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Mansfield Report: October 2009
Some bigger trout have been laying up in the shallows with the reds.
It is a pleasure to report that for yet another month, "All remains well in the Lower Laguna." Despite summertime crowds beyond what most imagined, plus a persistent drought and pesky wind, overall, fishing has been about as good as expected. October, if anything like last year, will be when everything kicks into a higher gear. Let's all hope, hang on and get ready, as all indications are that we are in for a repeat.
As of this writing, mid to upper-slot redfish have been predictable and feeding aggressively high in the sand. Water levels have started to rise and redfish were quick to take advantage of it. So were we, and aside from the exciting sightcasting opportunities, a strong topwater bite usually exploded just as the daily winds started to increase. Some of the sessions were as explosive as they come. Smaller plugs were often totally inhaled, and besides working through irritating floating grass, single hooks once again proved their worth by not killing as many fish once you started on the release mode. That usually didn't take very long. I have been using a green/chrome She Pup quite often with exceptional results. Trout-pattern Skitterwalks also worked well, but there just seemed to be something about that green.
Most reds have been cruising in smaller "wolf packs", four or five fish rather than in large schools, but they were often generously scattered along long stretches. It wasn't uncommon to see them fighting over your lure, and a paddle-tail on 1/8 oz. jighead was as productive as anything in the early hours.
Trout, although numerous, have predictably run toward the smaller side. With the reds as plentiful and cooperative as they have been I'm curious why some people would ever want to leave such a fun experience in the beautiful shallows of the Laguna to catch mostly smaller trout. This is not to say that a few large trout have not been laying up in the shallows with the reds. Lately we have seen more of these heavy specimens than we've been lucky to catch, but that will soon change.
Worthy of mention is that along with every other marine life form seeming to be in uncommon abundance, so too are stingrays. In fact, if you are not seeing them you probably aren't where you need to be. Although we might not prefer it, most waders are wearing protection just to be on the safe side. Discretion says, "Why take chances?"
The crowds will soon be gone and the water level is predicted to rise to its autumn peak by the end of the month. Look for the redfish to form larger schools and trout to feed more aggressively in the cooler waters. October will be a good "get bit" month for numbers of fish and I'm betting there will also be plenty of opportunity for some big trout surprises as well.
We can expect the flooded, heavily grassed shallows to hold increasing numbers of trout as the month wears on. Drifters will do OK, but in many of these sensitive places, too many boaters running back to repeat shallow drifts can turn them shy. As always, we prefer to wade slowly and quietly, working these areas thoroughly while keeping the boat following closely on the remote control Power-Pole. If the baitfish have moved up shallow, you can bet there will be scattered groups of big fish staged nearby. It's often better to resist the temptation of casting to the largest bait concentrations, remaining instead on the less "busy" fringes. Remember that mullet are not always the primary forage, especially for reds.
Being diligent with large topwaters this month can pay dividends, but as always, knowing when to drop down with a softer presentation can fool some of the better ones when surface baits are ignored. As exciting as a blow-up can be, sometimes the best part about them is that they tell us the fish are there. It's then up to us to decide if we want blow-ups or hook-ups.
Few question the incredible fall and winter seasons we enjoyed last year for both excellent reds and upper-class trout, but one just hopes that the extreme traffic we have experienced since Spring Break hasn't altered our great fortune. So far so good, but even a five fish limit may not have quite the dynamic impact with three times the participation. Let's remember to take special care of the ones to be released so we can all get out there and do it again.
As of this writing, mid to upper-slot redfish have been predictable and feeding aggressively high in the sand. Water levels have started to rise and redfish were quick to take advantage of it. So were we, and aside from the exciting sightcasting opportunities, a strong topwater bite usually exploded just as the daily winds started to increase. Some of the sessions were as explosive as they come. Smaller plugs were often totally inhaled, and besides working through irritating floating grass, single hooks once again proved their worth by not killing as many fish once you started on the release mode. That usually didn't take very long. I have been using a green/chrome She Pup quite often with exceptional results. Trout-pattern Skitterwalks also worked well, but there just seemed to be something about that green.
Most reds have been cruising in smaller "wolf packs", four or five fish rather than in large schools, but they were often generously scattered along long stretches. It wasn't uncommon to see them fighting over your lure, and a paddle-tail on 1/8 oz. jighead was as productive as anything in the early hours.
Trout, although numerous, have predictably run toward the smaller side. With the reds as plentiful and cooperative as they have been I'm curious why some people would ever want to leave such a fun experience in the beautiful shallows of the Laguna to catch mostly smaller trout. This is not to say that a few large trout have not been laying up in the shallows with the reds. Lately we have seen more of these heavy specimens than we've been lucky to catch, but that will soon change.
Worthy of mention is that along with every other marine life form seeming to be in uncommon abundance, so too are stingrays. In fact, if you are not seeing them you probably aren't where you need to be. Although we might not prefer it, most waders are wearing protection just to be on the safe side. Discretion says, "Why take chances?"
The crowds will soon be gone and the water level is predicted to rise to its autumn peak by the end of the month. Look for the redfish to form larger schools and trout to feed more aggressively in the cooler waters. October will be a good "get bit" month for numbers of fish and I'm betting there will also be plenty of opportunity for some big trout surprises as well.
We can expect the flooded, heavily grassed shallows to hold increasing numbers of trout as the month wears on. Drifters will do OK, but in many of these sensitive places, too many boaters running back to repeat shallow drifts can turn them shy. As always, we prefer to wade slowly and quietly, working these areas thoroughly while keeping the boat following closely on the remote control Power-Pole. If the baitfish have moved up shallow, you can bet there will be scattered groups of big fish staged nearby. It's often better to resist the temptation of casting to the largest bait concentrations, remaining instead on the less "busy" fringes. Remember that mullet are not always the primary forage, especially for reds.
Being diligent with large topwaters this month can pay dividends, but as always, knowing when to drop down with a softer presentation can fool some of the better ones when surface baits are ignored. As exciting as a blow-up can be, sometimes the best part about them is that they tell us the fish are there. It's then up to us to decide if we want blow-ups or hook-ups.
Few question the incredible fall and winter seasons we enjoyed last year for both excellent reds and upper-class trout, but one just hopes that the extreme traffic we have experienced since Spring Break hasn't altered our great fortune. So far so good, but even a five fish limit may not have quite the dynamic impact with three times the participation. Let's remember to take special care of the ones to be released so we can all get out there and do it again.