All Smiles! Great Times! Life Long Memories!
-Capt. Jeff Larson

Give the gift that keeps on giving……memories in the outdoors. The Beauty about booking Hunting and Fishing Trips is the memories that are so unique to that day you go hunting or fishing. Take a minute and reflect on your outdoor Memories and Activities. Not Football, Baseball or Basketball. Here’s one for ya! Think about the one that got away. For those of you that have fished with me, know that a missed fish was the biggest one I ever seen, the Next State Record. Hey, it makes the other guys laugh. How about those dux that swooped in and not a feather was CUT! Hey, those were all banded, Money Bands.

Lots of Fun Hunting and Fishing, Lots of Memories, Meeting New Friends, Special Times! We all enjoy it because its different and things just happen naturally. There isn’t a schedule or cue.

The first split was remarkable. We had customer limits every hunt but one. Very successful.

Second opener was great as well but is slowly changing due to the massive amount of rain fall throughout Texas.

Brennen and I went Deer and Crane hunting in Hondo, Texas with my buddy, JC McLelland a couple weeks ago. They had creeks full of water that have been dried out for years. Ducks were actually scattered all around that part of the country as well. Hondo is known for Dove and Deer. Not Dux! We saw several duck hunters utilizing the standing water in the grain fields in those counties West of San Antonio. It’s just a wet year.

It’s been a topic of discussion between the local guides and lack of ducks. We discuss the rainfall and the new records set this year. Wet Year Scattered Duck Populations. Hey, it’s part of it. Inland hunting has been really good in the flooded grain fields and we are thankful for that option.

The other afternoon we were on a scouting trip from West Maddy South to the Bayou. It was a ghost town. We saw ducks but not the rafts of birds we are used to seeing on a shorter scouting trip. We almost saw more Whooping Cranes than Ducks. Scary huh? We know Whoopers are numbered and monitored. Lil exaggeration so you get my point. Not many ducks this week.

The key words are “This Week” all we need is another norther and here they come, all back to normal, Red Heads Everywhere.
Hey, it’s a cycle like everything else. Take Flounder for example, Last year was the year of the Flounder this year not so much, Mid Coast. Galveston Flounder Run has been on fire and is still going strong. We have Connections up there if anyone is interested in catching some Monster Flounder.

Trout fishing has been unbelievable. Wading, of course, is the best way to string a limit. All artificial lures are in play. Shrimp are still at the bait stands for the popping cork & shrimp fishermen.

Airboat Redfishing has been off the charts also. My Guide Buddy Captain Pat Lester sent me a video of a triple hook up. I couldn’t tell if he was rubbing it in cause he knew I wasn’t fishing or he was just letting me know that Airboat Red Fishing is on fire. He said they caught and released a number of Reds for an hour. Thanks for the Report.

The weatherman is calling for another front tonight. This is always the game changer. More Dux and Lower Tides. Good Luck and Be Careful out there!

2019 is right around the corner; get with Billy Ryhne to secure the Saltwater Lodge and your next Hunting or Fishing Adventure:
771-907-4796.

***If you find yourself in a Bind due to the Low Tides, give me a call,

Captain Jeff Larson
281-217-0399

A bad day of fishing is surely better than a good day at work, we all agree.  But there are times when you just should not be out on the water.  These are times when the wind is roaring out of the North and the conditions for small craft advisories are in affect and everyone thinks you are plain nuts for braving the bay.  I whole heartedly agree that you should not be out there but then there are times when experienced boaters and anglers can get around the weather and have a safe day on the water.  Further, I have found that with todays shallow running boats you can avoid the majority of these less than perfect rough water conditions and not only survive them but catch some decent boxes of fish by running tighter on the shorelines and avoiding the severe chop of the wind blown swells!

Fish are smart enough to figure out early in the Fall that things will be changing soon and they have a built in survival technique that allows them to take cover when the times come.  I can say that of all the winter fishing I have done over the years I spent way too many of those days in 45 degree water temps and a foot or two of water wondering why I wasn’t seeing any bait and dang sure wasn’t getting any fish to bite.  Talking to many guides over the years and sitting in on presentations at boat shows and other anglers nights out in addition to running guided fishing trips for over seven years, I realized the best way to learn this is experience gained from others and trial and error on my part.  Finally I’m at a point where I sort of understand where to look for these cold water conditions fish!

Concentrate on deep passageways but look for guts coming out of it and adjacent two to three foot flats where the fish can come up to bask in the warming shallower water of a sun filled day but deep enough to provide a quick escape when things go cold on them.  Realize these guys are cold blooded and will be moving and eating much slower during these times than what you may be used to during warmer water conditions.  Similar to Croaker fishing in the Summer, give the fish that bites your bait a two to three second period of taking the bait in their mouths to be sure you can make a good hook set.  Too early on the set and you may miss the fish since they hadn’t had enough time to move their jaw bones enough to eat it.  Likewise don’t wait six to ten seconds because if this is a smaller fish or throwback you don’t want that hook in so far it kills the fish to remove the hook.  Pay attention to the pace of the bite and let the fish teach you the timing of what to expect on their feeding pattern because they will likely all be on the same program.  It’s the angler that can adjust easily and land more fish for the dinner table or enjoy a catch and release day whilst freeing the fish less harmed and able to fight another day!

Enjoy this period of time on the water even with changes in water levels and temperatures.  Some of the best ways to learn your bay system is to get out when the water is the lowest.  This way you can learn where the reefs begin and end and you can find obstacles in the water that pose a threat to your vessel so you now know how to avoid it.  Mark those in your mind and on your GPS and it will give you more confidence the next time the water levels are normal and you are running through the open bay.  Customers of mine are puzzled and impressed when I can explain what cannot be seen on the waters surface.  Knowing the bottom of the bay floor will help in so many ways and most important will contribute to the safety of your trips and the success of your angling experience.

Cold Water Trophy
Bay Flats Lodge

Cold weather should be prevailing this month as we head into this year’s holiday season. As a result, we will probably experience some less-than-stellar conditions on occasions. Don’t be discouraged when this happens. You shouldn’t, necessarily, alter your plans or cancel your fishing trip just because the sun isn’t shining and because the wind happens to be blowing really hard. However, safety should be your main concern. If you feel that the weather is altogether too much for you, then simply don’t go. The fish will still be there whenever you are able to make the trip safely.

If you do happen to make it out onto the water this month on a day when the weather decides to turn nasty, stop for a moment and try to think of alternate locations instead of immediately packing-up everything and heading back to the boat ramp. Areas along the stretch of our coastal region to look to in these situations are places like the many back lakes located on Matagorda Island between Port O’Connor and The Second Chain of Islands that are all the way down by Mesquite Bay – Pringle Lake, Contee Lake, Long Lake, and Panther Point Lake to name just a few. If you prefer staying closer to the mainland, then look to places like the stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway between West Matagorda Bay and San Antonio Bay, or the Victoria Barge Canal that’s accessible via San Antonio Bay near Seadrift.

For artificial bait enthusiasts, December can be a prime month for scoring a career-best trout. Top water baits can produce well this month, but they’ll sometimes be a challenge whenever fighting windy conditions. However, anglers should always make it a point to carry a small arsenal of plastic tails and some slow-sinkers in dark colors – Morning Glory, Red Shad, TX Roach. Whenever possible this month, toss these baits in some of the more popular reef areas of San Antonio Bay whenever the reefs happen to be accessible. When the shell becomes unavailable due to foul weather or wind, look to nearby protected shorelines and coves consisting of soft, warm mud with some dark grass mixed-in. And, as always at this time of the year, make sure to use a slow retrieve if you’re working soft plastics or slow-sinking plugs above the shell, or the mud.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL With the second-half of duck season in full swing, Bay Flats Lodge is already rapidly booking spring, summer, and fall fishing trips for 2019. This is a great time to pick your favorite fishing dates, so give us a call whenever you’re ready. The entire Bay Flats Lodge family hopes you and yours have a blessed Christmas, and a safe and happy holiday season.

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.