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The View: September 2014
Summer is set to officially end on the Autumn Equinox this month, sometime around the South Zone dove opener. Though the calendar may claim it is fall, chances are the heat will still be hanging around through the end of the month.
How does the weather affect Matagorda fishing? That's a tricky question to answer, since there are so many variables.
Like every fall, tides remain above normal until the first hard cold front blows water out of the bays. As long as tides remain bloated, expect redfish to fill the back lakes and grassy shorelines. Water levels also encourage large, solitary trout to extend their boundaries to the upper reaches of estuaries. Back lakes like Oyster Lake, Crab Lake, Lake Austin, Boggy Lake and Horse Trailer Lake are prime redfish holes. The north shoreline of West Matagorda Bay, including Shell Island and Twin Island, are always September players.
Watch for tails popping up in the grass fall redfish give away their position easily. A gold spoon, Gulp or live shrimp under a popping cork are solid offerings. Watch for large schools cruising the grass line and make an educated cast in front with jigs or spoons.
Matagorda trout hang on to a summer pattern when water temperatures remain in the 80s. Trout stage over sand and grass in West Bay and hold over deep shell in East Bay; and, don't be surprised to find bird action on calm days with light boat traffic.
The best bet for drifters seeking trout is live shrimp under a popping cork around Raymond Shoals in East Bay. Scattered shell and mud on the west end of the bay around the Tripod is also a good spot to catch specks out of the boat.
The first north breezes of September slice overnight mercury readings by 5 to 10 degrees. Those cooler nighttime temps do wonders for coastal fishing, knocking water temperatures down at least a couple of degrees. It may not seem significant to us, but there is a big difference in 78 and 80 when it comes to coastal fishing. Only a few degrees cooler puts new life in a stagnant fishery.
Higher tides encourage waders in East Bay to return to the shorelines for larger trout. Muddy bottoms on Brown Cedar Flats and Catch-All Basin are prime locales to toss a topwater for gator trout. These are also solid spots for reds.
Teal season runs Sept.13-28 and we will hunt every morning and fish the afternoons. Most of our mornings we are done with plenty of time to get a bite to eat before hitting the bay before noon.
At the time of this writing, we still had weekday teal dates available.
The South Zone dove season opens Sept.19 and this gives us another blast option through the end of October before regular duck and goose season begins November 1.
How does the weather affect Matagorda fishing? That's a tricky question to answer, since there are so many variables.
Like every fall, tides remain above normal until the first hard cold front blows water out of the bays. As long as tides remain bloated, expect redfish to fill the back lakes and grassy shorelines. Water levels also encourage large, solitary trout to extend their boundaries to the upper reaches of estuaries. Back lakes like Oyster Lake, Crab Lake, Lake Austin, Boggy Lake and Horse Trailer Lake are prime redfish holes. The north shoreline of West Matagorda Bay, including Shell Island and Twin Island, are always September players.
Watch for tails popping up in the grass fall redfish give away their position easily. A gold spoon, Gulp or live shrimp under a popping cork are solid offerings. Watch for large schools cruising the grass line and make an educated cast in front with jigs or spoons.
Matagorda trout hang on to a summer pattern when water temperatures remain in the 80s. Trout stage over sand and grass in West Bay and hold over deep shell in East Bay; and, don't be surprised to find bird action on calm days with light boat traffic.
The best bet for drifters seeking trout is live shrimp under a popping cork around Raymond Shoals in East Bay. Scattered shell and mud on the west end of the bay around the Tripod is also a good spot to catch specks out of the boat.
The first north breezes of September slice overnight mercury readings by 5 to 10 degrees. Those cooler nighttime temps do wonders for coastal fishing, knocking water temperatures down at least a couple of degrees. It may not seem significant to us, but there is a big difference in 78 and 80 when it comes to coastal fishing. Only a few degrees cooler puts new life in a stagnant fishery.
Higher tides encourage waders in East Bay to return to the shorelines for larger trout. Muddy bottoms on Brown Cedar Flats and Catch-All Basin are prime locales to toss a topwater for gator trout. These are also solid spots for reds.
Teal season runs Sept.13-28 and we will hunt every morning and fish the afternoons. Most of our mornings we are done with plenty of time to get a bite to eat before hitting the bay before noon.
At the time of this writing, we still had weekday teal dates available.
The South Zone dove season opens Sept.19 and this gives us another blast option through the end of October before regular duck and goose season begins November 1.