The View: July 2022

Yes, it is hot. But trout love topwaters in July. We look forward to calm days and we love wading mid-bay reefs in East Matagorda Bay. Spots like Drull's Lump, Three Beacon Reef, Long Reef, Barefoot Reef and Halfmoon Reef are all players with topwaters, Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, and MirrOlure Lil' Johns.

Halfmoon Reef in West Matagorda Bay has been on fire when the wind allows. The 54-acre project built by the Nature Conservancy is a trout magnet. It's like fishing a 6-7 foot underwater jetty. I can't tell you how many days I have caught limits in less than an hour. The key is fishing it on a day with 5-10 knot winds.

July normally affords lower tides due to southwest flow, so working the incoming tides for waders is best. When tides are below normal it may take a chest-deep wade to find fish hanging on the edge of the drop-off.

We are going to keep praying for light north winds and a tranquil, green surf; and, it normally happens at least five days in July. Beachfront trout are a different breed. They seem angrier and hit a topwater with viciousness like no other place in the bay. Surf trout also eat MirrOlures and soft plastics in the first gut.

For redfish in July, fish incoming high tides in spots like Cut Off Flats, Zipperan Bayou, Oyster Lake and Crab Lake. Work the mouths of these lakes and bayous as the tides begin to fall.

East Matagorda Bay loses almost two feet of water in July. When this happens, most all of the redfish pull off the shorelines and congregate in the middle of the bay. The reds give themselves away by producing big slicks and we drift right through them. The reds are not small ones either - mostly upper-slot fish with attitude. When the reds start slicking, you can literally make one drift and have all the fish you need.

Jetty redfish hang out around the holes on the ends of the granite in Matagorda. We like to catch trout early, then slide near the rocks on the way back to the dock.

It is encouraging to see how our bay system has bounced back since the freeze. We are catching and releasing those big trout in East Matagorda Bay again. The good news is many anglers are taking a different approach to harvesting trout and only keeping male fish in the slot. Many anglers are not keeping fish near the 20-inch class. Even before the new regs, we rarely put a knife in any speckled trout over 18 inches. When a fish makes it to three pounds, it has a real chance to grow to a Matagorda monster if it doesn’t die in a cooler.

It also gives me great pleasure to release those two-pound, 16 ½ -inch fish the new regulations protect, and knowing trout in this age-class will have another year to distribute their offspring with the flowing tides.

Please err on the side of conservation when you consider harvesting speckled trout. Things are getting better in our bays because most anglers are doing what is best for the betterment of the bays.

Matagorda is a great place to spend a family vacation. Our bays, bayous, beaches and businesses will welcome you.