Mansfield Report: April 2025

Greetings from Port Mansfield! I believe it is now safe to say we made it through the winter with minimal weather-related issues as pertains to our fishery. That said, we did have a couple good cold snaps that raised a few eyebrows for those concerned about the wellbeing of our speckled trout. I recall during a mid-to-late February chill seeing thousands of mullet slowly swimming along the surface of the harbor absorbing as much sunlight as they could. I also recall another event where the harbors’ seawall was full of anglers catching big redfish and trout, some in the nine-pound range. Thankfully, that all passed with no significant impact to the populations.

Tides have just recently begun to rise. I noticed a six-inch increase in water levels in about three days’ time last week. I also noted while fishing those days the water was clean and clear, which is common for Gulf water entering our bay system. Additionally, our water will be cleaner for longer periods with elevated levels. This also means fish have started to “drift” or find their way to back lakes and skinny flats that are not commonly fished in the low-water winter months. I used to struggle a bit in this department but now not so much. Our fishery, in general, is strong, and if you can pay attention to the changes, you can usually find fish despite them “spreading” out to the skinny stuff.

On this topic, over the last couple of years few years I have really come to love the SCB Recon by Shallow Sport Boats Inc. I used to be a Shallow Sport Classic guy and believed nothing could compare to its shallow water performance. However, having now spent a couple of years in the Recon I will say its capabilities are equally impressive. Once you get to know the Recon it can pretty much can do anything a Shallow Sport Classic can do; from rough stretches of main bays to shallow backwaters, the SCB Recon can handle it. I have mine rigged with the Yamaha 250 SHO which seems to pair up perfectly.

Springtime is definitely upon us and the prevailing weather pattern will be strong southerly winds. Color changes will develop daily across the flats providing excellent zones for targeting feeding game fish. You will notice beautiful blue-green water next to chalky water, and you will also notice an increase in the presence of bait along that zone, typically fifty yards or so either side of the color change. There is not a better place to spread out your waders than along this zone. This is a confidence zone for me in springtime, despite steady 20 mph southeast winds with occasionally stronger gusts. There is nothing like fighting a big red or trout headshaking with small white caps splashing. It just adds to a great Port Mansfield fish catching experience.

As many know I am by far more of a paddletail guy than a straight-tail lure guy and springtime is no exception, especially if I am the angler in the chalky water zone. I simply like bait that not only fits the size of the baitfish present but also puts off vibration that attracts the gamefish. From the KWigglers 4-inch paddletails to the two sizes of the Wig-A-Lo all three can be deadly. Another good springtime bait is a good topwater, and gamefish love topwaters during the traditional spring warming trends that will be occurring. Despite floating grass, one can still be effective by tossing the topwaters down the lanes created by current that will be free of grass. Or one can always defer to single hooks which eliminates most of the floating grass issue. So, as we head into the spring season, what I have noted above will certainly be in my lineup. One more thing worth noting, April is not too late to catch the trout of a lifetime. It actually happens to be the month one of my clients caught a ten pounder several years ago, so it is certainly a month to fish if that is what you are after.

Available via the QR code below you will notice a quick tip on keeping those reels and rods in good working order. This is such a simple yet overlooked piece of maintenance that takes no time at all. Take a look and let me know your thoughts on it, and if you have any other questions on anything fishing or gear related feel free to reach out.

Remember, fresh is better than frozen.