The View: October 2022

Everybody loves October…hard to argue with cooler temperatures, higher tides, and hungrier fish. The switch from bright-colored clothing to browns, greens, and camos get the angler/hunter fired up for the all the possibilities that only the last quarter of the year provides.

The reefs in East Bay are players every month, but with shrimp migrating through the bay, waders working mid-bay reefs should see excellent results. We like tossing Super Spook Jrs and She Pups on the edges of the reefs for big fish.

Higher tides this month will be a boon for anglers targeting redfish. Again, there are lots of shrimp in the back lakes and marshes and many will target those fish with small topwaters and live shrimp under a Mid-Coast cork. As those fish begin to move into the bays they will be found on the grassy shorelines on both the north and south side. Many will toss a shrimp right against the edge of the grass while others will work the same zones tossing a DOA Shrimp or small topwaters like She Pups and Super Spook Jrs.

While many may be unaware, some of the largest redfish will be found in the middle of East Bay under birds. When things are really firing off in the fall there will be 10-20 groups working in the bay. One will have solid trout beneath; the other will be all redfish. Many times when terns are circling it is a sure sign of redfish.

Waders along the south shoreline of West Bay will work the points of shell with Down South Lures and Bass Assassins. If you want both redfish and black drum take a bucket of live shrimp and work the points with a cork. There will be plenty of both in October.

If this year holds true to form, expect to see scattered bird action. Last year the bird action began in early October and continued through early December. There’s no reason not to expect the same since we are seeing shrimp begin to flood the shorelines and our bait-shrimpers have had little problem keeping healthy bait supplies in tanks.

Please take care of our trout. I realize it sometimes seems like our trout population is booming when birds are working from east to west and just about eating the prop off your boat. However, this month, more than any, is a time to keep protecting our fish.

It is nauseating to see all the gut piles of dead carcasses at the cleaning table at Matagorda Harbor this time of year. Please release more than you keep. Most folks have the right attitude, but there is still work to be done to make our fishery world-class again.

I’ll say it again – we can’t continue to take, take, take from Matagorda Bay and expect the blessed waters to continue to give, give, give. That goes for just about every aspect of life, too.

We appreciate all our friends who have been on our boats and patronized Matagorda Sunrise Lodge. We look forward to many more sunrises together.

If you are looking to buy or sell coastal properties or farm and ranch dirt, Matagorda Sunrise Properties would love to assist. We give free advice.

Thank you Lord for the recent rain!