Mid-Coast Bays: August 2011

The fishing in the Port O'Connor/Seadrift area has been off the hook as they say. Espiritu Santo shoreline wading has been very productive and most of the deeper shell structure in this bay is also holding lots of solid trout. There are lots of trout on the mid-bay reefs in San Antonio Bay but we have not been working them as much as we normally do this time of year. It's just not in my nature to gamble success on a so-so wind forecast when we have such good opportunity closer to home in protected water.

Our top producing lure so far this summer has been the Bass Assassin Swimming Shiner in the clown color. Most of my customers start out throwing their favorite soft plastic or topwater but when they see the Swimming Shiner producing they are usually quick to ask for one.

The Swimming Shiner is a large-bodied paddletail bait and available at most tackle stores although the online store at www.bassassassin.com offers a better color selection than most retailers. I have mentioned them before in my articles and they are a constant in my arsenal of plastic baits and they work exceptionally well along shoreline ledges and dropoffs. Being a heavier-bodied lure they are easy to cast into the wind.

For the customers that prefer to remain in the boat we have been working deeper shell structure in ESB and SAB, increasing our jig weight from the usual 1/16 to 1/4 ounce to reach down to the bite. Drifting the back lakes in search of reds, we have been relying on topwaters or Texas-rigging the new Die Dapper from Bass Assassin. This is another lure I have been using a lot lately, especially when grass is a problem or the fish are hanging really shallow.

I received my 2011 Shallow Sport on June 17 and I tell you, it is a fine rig. I basically rigged it the same as my 2010 with the only major change being that I added a TRP lower unit to the already awesome Yamaha 225 SHO four-stroke. Now if you want to talk about putting power to the water... WOW!

The guys from Coastline Marine did another fine job rigging this boat and we decided to break it in fishing the POC Slam and Jam tournament. We finished fourth in the artificial division and look forward to better results in 2012. If you missed this tournament you need to make plans for next year. Between the concerts and the tourney itself it was the best organized event I have ever fished and we had a ton of fun. Jay Soul and crew put on a great event.

During the Slam and Jam we shifted focus to the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay to avoid the army of anglers seeking shelter from the wind on the shorelines of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bay and the discourteous behavior they were exhibiting. I can only put up with so much idling through my wade. Leaving was the best choice by far. Okay - I am through with the rant.

Wade Hicks and I started the day fishing deeper grass beds hoping for quality trout while Zachariah and Chad Starr fished the shoreline in hope of some good reds, (weigh-string was three trout over eighteen inches and two reds.) As Wade and I slid away from the shiny new Shallow Sport we hadn't gone twenty feet when I lucked into a twenty-eight inch red. I told Wade it was on - actually I told him I thought I had a shark because it came right to the surface and then took all kinds of drag. The day moved along well and we had our weigh-string by 10:00 a.m. which took all the pressure off and we just enjoyed the rest of day fishing for fun and relaxing.

So far in July the trout fishing has been excellent. I have had a few trips where we stayed in the boat and caught good numbers of quality trout on the deeper reefs in all three local bay systems. If the wind will stay down like it has been lately we may be hitting the surf soon. Earlier in June some of my guide buddies hit the surf and were greeted with some twenty-two to twenty-four inch speckled beasts. I can't wait.

I would like to give a big thanks to Tommy Austin of Seaworthy Marine in Rockport. I had trouble with my new MinnKota trolling motor and he jumped right on it and repaired it while I waited. That is what I call service.

Fish hard, fish smart!