SABINE LAKE & PASS
Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ
Email Eddie Hernandez at GHGS.Eddie@gmail.com
ONLINE: GoldenHookGuide.com
Opportunity Knocks
LISTEN: (3 Min, 23 Sec)
THE WAIT IS OVER. It is now officially summer. Well, it actually has been officially summer for a little while but now it really feels like it. It is hot, period. I guess sometimes we should be careful what we wish for.
The good news is that these two hottest months of the year bring with it an endless array of pretty water, techniques, destinations and opportunities. Just about every inshore species will be biting. The rod-bending action should be hot from the Neches and Sabine rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. If Sabine Lake itself is your destination, it shouldn’t be too difficult locating trout, reds and flounder. There are several different paths which will lead you to the fish. For starters, the entire eastern side of the lake from East Pass to Blue Buck Point should keep you in the action. Topwaters, plastics or dragging curly tail grubbs, mud minnows or finger mullet in two to five feet of water should all work well. A huge advantage of fishing this side of the lake is the number of bayous and cuts you’ll encounter as you make your way down the shoreline. Fishing the mouths of these can be killer on trout, reds and flounder as the warm water and baitfish move in and out with the tide.
Another good option is to run the open bay in search of schooling trout and reds. Whether gulls and terns are giving up their coordinates or you simply find shrimp skipping along the surface and fish blowing up the calm water, this is an action-packed way to spend a hot summer day. Spoons, rattletraps, plastics and just about anything else you can reach them with will get hit. The action is fast and furious while it lasts. It’s a good idea to fish that area a little longer after the fish go down, then continue running the lake slowly, watching the surface carefully for any sign of activity until you locate them again. A good set of binoculars will definitely come in handy here.
If you’re anything like me and can’t resist the temptation of the Gulf in the summer months, the action at the close rigs should be just as hot as the temperature. The legs of the rigs as well as other nearby unseen structure are like magnets for baitfish and predator fish alike. Serious numbers of solid trout are caught at the rigs every summer and it is at its peak during July and August. Brighter colors like glow and chartreuse are very good choices if you’re throwing soft plastics. Most of the time you can get by with 1/4 oz lead heads but it’s a smart to bring some heavier ones in case the current is stronger than expected.
Throwing the cast net a few times on your way to the rigs can be a good move on your part. There are some days when the fish will absolutely annihilate live bait such as shad, shrimp and finger mullet and not even sniff at artificials. Use a fish finder rig either with or without a cork and experiment different depths to determine where the fish are in the water column.
Do yourself a favor and come see what Sabine has to offer you this summer. Just make sure not to forget extra water and sweat towels.