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Fish Talk: May 2007
Looking back at past year's records, the month of May is usually kinder and more gentle for fishing enthusiasts and we're looking forward to it. We have had enough of early spring weather. Strong winds in March and the first half of April's storms put a kink in our fishing lines. We lose a lot of days to the spring weather and end up fishing in places that would not be our first pick many times because of it as well. This scenario forced us to use Bass Assassin's Rattling Corks with the Slurp and in some cases the Gulp while drifting and wading muddy water in the hope of rattling them up. Some days when the wind laid we were able to catch some quality fish. Let's turn the page and check into what May could look like for fishing in the Matagorda Bays.
Action will pick up for May with tidal flows quite similar to what we saw in April if not better. I'm looking to spend some time in West Matagorda Bay fishing the grass flats and sand bars. You'll see me chunking topwaters, She Dogs 83MR CRBN and the Pup 74MR BN. As for jerk baits, three colors will do the trick, Bass Assassins in Bone Diamond, Pumpkinseed, and Roach either in the 4 or 5 inch Sea Shad. If I use the Assassin Slurp it will be in the 5 inch Shad Drunk Monkey. Remember to make plans to fish an incoming tide if you can. Our water temperature should be in the middle 70's so the trout and reds will likely be very aggressive. Look for your redfish action to be good on mainly a low tide. An ideal scenario is to have a low tide early morning to catch your reds and an incoming tide mid-morning to catch your trout. Focus your fishing efforts where you find glass minnows and pods of mullet. Usually an incoming tide will bring in more bait and the gamefish will follow because they will be aggressive. Don't overlook the minor tidbit of wearing those stingray boots and be on the lookout for pesky sharks.
Most of my time will be spent in East Matagorda Bay. Some of the Mid-Bay Reefs should be good with the right winds. Other choice areas to check out are the north shoreline off Intracoastal Canal in front of Chinquapin and Brown Cedar Flats. Most of our fish will have moved off the deep mud and we should have some bird activity in the vicinity of Half-Moon and Bird Island towards the north shoreline to Brown Cedar Flats. Every year the shrimp seem to show up in these areas first and normally during the month of May. If drifting is your choice, try using a rattling cork with the Assassin Slurp in the 5 inch shad colors Moulton, Good Penny, or the Drunk Monkey especially if the water is a little off-color.
Fishermen over the years have caught some quality trout drifting East Matagorda Bay while throwing the rattling cork. Wading or drifting, topwater choices will be bone flavored. Bass Assassin picks to look at are 10W40, Roach, Bone Diamond, and Pumpkinseed in 5 inch shad. These baits have always worked for me in East Matagorda Bay.
I'm always looking at new products and I came across one at the George R. Brown Show by way of Tommy LaMonte and Jimmy West. It's a line and reel conditioner actually called Line & Lure Conditioner and it works great. Just spraying your reel and line with it helps protect them from the salt and serves as an overall conditioner to prolong the life of your products. I promise you will be able to cast about 20 yards further than normal. You can find this item on the web at www.lineandlure.com and folks this stuff really does the job for you.Have a great time hopefully catching, not just fishing, and until next time God Bless.
Action will pick up for May with tidal flows quite similar to what we saw in April if not better. I'm looking to spend some time in West Matagorda Bay fishing the grass flats and sand bars. You'll see me chunking topwaters, She Dogs 83MR CRBN and the Pup 74MR BN. As for jerk baits, three colors will do the trick, Bass Assassins in Bone Diamond, Pumpkinseed, and Roach either in the 4 or 5 inch Sea Shad. If I use the Assassin Slurp it will be in the 5 inch Shad Drunk Monkey. Remember to make plans to fish an incoming tide if you can. Our water temperature should be in the middle 70's so the trout and reds will likely be very aggressive. Look for your redfish action to be good on mainly a low tide. An ideal scenario is to have a low tide early morning to catch your reds and an incoming tide mid-morning to catch your trout. Focus your fishing efforts where you find glass minnows and pods of mullet. Usually an incoming tide will bring in more bait and the gamefish will follow because they will be aggressive. Don't overlook the minor tidbit of wearing those stingray boots and be on the lookout for pesky sharks.
Most of my time will be spent in East Matagorda Bay. Some of the Mid-Bay Reefs should be good with the right winds. Other choice areas to check out are the north shoreline off Intracoastal Canal in front of Chinquapin and Brown Cedar Flats. Most of our fish will have moved off the deep mud and we should have some bird activity in the vicinity of Half-Moon and Bird Island towards the north shoreline to Brown Cedar Flats. Every year the shrimp seem to show up in these areas first and normally during the month of May. If drifting is your choice, try using a rattling cork with the Assassin Slurp in the 5 inch shad colors Moulton, Good Penny, or the Drunk Monkey especially if the water is a little off-color.
Fishermen over the years have caught some quality trout drifting East Matagorda Bay while throwing the rattling cork. Wading or drifting, topwater choices will be bone flavored. Bass Assassin picks to look at are 10W40, Roach, Bone Diamond, and Pumpkinseed in 5 inch shad. These baits have always worked for me in East Matagorda Bay.
I'm always looking at new products and I came across one at the George R. Brown Show by way of Tommy LaMonte and Jimmy West. It's a line and reel conditioner actually called Line & Lure Conditioner and it works great. Just spraying your reel and line with it helps protect them from the salt and serves as an overall conditioner to prolong the life of your products. I promise you will be able to cast about 20 yards further than normal. You can find this item on the web at www.lineandlure.com and folks this stuff really does the job for you.Have a great time hopefully catching, not just fishing, and until next time God Bless.