SABINE LAKE & PASS

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

 

Options Aplenty

 

 

WE ARE RIGHT SMACK in the middle of the late spring and early summer months on Texas’ upper coast. Just like that, we are now blessed with vast amounts of pretty, warm water and an endless array of fishing patterns, techniques, destinations and opportunities. 

Just about every inshore species are beginning to bite as the water consistently continues to warm. Deciding where to go is often the hardest part since the bite should be on from the I-10 bridge to the Gulf of Mexico! If that decision brings you to the lake itself, finding trout, reds and flounder shouldn’t be that difficult. Several different paths will lead you to the fish. 

Here on Sabine Lake the number of bayous you’ll encounter on the eastern side between East pass and Blue Buck Point should keep things interesting. Bouncing soft plastics off the bottom or dragging curly tail grubs, live mud minnows or finger mullet in one to six feet of water should work well. Fishing the mouths of these bayous can be killer on trout, reds and flounder as the warming water and baitfish move in and out with the tides. 

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Another option is to run the open bay in search of schooling trout and reds. Whether gulls and terns are giving them away or you just find shrimp skipping along the surface, and fish blowing up the calm water, this is an action-packed way to spend the day. Topwaters, spoons, rattletraps, plastics and just about anything else you can reach the fish with will get hit. The action is fast and furious while it lasts. Fish the area a little longer after they go down, then continue to run the lake slowly, watching the surface carefully for any sign of activity. A good pair of binoculars will definitely come in handy here. 

Oyster reefs and clam beds can also be major players, especially as the water temperatures begin to rise. The month of May is prime time to concentrate your efforts on areas such as mid-lake clam shell pads and the giant oyster super structure that blankets just about the entire south end of Sabine Lake. Sand eels and other baitfish are attracted to these reefs and use them for nutrition and protection. Naturally, the abundance of bait that these reefs hold will attract and hold the big, mean predators as well. Before the water temperature really heats up, we like to bounce big, long soft plastics over the shell. The longer baits emulate the size and shape of the sand eels, which are typically some of the first to show up on the big reefs.