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Don’t Let the Wind Frustrate You…Too Much!
As winter yields to spring I start prepping for high winds out of the SE, all the while knowing that I will have to deal with some NE winds and cooler temperatures as late season frontal systems push far enough south to interrupt my springtime game plans. This was certainly the case on the weekend of March 17 through 19 when a front brought some much-needed rain and temperatures dropped into the mid-40s. Water temperatures had been running mid- to upper-60s prior to the front but by Monday it had dropped to 57°. Tides remained slightly higher than normal for post-front conditions, which I like. Will fronts like this delay the bait migrations and trout spawn? Probably not would be my answer and that is only based on experience. Let something like that happen in late April to early May and I would say it would likely postpone some spawning activity.
This time of year, I focus on areas close to gulf passes where migrating mullet, menhaden, and glass minnows will arrive first. What all these areas have in common is water movement. I continue to focus just about every day on trout. Rockport is not famous for trout that exceed the 8-to-9-pound range, but we catch a few each year here and there. We do, however, have decent numbers of 3-to-5-pound fish that provide plenty of satisfaction for most anglers.
The spring of 2021 was better for me than the spring of 2022. Reasoning? Maybe the trout that survived the February 2021 freeze stayed bunched up; kind of like a safety in numbers thing going on. Or maybe it was just my lack of being able to stay on them in 2022. Whatever the reason, there were fewer numbers for me in fewer areas. We had small windows of good trout fishing, and most were during the days leading to the full moon.
What we call our north country, areas north of Marker 25, were very inconsistent for both me and Jay Ray last year. Our reefs are in recovery mode and the work to reopen Cedar Bayou hadn’t been completed, so these things must also be factored in. I do believe the oyster harvest closures this year (due mostly to overharvest in prior years) in San Antonio, Mesquite and Aransas bays will help these systems return to greatness. Add the flow from Cedar Bayou since the reopening and one just has to believe that we are on the mend. Jay Ray and I both plan on spending way more time working the shell reefs this spring. The back lakes that are fed by the flow from the Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough should also be much improved. Years ago, when the bayou was flowing, our trout fishing in those lakes was off the charts, so I am hoping for a return to this level of trout fishing in our backwaters.
For most of my career I have fished the months of March through May on the southern end of Aransas Bay and farther south into Corpus Christi Bay. Reasoning here is simple – baitfish migrations through the Port Aransas jetties. With the opening of the Cedar Bayou, I expect to spend some time in Mesquite Bay as well, working the same bait migration pattern.
I pay very close attention to pelicans, osprey, and royal terns this time of year. All these birds assist me in locating bait from day to day. Slicking is also a key to locating the proper size trout for me and slicking usually ramps up in mid-April and continues throughout summer. You might have had a double take when I said, “proper size” and wondered how does that work? That is an entirely different article; one I will write someday.
This is just me, but I focus on shallow grass beds when trying to put my guys on the best trout I can for the season that we are fishing. Due to fishing pressure and dolphin predation, which by the way is terrible in our local bays, I personally believe that the larger trout are undergoing changes in their patterns and remain shallow as much as possible. Every day we see shallow draft boats running along shorelines and other shallow areas, which I believe adds to these fish changing their patterns.
More about dolphin predation, look just offshore at any shoreline or spoil and see if you notice dolphins patrolling the area along the drop-off. You no doubt will, and I believe their presence also creates the need for trout to stay shallow. Trout want to feed shallow, if possible, as do most predators. It’s just easier to locate and obtain a meal in a smaller water column. I am forced “genetically” to fish shallower than many others, so it only stands to reason that the fish I catch will be shallower on average.
I prefer to fish windward shorelines, points, and spoils when possible. I like the “sanding effect” that wind creates in our normally clear waters. I have this pattern that I love and use often after long periods of high winds that “sand” the water along shallow shorelines and spoils. Make no mistake, large trout have zero problem feeding in very dirty water. Truth might be that they actually prefer these situations. If I can get on a shoreline that has been pounded by strong overnight wind on the morning when the wind calms and waters begin to clear, I find that I normally catch fish of better quality, and many times the quantity is also better. I find that this weather-created pattern works well all up and down the middle and lower coast.
High winds stack bait in murky shoreline guts and flooded grass that is normally very clear, and predators are quick to take advantage. We catch them when it's dirty for sure, but not always in numbers. Let the winds lie down, and as the waters begin to settle to a point where submerged grass and gut edges can be identified, the scale begins to tip in the angler’s favor. I have had some tremendous days on the spoils and riprap in San Antonio Bay under the conditions just described.
Rockport affords me lots of options in high SE wind and higher tides that spring brings. Numerous launch facilities from the Lamar Peninsula all the way south to Aransas Pass provide short and safe rides to much of the springtime water that I enjoy fishing. It’s good for me and good for my clients and has probably added years to my guiding career. My hat is off to the guides and anglers that are forced to navigate large areas of deep, rough water just to get to water they can fish.
In many of the areas I fish, I depend on wind-generated current to push bait around points or across areas of submerged grass or scattered shell to create feeding opportunities. When fishing close to a gulf pass, I rely heavily on the tidal movement to put us in the proper area at the proper times. Solunar feeding predictions can also play a large role in our successes. I am a big believer in the tables, but I do not totally base my day on them. Sooner or later, we need to become confident enough in our abilities to seek areas that we know are holding fish and KNOW that we can make them eat. I promise this; if you can locate fish in great enough numbers, you can make them eat something!
I find that this is often true in areas with shallow reefs. The outer area around many of our major reefs have gradual drop-offs with bottoms that contain scattered clump shell. Many of these clumps will have vegetation attached to them. This is twice as good as bare shell. These are the areas where individual fish will choose a small area of structure to sit out the downtime between major and minor feeding periods. There can be surprising numbers of fish scattered throughout such areas. By slowing down and methodically probing each small area of clump shell, we often find that we can create a bite. I did this on Monday last week in an area of about 60 yards off the main body of a reef in Aransas Bay during a downtime period according to the solunar table. We caught twelve nice trout during an hour wade.
I think spring patterns tax us mentally and physically more than any other season. Since the 2021 freeze, taxing is a nice way of putting it, I guess. There are so many days with sustained SE winds over 20 mph that many anglers become frustrated. I maintain my sanity by searching each morning on my way out as to what we must work with, and then focus on trying to establish small areas that will allow for the highest odds of my anglers putting a lure in front of a fish. I think the process sometimes disappoints clients, as they are in hopes that I know exactly where the fish are that day and that is where we are headed. Honestly, I have a good idea of where they are most of the time, but I like confirmation that what I think I know can actually be found. Starting fresh each morning allows me to depend on my instincts, and the process works for me.
Dedication to the areas we choose is huge and the ability to stay in the area and allow it to develop is an even larger factor in our success. Good luck out there and try not to let the wind frustrate you too much.