Mansfield Report: May 2007

The lower Laguna Madre continues to show herself as one of those rare and special places on our fishing earth. Life remains abundant across this seemingly endless horizon, and to the appreciative eye, the scenery can be as breathtaking as any sub-tropical postcard. However, miles and miles of clear grass flats can keep even the most skilled angler guessing about where good concentrations of fish might be; each trip brings us new and exciting challenges.

However, even as rewarding as this system can be, the reality for all of us is that for every world-class day we may have, there are also many days where nature will ultimately win. But that is exactly why we keep going back and what keeps lure fishing from becoming simple recreation. Here are a few things we have been doing lately to try and win more often, and some of what we might hope to expect during May.

As high spring water began to spill into the Laguna during March and April, it brought with it all sorts of small baitfish, skipjacks, rays, and even some larger life forms to make it all more interesting. By the first week of April we had already seen mature sharks patrolling near the East Cut in very shallow water. The high levels meant you could go just about anywhere you wanted to go if you had the right boat. The fish, however, could also do the same. With so many options of where to go and with so much food available for them to eat, the expanses of the Laguna seemed overwhelming at times. Artist John Cowan captured this beautifully in his painting titled Moving School. If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then this illustration by Cowan is absolutely priceless.

The good folks at Fishing Tackle Unlimited, courtesy of Matt Bell, recently gifted all of their Pro Staff with a giclee reproduction of this inspiring piece. A giclee (zhee-CLAY) is an individually produced, high tech reproduction of an original. I was fortunate enough to get number 11 of only 15 copies made, and it speaks to anyone who appreciates shallow water lure fishing. Even though it appears to be of a fall setting, it also illustrates much of what can happen during spring, especially when it comes to its title - Moving School.

Moving School depicts three men wading in shin-deep water, near their boat, appearing as though they have just discovered some opportunity and are quickly working hard to take advantage of it. It is not a painting of here, but yet it could be. The comparison is that when we do find signs of opportunity, we need to work hard and be quick to take, as it might not last. Moving School is also right! Not only do we have to initially find fish, we also have to remember that they are usually moving so we need to make predictions as to where and how fast to be able to stay on top of them.

Last week we were fishing a backwater area, and as the wind began to increase, a large school of redfish began moving into the knee to shin deep flat. We stumbled on them by watching some pelicans and a seagull or two sitting on the water. Soon after getting out of the boat, a few large swirls, scattering baitfish, and a quick double hook-up told us we had some opportunity. Typical of spring, small baits such as Brown Lure's Sea Devils and Mullet and Super Spook Jr.'s were effective. Five of us spread out and all began to work away on them.

The action stopped quickly, however, until we realized that they were making their way up a small trough and heading into the wind farther into the flat. You could tell their direction by watching the baitfish's reactions and bird positions, although the signs were very subtle. We gently idled the boat out in a wide circle getting back upwind. This group of redfish was our Moving School. During the next few months, simple strategies like this one will remain important. Had we stayed where we were, the day would have turned out much different. As depicted in Cowan's piece, it pays to quickly take advantage of what we find, but especially to remember the 'moving' part of fish behavior.

May will continue to give us high water, most likely high winds, for sure more crowds, and of course more moving schools of fish. The ones we may find today can be gone tomorrow or even in the next hour, so it's important to watch the surface for the slightest hint. Flats areas can be one of the more difficult areas to fish consistently, but the typical pattern can be as simple as shallow early and then deeper throughout the day. The paths they take can be influenced by wind, changing water clarity, boat traffic, and a host of other factors both known and unknown. Finding them and moving with them is part of the challenge we mentioned earlier.

As far as lure selections go, although large topwaters will certainly be on the menu, smaller offerings can often be more consistent. The little quarter ounce gold spoon is still a time-honored redfish fooler. Just remember to keep those hooks sharp. A newer bait that we are enjoying great results with this spring is the little Corky Jr. It makes a lot of sense with all of the smaller forage available. Fish tend to eat more often this time of year and little snacks can be consistent line stretchers. Besides catching good redfish on it, we have already caught several quality trout with this downsized plug. Another advantage is that even though it is smaller, it casts like a bullet, which helps in both high winds and in early calm conditions where distance is needed. This little lure has a big future.

The immediate future for the Laguna looks good. Plenty of forage, the water is almost too clear, the grass is growing fast, and some great catches have been made. Long term may even be better with a five trout limit coming next September. What it should mean is that eventually everybody can go out and have a chance at catching some good fish. It's a rare and special place, and in May you can bet on me being somewhere on the Laguna chasing a Moving School.