Mid-Coast Bays: January 2013

With the New Year upon us there will be many individuals contemplating New Year resolutions. Some of the more common are losing weight, saving money, possibly quitting smoking and others look to begin a fitness program. In my line of work the one I hear most often is, to spend more time fishing and improving my angling skills. My question is how many will have the courage and dedication to stick to their promises for more than a week or two and break those old bad habits?

A habit I would truly love to see wading anglers drop is rushing through their wades as if they were running a 100 yard dash. January and February are some of the coldest months with frequent cold fronts and little sunshine, so slowing your wade is more important now than any other season. When weather and water conditions turn wintry there are fewer windows of opportunity so we must make the most of every cast.

Just recently, Gary and I had the pleasure of fishing with Ryan Overholt and six buddies from Oklahoma. These guys get together once a year for a three day wade fishing trip to the Texas coast. Unfortunate for them a bitter cold front blew in the night they arrived. With wind gusting to 35 mph and some frigid temperatures, we gave the Okie boys the option of rescheduling but they came prepared with warm layers and optimistic attitudes to knock Mother Natures curve ball out of the park.

Now let me say right here I am a bit of a sissy when it comes to cold weather so I dont venture into the cold without many layers beneath my neoprene waders. And speaking of waders, it is a good idea to check for leaks before sliding over the gunwale on a chilly morning. You probably wouldnt believe how many customers I have had over the years that got a cold water surprise. Leaky waders can make for a short day of fishing fish or no fish!

With the wind howling and air and water temperature falling like a rock, our only option was to head to the back lakes. The soft and darker bottom in these lakes will warm quicker when the sun breaks through and will hold that warmth longer than bright sand and shell. We find these lakes to be as much as 5 warmer than the sandier bottom shorelines. This may not sound like much but to the fish this is substantial enough to initiate feeding activity when you cannot buy a bite elsewhere.

Wading muddier bottoms is physically demanding for everybody and downright impossible for some. Since I hadnt fished with Ryans crew prior to this trip I wasnt sure how well they would do in the sticky mud. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they took to it, with only one tiny misstep when one temporarily lost his footing.

We knew the fish were not going to be as willing to bite as they were before the front, so moving slowing and fishing thoroughly was a must. I have seen so many anglers rush through an area only to return to the boat with an empty stringer while their more patient buddy who chose to take his time and fish thoroughly come back with dinner.

It is equally imperative to plant your feet when you get that first bite. It amazes me how some anglers begin walking toward their fish once they are hooked up and that is another big no-no. Where there is one fish there is usually a few more so standing your ground and saturating the area in front of you with many casts can be the difference between getting just one bite or many. Lucky for us the Oklahoma boys understood this completely and managed to catch not only a bunch of fish but quality ones as well under such bad conditions.

So if fishing more often is one of your New Years resolutions and you plan to start in January, remember to dress warmly and fish slowly. With the way time flies we should all learn to slow it down and just enjoy what life has to offer anyway. Good fishing and Happy New Year!