Is It Still Spring…Or Summer?

I sometimes have a difficult time classifying the month of May. Is it the last month of spring or the first month of summer? If you had been with me a couple of days ago hunting turkeys in South Texas you might have sworn it was already July, with afternoon temperatures cresting the 90-degree mark. We’re just not accustomed to that kind of heat this early in the year. And to add to the confusion, we had 41-degrees at sunrise a week before that at our home in Seadrift. So go figure. Let’s just call it Texas weather and let it go at that.

One thing I never have trouble understanding though, is when to ditch my waders. All it takes is the water temperature gauge on the Humminbird to begin registering in the low-80s a few times and it won’t be long until my Simms G4Zs get banished to the closet until November rolls back around. Any day now…

Middle Coast trout action has improved leaps and bounds since the dismal days following that fateful freeze that blew in over Valentine’s weekend 2021. I give a lot of credit to TPW’s narrow keep-slot and three-fish bag limit. I still hear a few folks griping that they can only keep three, but it’s down to just a few. Most that I know well enough to consider both sufficiently seasoned and trustworthy seem content with the regs, if they’re even keeping any at all. Seems the best way to bring back the good ol’ days is to keep turning them loose.

Another sure enough fact about May is that the final Monday is Memorial Day, a federal holiday set aside to celebrate and mourn the servicemen and women who gave their lives such that the United States of America can remain the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. A great and worthy cause that we as the beneficiaries of those sacrifices should hold dear and continue to celebrate with reverence.

The Saturday before Memorial Day has its own significance for coastal fishermen here in the state of Texas – the kickoff of the CCA Texas summer long State of Texas Anglers Rodeo – commonly known as the S.T.A.R. Tournament. If you care to have a look at page 38 of this issue, you will find a recap of the 2024 S.T.A.R., its proud winners and their prizes.

So, here we go again, another S.T.A.R. will kickoff Saturday May 24, 2025, with a whole new list of outstanding prizes and awards for the lucky winners. But as the saying goes; “You Gotta Be Registered to Win!” Sign up today and get a free E-Mag subscription to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.