The Super-Clear Water Dilemma

The waters of the Aransas Bay complex have been exceptionally clear this winter, some of which I attribute to the absence of oyster boats. Speaking of the absence of oyster boats, with the local oyster season closed for the second year I am noticing significant re-growth of the reefs in northern Aransas, Mesquite and San Antonio Bays. As the reefs grow in height we should soon start seeing some reduction in shoreline erosion, which will be a very good thing. As I have written here many times, oyster reefs provide some of the best habitat and structure to target for both trout and redfish, no matter the season or water conditions.

So, as the title of this article implies, the theme of our discussion this month will be dealing with uncommon water clarity during the pursuit of bigger trout. The timing is right on the money as we are right now into the heart of our winter trophy trout season and some of what I have to say may enable you to land your best-ever fish in the weeks ahead.

While it is true that we would all like to cherry pick the days when we could fish, but for most anglers that is simply not an option. We go when we can and we deal with whatever the conditions for that period might be.

I do a lot of little things that I believe swing the pendulum in my favor during periods when I have no choice but to fish super clear water. Such conditions often come in the days following frontal passages and are usually accompanied by high atmospheric pressure. Not ideal conditions by any standard but if that is the day you have to fish then you need to have a plan of attack.

When fishing super clear water I always increase the length of my monofilament leader. I am also very mindful of maintaining that length throughout the day as changing lures and retying will diminish your leader length. I spool my reels with braided line and use the new Osprey mono leader material. It comes in a small spool that fits right in your shirt pocket for replacing the leader on the fly. I use 20-pound test and have had no issues. I also employ the use of basically clear to light-colored lures for clear water. I like a small amount of flash on bright days. I want the bait to look like something relatively small to eat. I say this even though I don’t always downsize, given that doing so sometimes limits my ability to make long accurate casts so necessary in clear water conditions.

I approach areas of structure from a reasonable distance, but I DO NOT drift my boat downwind with me. At 66 years old I probably should, but I believe the larger fish sense when a boat is near and simply go into a very aware state, becoming harder to trick. I have actually observed other groups in an area with me that are moving the boat as they wade and have literally seen trout moving to me from the noise of the water slapping the hull of their boat. True story!

I also try to drift out of the area when we decide to leave, so that we do not educate the residents as to our presence. I know that trout that make it to 6 or 7 years of age are already well-versed in their ability to detect our presence and avoid us. Drifting out of the area makes me feel good that I am not adding to their education.

I like to move slow and easy until someone gets a bite or someone sees something that indicates fish are present. Once a bite is received, I shift into slo-mo and concentrate on casting accurately to each individual piece of structure in front of me multiple times. Big trout not only set up on small individual pieces of structure, but I believe they mill around between multiple pieces of structure within small areas.

Proof of this came just yesterday as we stood in an area of less than 50 square yards for nearly two hours, catching fish here and there as they milled throughout the area of scattered grass and shell in front of us. Nothing over five pounds, but a five-pounder in Rockport right now is a pretty good fish.

I also try to avoid hanging up on grass and then pulling clumps of it over the surface of the water we are fishing. Why create any unnecessary disturbance in an otherwise productive area? If fishing shell or scattered clump shell, DO NOT walk out into the area you are fishing to free a snagged lure. If you do, you’ll blow your chances and also those of any who are fishing with you. Losing a lure is part of the game, so be prepared and have plenty of spares in your wade box.

Right now, my wade box includes MirrOlure Lil John XLs in Opening Night, Red Gold Glitter and Watermelon Red Glitter. I am also carrying 5” Bass Assassins in Cajun Croaker and Bone Diamond, along with Custom Corky Fat Boys and Fat Boy Floaters. The Soft Dine in Pearl Harbor, Pistachio, Sea Grass, and Bay Mistress are also dependable producers. Texas Custom’s Double D Series is another I like to keep handy, with Pistachio, Plum Nasty, Sea Grass, Pinky and Grey Ghost seeing lots of water time.

So what is it that increases the odds of us finding and then catching that truly special trout? First of all we need to be able to spend enough time on that piece of real estate to become familiar with how the currents move through it, how tide levels affect it, how wind direction affects presentations, and how water temperatures influence feeding behavior. Most systems have multiple types of bottom structure that hold fish throughout the year. No matter what the bay system might be I feel that the cooler months will provide the best opportunity for the best fish.

The bay systems I spend the most time in are the Aransas complex, San Antonio Bay, and the Lower Laguna, in and around Port Mansfield. All three have similarities that allow me to use what I have learned to help place my clients in the most productive areas. For me, it is all about defining what type of bottom structure is available and then finding a predictable and consistent food source.

I fish a ton of submerged grass beds and changes in weather patterns throughout the year can have significant influence on where the best grass can be found during each season. So, having said that, it is important to continuously refamiliarize ourselves each season as to where the best areas of bottom grass can be found. Typically, in winter, all I need to find is mullet over good grass structure and I become confident that we will be able to find respectable trout in the area.

According to Dr. Greg Stunz of Harte Institute, the Texas Upper and Lower Laguna Madre systems have several factors that aid in the development of upper-slot trout. First is warmer water temperatures on average, and longer growing seasons. Second would be greater than average abundance of mullet as a high-energy food source, which is supported by higher than average year-round salinity regimes of the region. Third is likely to be found in subtle genetic differences; think South Texas vs Hill Country deer. The fourth may not seem as likely to the average observer but fishing pressure in the Upper and Lower Laguna bay systems is considerably lower than the Upper and Middle coastal regions. To put it in its simplest terms, greater fishing pressure leads to fewer upper-class fish in the population.

Fishing pressure includes many components. I believe faster and more reliable boats, combined with vastly greater and more accurate fishing information available via social media have become primary drivers in the pressure equation. While I personally believe social media has been a good thing for the fishing industry in general, I also believe it has been a tragic thing for the fishery itself. Unfortunately, the demands of today’s industry require the use of these platforms. I try to use social media to educate anglers but I too am guilty of using it to promote my own fishing enterprise and the products I use. And there’s also the croaker thing. I will not dwell on this but targeting trout with live croakers puts a lot of pressure on the fishery…not to mention that the croaker population has been reduced to the lowest numbers ever, due in part to the demand for live bait.

Does all that we know guarantee that we will always be successful. Not hardly, and that is what keeps us going back. If it was easy and if we caught huge ones every time we went there would be no challenge. When we are not challenged, we soon lose interest and move on to more challenging things. Please continue to release all the trout you can see your way to release. This is especially true with fish over 20 inches. Respect the fishery and your fellow fishermen and you will be rewarded many times over.