Functional Nomads

According to the dictionary, a nomad is a person who does not stay long in the same place, a member of a people with no permanent home and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture. I can’t think of a better way to describe myself and many other Texas outdoor enthusiasts this month because there are some fantastic places to go, and we want to see each and every one of them for a variety of reasons. Like many of us here in Texas we find it difficult during this time to decide between a fishing rod, shotgun, rifle, or even archery gear. To have to choose between fishing or hunting is both fantastic and tragic at the same time. To make the decision between staying at home or putting together a road trip is perhaps one of the more exciting dilemmas to be endured. A year’s worth of anxious enthusiasm comes to fruition with the hope of making some lifelong memories. I, for one, love this time of the year and all the options it provides both here on my home waters of Sabine Lake, or anywhere else on the map for that matter.

Sabine Lake during the fall and winter months can be as good as anywhere along the Gulf Coast due to the vast variety of fish that can be targeted and the areas where they can be caught. The extremely dry months of September and October contributed greatly to the late fall and winter outlook. Salinity levels during the late summer ushered in a nice population of speckled trout, oversized redfish, and some visitors from the gulf such as jack crevalle and plenty of sharks. As long as we don’t run into any unforeseen crazy weather, you can look for a steady bite on schooling fish under the gulls. A healthy population of white shrimp being pumped out of the marshes by constant cool fronts will keep the party going until temperatures finally force the fish to deeper and warmer water. If you like the blow and go, stay on the move, hectic style of fishing, you are in luck because this time of the year is tailormade for exactly that. Keep a selection of soft plastics, jig heads, and rattling corks handy because they will be the go-to combinations for these schooling fish.

For those in search of a more relaxing style of fishing, Sabine Lake again has you covered as the deep water that surrounds the lake also offers up plenty of options. With minimal runoff from the north, all of the saltwater species will begin to travel up the Sabine and Neches rivers and go as far as their food does. A good rule of thumb is to use the proximity of crab traps as your guide. The crabbers will follow the saltwater until they quit catching, so if you find crab traps it’s a good bet that you still have salty water and saltwater fish. Once you decide to fish these deeper environments think more along the lines of swimbaits and larger soft plastics with paddletails on a slightly heavier jig such a 1/4 or 3/8-ounce model. By using your electronics and locating breaks in the depths, you can easily zero in on these fish as they suspend and relate to either structure, temperature, presence of bait, or some combination of the three. The other option for these areas is live bait such as shad or mullet, either fished on a free line with a split shot or on a Carolina rig. The live bait option can provide an opportunity to take some big fish such as oversized redfish and black drum along with quality speckled trout. The deeper water also makes for a nice place to get out of the wind in case the weatherman blows the forecast.

Perhaps the pattern that Sabine is still trying to revive is the once very popular method of wading for trophy-class speckled trout that everyone dreams about. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen some of those fish that turn everyone’s head and cause a stir on all the fishing forums. Regardless if those fish haven’t been as common as they once were, there will still be those dedicated enough to continue the chase because you can’t catch them sitting at home on the couch.

The pursuit of these big fish is one place where the “nomadic angler” excels because they are willing to go where the fish are, and beyond. Destinations like Baffin Bay, Laguna Madre, and East Matagorda are all proven destinations to travel while searching for one of these trophy-class fish. On top of the potential for catching the fish of a lifetime, these areas are quality places to get in on some great waterfowl action. For years I would take my son and several of his friends and head south to do the cast-and-blast thing during their winter breaks from school and it was always a highly-anticipated trip for everyone involved. Seeing new places and the thrill of doing it on your own was almost as much fun as actually fishing or hunting at times. If you are willing to do some work scouting and are up for a little travel, the potential is limitless as you head south. One trip down there will be enough to keep you coming back for more.

Personally, I have added another destination that many have grown to love when the mercury begins to plunge and that’s Baja Mexico. October through February is absolutely off the chart for anyone looking to tangle with marlin, sailfish, wahoo and more. The striped marlin bite on the Pacific side of the peninsula near Cabo San Lucas is nothing short of amazing as these fish gang up during their migration and eat virtually anything that swims in front of them. The sheer numbers of billfish make this an epic trip that must be witnessed to be believed. I certainly enjoy chasing those big fish, but absolutely love to target some other species to see how big a fish I can catch on my everyday trout and redfish gear. Dorado, yellowtail, tuna, and snapper are all targets that can be caught casting lighter jigs and lures. We routinely run the endless beaches and find fish within casting distance of the sand which makes for a fantastic fight.

On my most recent trip south of the border I packed a new tool in my traveling arsenal, the Penn Battle IV spinning reel, to see if it would hold up under extreme conditions. I never leave home without a pair of my Laguna travel rods and for this trip I topped one with the Battle IV 2500 series spooled up with 30-pound Suffix braid. The first thing I noticed about the Battle IV was the finish and the size of the reel. The finish is designed to combat saltwater and all the damage that comes from being in that environment. Penn added extra seals to keep water out of the inner workings and went with a solid spool design, no holes for water to intrude through in an effort to fight corrosion. In your hand, the reel looks small, but it has great line capacity, and the drag is top notch as well. I managed to boat several really good fish that put the Battle IV through its paces, and it exceeded my expectations. I was very pleased with performance and look forward to seeing how durable the Battle IV will be after a couple of seasons worth of abuse. I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s going to get plenty of opportunities in the coming months.

Now that you have a few recommendations to choose from, all that’s left to do is to just get out and go. Don’t be afraid to make a road trip, in fact, you should make it a habit. Get yourself prepared with the right gear and frame of mind so you can enjoy the opportunities that we are blessed with here in Texas and beyond.