The View: December 2024

December is one of those months many anglers forget about. I guess there are too many ducks to shoot, bucks to chase and Christmas parties to attend. With deer and waterfowl season in full force, fewer boats will be on the bay. I can remember a few Decembers where birds were still working along the east end of East Matagorda Bay and I believe that will be the case this year as well. However, by late mid- to late-December most of the white shrimp crop have left the bays and speckled trout adapt their diet to finfish.

We will continue to make long drifts with Chicken on a Chain Bass Assassins, gently working the jig over towhead reefs and broken clumps of shell. My first stop will be over deep shell for healthy specks, wind permitting. That's the key – wind – and how much cold air blows down from the north. Too much of it and East Bay becomes a mud hole, too little of it and the bay becomes so clear you can read a newspaper lying on the bottom.

Waders will begin to search for large trout on the east end of the bay over soft mud. Corkys and MirrOlures are the normal offerings, but if afternoon temps reach the 60s, never discount your favorite topwater. If you see a mullet flipping, fish it. If the water is cold, the mullet become less active the same as the trout, so work your baits slowly and methodically.

Locales receiving the most tidal flow often hold the majority of schools – that means reefs and mud flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway in East Bay. Brown Cedar Flats, Chinquapin Reefs, Bird Island, Half-Moon Reef and the Log are all proven winter spots holding healthy specks. Raymond Shoals, Boiler Bayou, Pipeline Reef and Cleveland Reef also hold good fish during the winter; and, when tides are extremely low, shoreline redfish move off the flats to these reefs in the middle of the bay.

If the wind blows and temperatures dip, the Colorado River is always a safe haven from the wind; and, the colder the better for the deep depths of the winding river. Most anglers work the edges with topwaters, while jiggers throw along the drop-off from into 5-12 feet of water. When it is really cold, we set out multiple rods and float down the middle of the river and allow soft plastics to delicately work the bottom in depths of 20 feet of water.

We will still be duck hunting most mornings and fishing the afternoons. It makes for a heck of an action-packed day for serious outdoorsmen. We really have so much to be thankful on the Texas coast and being able to hunt and fish on the same day with such success is priceless.

Around this time of year I normally write a Christmas gifts column in various publications to help spouses buy for their angler. So here are a few ideas:

-A new reel is always good; let your budget dictate.

-A light, sensitive piece of graphite to compliment the reel is even better; I use a Waterloo HP Lite, but any Waterloo model is a great choice.

-A pile of soft plastics stuffed in a stocking with fluorocarbon leader material and dozens of new jigheads is a thought, not to mention a load of Skitter Walks, Super Spooks, Top Dogs, Corkys and MirrOlures.

-A pair of breathable waders, wading boots, wading net or even a gift certificate for a guided fishing or waterfowl trip is always sure to bring a smile.

-A hard-sided cooler, pair of Bajio sunglasses, Power Pole for the boat or a gift certificate to fine stores like Matagorda Outfitters or Johnny’s Sport Shop would be a nice surprise.

I want to thank all anglers for the change in attitudes and actions concerning our fisheries. Thank you for practicing more catch and release. Thank you for treating the bay like its your own backyard pond. Thank you for doing what’s right for our fishery. Thank you for releasing more than you take.

Let’s keep the conservation momentum going in 2025. Our bays are responding to sound, conservative practices and bouncing back with a bounty. Pat yourself on the back – our success is a direct cause and effect of your actions.