MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

Welcome, Cool Winds

 

 

BRISK NORTHERS have overwhelmed the summer heat.  Water temperatures have dipped.  I’m grateful for the cooler temperatures and so are the fish. 

Traffic on the water thins out at the end of the year.  Kids are in school.  Deer hunters are in the woods.  Most people don’t like to go fishing if they have to wear a jacket.  I love it.  Some of the best fishing of the year.  Reds tailing in the shallows.  Birds working the bay. 

Cooler temperatures, lower fishing pressure, and active fish make for great late-fall fishing.

(Photo: Mark Talasek)

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I like to put my breathable waders on and hop out on a midbay reef armed with a top water.  Casting as far away from the reef as possible and twitching the imitation back to me.  Nothing better for a fisherman than seeing the explosion of water right in front of your eyes.  Be careful not to crunch the shell it will scare off the fish.  My favorite lure is black with a chartreuse head.  Work it slowly.  Imitate a wounded mullet.  Some people reel too fast.  Have patience.  The reward is worth the wait.

Flounder make their annual migration to the gulf.  This is a great time of the year to catch them on rod and reel.  Inlets to the bay hold flounder when you have tide movement.  Soft plastics or speck rigs worked slowly along the bottom will produce.  You can’t keep them in November and half of December, but they are still fun to catch and release. 

A red snapper run is another fun fall adventure when the gulf waters calm down after a cold front.  State waters remain open when the federal waters close.  There are plenty of man-made structures with in the 9 mile boundary that hold scores of red snapper.  Your tackle should include a little heavier pole than inshore and enough weight to reach the bottom in a current.  Squid or cut bait dropped to the bottom will always work best. 

The brisk temperatures make being in God’s great outdoors much more enjoyable.  Give me a call and let’s go fishing.