The View: June 2019

I have said it before but I will say it again – I love June in Matagorda.

“Southeast winds 5-10 knots, seas 1-2 feet” is sweet music when trying to concoct a fishing plan. East or west? Wade or drift? Surf or jetty? Topwaters or soft plastics?

Working close to the jetty also offers quick access to the beach. The surf normally gives us a few days to fish in June and there is nothing better than watching a plug get crunched in the foam.

We wade the first gut on an incoming tide but choose to fish from the boat when tides are falling, so we can safely fish the outer bars in 4-6 feet of water. We don't forget about the actual jetty walls, either. Some days it's large trout, others it all redfish.

When wading the bays, we traditionally focus on the grass beds during the summer. Most of this terrain can be found leeward of barrier islands, protected from southerly winds, staying fishably clean even with gusty winds. Our grass beds are in West Matagorda Bay. June normally affords ardent morning incoming tides, perfect for walking a She Pup or Super Spook Jr. over the flats.

We toss topwaters, Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, and MirrOlure Soft-Dines in some of the most beautiful water you will ever wade. We enjoy the dolphins, turtles, occasional tarpon and sometimes deal with sharks.

We like to talk about the good ol' days and the fish we caught, but I believe all the wet springs and winters over the past five years is rejuvenating the bay and the best is still on the horizon.

So many anglers these days have never waded and really don't want to try, so we stay in the boat; and, that's okay. Many, many, many trout over seven pounds have been caught while drifting and fishing out of the boat.

We are really seeing the fruits of a wet winter and spring. Freshwater runoff has done wonders for our estuaries. We are seeing lots of little crabs and many more healthy adults. Shad, shrimp, mullet – all manner of species are thriving. When baitfish thrive, so do our gamefish. There have been gobs of glass minnows this spring and shrimpers have had no problem filling bait tanks.

We love to fish East Bay when we can. With light wind, all of East Bay is in play, including mid-bay reefs. Few bays in Texas rival East Matty for its potential to grow large trout; and, when the weather allows you to wade one of those coveted reefs in the middle of the bay, you better adjust your drag and hold on tight. I can't tell you how many arm-length trout I have released over the years while tossing a topwater or Bass Assassin; and, how many big trout I have watched eat a 2- to 3-inch shrimp under a popping cork.

Opportunities are endless this month. June for a plugger is a lot like November to a duck hunter.

We just smile and lie in bed pondering the possibilities.

Follow our reports daily on Instagram and Facebook, and weekly on the Texas Insider Fishing Report on Fox Sports Southwest. Sunrise Lodge video: http://vimeo.com/m/58631486