We Made It!

The run of miserably hot weather that started in July and continued into the last week of September sticks as the worst in my memory. Of course the suffering of the moment has a way of distorting memory. So I googled weather records just to see and learned that the National Weather Service ranks August 2016 hottest-ever in their 136 years of recordkeeping. I'll take their word.

The first decent norther of the season arrived in the wee hours of September 30. I was out at Karnes City for a morning dove hunt and, let me tell you, it was awesome - the doves and the weather. When we rolled up right at sunrise the temp gauge on my dash said 56-degrees. I pulled out a Frogg Togg rain jacket for insurance against the cool north breeze and was glad I did.

This past Saturday and Sunday were both fall weather dandies as our second norther of the season reached the coast. We waded wet in water that felt warm on our legs. If you've ever experienced this you know that wet clothes and north wind can set your teeth to chattering. Lucky for us the trout and redfish were feeding like a bunch of piranhas so nobody complained.

November on the Texas coast can be the stuff of legend with excellent fishing and generally great weather. Northers will chase us off the water a few days but the recovery to near-perfect conditions is brief, sometimes only one day. Barring an unusual rainfall event, salinity is very good throughout the month in nearly all our bay systems while water levels remain generous enough for all the backcountry lakes and marshes to be in play. Tides are also generally favorable, delivering waves of bait and gamefish to shorelines and mid-bay reefs alike. Jetties and passes also shine like diamonds in the pleasantness of November.

Perhaps greatest of all is the relatively light fishing pressure and boat traffic we find this month. Hundreds of thousands of sportsman will be in deer and waterfowl blinds all across the state, leaving the water wide open for a change.

November also gives us Thanksgiving, a great time for spending time with family and friends. Thanksgiving around my home is always a delight as we mix good doses of duck hunting and fishing in the morning with feasting and football games in the evening. Kids, grandkids, friends and neighbors all gather to thank The Almighty for the many blessings he bestows.

Get outdoors this month and make memories with your family!