MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

Email Mark Talasek at MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com

The ‘Good Ole Days’

LISTEN: (2 Min, 13 Sec)

NOTHING IS LIKE IT used to be! We all hear stories of “the good ole day’s.” Full stringers of five pound trout. Limited out in the first hour of fishing. Then catching and releasing the rest of the day. I grew up the son of a Matagorda fishing guide in the 1970s. I didn’t realize that I was living the good ole days at the time. Boy was I blessed.

My father told me stories boxes of fish that were caught. There were no limits. Commercial fishermen were the major strain on the fisheries. Gill nets lined the shoreline. There wasn’t an abundance of recreational fishermen. Many days you wouldn’t see another boat while out on Matagorda bay.

A typical stringer in “the good ole days,” when the author’s dad guided around the Matagorda system.
(Photo: Capt. Mark Talasek)

Most people fished west Matagorda Bay because of the easy access. This was before the Matagorda harbor was built. Parker’s cut was still open. East bay was such a long trip around it hardly ever got fished. The diversion channel was still an idea on someone’s desk as well as the jetty. My have things changed. Nothing it’s like it used to be.

Night fishing under the lights used to produce five pound trout. Oyster reefs were alive and healthy. The bay system was full of shrimp. A winter time drift down the Colorado River might produce the next 30” wall hanger. The draw bridge was replaced with a high level overhead. Then the fisherman kept coming.

Those who are looking to get out of the house this winter should venture into East bay. Find some mud and tie on a corky lure. Work it slowly until a big gurl hits. Tight lines and Godbless. Captain Mark Talasek 979 479 1397.