Pro Tips: January 2011

With water temperatures in the 50s on average during January, my main focus is locating bait somewhere near or over my selected structure for the day. You have to monitor water temperature almost hourly to gain a really good perspective of what the fish will be doing and, most importantly, when they will be doing it. The period in the day when better-than-average trout move from deepwater structure to rapidly warming shallow structure can be the ideal time to ambush them, provided of course you understand the type of structure they will seek and already have it located. Patience and the knowledge to not impede the travel area weigh heavily toward your success in tricking fish of this size into taking your offering. I commonly refer to these travel areas as the ZONE. I strongly believe that mature trout definitely know when something new has been added to the familiar surroundings of the zone. Run your boat through this zone and you don't need to worry about anything else written in these lines, you're done, just stay in the boat and try to conserve some body heat.

We can locate these zones quite easily during periods of low tide and clear water. Most often the zone will be some distinct depth change that connects deepwater structure to shallow water structure. The characteristics of this zone need to include some type of bottom structure within the depth change. This allows the fish to slip between the two areas unnoticed to predation from above while remaining the aggressor in the zone. Never think that osprey, pelicans and gulls do not make a lasting impression on fish of all species. My thought is that fish have no way of knowing how big they have grown and to which avian predators they might still be vulnerable so they probably never lose the fear of a shadow cast from above.

Personally, I have found the best way to truly gain the mental picture needed to work such areas is by wading around and through them in the off-season. This month is the time when the fish using such zones have a little more meat to them and obviously these are not the times to be stomping around and learning your zone. It is the slight difference in bottom texture and contour that create the zone. In previous issues I have talked of my fondness for guts that have submerged grass or scattered shell and grass scattered about their length. It is my belief that the added structure aids in the camouflage factor as well as creating ambush points for feeding opportunities. Being able to recognize such zones is an absolute must when trying to pattern winter trout. I always imagine that I am the fish and as I leave my warmer deepwater haven in search of food I work toward the shallows where the rising sun is providing a quick warm up to the day. I suspect the trout know the bait is operating in the same mode, so as the trout begin to ease their way into the zone, concentration becomes very keen. As she eases around structure she is anticipating spooking a meal from the safety of the very same structure she is also using. I can totally see the entire picture coming into focus. A dark long bulky silhouette slowly appears from the depths, sort of like a submarine rising from the ocean floor as it approaches a reef. As she makes her way from one grass bed to the next she hopes to flush a meal from the cover this structure provides.

In winter months bait can be scarce; the predator learns to avail itself to opportunity. When a baitfish flickers nearby they strike it immediately. This very instinct is what gives us the upper hand during the harshest times of winter.

Being able to visualize this scenario in your mind prepares you for the strike on your lure. Seasoned trout anglers often anticipate the strike with great accuracy due to the ability to see all of this through their mind's eye.

I remind myself constantly that on the next twitch I'll have a strike. This is due to knowing exactly where the zone is and where the lure is in association to the bottom structure in the zone at all times. I have said this many times but it warrants repeating due to the importance.

YOU MUST NOT ENTER THE ZONE!

Try to setup in a position where your longest cast will reach the opposite side of the zone in which you are fishing. This should allow you to fish the entire width of the zone. It is also important to fish at slight angles when working from one side of the zone to the next. The angle allows the lure to be presented out in front of the fish versus coming in through the back door. I like throwing into a light breeze whenever possible, believing that fish tend to face into the current, and quite often in the shallows the current is generated by wind. Always remember that baitfish, on the other hand, tend to roll with the current.

Fishing parallel to the edges of the zone can also be effective. By working from a greater distance and presenting your lure at slight angles you will discover which side of the zone is being traveled and then make your adjustment. True, it is easier said than done but not a pattern that requires anything skill-wise that most of you do not already possess. The lack of mental pictures and the mindset to stay and work the zone is probably the biggest downfall for most.

In closing I have to say that the fishing in the Rockport area was extremely good as we closed out 2010. I suspect that 2011, with ample rainfall, will show a significant increase in the numbers of speckled trout willing to tug on our lines. Add to this the possibility of seeing Cedar Bayou re-opened and a possible limit reduction to five speckled trout per day and we could be well on our way to a full recovery.

May your fishing always be catching. - Guide Jay Watkins