Looking Forward to Springtime in Rockport

As I close out my time here in Port Mansfield, I find myself reflecting on all the years that I have been lucky to have my regular clients follow me to this very special place. It is without a doubt one of the last true speckled trout meccas. Baffin, as we know, is a place of the same caliber and it is so very important that we all realize this and do our part to protect the future of these very special fish. I feel good about the efforts Jay Ray and I have put forth from day one in the practice of catch and release of the trout in this bay system. Now, let’s move on to what I am seeing and what we can expect to see in the Rockport area over the next nine months where I will be fishing from the beginning of April through Christmas.

Rockport’s trout population is growing and looks to be in good shape along with plenty of redfish and black drum. With the focus more or less off the trout the past three to four years, our black drum and redfish have taken somewhat of a beating. Now, with trout numbers coming back and a more restrictive trout size and bag limit, I expect to see the pressure on all three of these species level out somewhat.

I will be looking to fish more of what I refer to as the North Country this year, but as has always been the case with me, I fish the southern end of Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi Bay from late March through May. I like the windward sand and grass shorelines and drop-offs along our barrier and spoil islands in this portion of our bay complex. As water temperatures warm and tides become higher, new residents arrive in our bays, menhaden in particular. The trout spawn will be underway beginning in April and some of the best trout of the year can be seen and caught along our windward shores and spoil islands. Redfish will begin to roam the shallow grass flats and small mullet, pinfish, shrimp and crabs begin to show again over these shallow flats.

Look for slicking to become one of the main ingredients to your daily success. There are multiple aspects to reading slicks and I will try to verbalize what goes through my mind when I see them. First – The size of the slick does not indicate numbers of fish, only that fish are present. Second – Wind and tide create water movement and slicks spread or grow as they move. The smaller the slick the fresher or newer it is. Third – I look for the closest piece of bottom structure upwind or upcurrent of all slicks, both large and small. Fourth - The shallower the water where the slick appears the more likely they are made from larger and/or loner trout, the kind we want to catch. We know this from our experience catching larger trout.

Now – What’s going on when we are fishing in and around slicks and not receiving bites? My advice is that you need to stay put and wait them out. For sure, we need to move quietly and along the outer edges of the slicking areas as much as possible. I will sometimes back out of an area and return a few hours later, letting the area “cool off” a bit, on the chance I might have put too much pressure on them on the way in. One more very important bit of advice; if you run over them with the boat you will have a more difficult time catching them…I promise.

I target mostly submerged grass beds and guts along windward shorelines during spring. I have the most confidence in this type of structure this time of year. On days with bull tides and high winds I will revert to focusing on redfish on shallow grass flats in San Jose Island back-lakes and the flats in the Redfish Bay areas. We do catch a good many trout in the back-lakes and some of them can be shockingly large at times.

The wind is our friend in the back-lakes and on the flats. Normally clear waters turn slightly sandy-colored with 20-plus mph winds and just that small amount of powder in the water will make the difference for us. As I have aged and grown in the business, I appreciate bites these days and find myself enjoying a good redfish bite and watching my clients enjoy the bite as well. In the mix with the redfish are trout, a flounder here and there and even some black drum from time to time. It’s good stuff no matter what and I certainly appreciate all of it more today than ever.

One of the most beautiful aspects of fishing at Rockport is the versatility that the bay provides in so many ways. The town is awesome, with so much to offer visitors. Rockport is no longer the tiny coastal town I was raised in back in the late 50s. Damn, that makes me feel old “the late 50s.” In fact, Rockport might be the best location on the Texas coast to be a guide from a standpoint of all the amenities the town offers non-fishing companions while others in the group go fishing. The number of nice launch facilities with ample parking is also a plus.

In recent weeks, with lower than low tides, fishing has been great according to Jay Ray who returned to Rockport from Port Mansfield at the end of February and has fished nearly every day since. Speaking of low tides, I am not sure that I have ever seen the tides as low as they are right now in the Rockport area. The southern end of Blind Pass Channel behind Mud Island is completely dry from bank to bank. Low tides and water temperatures in the upper 60s make for pretty good catching conditions when it comes to redfish and black drum but after a few days of extremely low tides and the high atmospheric pressure that accompanies these types of conditions the upper-slot trout get finicky and seek deeper, darker waters.

Fishing deeper drop-offs with favorable bottom structure will put you in the right place. Add some tidal movement or wind-driven current and a little food and you should catch some solid trout. In Rockport I look for tidal movement in the spring to put me where the largest trout will be staged. Menhaden will be coming in from the gulf any day now and when this happens it is definitely game on! We do need some rain, though. Drought conditions are worsening all along the Middle to Lower Texas coast and that can have a negative effect on the overall health and spawning success of our speckled trout.

Seems that fishermen are just never happy – just so you know. Too much rain or not enough. The wind is too strong or too light. Water is too hot or too cold. Barometric pressure is too high, too much boat traffic, too many tournaments, too many guides, can’t keep enough fish, keeping too many fish, and the list could go on. The truth is that fishing day in day out is hard and those who are the best at it work the hardest. Someone once told me that I just get to go every day, and that was why I caught them most of the time. Guess what? That’s hard too, especially doing it for 48 years.

When it comes to packing my lure box for the coming season I will be likely be carrying a smaller selection of my favorites. Mirrolure’s Lil John and Lil John XL are currently my go-to plastics and my preferred colors in clear springtime water are Opening Night, Molting, and Clear Red/Gold Glitter. Never, ever get out of the boat without Watermelon/Red Glitter and a few Golden Bream. These two-color patterns work year-round and in just about every weather condition. Texas Customs Double D is another go-to lure for me. This is especially true over and around small, scattered shell points and areas with shallow, broken bottoms. A Double D is extremely versatile and allows anglers to be creative with their presentations.

With the clear water we see so often along the Middle and Lower Texas coast it is extremely important to be able to see the bottom structure and the slight changes in color that are common on our shallow grass flats. This is where high-quality polarized eyewear becomes vitally important to our success and I’m loving my new Water Land sunglasses. The mineral glass lenses are incredibly clear and crisp and super light as well. The Polycarbonate lenses are even lighter and make for a comfortable fit. Check them out at Rockport Tackle Town. We cannot cast to a fish or specific piece of structure if we cannot see it. Good luck out there and remember, keep only the fish you need and release the rest.