Hole, or Dead Man’s.

As the transition from fall to winter is over, my lure bag is getting a lot smaller. The fish have gone from a fin fish, shrimp diet to more of a mullet, menhaden diet. As that happens, we adapt to throwing larger baits such as Custom Corkey’s in the Fat Boy, Fat Boy floater, and Soft Dine XL 5” Gambler flapping shad, Downsouth super model, and new for this year is the Slicks original paired with a 6’9 slam mag fromWaterloo, is a dangerous combination. Just remember the rule dark water dark lure. Fish this time of year really like to hit a falling bait so we will be pairing these baits on 1/8 or 1/16 ounce jig head for the slicks we will be rigging them weedless unweighted and an 1/8 ounce belly hook in deeper water. That being said, if you can work your lure slower do it!

As always please remember conservation! Only take what you need and lets set a standard for the next generation of fisherman!

Email Jake Wheelis at Wheelis85@gmail.com

Phone: (361) 575-9058