Mid-Coast Bays: May 2007

Boy, this year seems to be moving along quicker than normal. Here we are already rocketing into May and even though we have had some incredibly high winds and lots of rain in the past month, the fishing has been good. As every season changes most fishermen expect to deal with some drawbacks weatherwise, and in the spring time we all know to expect plenty of high wind and rain. To continue to be successful at catching one must learn to accept these hardships and learn how to adapt to these circumstances, depending on your preference of fishing methods.

San Antonio Bay is what we consider our bread and butter when it comes to fishing for trout and is also one of our favorite haunts in the springtime weather permitting. Unlike most other bays, San Antonio has a good balance of healthy water provided by two major sources. The Guadalupe River runs into this bay providing a constant inflow of freshwater desperately needed for estuaries where many juvenile crabs, fish and shrimp reside. These little creatures can not survive in freshwater alone that is why our other major source is just as important. The saltwater that flows through the passes to the Gulf in nearby Port O'Connor supplies San Antonio Bay with the much needed saltwater to help keep the bay's salinity at a healthy level. However, this level can easily be offset temporarily by the amount of rainfall that we can receive this time of year.

High levels of local rainfall are usually not a problem for San Antonio Bay, but when areas north of us like Austin and San Antonio receive large amounts of rain, we start to get a little worried. All of the rain from these areas drains into the Guadalupe River and eventually make its way into San Antonio Bay. With all of this additional freshwater inflow the salinity level drops severely causing the fish to go in search of water with a bit more salt in it which often makes catching trout spotty at best.

While we are not always thrilled with this scenario, we recognize that this "flushing" is critical to San Antonio Bay and is usually short-lived in the spring time due to high seasonal winds. These high winds help "mix up" the salt and the fresh allowing the water to return to its normal salinity levels quicker.

Blustery winds have played a major role in all of my trips for the past few weeks. Forecast after forecast calls for 20 to 25 mph winds and it seems as if you can always count on the winds blowing every bit of that and then some. High winds won't keep me from fishing but it definitely puts a kink in my plans. My usual trips to the open reefs in San Antonio Bay are put on hold and I am forced to fish in the back lakes and/or on the protected shorelines.

While I don't like having the weather dictate where I can fish I know here in the Seadrift/Port O'Connor area we are very fortunate to have many back lakes where we can seek refuge from the wind. Fishing in these back lakes can be very good depending on what methods you choose to use.

Wade fishing is the most productive way to fish our back lakes because it allows anglers to thoroughly work the area at a slower pace which can be impossible to do while drifting in a boat that is being shoved forward by strong wind. While I might think wade fishing is the best option for success, it is not for everyone and may be somewhat difficult due to the soft mud bottoms that most lakes have.

A drift anchor is a good tool to have for those anglers who prefer to stay in the boat. I know a few fishermen who have been known to tie two drift anchors to their boats on windy days in an attempt to slow down their boats to a more appropriate fishing speed.

My lure selections on gusty days will be a oz gold spoon when I am in search of redfish. If I find they aren't very responsive to the good ol' spoon then I will opt for a large topwater lure such as the Super Spook and/or He Dog. The color pattern I choose will be more for my eyesight then for the fish bite. On windy days you will find it harder to see your topwater in the rough waves so I will tie on a bright color to help me keep track of my lure.

If the topwater doesn't yield results from either redfish or trout I will then tie on a Saltwater Assassin rigged on a 1/16-oz jighead. My go to colors this time of year are the Salt and Pepper Silver Phantom and Plum/Chartreuse.

For anglers who prefer to anchor up and hold steady during the windy days, live shrimp or mullet can be good baits to choose. Mullet is best if fished on the bottom using a slip weight and an Ultra Point Mustad single 4/0 hook attached to a leader. Live shrimp has been productive when fishing it under the Original 4" Alameda Rattler cork.

When it is windy on weekends your odds of success can diminish due to more waterway traffic. Since every angler on the water will be in search of protected areas to fish, good spots may be hard to come by; so keep your patience in check and stick to your game plan.

Mother's Day falls on Sunday May 13^th so I want to send big hugs and kisses out to my mom, Sandy Zimmer, who I believe is the best mom you could ever ask for. Thanks mom, for all the unconditional love and support you have always given to me.

If you are lucky enough to have a lady angler in your life and you are out of Mother's Day gift ideas, consider getting her one of my new Signature Series rods made by American Rodsmiths. This is the only inshore saltwater rod on the market that is designed to match lady's hand sizes and is extremely lightweight. They can handle anything you can give them, from the biggest trout to the tougher redfish; and if the great action of the rod doesn't sell itself, the eye catching color will!