It is summertime in Texas, and it’s the time of the year along the Gulf coast that’s represented by extremely hot days, warm nights, and winds that may vary from anything just shy of howling to that of an absolutely stifling dead-calm. Surface water temperatures have reached the mid-to-high 80’s, and trout-green water is often not difficult to locate as long as you’re not combating a horrific breeze.
We’re landing a lot of fish as of late, with most of our recent catches taking place (weather permitting, of course) above bottom structure that I like to refer to as “the summer oyster”. That’s right! The oyster beds occupying San Antonio Bay, Espiritu Santo Bay, and Mesquite Bay are producing numbers of speckled trout and red fish whenever summer’s wind and water conditions are correct. And unlike a lot of anglers who enjoy soaking live bait for these fish of the shell, I prefer tossing artificial baits – anything from bottom dwelling plastics, to slow sinkers, to surface walkers.
I’ll most often start my day really early in the morning when I’m fishing amongst open-bay shell, stealthily approaching the leeward side of the reef and anchoring just as quietly as possible and well prior to the first rays of sunlight peering above the horizon. I like walking-the-dog with one of my favorite top waters in the wee hours of the morning before the sun has a chance to re-heat the waters that have cooled overnight. If the wind is calm, I like to present a small surface lure (new Gundog Little Dummy, from TTF) so as to not make any unnecessary disturbances in the otherwise calm water. But if the wind is pumping, I’ll toss one of my large top water baits (GunDog Dummy) and work it back to me across the wind, thereby submitting a much more natural bait action over that of simply retrieving with an “upwind” or “downwind” line of surface travel.
However, and as soon as the sun has fully established itself in the morning sky, you’ll find me beginning to present baits below the water’s surface – you’ll almost never find me throwing top waters past 8:00 or 9:00am during summertime simply because the bay waters heat rapidly this time of the year and, consequently, this warming process often shuts down the top water action quite early. So, I’ll then focus my attention to the lower portions of the water column where I believe the fish will be comfortably hanging-out prior to the heat of the day. If I don’t draw any strikes within the first ten-to-fifteen minutes with my suspended baits, I’ll generally not waste much time in rigging for bottom action right away with one of my favorite Killer Flats Minnows (in East Beast) or Trout Killers (in Plum/Chartreuse) that are produced by the fine group of professionals at Texas Tackle Factory. These baits have continued to be producers for me, and thus are earning a permanent spot in my tackle box as a direct result.
What I’ve described to you here is a typical routine for me on those days when I venture out to setup wade sessions amongst mid-bay oyster during summer months. However, this is not how it always happens!
It was nearing the 4th of July holiday when we awoke to a brief and subtle northerly-type wind blowing just across the surface of the water. At times, the wind was so slight it appeared nonexistent – a pattern which remained unchanged until just before noon that day. Following hot coffee and breakfast, we had made our way across the open waters of the slick-calm bay and had situated ourselves amidst three adjacent reefs in some of the most beautiful bay water anyone could ever hope to find.
I broke routine this morning in that I tied-on a soft plastic (vs. a surface plug) directly upon exiting the boat. Friends of mine had caught some very impressive fish here all day yesterday on this very same plastic bait, and I was more than anxious to repeat their performance. It was still quite dark when I got into the water as I began throwing a bright-chartreuse Trout Killer. I stuck two small trout right as I got out of the boat with that bait, but failed to even get a bump on it throughout the hour of wading that followed. I then swapped the chartreuse bait for the other color my friends recommended, a sort of tequila/chartreuse mixture. I covered another few acres over the course of the next hour with this bait with absolutely no luck whatsoever. I then slowly made my way back to the boat where I took a brief break from the wading and tried to determine what I might be able to do in order to turn my day around.
The water was full of large, active mullet, but I hadn’t been able to draw any attention to myself all morning with the plastics. Not knowing whether it was out of shear habit or anger, it was at that moment that I almost automatically reached for the selection of surface plugs that just so happened to be sitting so invitingly atop my center console. It took me but seconds to choose the ones I wanted to take with me, and it wasn’t but moments later that I was once again out of the boat and securing one of the top waters to the end of my line.
It was pushing 10:00 a.m. by now, and the day was once again getting hot. The wind had ever so slightly increased and had changed from the north to the east – the wind was fixin’ to swap ends on us…it would soon be blowing out of the south. As recommended by friends, I was throwing a big Super Spook, and continued to do so until close to 11:00am. – no blowups, not even small ones. The wind was shifting by now and continued to increase in strength ever so slightly.
I replaced the large Super Spook with that of a smaller She Dog and began working both shallow water and somewhat deeper water. Unfortunately, it was almost noon by now and I had not even received the slightest blowup. I had left the boat with three top waters, and had already exhausted two of them.
Call it fate or call it irony, I had left the best for last. Like I said, the wind had shifted and was now blowing out of the south, and the wind velocity had increased, but not substantially. I was almost a half-mile from the boat when I tied-on my last hope of the day, a small Super Spook Jr. I once again waded out to deeper water where jumping mullet and active baitfish were working aggressively above sand saucers. I got a few blowups symbolic of your typical short-strike. I continued on into a bit deeper water, and then the blowups became more pronounced. I then shuffled a few more yards into yet even deeper water and the bite was then “on like Donkey Kong”. Those trout started hitting that small surface plug like their life depended on it, and they continued to do so for the next three hours (when I had to leave). Although they had relocated to the depths of deeper and cooler water, the trout were still willing to come to the hot-water surface in order to eat. Go figure!
With summer’s extreme heat now here, remember the importance of you applying plenty of sunscreen first thing in the morning, and to wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Also drink plenty of fluids throughout the course of the entire day so as to keep yourself thoroughly hydrated. Remember to practice CPR, “Catch, Photo, and Release”, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Guide Chris Martin, Port O’Connor/Seadrift region…www.BayFlatsLodge.com…1-888-677-4868.
