It isn't every fisherman who will look back nostalgically on the Spring 2008 fishing season - but there are a few out there who will smile fondly. Despite that, most anglers are just glad it's over. Spring 2008 was the windiest that has been seen in decades; there was just one baitfish which salvaged these horribly windy spring days for many middle coast guides and anglers.
Like the surf in summer, or migration of shrimp in fall, a highlight of springtime is the annual arrival of the almighty glass minnows. Silver and flashy, the darting prey arrive by the thousands to shallow flats. The birds welcome the visit with open mouths and can feed for weeks on the buffet. Speckled trout and redfish will hang near and strike the bait in an all-at-once attack. To better your chances of capitalizing on such a frenzy, be patient and wait out the arrival.
Along with Captain Kent Sabin, I was guiding a group of fishermen from Dallas and Austin that spring on what turned out to be one of, if not the windiest day of the entire season. From the word go, we were experiencing a 20mph wind from the south; which then turned around on us with a 30mph wind out of the north! The wind was making every bit of fishable water available to us muddy and we were left wondering exactly what we were going to do.
Upon leaving the Matagorda Harbor, Sabin and I were ambushed with recommendations by returning guides to cancel rather than attempt to wade in the blown out waters. We opted to give the customers a fighting chance at catching a fish rather than sending them home from a fishing trip that did not even involve a boat ride.
Pelicans slammed the water with high dive assaults in a wide cove on the south shoreline. The waist deep western bank was full of bait that was situated over thick grass. We lined up within casting distance of the baitfish school and affixed our wading boots in firm mud. I was confident the fish would move in despite a falling tide and decreasing clarity. We matched the glass minnow's darting features with Brown Lures' glow and chartreuse soft plastic lure which are perfect for this situation. Undersized fish were drawn in by Dark Strawberry and White. Then I threw in a miniature chrome topwater and a cruising redfish soon felt the hooks. Up until there was minimal sunlight, the bite remained as slow as I have seen it so many times before. Then the fish filed in in real numbers.
With the bait tightly packed down from what once occupied the space of a swimming pool, the surface became like popcorn with minnows flipping and bouncing while pursued by trout jolting clear out of the water. Piranha-like predators furiously attacked the glass minnows like machines as the surface of the water began to boil.
Reeling fast and keeping the lure above the surface would draw trout above the water, but slowing down the retrieve produced the most solid hookups. Full limits of redfish were a token of the outing's success.
If you're still waiting for the right time to get out on the water, stop waiting; but don't be afraid of the dark - after dark can be the best time of all! - 16887
Like the surf in summer, or migration of shrimp in fall, a highlight of springtime is the annual arrival of the almighty glass minnows. Silver and flashy, the darting prey arrive by the thousands to shallow flats. The birds welcome the visit with open mouths and can feed for weeks on the buffet. Speckled trout and redfish will hang near and strike the bait in an all-at-once attack. To better your chances of capitalizing on such a frenzy, be patient and wait out the arrival.
Along with Captain Kent Sabin, I was guiding a group of fishermen from Dallas and Austin that spring on what turned out to be one of, if not the windiest day of the entire season. From the word go, we were experiencing a 20mph wind from the south; which then turned around on us with a 30mph wind out of the north! The wind was making every bit of fishable water available to us muddy and we were left wondering exactly what we were going to do.
Upon leaving the Matagorda Harbor, Sabin and I were ambushed with recommendations by returning guides to cancel rather than attempt to wade in the blown out waters. We opted to give the customers a fighting chance at catching a fish rather than sending them home from a fishing trip that did not even involve a boat ride.
Pelicans slammed the water with high dive assaults in a wide cove on the south shoreline. The waist deep western bank was full of bait that was situated over thick grass. We lined up within casting distance of the baitfish school and affixed our wading boots in firm mud. I was confident the fish would move in despite a falling tide and decreasing clarity. We matched the glass minnow's darting features with Brown Lures' glow and chartreuse soft plastic lure which are perfect for this situation. Undersized fish were drawn in by Dark Strawberry and White. Then I threw in a miniature chrome topwater and a cruising redfish soon felt the hooks. Up until there was minimal sunlight, the bite remained as slow as I have seen it so many times before. Then the fish filed in in real numbers.
With the bait tightly packed down from what once occupied the space of a swimming pool, the surface became like popcorn with minnows flipping and bouncing while pursued by trout jolting clear out of the water. Piranha-like predators furiously attacked the glass minnows like machines as the surface of the water began to boil.
Reeling fast and keeping the lure above the surface would draw trout above the water, but slowing down the retrieve produced the most solid hookups. Full limits of redfish were a token of the outing's success.
If you're still waiting for the right time to get out on the water, stop waiting; but don't be afraid of the dark - after dark can be the best time of all! - 16887
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a professional fishing guide who specializes in wadefishing for big speckled trout and redfish in Texas, and uses Brown Lures' salt water lures. Kyle suggests you try out a fishing lure from Brown Lures for your next fishing trip.
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