October’s Magic

Here we go, folks. Headed into the first full month of fall and I’m about as giddy as a kid at Christmas. The oppressive heat we’ve endured the past several months is mostly in the rearview, the coastal waters are cooling and the fish are going to be biting like a bunch of piranhas. What a great time to be a Texas coastal angler.

I’ve enjoyed some wonderful fishing days in October, from East Matagorda where we waded and drifted mid-bay reefs for trout, all the way down to Port Isabel’s South Bay where we picked our tides and slung topwaters for trophy snook. So many great days that I’d be hard-pressed to pick only one favorite. But if I did, it would likely include one of several we spent wading the Lower Laguna in the morning and then shooting white-wings along the Rio Grande in the afternoon. Fall classics―classically Texas!

October’s magic begins with the weather. A wading jacket sure feels good on the boat ride and during the morning’s first wade, but almost always ditched by mid-morning. Sliding over the gunwale at first light gives you a chill, almost makes you wish you’d worn waders, but that disappears with the first good thump on your line.

The cooler weather is obviously enjoyed by the fish as much as the angler. I have to believe they get as tired of summer heat as we do. I can recall one very special morning at Port Mansfield; Joe Meyer, Lynn Smith, and I started at the Game Warden Shack and waded four hours until we could barely see the boat, catching fish non-stop. I sure was glad to bump into Mike McBride and hitch a ride back.

I’m certain we all have great memories of Octobers past; the best part is having the chance to live them all over again. Archery deer season is open and there was a day when I absolutely lived for that, so I understand the passion. And dove season is open all month; you can bet I’ll spend as much time in the fields with my dogs and hunting buddies as I can pry myself away from the water. I hope you can do the same.

October is also a great time for family outings. Fishing trips that include shoreline picnics make for some of the best family fun imaginable, and the kids will love you for it. They are only young and impressionable for a few short years, so be sure to make the most of them. My dear departed friend Dickie Colburn always ended his column in this magazine with…Take a Kid Fishing. Sage advice from a great man, I’d say.