Mid-Coast Bays: November 2024

Ahh…the crisp, cool mornings I have been waiting for have finally arrived. Fall is by far my favorite season. Shorter days and cooler air temperatures bring cooler bay waters and fish feeding more aggressively. And while I will continue to fish San Antonio Bay proper and all our back lakes, Hynes Bay gets a lot of my attention in November.

If you ever feel inclined to do a bit a bit of research, Hynes Bay has a very rich history that includes much about the Karankawa Indians. However, since this is supposed to be about fishing, I will leave out the history lesson and tell you more about why Hynes Bay is a fall hot spot.

Hynes Bay lies at the northwest corner of the San Antonio Bay system and is considered part of the Guadalupe Estuary. Hynes is a shallow bay, averaging 3- to 4-foot depths, with mostly soft, muddy bottoms. Each fall, after a few strong cold fronts pass through, the white shrimp that have been growing in the estuary will migrate into the open waters of Hynes, Mission, Guadalupe and San Antonio Bays. We have been fortunate this year to receive better than average rainfall and excellent growing conditions for the shrimp.

Once the shrimp start to migrate into the adjacent bays, birds can be found hovering above schools of trout and redfish feeding on them, hoping to get a fair share of the bounty. Birds resting on the surface of the water are also a good indication that there are fish feeding in the area, maybe just not as concentrated.

The feeding frenzies tend to be at their peaks during early morning hours, usually subsiding by midday. I should also mention that a north wind is almost always better than a south wind. Calm south wind won’t hinder you too much, but if it’s blowing too hard from the south the waters in Hynes get muddied up quick and are not as productive.

When you locate a flock of birds working frantically it is best to motor upwind of the activity, no closer than 25 or 30 yards. Drifting instead of motoring into the area will help avoid spooking the feeding fish. Better yet, if your boat is equipped with a trolling motor, use it to get within casting distance. Wading is not a good option because of the muddy bottoms. Besides, you may find yourself hopping from one school of feeding fish to another in a matter of minutes some days.

My favorite rigging when fishing this scenario is to add about 18 inches of 20lb leader and an 1/8-ounce jighead, below a Mauler-style float or popping cork attached to the main line. Because the fish will usually be feeding so aggressively, there is no need for live bait. Soft plastics are your best option, simply because you get the same results as with live shrimp, but without the constant re-baiting after every strike.

When fishing a feeding school such as these, I don’t believe color is as important as when searching for scattered fish somewhere on a reef. But to be safe, I do keep the color selection more natural, like a 4-inch Bass Assassin Sea Shad in either Silver Phantom/Chartreuse Tail or Pumpkinseed/Chartreuse. Scented soft plastics are also a good choice, but hardly necessary when the action is fast-paced.

You will find it doesn’t take but a couple of pops of your cork before you are hooked up. Many species take advantage of these migrating shrimp, so don’t be surprised when you catch a little bit of everything under the birds. And yes, gafftop, skipjacks, and other less-desirable species will likely be among those grabbing your lure. I guess you just have to take the good with the bad.

You will also be catching some smaller trout, and if they aren’t hooked too deeply, I like to grab the hook with my pliers and give it a quick flip to avoid handling them. Releasing them in this fashion definitely increases their chances to swim away unharmed.

When I’m not targeting trout and redfish in Hynes Bay this month, you will likely find me wading or drifting the reefs in San Antonio Bay. Keep your eye on the weather, though, things can change quickly as northers approach and the middle of the bay is no place for taking chances.

I would like to give thanks to all our readers, clients, friends and family. Without your loyal support we wouldn’t be where we are today. Happy Thanksgiving!