While some may sneer, others will smile when remembering the spring season of 2008. February through May proved to be the windiest season that anyone could remember. Though 20-30 mph winds became a dreaded norm last year, a certain breed of baitfish saved many days for a select few middle coast guides and anglers.
Like the surf in summer, or migration of shrimp in fall, a highlight of springtime is the annual arrival of the almighty glass minnows. Silver and flashy, the darting prey arrive by the thousands to shallow flats. Pelicans and gulls welcome the visit with open mouths and can feed for weeks on the buffet. Speckled trout and redfish will hang near and strike the bait in an all-at-once attack. To better your chances of capitalizing on such a frenzy, be patient and wait out the arrival.
Capt. Ken Sabin and I guided a large group of fishermen from Dallas and Austin last spring on one of the windiest days of the season. The wind started at 20 mph from the south and had just swapped to 30 mph from the north. Now with the wind pulling out the tide and muddying up every single inch of wadeable water, Mother Nature's last minute decision was a fantastic one.
When we were heading out of the water, Sabin and I were ambushed with recommendations by other guides to cancel instead of attempting to wade in the blown out waters. Instead of sending them home from a fishing trip that did not even involve a boat ride, we opted to give our customers a fighting chance at catching a fish.
We could see pelicans diving into the shallows of a cove along the south shore; it looked like the cove was packed with baitfish! We moved close enough to cast and got ready for what promised to be some pretty heavy mud by getting on our waders. Even though the waters were murky and the tide was starting to fall, I had an instinctive feeling that the big fish would make a move soon. We decided to mimic the glass minnows with some Brown Lures glow and chartreuse soft plastic lures - they're ideal for these situations. I added a miniature chrome topwater and before long, we were starting to attract some attention from redfish. They started off biting slow, as they always do; but then they really started to rush in!
A patch of bait that was previously the size of a swimming pool quickly became tightly confined. Minnows flipped and bounced on the surface like popcorn. Trout were seen jolting clear out of the water in pursuit. The surface of the water boiled as piranha-like predators furiously attacked glass minnows like machines.
Typically, to draw the trout above water you would reel fast and keep the lure above the surface but the most solid hookups came when we slowed down the retrieve. As a token of the outing's success, we had full limits of redfish!
If spring 2009 awaits your casts, find bait and fish late. The bite often just begins at nightfall.
Like the surf in summer, or migration of shrimp in fall, a highlight of springtime is the annual arrival of the almighty glass minnows. Silver and flashy, the darting prey arrive by the thousands to shallow flats. Pelicans and gulls welcome the visit with open mouths and can feed for weeks on the buffet. Speckled trout and redfish will hang near and strike the bait in an all-at-once attack. To better your chances of capitalizing on such a frenzy, be patient and wait out the arrival.
Capt. Ken Sabin and I guided a large group of fishermen from Dallas and Austin last spring on one of the windiest days of the season. The wind started at 20 mph from the south and had just swapped to 30 mph from the north. Now with the wind pulling out the tide and muddying up every single inch of wadeable water, Mother Nature's last minute decision was a fantastic one.
When we were heading out of the water, Sabin and I were ambushed with recommendations by other guides to cancel instead of attempting to wade in the blown out waters. Instead of sending them home from a fishing trip that did not even involve a boat ride, we opted to give our customers a fighting chance at catching a fish.
We could see pelicans diving into the shallows of a cove along the south shore; it looked like the cove was packed with baitfish! We moved close enough to cast and got ready for what promised to be some pretty heavy mud by getting on our waders. Even though the waters were murky and the tide was starting to fall, I had an instinctive feeling that the big fish would make a move soon. We decided to mimic the glass minnows with some Brown Lures glow and chartreuse soft plastic lures - they're ideal for these situations. I added a miniature chrome topwater and before long, we were starting to attract some attention from redfish. They started off biting slow, as they always do; but then they really started to rush in!
A patch of bait that was previously the size of a swimming pool quickly became tightly confined. Minnows flipped and bounced on the surface like popcorn. Trout were seen jolting clear out of the water in pursuit. The surface of the water boiled as piranha-like predators furiously attacked glass minnows like machines.
Typically, to draw the trout above water you would reel fast and keep the lure above the surface but the most solid hookups came when we slowed down the retrieve. As a token of the outing's success, we had full limits of redfish!
If spring 2009 awaits your casts, find bait and fish late. The bite often just begins at nightfall.
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a professional fishing guide who specializes in wadefishing for big speckled trout and redfish in Texas, and uses Brown Lures' salt water lures. Kyle suggests you try out a fishing lure from Brown Lures for your next fishing trip.
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