Whether you’re hunting, fishing, boating, or just sightseeing, life is simply too short for you to not be able to enjoy and make the most of the precious time you get to spend in the great outdoors. Personal responsibilities to family, friends, and business often makes for quite a hectic lifestyle that can leave almost no extra time for doing whatever it is you like doing the most. Now, and solely for the sake of the discussion here, I’m going to go out on a limb and will assume that this means that for most readers of this article, that they like to fish whenever they may have surplus time that will allow them to do so. And because the chances to fish may be few and far between at times, it’s very understandable for the “occasional” angler to wish to be able to say that they were successful in their endeavor regardless of however brief the opportunity may have been.

For a lot of you out there, this may mean that you’re mentally and physically worn out from having to spend the past several weeks (or maybe even months) putting in eighty or more hours each week on the job site or in the office, while at the same time attempting to juggle your personal life. You have an open weekend coming up in a couple days, and despite your exhaustion, you’ve decided you’re going to go fishing – you’re going to spend several hours after work on Friday driving down to the coast to fish, even if it’s only for one day.

You’ll arrive at your destination late in the night, unpack your things, and then spend some time preparing yourself and your gear for the events of the next morning. You’re dead on your feet at this point and suddenly realize that morning is just around the corner. So, you finally head off to bed, all the while knowing that you’ll still be driven to get up in the early, early predawn hours by the simple thought of catching fish. You are going fishing tomorrow, and you want to actually catch fish!

Mike B. kids love spending Spring Break at Bay Flats Lodge back lakes.

Don’t feel bad if you happen to fall into the infrequent angler category that’s depicted above, as you’re not alone – there are many, many other folks in the same boat! With that said, a lot of sporadic anglers who have only limited time when they do find themselves lucky enough to make it out onto the water are often frustrated at the end of their allotted day simply because they did not (for whatever reason or circumstances) produce the results they so desperately desired. The odds are stacked against them before they even put the boat in the water in that they haven’t been out fishing for quite some time, not to mention the any one of a myriad of other obstacles that may stand in their way on this particular day on the calendar – winds, rain, heat, cold, water temperature, tides, boat traffic, etc.

So, how can one work to beat the odds? Well, it seems as though nothing ever turns out being as easy as you first thought it would be, but there are some simple things you can do that may help you when you’re faced with time constraints. Begin by thinking “outside the box”, so as to not limit your decisions for this one brief day based solely upon those decisions which you made during your last fishing trip. Cruise some protected shorelines that are new to you instead of starting your day by immediately venturing from the dock to the spot where you caught fish last time you went fishing three (or more) months ago – there’s a great chance that the conditions for that area have changed since you were last there.

Another helpful hint for making the most of the little time you have out on the water is for you to pay close attention to, and to look for, specific fish signs and targets. A lot of different things fall onto the list of fish signs like nervous baitfish, shrimp busting the water’s surface, floating pods of mullet, and mud boils along the shallows. But one fish sign that particularly draws my attention during late March and April is slicks. Slicks appear of the surface of the water often in the form of a small, round sheen and are the results of feeding predatory fish – trout, reds, flounder, and yes even hardheads. When the fish, especially trout, are on an aggressive feeding pattern, and when they happen to be feeding on oily baitfish, a slick often forms as a result of the trout regurgitating its meal after filling its stomach to near capacity. While it’s true that slicks have led many anglers to many feeding trout and reds, it’s also just as true that anglers are often led astray by the wrong type of slick.

Clint Truit and family wade fishing with TTF lures in San Antonio Bay.

Many crab traps, especially those found up and down the Texas coastline, tend to put out a similar slick as that of feeding game fish. The crab trap owners often bait the traps with things like menhaden or other oily baitfish, and that in itself often produces a slick from the moment the trap is lowered into the water. There are lots and lots of crab traps in our bay systems, so keep a close lookout for a crab trap marker next time you see a slick nearby. If so, don’t waste your time in stopping to investigate as chances are good that the slick is a product of the trap. A good way to determine whether the slick is a product feeding fish is to be lucky enough to see the slick as it first begins to evolve. Again, a fresh fish slick is generally small and circular in shape, anywhere from the size of a coffee cup saucer to that of a trash can lid. You don’t have time to waste on your one day of fishing, so if the slick appears in a broken pattern and is larger than ten or twelve feet in circumference then continue on your way – focus on the smaller and the more well-formed slicks.

This past weekend was extremely busy at the lodge with the beginning of spring break. We appreciate the Central Houston CCA Chapter members and guest for giving BFL an opportunity. The lodge hosted 20 anglers including board members and guest on Sunday. Wade fishing with lures was the focus and all 6-boats had their way with the red fish. According to Shannon, “All the boats limited out on reds, and we also caught some nice size trout on top water lures, and I heard a very large trout pushing over 27-inches was lost this morning while trying to land it.” We also appreciate Martin G. and guest from Dallas who fished 2-days with us. Monday brings a busy schedule with a 6-boat session.