South Padre: May 2025

I want to share some technical stuff this month; things I’ve observed the past several months. Hopefully it will help you understand more about fish behavior. I don't claim to know it all, but observing the same patterns repeatedly indicates how fish react and behave in certain conditions, including environmental influences.

For the past two months I've been fishing schools of redfish that number in the hundreds, if not close to a thousand. They are in separate schools, but have been inhabiting the same general area. Nobody has been fishing them but me and a few clients and friends. Quite often I go there by myself. These fish are unpressured. The water is too shallow for any boat to drift or run there. They are not spooky; so getting close enough to observe their movements and behavior has not been a problem.

The following are some of my observations:

The tides are their highways. The movement and height of the tide determines where fish will be located and how long they will remain in a given area. When the tidal movement occurs, they move with it.

Another thing I noticed is that they usually follow the schools of bait; they don't hang out and wait for the bait to come to them.

When the fish are moving they typically will not feed aggressively. When the fish are following the tide, I have observed that for the most part they are not interested in my presentations. Once they reach their desired destination they spread out and start devouring without hesitation. Studying the day’s major and minor solunar predictions can also help you determine when they might be willing to feed.

The timing and height of the tide will determine where they will be and this has been cool to study. Once you lock in their pattern in different conditions and tide levels, you know exactly where they can be found. Pay attention to bait activity and where the shorebirds are located. They, too, will give you a clear indication of where the fish are.

I hate windy days. Being out in the open on windy days is no fun and evidently the same goes for the fish as they too seek shelter from the wind. We see this along protected shorelines. Where there is no protection from the wind they hug bottom. I have witnessed this on recent days when the wind was very strong. Fish are easy to spot on calm days but definitely more of a challenge on windy days. What should you look for on windy days? Look for the slightest movements in the water; these could be a swirl, a mud boil, or a wake as they spook and swim away.

If fish enter an area on a significant tidal movement, they will likely leave the same way they entered when it begins to recede. Having learned this I have enjoyed phenomenal success in intercepting them as they exit the back bays. So many on several occasions that they have bumped into me or swam between my legs.

I have never spent so much time in extremely shallow water than the past two months. Perhaps the most incredible observation I have made, and a great surprise to me, is to never underestimate a fish's ability and willingness to enter a body of water too shallow to cover their dorsal fins. Why, I have no clue. All I can say is that they have taught me a lot.

Our bays have good numbers of redfish, trout, and even snook in the deeper water. May's average water temperatures are perfect for fish to be active and the near constant winds will keep the water highly oxygenated.

More good news is that the bays are typically not as crowded this month as during summer, although this month does include the beginning of fishing tournaments almost every weekend. Caution and courtesy around the launch ramps, especially during pre-dawn hours is strongly encouraged.

Learning to recognize and understand fish behavior can increase your success in catching fish and I have done my best over the years to be as good a student of this as I can. But at the same time I also do my best to remain humble by constantly reminding myself of this bit of advice: "When you think you’ve got the fish figured out they will be quick to show you who's boss."

But that's the beauty of fishing—the challenge of figuring out a creature's behavior and tricking him into accepting your presentation. If that describes you, then you are in the right sport.