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South Padre: October 2009
A member of Texas Lady Anglers displays her first Texas snook.
It's hard to believe that fall is already here. After all the dry and hot summer weather we experienced we certainly welcome the cooler temperatures October will bring. Here in the Lower Laguna the temperature change may not be great enough to move fish from summer haunts but it will certainly change their feeding habits. Already, the slight cool down we are experiencing in the first weeks of September has brought us some exceptional catches.
As of recently the fishing has been as good if not better than years past. The winds have finally died down with calm mornings being the norm. As calm as it has been, running up on bait filled grass flat and seeing scores of redfish wakes has been a very common occurrence. An added bonus is that we are finding quality trout mixed in the reds.
Currently, topwaters have been our go to bait, and the fish have been crushing them with an attitude even when retrieved real fast. The key depth for us has been right around knee to calf deep water. This time of the year we are no longer struggling through soft mud as we did for most of the summer, which has brought plenty of smiles to angler's faces. We have been keying on grass flats with a hard sandy bottom, and potholes have been an added bonus.
Keeping an eye on the tides is a smart thing. On a recent outing I made the mistake of starting off deeper than we should have. As we waded, we had a few bumps but nothing as expected for the perfect conditions that existed that morning. Looking over a few hundred yards in front of us, I noticed flocks of birds feeding heavily. They kept working their way shallower and shallower and way too fast for us to catch up. In the same vicinity there was lots of active mullet on the surface, it definitely looked very fishy, so I picked up my waders and motored near the feeding birds and active mullet. We saw redfish wakes all around us as we shut down near the transition of the sand and grass on the east side. Let me tell you the fish were ready to bite anything we threw at them as the tide was on a full incoming swing. These fish were moving up into the shallower flats most positively following the movement of the bait, and the birds were there to take full advantage of the situation. Taking note of the conditions for the area you plan to fish is essential when trying to locate a concentration of fish and get on a good bite. It is days like the one we recently experienced that mark the coming of the long anticipated fall season.
As mentioned before, this month is sure to stir up the appetites of game fish looking to beef up for the winter. Our redfish and trout have been very active and will continue to be active as water temperatures slowly fall from their summer highs. Already we are seeing and catching quality size trout which makes us look forward to the prospects of what is to come this winter. I have said it before and will say it again; the trout regulations that we currently have in place on the LLM without a doubt have done nothing but good for our trout fishery.
Not only is the fishing good this time of the year, but also in my personal opinion October offers some of the prettiest sunsets. If the redfish bite continues to be as good as it has been, it will not surprise me to run into birds working over pods of tailing redfish in the west side back lakes during late evening sessions. A beautiful South Texas sunset just adds to the enjoyment.
The only drawback of fall is that it gets dark quick, but look on the bright side; it gets us off the water earlier to rest and get back out there to enjoy the sunrise. The fishing has been outstanding and should continue to stay that way this month. Our bay waters are in great shape as are our local fisheries. Get out there soon because the best is yet to come.
As of recently the fishing has been as good if not better than years past. The winds have finally died down with calm mornings being the norm. As calm as it has been, running up on bait filled grass flat and seeing scores of redfish wakes has been a very common occurrence. An added bonus is that we are finding quality trout mixed in the reds.
Currently, topwaters have been our go to bait, and the fish have been crushing them with an attitude even when retrieved real fast. The key depth for us has been right around knee to calf deep water. This time of the year we are no longer struggling through soft mud as we did for most of the summer, which has brought plenty of smiles to angler's faces. We have been keying on grass flats with a hard sandy bottom, and potholes have been an added bonus.
Keeping an eye on the tides is a smart thing. On a recent outing I made the mistake of starting off deeper than we should have. As we waded, we had a few bumps but nothing as expected for the perfect conditions that existed that morning. Looking over a few hundred yards in front of us, I noticed flocks of birds feeding heavily. They kept working their way shallower and shallower and way too fast for us to catch up. In the same vicinity there was lots of active mullet on the surface, it definitely looked very fishy, so I picked up my waders and motored near the feeding birds and active mullet. We saw redfish wakes all around us as we shut down near the transition of the sand and grass on the east side. Let me tell you the fish were ready to bite anything we threw at them as the tide was on a full incoming swing. These fish were moving up into the shallower flats most positively following the movement of the bait, and the birds were there to take full advantage of the situation. Taking note of the conditions for the area you plan to fish is essential when trying to locate a concentration of fish and get on a good bite. It is days like the one we recently experienced that mark the coming of the long anticipated fall season.
As mentioned before, this month is sure to stir up the appetites of game fish looking to beef up for the winter. Our redfish and trout have been very active and will continue to be active as water temperatures slowly fall from their summer highs. Already we are seeing and catching quality size trout which makes us look forward to the prospects of what is to come this winter. I have said it before and will say it again; the trout regulations that we currently have in place on the LLM without a doubt have done nothing but good for our trout fishery.
Not only is the fishing good this time of the year, but also in my personal opinion October offers some of the prettiest sunsets. If the redfish bite continues to be as good as it has been, it will not surprise me to run into birds working over pods of tailing redfish in the west side back lakes during late evening sessions. A beautiful South Texas sunset just adds to the enjoyment.
The only drawback of fall is that it gets dark quick, but look on the bright side; it gets us off the water earlier to rest and get back out there to enjoy the sunrise. The fishing has been outstanding and should continue to stay that way this month. Our bay waters are in great shape as are our local fisheries. Get out there soon because the best is yet to come.