In a report of a little over a week ago, I mentioned that we had picked up and sustained the first big push of water in the bay systems that I had seen all Spring. If you wonder why “water levels” and Spring Tides are a concern and have a tendency to be discussed and weaved through the pages of my fishing reports, just take a look at the explosive Trout fishing making the headlines up and down the coast. A Spring Tide is essentially a big push of water from the Gulf and sustained higher than normal water level in the bay systems. Structure, be it shorelines, shell reefs, mud/grass pockets, sand bars, all fish better with some water on them. The strong incoming water flow is like a conveyor belt that restocks and replenishes the bay systems bringing Surf run Trout and Redfish along with many other species into the bays in search of food sources and spawning grounds. As we fish through the Winter time on typically low water levels, a Spring Tide is something we look for as a sign of nature’s restocking program on the move.
If the Fishing Reports board was a stock ticker, we’d be pegging 14,000 at present and the Bulls would be dominating the Bears right now. Big catches of Trout and Redfish are dominating the boards and setting the stage for a great 2nd Quarter. Big winds that are a trademark of Spring started diminishing early week and that opened up broader open water structure in search of Trout. Showering Glass Minnows and Menhaden pointed the way to excellent catches working varying depths over Shell reefs. Big incoming tides during the morning didn’t hurt anything either. Thursday, the tide was a little more advanced around break light and “it was ridiculously ON”. Over the weekend, we started out the days in a “dead zone” between tides with the incoming tide arriving mid-morning. Capt. James C. started us off on the right foot Saturday quickly narrowing down Trout hot spots that yielded solid results with soft action in the slack tide early. With quick limits coming to hand for Kevin L. and father he set out after Redfish finding limits over mud/grass. While I was working with the Kyle W. high school reunion group, we had pulled off half limits fishing through the slack tide but never really hit a flat spot in the fishing. As the tide started coming in things hit a crescendo with solid Trout to 20” hitting the deck and a frenzied bite firing off.
Sunday’s trip with Kenny H. Bachelor party group started out “just right”. I told the guys to “gather around” as I made a “demonstration cast”. “All right guys let me show you how to do this”; as I fired the first cast out, it barely hit the water as a solid Trout about tore the rod out of my hand. I handed the rod off to one of the guests and said “reel this Trout to the boat”. When a trip starts out like that, it’s usually going to be “action packed”. Capt. Doug had some “slow moving fisherman” that decided to howl at the moon all night but he managed to get them into the action quickly. One of the guys on Doug’s boat said “you just couldn’t ask for any stronger bite than that”.
This is definitely the way to start May off on the right foot and I’ve got a sense that we’ve got a lot more great action around the corner as we head into Summer. Schedule a little “me time” and lets go fishing. Hope you have a great week! Come see us.
Capt. Kris Kelley Castaway Lodge
1-888-618-4868 www.seadriftbayfishing.com
Tim B. and guests from Houston, all pilots with Southwest, Continental, and US Air, taking a break with Castaway Lodge, May 2011.
