Finding New Water

Here we go again – another day with adverse conditions.  It seemed like it would never end with more than a week straight of rain and wind.  Off-color water caused by excessive fresh runoff and 20+ mph winds were the common theme for what seemed like eternity.  Haley had driven from Wimberley and Chris is so busy these days that he doesn’t get to fish very often.  After about a 15 minute discussion we decided to give it a try.  I went to an area that has always paid off for me in years past even though the timing was somewhat premature based upon historical patterns.  Obviously, our choices were limited because of the conditions. 

As we idled towards the leeward shoreline there were terns diving along a steep drop-off.  Several small slicks emerged beneath the keen-eyed forked-tailed fish finders.  I knew it was going to be showtime with such promising signs and it was! 

The first drift yielded four nice trout and several smaller ones.  We were ecstatic to get on a patch of fish all by ourselves in such adverse conditions.  Each drift along this hard shell ledge yielded fish.  We then hit some other areas nearby which consisted of long and narrow reefs.  These reefs had breaks in them in which tidal current was flowing.  These cuts were money!  What a great feeling to be all by ourselves in subpar conditions catching quality trout and reds!  Yay!  I love my profession!  Well, not so fast.   

The next day I went to the same area and, low and behold, there was another guide there.  There were only two people that saw me the day before so somebody obviously ran their pie hole.  I also found out that one of the guys who lives along that particular stretch of shoreline put a video on Facebook showing birds working.  Within three days there were more than twenty boats in this tiny locale I’d been calling home for more than thirty years.  I could’ve stayed and fished with countless boats in that small area, but playing bumper boats just isn’t my bag.  Game over.  Let the new guys have it!   

Once again, as has been the case more often than not, it was time for me to find other areas to fish.  It’s frustrating knowing that I’m leaving fish only to let the “bent pole brigade” take over while I put in the time and gas to find something else.  It seems to be the world we live in is more about instant gratification every day.  What’s even worse are the dead fish photos they post on social media when they were two weeks late to the party. 

I was a new guide once upon a time but when I started there weren’t fifteen or twenty other guides coming out of the woodwork every month.  Furthermore, I respected those who came before me.  Everyone has a right to make a living but many of the new guys have full-time jobs and seem to be doing it just to feed their egos…not their families.  If you took away their cell phones and live wells they wouldn’t be able to guide successfully.  Harsh words but very true.

I was talking to a very good friend of mine the other day and we were discussing the added pressure on areas we’ve been fishing for years and how there aren’t many secrets anymore.  He said he was dealing with the same thing in his part of the bay.  I asked him, “What should we do?”  He told me that we just have to learn to deal with it and get used to fishing around other people.  Well, I’m sorry, but that’s just not my style and I will find something else to do for a living if it comes down to that.  Fishing around a few other boats wouldn’t necessarily bother me especially if they displayed proper etiquette.  If they used more common sense then it wouldn’t be so bad but cutting off our drift and then leaving the area like Dale Earnhardt Jr. does not qualify as common sense...or courtesy to fellow anglers. 

It’s not that I don’t like people.  I love almost everyone on dry land.  The problem is that a lot of these fellas don’t fish enough to stay on a consistent pattern.  Instead, they call their buddies when it’s time for them to run a trip; to learn where the fish are.  I witnessed it in a recent corporate tournament.  As I was cleaning fish I overheard some of them talking about where they caught their fish.  It just so happens that most of them caught their fish on the same half-dozen wells.  One guy told me that there were up to four boats on every well.  Well…that’s sad!

So what do we do when the areas we’re fishing become too crowded?  There are likely other areas of the bay holding catchable numbers of fish that receive less pressure.  If we do our homework we can stay one to two weeks ahead of the sheep.  They will eventually find you, but hopefully you’ve found something else to fall back on by then.  There are always risks associated with leaving fish to find fish but I’ve found that it’s typically just a one day experiment at the most.  Within a couple of days I can usually establish a reliable pattern in a new area. 

There are some textbook areas to focus on this time of year.  Winter trout are typically going to be concentrated in areas with shell and mud bottoms.  Washouts through narrow reefs are high percentage plays as well.  Color changes are always a solid bet.  The turbid water not only serves as an ambush point but it will also absorb more solar energy because of suspended clay particles.  Bait and trout will be drawn to color changes like a magnet.  Try casting into the clear side of the color change for the best results.  MirrOlure Provokers rigged on 1/16 jigheads are deadly when fishing streaks.  More than likely, birds will still be working over bay-departing white shrimp by the time this magazine hits the newsstands and mailboxes.  These birds over structure are money this time of year!

Think outside the bay.  The Intracoastal Waterway can offer some of the hottest action during cold periods.  Nearby deep water provides safe refuge for trout.  Adjacent structure provides habitat for forage species and our target species.  Barge traffic aids in water movement and the creation of color changes.  Some of my best wintertime fishing days have come from “fishing the ditch.”

If an area you were fishing becomes too crowded, try to find another with similar characteristics.  It may not produce as well but that’s okay as long as you catch enough to justify the effort.  And you may very well catch a big trout that hasn’t seen a lure in a while.  Just have enough discipline to keep your mouth shut because fishing without a bunch of boats nearby is much more fun.  Loose lips sink ships!

I find myself going back to areas I haven’t been to in years.  Such areas became popular at one time causing me to leave.  There are a few areas that pop into my head immediately that were all the rage for a year or two then became forgotten once the fish left for a year or two.  Fish leave areas due to environmental changes and fishing pressure.  Hurricanes filled in guts.  Droughts killed oysters and other habitat.  Hurricanes placed thick blankets of silt over oysters, floods killed habitat but accelerated forage proliferation, etc.  I can go on and on but knowing how nature influences fishing areas will keep you ahead of the curve.  It’s funny how fishing spots tend to run in cycles.  Sometimes our “new water” is actually old.  Being observant, taking chances and finding new areas will keep you ahead of the game.  Enjoy it while you can because the googans are coming!