Hooked Up: July 2023

Hope this finds everyone in the midst of whatever makes summer special to you. If you are reading this article, it probably has something to do with trout fishing. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be than waist-deep, staying cool, on a warm summer day.

If you are an angler that judges the day by how many bites you get, you need to be in the water right now. Pretty much every stop has a ton of action. Albeit the majority are small trout, with some solid low-20s. Being that it’s Baffin Bay, that can all change in an instant, and in the middle of catching smaller fish almost every cast.

I don’t care how long you have been doing it or what your experience level is, getting the hit and setting the hook feels just the same on big or small trout; it’s just good clean fun. Granted, you know pretty quickly after the hookset what it is, and your adrenaline fluctuates according to the resistance at the other end of your Waterloo. But, the bite and hookset is always treated like Ol’ Big is at the other end. The most important thing is that you are where you were born to be and enjoying the sport of fishing.

We are well beyond spring’s blistering winds and most mornings now include slack wind scenarios. This makes for comfortable boat rides to your first wade, but these conditions are almost as tough as 30 mph sustained. If you’re fishing the Upper Laguna or Baffin, just keep in mind that our water currents are almost exclusively wind-driven. Without a little breeze and chop on the water, there is almost zero current to push bait into predictable areas for trout to set up to feed.

Slack wind days can be very tough on the angler, even when you know for certain you are standing right on top of them. I mention this, only because I have to relay it to clients on a daily basis. I’m sure some think it’s just “guide talk” but I’m vindicated just about every time when the wind kicks up to 10 mph and the trout start biting almost instantly. It truly happens daily, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you find yourself in this scenario and things aren’t working out so good for that buddy you are trying to impress. Just wait it out, be patient, things will change as sure as the wind is bound to blow in Corpus Christi.

Writing a monthly column year after year, you are sure to hear me mention the same or similar things on the same month each season. Honestly, it can become a bit monotonous, but that is also the same with chasing trout in any given month, considering that the major variables are water temperature, bait supply, stage of spawn, length of sunshine in a day, etc. Saying that, there are also a bunch of little variables that guys like me must keep an eye on during a charter.

Safety is always number one, but that is a given and one we hardly ever talk about (although I pray for it idling out of Bluffs Landing Marina every morning). Outside of that, putting clients in position to have a lot of chances and enjoying a full day on the water is paramount. We start our days very early around here, usually the first boat in Baffin or not far behind some other anxious angler/guide.

We beat up on the trout pretty hard for about four hours, and around 10:00 I give the clients the option of continuing fishing for trout, that are likely not going to be as active for the rest of the day, or getting set up to do some sight-casting. Most opt for sight-casting, which is great by me, as it is what gets my adrenaline up more than anything else. The perfect combination of hunting and fishing. Of course, I’m always looking for that big, rogue trout in calf-deep water. But there are so many other sightings in that process and, frankly, easier targets. Redfish and drum can be spotted at surprising great distances to the trained eye, and easy enough to point out to clients who aren’t quite sure. The wary trout can be pretty tough in the beginning, until you learn what you’re looking for. A good day is catching one out five that you see, but what you learn about trout in the process, visually confirming how they react to lures, movement, shadows, etc., can be game-changing for the angler who aspires to be on another level.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey