Oasis of Bowed-Up Rods
LISTEN: (3 min, 51 sec)
SOUTH TEXAS IS A TRUE outdoorsman’s paradise, especially during the late summer and beginning of fall. This is my favorite time of year and favorite few fishing months to chase any and everything, especially big snook and tarpon. Mornings consisting of yellow-finned snook inhaling topwaters and silver gilded tarpon flying out of the water to afternoons hunting white winged dove over vast fields of sunflowers are hard to beat. Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the state and country flood to South Texas to cast a line and hunt for dove next to the border. It’s a beautiful time of year!
September and October are top months for chasing Laguna tarpon.
(Photo: Kelly Groce)
This time last year was a great season for big snook, with some of the largest being caught that I’ve witnessed. “My clients and I had several 38”s and 39”s caught and released on both artificial and live baits.” said Capt. Brian Barrera who targets snook all times of the year. Early bird gets the worm is a tried-and-true statement and certainly applies to snook fishing. Right at daylight last year, Capt. Barrera and I were starting the day right by chasing some bigs. The night before I had picked out a flashy MirrOlure pink and silver C-Eye Pro Dog Jr. topwater. Pink topwaters have always been my go-to and the ones I’ve had the most luck catching hungry breeder fish on. Schools of mullet were being chased and fleeing amongst the rocky edge during an outgoing tide and you could hear loud “wooshes” of water letting us know that predators were feeding. I casted my Shimano GLF 7’6” Medium Heavy rod rigged with the MirrOlure topwater on 30-pound leader about 2 feet from the rocky edge thinking that it wasn’t the best cast and I could have been a little bit closer to the wall. I slowly walked the lure back towards the boat along with the current and after about 4 twitches, a massive humpback breached behind my lure and a snook inhaled my topwater. The fish immediately jumped once it was hooked and we could tell it was a large one, but as it got closer to the boat, we saw it was a very large one; 39” on the tape. A 39” snook is a great catch in Florida, and especially here in Texas where snook have been on the rise. Texas Parks and Wildlife surveys show an increase in snook in our bays on the Lower Coast and seeing more of these larger fish is a great sign of our fishery. I can’t wait to get that replica mount on my wall.
September and October are also top months for chasing tarpon. The silver king migrates annually from the Yucatan up to Louisiana, but this time of year any tarpon caught will most likely be on their way back south to Mexico. They tend to stop and hang around the Lower Laguna Madre area as the waters will still be warm and bait will be plentiful. Last season during these months, some of the largest tarpon (200 pounds and up) were being caught. “Bulldogs” as we like to refer to them putting on brutal, yet magical fights. Artificials like A.M. Fishing’s 5.5” – 7” jerkshads definitely seemed to be the ticket last season, but one thing I’ve learned most about tarpon fishing is that they are very stubborn. Their unpredictable nature is what makes chasing this species so addicting and rewarding. Those slick calm days where a giant comes blasting from the ocean’s calm surface never gets old. I think the hair on my arms stood up just writing that.
Thanks to Mother Lagoon, late summer and fall in South Texas is a true oasis for those seeking bowed up rods and drag screaming reels. Happy fishing and hunting this season! Until next time.
Email Kelly Groce at ContactUs@fishgame.com
