South Padre: November 2024

The end of 2024 is rapidly approaching as we enter the late fall and winter seasons. I want to share some observations and lessons I have learned through fly and sight-cast fishing in this article that might help you become a better angler. Most fishermen simply get up and go fishing, but few anglers put in the effort to recognize and utilize the subtle signs of fish behavior to achieve greater success on the water. I'm not saying one type of fisherman is better than the other; after all, enjoying yourself is what matters most. Ultimately, though, you go fishing to get your line tugged, right?

Over the years, I have picked up on a few tricks, including the presentation of your artificial offerings. In fly fishing, the retrieve or strip, differs for each species you target. When targeting tarpon, the strip is long and slow; for bonefish, it's short, quick strips; for redfish, it's continuous short strips, but can vary according to their attitude and feeding behavior.

First, you should always consider the depth and temperature of the water, along with the fish's feeding attitude, being able to see the fish helps. If the retrieve speed is not what the fish want, they will quickly dart away. Knowing if the fish are moving around, feeding, or lying stationary on the bottom can determine how to present your lure. If you see mud puff after mud puff as fish scamper away, this tells me the fish are not just lying on the bottom. So, I will retrieve my lure slowly. If bites come frequently with the fish seeming to inhale the lure, I will be working the lure at a faster pace.

Many fishermen get hung up on lure color; I pay more attention to size. Fish tend to be picky when they are not feeding aggressively. Put it this way; you don't always want a 16-ounce ribeye, sometimes a juicy 6-ounce filet is more appealing. The same applies to fish.

Weather will become a greater factor in November. Usually, three to four cold fronts blow through this month. Fishing ahead of a front is often exceptional. However, atmospheric pressure will be high immediately following the frontal passage, which makes for tough fishing. It typically takes two or three days for the pressure to moderate and feeding patterns to return to normal.

Keeping track of water temperature becomes essential to fishing success in the colder months. Most GPS/Depth Finders have this capability, but even a small handheld thermometer can get the job done. Suppose you find fish at a specific water temperature; try locating that same temperature at your next spot. Also, remember that fish will usually move slower in colder water; adjust the speed of your presentations accordingly.

Currently, most of our redfish are being found in smaller, scattered schools. We have encountered a few larger schools but haven’t yet been able to pattern them. We have lately been seeing greater numbers of redfish on the eastside sand flats. Locating long trains of mullet has been helpful in patterning these fish. Gold spoons have been working well; the flash and vibration attracts them from afar in the almost gin-clear water. Z-Man soft plastics also continue to fool lots of reds for us.

I believe our trout fishery is improving steadily and we are already seeing a few big ones out there. Steadily declining water temperatures during the fall season always provide better trout action, and already lucky anglers have landed trout in the twenty-four to twenty-eight-inch range. I hope that is a glimpse of good things to come for the winter season ahead.

Trout will begin feeding more aggressively and for longer periods and this will be easily noticeable in the number of slicks popping along shorelines and other types of structure. Evening hours can bring phenomenal fishing, and not only will the fishing be great, but the bays will be largely empty of boat traffic.

Hoping for a big trout this early winter? Think shallow; find concentrations of bait and focus on the lunar cycles that bring strong tide movements. Also, pay attention to the birds, and where and when they feed.

Water temperatures will soon decline to the point where we will need waders, usually around Thanksgiving. It is recommended to test your waders for leaks in a swimming pool beforehand. I have been wearing Simms G4Z zipper-front waders for six years and I highly recommend them. The G4Z is not a cheap wader but worth every penny. Fishing Tackle Unlimited carries them and many more Simms products that provide comfort to anglers on cold days.