South Padre: July 2010

Summer is here! Joining us this hot and humid season are birds, lots of them. Similar to recent years, there has been consistent bird action this season pointing towards pods of redfish and trout in one- to two-foot depths. Different from years past is the also consistent bird action in the deeper waters of the southern Lower Laguna. This phenomenon, which I haven't seen in years, reminds me of Sabine Lake and Lake Calcasieu. On windy afternoons/evenings, it's been pretty easy to find sea gulls gorging on fleeing shrimp. Catching was outstanding in these spots, with scores of solid trout and dinks happily chomping your lures. This year's rain seems to have contributed to a healthy shrimp crop, irresistible to gulls and other predators. This pattern should continue into July, along with the ever-present heat and humidity.Along with greatly elevated temperature, tide levels in July are very similar to those in January and February: low. The new and full moon periods bring extremely low tides, usually incoming during the morning/day and outgoing during the evening/night. The best bite times during these conditions are early morning and evening, when the tides flow at their strongest levels. Fish tend to follow the maximum tidal flow, so observing the bait's movement is a good indicator of where to find the fish.In addition to high temperatures and low tides, July will also likely boast a persistent calm in which big schools of baitfish will become noticeable. In response to daily temperatures, fish will tend to feed in the shallows during the cooler mornings and retreat to deeper waters in the hotter afternoons, paralleling the tidal movements as well. Flats adjacent to the ICW and deeper guts will flourish with activity during midday. By this time of year, the trout won't be fat, but they'll be abundant in these deep pockets. If you start shallow, look for signs of tailing reds. Remember, fish spook easily in calm, slick conditions so wade/drift quietly, take small steps, and throw smaller baits. If you find yourself too close, crouch down, determine which direction they are heading, and cast slightly ahead of their nose. In my experience, tailing fish, especially redfish, unhook themselves easily as they swim towards you, so set the hook hard, swiftly reel in the slack, and keep tension at all times.The baits of choice for July will be small topwaters in calm conditions and light-colored plastic tails rigged with 1/8 oz jig heads during the hottest part of the day. The gold spoon has also earned a summer reputation for being a great redfish attracter. Floating grass will be problematic, so rig your topwaters with Gamakatsu live bait hooks. Rigging with single hooks allows us to fish topwaters when treble hooks clog after only a few turns of the reel handle. Red/white combos have been the most successful when going to the surface. Working plastics with a medium to fast retrieve slightly over grass beds has also brought some success.Ultimately, if you want to understand fish feeding patterns, just watch your fellow humans (particularly around school graduations). I recently arrived home around 11:30 after an evening of wading under the full moon. I was putting things away in my garage when suddenly a flotilla of cars started piling into our quiet neighborhood. They parked all along the curb and any other place available, one right after another. This must have been the place to be; had to have been plenty of good food and the right beverages for all these folks to cram in like they did. I'm positive, however, that when the goodies ran out, the party started to die. This is a stunningly accurate analogy for fish feeding. Fish use the opportunities and conditions available to find the right feeding areas or ambush spots. When the party starts; they'll be there to gorge themselves. It's up to us to find the party. The feed might last minutes or hours. If you miss the party, find out why and learn what to do differently. If catching was a success, make sure you log the conditions, time, day, and other important information. Google Earth is a good method for finding parties, along with your tide charts, bird watching, water temperatures, and other fisherman (get connected!) In the meantime, I would like to ask that you park in the ditch, not on the curb.