Playing March Winds

Ready or not spring tides are soon to arrive, once again breathing life into our bays that just a few weeks ago appeared quite bleak. I’ve grown to love this time of year, possibly because anything is better than the latter part of the winter season. Also, because I know how epic March days can be when the stars align. Most of the fair-weather fisherman haven’t quite made it out of their winter dens yet and that’s fine by me. There’s something peaceful about fishing in a bay system that is mostly void of boat traffic.

The further south on the coast you can fish this time of year the better. It’s no secret that the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre are going to warm to that magical temperature weeks ahead of Galveston Bay. If you’re going to make the trek, be sure and bring a set of playing cards, as southeast winds of 30 knots or more aren’t uncommon in March on the lower coast. After all, God made wind in Port Mansfield Texas; or so my uncle has always told me. I’ve made the trip a couple of times and can confirm. Somedays, the winds would seem to just appear from a black hole of sorts, just seaward of the East Cut, making the run from Gladys back to the harbor “sporty” to say the least.

On the days when the winds subside and the sun is beaming, I hope to find myself somewhere on a shallow seagrass flat searching for the first tailing pods of the year. I often find larger tailing fish in early spring, making them a bit more of a challenge to stalk than the massive pods of “rat reds” you’ll often encounter by mid-summer. If going with fly gear, something small and shrimpy or flashy, or some combination of these will often seal the deal. With these larger tailing fish, simply waiting for your shot is the best approach. In other words, wait till you see a few of the fish lift their head and start to move to the next grazing spot. Then toss your fly or lure just beyond their path and slide it toward their face. This ensures that the fish will get a chance to see your presentation. If you’re throwing to the fish while their head is down in the grass, they may not ever see it. This method takes some patience and boat control (if you’re not wading), but it can prove effective if you have the means.

Speaking of boat control, during periods of higher winds, say 15 knots and above, it can be the difference in catching fish or spooking them. Regarding poling skiffs in shallow water under these conditions, attention to details such as what direction you choose to approach a fish from is everything. All boats, regardless of if they are built of carbon fiber or concrete displace weight, which in turn displaces water and creates pressure waves. How large the pressure waves depends on a number of variables. However, I can assure you no skiff levitates on the surface eliminating all pressure waves, contrary to what you may read on the internet.

So, what’s the big deal with pressure waves? The short answer is they spook fish. I believe this is one advantage of these high-end lightweight skiffs, because less weight equals less wake. Furthermore, skiffs have two ends, pointy and square. The pointy end cuts the water much smoother than the square, thereby creating less wake. This is also why it makes more sense to pole upwind to wary fish whenever possible. Once the bow of your boat cuts the water creating a small wave, the wind blows the wave downwind and away from the fish. So, if you’re poling into a brisk 15 knot wind, the fish likely won’t sense a thing. Now, whether the angler on the bow can get it done into that same wind is another discussion.

Poling downwind in a gale, while sometimes maybe the only option, is not often very successful, especially for the fly angler. The wind is constantly pushing your pressure waves over your field of view, and you’ll often see fish change direction by the time your angler is in casting range. At this point the angler better be perfect and fast to get it done. Otherwise, it is game over.

Pressure waves can also affect your fishing when drifting. Ever notice when it’s blowing pretty good you seem to get bites while you’re moving, but after getting bit you put the Power Pole down and then nothing? I would believe it's because the wind is blowing the boat's pressure waves over your casting range and, because you stopped, the waves make it out further from the boat. As long as you’re drifting the boat is moving with the wind, and the waves are greatly reduced. This is also why long casts are imperative while drifting. I prefer to utilize the Power Pole to stop the boat when landing a fish and getting reset, or maybe even to slightly change direction of my drift, but after that I like to keep the boat moving.

By the end of this month, I’ll also be keeping an eye out for a bay bound pelagic fish – the Jack Crevalle. Jacks are a prized trophy for fly anglers, especially when they are inside the bay where we have a reasonable chance to make a sight-cast. It’s also the best scenario for survival of your fly rod and the fish alike. Getting in a vertical dog fight with these beasts in 30-plus feet of water on fly gear has broken many a rod and makes the fish vulnerable to shark attack. Jacks tend to like fly patterns that resemble baitfish with lots of flash and will readily take surface poppers. These fish sport some serious teeth, too, so I like to use a bite tippet of 50-pound fluorocarbon when targeting them.

March is a great time of year to knock the dust off your fishing gear before the action really heats up in the coming weeks. Try and pick your days in between gale force winds and make a few shakedown runs. But don’t be surprised when you stumble on a pile of fish all to yourself!