The arctic blast hit us all very hard and had Texas in a grip worse than I thought it would, but more surprising than that it took even the forecasters back a few steps too as it caused unprecedented ice damage to life and property, not to mention the devastation it caused to the salt water species we all love. Surely we all saw the reports and the video of damage and dead fish up and down the Texas coast and it was heart breaking to watch. Time will tell us all what the ultimate affect was concerning the fish populations and so moving forward most of us should be taking that to heart when back out on the bay.
Customers are booking trips for March, April and beyond which is a good thing when your livelihood is entertaining folks as a fishing guide, especially after last years devastating drop in business due to the pandemic. The legal side remains the same and it’s not against any regulations to catch and keep fish for consumption. That said, my pre-trip discussion with customers aside from safety gear overviews and the workings of my boat have been focused on conservation. The clients have so far all agreed they are not on a meat haul and are out for the enjoyment of the trip, to learn a few more skills, to learn more about the middle coast area and to keep a few fish for a meal or two. Thankfully they get it and I personally will continue to spread a CPR (Catch-Photo-Release) attitude like I always have before this freeze and before this year.
Techniques for catching fish right now haven’t changed from before the cold weather and based on my last outings the fishery is looking as good as it can. There were plenty of black drum and a couple redfish to catch and we released way more than we kept. The dead fish floating I observed were mostly hard head catfish followed by mullet and also a couple redfish and trout. I realize some have floated and sunk before this trip and some too may not have surfaced but it had been well over a week since the last of the frigid water warmed up.
On my bait trips which is mostly what I run, March is typically the “live shrimp on popping cork” method for me which lasts until early May. Speaking to a couple guides who are in the know, there may be some shrimpers back at work this coming week to give it a try. In the meanwhile we are back to work soon and will be giving reports of the condition of the ecosystem.
Read the reports, review the data, realize it may not be as bad as social media’s knee jerk reactions suggest and then come see us in person for a nice day or two out on the water. There are a lot more facets to a fishing trip than putting fish in the box: learning more about how to interact with other boaters; the right gear you should invest in to safely operate your own boat; techniques for finding and catching more fish; how to safely release a fish; and what bait presentations to use are amongst a few of them.
Capt Stephen Boriskie Bay Flats Lodge, Seadrift, Texas
888-677-4868
