Mansfield Report: November 2023

Greetings from Port Mansfield! I’m extremely pleased to see a cool front finally make it down our way. This was long overdue, given that this was likely one of the hottest and driest summers on record. That said, I try to take away something from adverse situations and this summer was no exception. Fish will adapt and adjust to just about any conditions (within reason) and we will be able to discover patterns if we put in the time.

I witnessed 95.4-degree water temps this summer. I was amazed watching mullet free jumping and doing the things they do, even in such extreme conditions. Sure, the action was slow, but if I stayed with it I could find a few bites. Most of the fish I caught in this extreme heat seemed healthy and strong. A great testament that fish are tough and resilient. I believe that since the summer got hot and stayed hot for an extended period, fish simply found a way to adapt.

Most of my fishing career I hadn’t been much of a “small” profile soft plastics guy, but this year made a believer out of me. I often found myself reaching for the KWigglers BTS and Wig-A-Lo juniors (coming soon) more often and for good reason. The fish flat out ate them despite the heat. From big trout, reds and flounder they all responded well to smaller baits.

I can tell you the fish seemed as eager as I recently to see water temperatures declining. Prior to the cool down you could tell fishing was getting ready to bust loose. Despite early morning boat traffic, we found good redfish and a few solid trout along the flats on a regular basis. It was interesting to see a brief period when reds would simply just wake up behind your topwater but never commit. But, throw a soft plastic in the same area they would slam it. This went on for about a week and interestingly enough, it was right at the peak of the full moon in late September. What this means, who really knows, but for me it was just another nugget of information I’ll store away for future reference.

With deer season approaching we should see greatly reduced boat traffic. Cool, crisp mornings, light boat traffic and big blowups will be in the forecast for the rest of the year. Fish will become more aggressive and active on the flats and in good numbers. We’ve seen quite a few smaller trout (12-16 inches) recently which is a good sign, but we still have a way to go as far as a full recovery with our trout. Now that we are back to 15 inches on the minimum length, many folks have begun bringing this class of trout to the cleaning tables. Noteworthy to me is how small they look after being “trained” on the 17” minimum length for three years.

On that note, we are having some good conversations with folks over in Austin regarding the future of trout regulations. Several fishermen have reported receiving surveys from TPWD on the topic and public scoping meetings should be wrapping up by the time this magazine hits the newsstands. More information should be making its way out to the public in the coming months, so stay tuned.

We just concluded our Texas Women Anglers Fish Camp and I believe it was one of the best we’ve had. We had great support from generous companies in the industry who recognize its importance and relevance and we can’t thank them enough. As seen in the photo below Rachel Kram is a long-time angler but this was her first time wading with topwaters and she had a blast. She now has the fundamentals to take her fishing game to the next level.

I along with many are looking forward to a stellar fall and early winter season. The flats will be alive, and bait will be active for the next month or two. Big trout and reds will be intermingled in and around bait concentrations. Finding yourself in this situation, I highly recommend working the bait from the outside edges. There is no reason to flop your lure right in the middle without first working it from the outside in.

I, along with CCA Advocacy Director Shane Bonnot, will be participating in a seminar hosted by CCA RGV in McAllen at University Draft House on November 16^th starting at 5:30pm. Hope to see you there.

Until next time, remember fresh is better than frozen.