The View: November 2024

Very few locales in Texas, or in this world, offers consistent duck hunting in the morning and bay fishing in the afternoon. Matagorda in November is one of a few and I feel blessed to call it home. Our estuaries are rebounding – faster than I expected – with sound conservation and a changing attitude from Texans putting the good of the resource above frozen fillets.

Birds will work throughout the month over solid trout. East Bay, West Bay, Tres Palacios Bay, all are players and all will give up limits of trout on topwaters and soft plastics. Mid-bay reefs have produced heavy trout while wading with topwaters and soft plastics such as Down South Lures, Lil' Johns, and Bass Assassins.

Good numbers of fish will be in the Diversion Channel this month. It's a lot like bass fishing – pitching baits to timber and fallen logs from previous river rises. Don't be afraid to toss a topwater along the bank. Solid trout hang on the edge in 5-8 feet of water and will bang a Super Spook, Skitter Walk, or She Pup.

West Matagorda Bay has been hot for limits of trout over shell while wading. Good stringers have come from around the Cedars and City Slickers on Super Spooks, She Dogs, Top Dogs, and Skitter Walks.

Waders have found good fish in West Matagorda Bay while wading the south shoreline and casting to points of shell. Topwaters and soft plastics have been the ticket. Half-Moon Reef in West Bay is always good when the wind allows. This month soft plastics and topwaters are a good bet and don't be surprised to find birds working near the reef.

The Colorado River normally spells good catches of trout under lights at night from the piers. During the day, trout to 20-inches have been found on Hogie’s, Bass Assassins, and Lil' Johns.

Bull redfish have been found all along the beachfront. All the jetties are players as well. The Matagorda jetties are holding lots of redfish on cracked blue crabs, mullet, and fresh table shrimp. As always, this time of year encourages slot-sized redfish to school in bunches of two dozen or more along the grass line. Spots like Shell Island, Twin Island, Cut Off Flats and Zipperian Bayou in Matagorda are good spots. Mud Lake and Crab Lake are players along the shoreline with live shrimp.

Most November days will be spent duck hunting the mornings and fishing the afternoons. Afternoon fishing is just as profitable; and, few things rival a fish blowing up a topwater while the sun goes down.

Let’s continue to take care of our bays. There will be times this month when it will seem “too easy” to catch fish. Do our bays a favor and release more than you take; and, if you don’t need those fish, let them all go. More deposits in our bays can only help when growing quality speckled trout.

Enjoy November. Few things rival bombastic teal over a sunrise marsh, a lavender-backed speckled trout bounding to the surface as shrimp scatter, or 50 redfish cruising a back-lake shoreline with dorsal fins exposed.

Sunrise Lodge and Properties is a full service waterfront hunting and fishing lodge while also offering vacation rentals and coastal and farm and ranch real estate expertise.