Hooked Up: January 2023

Here we go again; another dang year passing.  The rate at which they pass now seems like flashes of light with some trout mixed in. Seems only yesterday I was in my younger-twenties crashing across Baffin in a 14’ scooter from hours before the sun came up until well after it went down. Only to wake up and do it all over again.

December produced better fish for us here at the end of ‘22 versus where we were at the same time in ‘21. The freeze of February 2021 had many of us very concerned about what the future would hold. As things happen by God’s hand, we ended up having an amazing season in 2022, thanks to some fish that found their way into the Laguna Madre via Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. That carryover seems to be jump starting us into this new winter season of 2023 and the averages are definitely up. 

I’m excited about what will come to hand for my clients this year. I’m not sure if I will ever have years again where you land 70-100 trout over seven pounds, but I truly believe we have the format to get it back if TPWD will keep our bag limits to three trout per day. In addition, I would personally prefer to see the top end of the slot revised downward to twenty or twenty-one inches. These things, along with all the folks doing straight up catch and release, could put us right back in the big leagues again. Catch, photo, release!

January is just an absolute stud of a month to catch a trophy sized trout. In fact, my largest ever came in this month, many years ago.  She was a big 11.5-pounder that swam off healthy after I got to soak up her grandness. As luck would have it I was fishing alone that day and do not even have a photo of her… other than what is burned into my memory. Good enough for me.

Used to be that January was a “sleeper” month. Minimal boat traffic, cold weather, hunting season, etc., all played a role, but more than a few savvy anglers have figured it out and sharing the water is more common of late. Saying that, there’s still enough to go around if everybody uses common sense and some old school manners. Come February, a branded few earn their medals in asshole-ness and become the talk of the marina and text chains flying around Baffin. Don’t be that guy!  

As mentioned last month, patterns are pretty straightforward throughout these colder months. Shallow feeding grounds that can warm up fast in sunlight, with deepwater access is the ideal scenario, on paper anyway. Mix in some good pothole structure over tacky mud, signs of bait activity, and you are well on your way to good days. 

 A couple things many fishermen overlook, in my opinion, is moving too fast and not exercising enough patience. I’m talking about big trout here, way less than 1% of the total population. You are not going to catch one every cast. If the area has the characteristics mentioned above and you do your part, chances are there will be a ringer within a cast or slow wade from you. Keep in mind, trout are opportunistic feeders, but even they do not feed 24/7.  Slow down, be confident, make good presentations with the appropriate lure for the situation, and grind it out if need be.

Crashing through the water like a Labrador retriever and bombing potholes in 52° water with topwaters as long as your forearm is not going to work out well for you. “If all else fails, do what your guide told you first thing that morning.” Ha-ha! 

Seriously, the small details are why there is a top 10% of anglers on the water and 90% just going through some motions that mimics fishing. The cool thing is, anybody can join that 10% by fishing smarter and practicing some of the above.  Leave the phone on the console, get your head in the game, and you will be there. 

A handful of lures will be in my wade box for the next few months – 5” Bass Assassin on 1/16 ounce jigheads, Fat Boy floaters and sinkers, Double D floater, MirrOdine XL and the awesome Soft Dine. Being the “Dine” fan that I am, MirrOlure just released a “Heavy Dine” that I cannot wait to dredge through some deeper water over the next few months.  

Remember the Buffalo!  -Capt David Rowsey