Grass Beds Are My Favorite Type of Structure

Seldom do I struggle for a topic to write about. For some reason though, this month I have struggled more than I normally do to come up with a topic or experience that I feel will help you in your fishing endeavors. I have never been the type of writer that tells you a story, wanting you to dig deep within yourself to discover the meaning. I say this even though I do find myself gaining tons of inspiration from articles that require me to think about what the authors are really trying to say. My style has always been more of a meat and potatoes approach, and I find that I coach my anglers much the same way. Keeping it simple has always seemed to work best for me and this has never been truer than today.

It is true that as a young man I did not aspire to become what I see myself as today, and that is a coach. It is almost like I am more of a professional level coach versus one who coaches at a high school level. What I mean by this is that most of my clients already possess more than basic fishing skills. I seldom need to teach casting, for instance. Being able to cast a respectable distance and with some accuracy is super important and most of my clients have little issue in this department. I do however find that there are still some who need a refresher on knot tying and the proper way to rig a soft plastic lure. The instruction of proper actions for all the different types of lures is usually number two on the list that they want help on. Number one, without a doubt, is a combination of identifying structure and how fish relate to it.

All my regular clients know that I am not a “spot“ guy, per se. Through conversations with my fishing club members I get to constantly coach them up on fishing areas versus specific spots on a map. This involves being able to read the water, which is probably third on the list of things that I am asked to teach.

The areas I fish are determined by seasonal patterns, weather conditions, and also the presence and growth of submerged grass. The grasses in our bay systems develop differently with each year and are totally dependent on seasonal weather patterns. Right now, in many areas along our barrier islands of San Jose and Matagorda, there are areas with little to no grass. This is not what we want to see during springtime. Bottom grass is critical to the development and survival of countless bait species and also many small crustaceans. The bottom grasses also provide cover and ambush points for game fish of all species. Grass is by far my most favorite type of bottom structure.

Submerged grass provides a multiple of approaches when targeted properly. You have the grass bed itself, and also its edges, points, and bare spots within the submerged growth. The presence of fish near, within, and along the edges of grass will vary depending on water movement as well as wind direction.

The edges of grass beds are typically always good, no matter what. It is also a given that the entire grass bed itself is a fish-holding structure, so that in itself justifies multiple casts being placed all along and across the area. By setting up and spraying casts at different angles, an angler is provided opportunity to put the lure in contact with all the elements and features of the structure present.

It is important that we understand the way game fish will move around and through the grass bed when feeding. I know that there are also times when game fish are set up on grass but not moving, simply remaining stationary within it. When fishing areas with a lot of smaller, scattered patches of grass, we must allow ourselves the time to hit as many targets as possible. The more targets, the more opportunity.

I think I prefer large areas of hard sand with a mix of small to medium-sized grass beds when such are available. I have confidence in my ability to read where and how the bite is developing in this situation. If we pay close attention; and the best anglers absolutely do, we can establish with great accuracy exactly where our bites are being received. Casting repeatedly to similar grass beds in the area will often result in bites as well.  This intel allows one to repeat the process and develop a pattern that will often play well for us at the next area we choose to fish. I have always placed a lot of stock in being able to pattern fish based on conditions and daily findings. There is no way one can do this unless paying close attention to every detail as it develops throughout the day.

Something else that might be of interest to you is that I often notice that once a fish is hooked and surface activity is created, other game fish will be attracted to the activity. I have also noted in my fishing brain that large redfish will many times spook larger trout out of an area when they are hooked. This I believe is especially true of the much larger trout that are cruising a shallow area. Upper-slot to oversized reds are raging bulls when hooked and can really mess up a good trout bite. That said, I have also seen the opposite, when larger trout are following or mixed with reds, and the red on the end of the line actually seems to attract trout to the area. Just so you know, I would just as soon the reds stayed away from my trout bite…and my $16 Custom Corkys and Soft Dines.

So, as it turns out, teaching is now just as big a part of my day as putting my clients on fish. To be honest though, it is hard to gain confidence in a pattern if I am not getting the client on fish they can catch. The bite and the catching are the conformation that the pattern works, and this is where confidence really begins to blossom. Building confidence in oneself is huge and a major part of the game. I have thick skin at this stage of my career and do not need clients to console me if the bite is off. If I don’t put you where you need to be, that is on me. I am keenly aware that someone catches them somewhere every day. It is my job to know where that somewhere is, not the client’s.

Our bait fish migration has been somewhat slow to develop this year, and I tend to believe this can be attributed to the passage of a series of significant cool fronts during recent weeks. Water temperatures at this writing are pushing 75 degrees. Tides are high and we have received much needed rain over the past several weeks. I am a fan of rain no doubt, and my records indicate that seasons with normal to higher-than-normal rainfall produce better trout fishing in the Rockport area. I am lately beginning to notice numbers of small menhaden, which to me is a signal to use lures that mimic them – MirrOlure’s MirrOdine XL and the Texas Custom’s Double Ds are both great for this. Dr. Greg Stunz fished with us last Thursday and we had a Royal Tern hit the water in front of us and come up with a menhaden the size of 50-cent piece. He immediately switched to his favorite MirrOdine XL and stuck two nice trout. That does not happen by accident and there is more about Dr. Stunz in my final paragraph.

I will also throw the Custom Corky Floaters and the MirrOlure Pro-Series Floating Fat Boy when matching the menhaden hatch since these two lures are very much shad-shaped and can be worked aggressively in the upper portion of the water column. They can also be cast quite effectively into stiff SE wind when needed. And of course, I always have my favorite MirrOlure Lil John or Lil John XL in my wade box. Over shallow grass flats that border deeper drop-offs, the 3.5-inch Lil John is money and rates as a must-have for me. The lure casts well and is tough enough to survive the “tail biters” that are beginning to invade our shallow grass flats. I am throwing clear-bodied colors in clear water to match the colors of the menhaden and the few glass minnows I have been seeing.

More on Dr. Stunz of Harte Institute; it is always a pleasure to fish with him. Good friend and client, Drew Donaldson, typically invites Greg to join us a few times a year. Greg and I go way back to him being a youngster and me a young fishing guide. His stepfather, Bob Beckett, would bring him along whenever he fished with me. What a wealth of knowledge Greg is when it comes to our fisheries.  A day on the water with him is like an educational saltwater field trip with fishing rod in hand. Greg is a lover and protector of the resource, but I also know that when he speaks, he speaks from his science background, not so much from personal feelings. Boy, to have such a wealth of knowledge and also the self-discipline to speak only of the science. That is the markings of a true professional and the saltwater world is lucky to have him. Oh, and by the way, he’s a true gentleman and great angler as well.

May your fishing always be catching!  -Guide Jay Watkins