The View: May 2020

Some say the magic number is 70° – some say 72°. Opinions differ. One thing I do know – catches consistently improve when water temperatures finally reach the 70s.

With the warmer than normal late winter and early spring we have experienced, it seems we are about a month ahead. My Garmin electronics showed 76 degrees in West Matagorda Bay on March 28.

Why is the 70-something mark so magical? Warmer tides elevate activity among all species, baitfish included. When mullet, shad, shrimp and glass minnows are on the move, they are more readily available to predator species we target like trout and redfish. Think about it: you have become a lot more active since temperatures have risen and the sun has shown daily. The same applies to the specks and reds.

In West Matagorda Bay, glass minnows began to show in the afternoon in March around grassbeds. That’s about three weeks ahead of schedule.

There should still be a few of the bay anchovies left in May, but the return of shad and mullet to the shorelines is what we are looking for to afford a consistent topwater bite.

I can't wait to make my first wade on a hallowed flat stationed between the Port O’Connor jetty and Pass Cavallo. With an emerald incoming tide, few wading sessions rival it.

Of course, when waters are green in East Bay we will opt for heavier trout there. You have heard it like a broken record, but deep shell in East Bay holds quality fish; and, if my clients choose to stay in the boat for the day, and if the weather allows, I will be working the reefs.

Specks there like MirrOlure Lil’ Johns and DOA Shrimp under corks as well as live shrimp rigged with a three-foot leader.

The months of March and April were a boon for trout over five pounds while drifting. We take great pride in our “big trout” fishery in East Matagorda Bay and work hard to protect it. Some say release everything 25 inches or better; however, why not all specks 20 inches or better? If those fish have made it to three pounds or better, why not give them a fighting chance at six, seven or even eight or nine pounds?

We start eyeing the rocks in May. Texas’ jetty systems are one of the main lifelines of its estuaries. Like an artery pumping blood to the heart, a jetty is a thoroughfare pumping new recruits of fresh brine to the upper reaches of bays and backwaters. It is a haven for shad, shrimp, anchovies, pogies, mullet, ballyhoo and crabs filtering in and out, and the jetty coughs up a new crop of fish with every summer tide.

On a normal day in May, big reds, jacks, sharks and even tarpon hang out around the rocks; and, the largest speckled trout of the summer are routinely caught there as well.

It has already been one of the better fish-catching-springs I can remember in a long time despite the country being on lockdown for the past six weeks.

Let’s get our lives and homes back to normal. May in Matagorda is a good place to start.

Follow Grimes’ reports on Instagram and Facebook (@matagordasunriselodge, @binkgrimes).