Tides out just a hair 😂
I know it’s late, but here’s my fishing update from this past weekend in the cold.
I launched at 11:00 AM on Saturday, and the water temperature was 45 degrees. After rescuing and dropping off some stunned sea turtles, I set out to fish. I drifted for two hours without a bite, so I moved closer to the ICW, where I found warmer water, specifically in a dead-end gut that was 49 degrees. The first signs of life were some black drum up shallow, followed by my first mullet of the day. Walking the edge of it, my initial casts with a Ball Tail Shad produced immediate hits, and I caught two trout. However, they were short-striking, so I switched to the junior version on a 3/16-ounce jighead. For the next 45 minutes, either I got bit or caught a fish, resulting in a total of 21 trout, including two limits from 15 to 18 inches. Additionally, by the time I left the was temperature was 52 degrees.
After that, I met up with two friends to wade a shoreline point adjacent to a deep drop-off, which coincided with the moonrise minor feed. I was wading in waist-deep water that was also at 49 degrees and had scattered seagrass beds. This was the most mullet I’d seen all day, and there was even a brown pelican feeding nearby. While fishing through the evening, I ended up catching four more trout (the biggest two weighed 4.5 and 5.5 pounds), four redfish, and a black drum, all on a Ball Tail Shad.
On Sunday, a friend and I waded along a spoil island where the water temperature was 50 degrees. He caught a big drum and some trout, while I waded farther out into waist-deep water with seagrass beds and potholes. The mullet were definitely more active, and the trout we caught were fat. We caught the tail end of the major feed and ended up with 10 trout (two keepers). From the afternoon until dark, we fished in areas similar to the previous day and saw water temperatures increase to 51 degrees. We caught over 40 trout with a total of seven limits. The trout he kept for dinner had some interesting prey items in their stomachs. Besides pinfish and mullet, one 16-inch trout had a 9-inch Violet Goby in it, and another had an Atlantic Needlefish. All our fish were caught on a Ball Tail Shad or Wig-A-Lo. With more cold weather expected this Sunday, I hope this gives you some insights into strategies you can use to catch some fish.
Had a great day in the kayaks today. I had planned on going to East Matagorda but at the last minute decided to head to Texas Bayou. We caught a bunch of reds and trout. All the fish were caught on K Wiggler Wig A Lo in The Truth color on a 1/4 oz knotty Hooker Jig head. The water was in great shape, tide was slowly falling and I was surprised we didn’t seen any bait the entire day.
The last 2 days I’ve waded miles and miles of Baffin Bay in what felt like ice cold water. Thankfully I didn’t see any water temps below 44. I came up on a couple finger mullet that were a little slow moving, but once I grabbed them they would take off. We had some thick trout from 17-22” and a bonus redfish that weighed 14.5lbs. Key in on that mud and rocks and be patient. Figure out what depth your bites or bait action is at and if need be get on the boat and drift.
Turtlebox came through BIG TIME. Helping a friend and trying to replace the battery on his gen 1.5. Can’t find anything on how to take it apart. Tried everything I could and even talked with fellow AU member. Gave up searching and called Turtlebox customer service. Told them what I was doing and what my goal was. He said no worries and that they would send a brand new Turtlebox to him! Holy crap that is customer service!
Hi everyone,
In addition to being a guide, I am the Angler Engagement Coordinator for the Sportfish Center at the Harte Research Institute. I plan to periodically share fishery science content that I believe will help members improve their knowledge. Here's an example for those concerned about how fish will react to cold temperatures. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
This table shows the lethal water temperatures for selected bay species. Although water temperatures dropped from 70°F to 46°F since Sunday, the decrease was gradual compared to the rapid drop we experienced during the freeze in 2021. This gradual change allowed fish more time to acclimate to the changing conditions. While many species should be fine, subtropical species like snook and tarpon may perish, as they are not adapted to handle such low temperatures.
In the worst-case scenario, if air temperatures remain around or below 32°F for three consecutive days, it can lead to fish kills, with various species affected differently. Thankfully, this did not happen, and I hope it won’t for a long time.
*NOTE: These are only estimates. Factors such as fish size, water depth, bottom composition, rate of temperature change, duration of exposure, and many other variables can affect temperature-related mortality in fish species.
Warming trend is upon us! Personally, I would wait a couple days and let this pressure come down... If that's a possibility for you, that, and searching the shallows for fish enjoying some sunshine would be my go to for wading. Trolling, drifting, or poling the flats would be another option! If you have to go today or tomorrow, the evening bite with the same methods of searching the flats could be a good idea!
Can’t wait for Charlie Paradoski this week really love the addition of new local guides local knowledge is the best knowledge
Keep up the great work #AU❤️
