UGH!!!

Thank Goodness we are out of the June Full Moon. It was a tough time to catch fish during the day. It was the toughest 2 weeks of catching we had all year. Guides were scrambling to leave the dock early because the bite was from 4 to 7 most days. EXCEPT; for the guides that had several tricks up their sleeve to combat the doldrums of fishing during the day, they smoked em during this time frame because they have the knowledge to adjust the traditional day of fishing. Listen Up!

1st exception was Wade Fishing. If you wade fished during the day light hours you did good. Boat Customers struggled the most during those couple of weeks of the Moon.

2nd exception: Wading with Croaker was a sure bet for trout and an occasional Red.

3rd exception: This was the Key! Wading at Night! If your not afraid of things that go bump in the night, wading with tops and tails was a good way to string some nice trout. If you wade fished with Croaks you…well you know…. You spanked em good. It was over pretty quick with a 5 trout limit.

It was so good at night under the full moon. Guides are now running full moon fishing trips. The Lodges, Saltwater included, are offering night time wade trips.

Here’s the catch, pun intended, how hard core are you? If you want to fill a few gallon bags of fillets, you had better fished at night. If you are a laid back, go with the flow, glad to be out there fisher you were good to go day fishing.

Back to the Catch of Catching Fish during the off period, day or night. When you book a trip with a Lodge or any Guide, BE OPEN MINDED, listen to what he is telling you, how is your guide catching fish. Don’t be so quick to say NO to Wade Fishing. All my guide buddies are very professional and understand your concerns of being in the water. As long as you are healthy you should try wade fishing. Even at Night. During certain times of the month Wade Fishing is 10 times better for catching fish than fishing out of a boat. We, Guides, put a Monster emphasis on catching limits for our customers. More times than NOT we all grade our fishing trip on how many we catch. There isn’t a guide worth his SALT that doesn’t try to out fish the other on any given day. But sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you fish it’s not in the cards for full limits. I compare fishing to poker. There is always someone with the hot hand, enjoy it because it will change.

That’s why we always fudge how many caught. How Big it was, We count the blow ups as fish caught. You know the excuses. LOL.
Remember, Trust Your Guide when he ask you to Wade Fish.

It’s middle of July now and things are much better as of today. Flounder Gigging has been another Night Time Pass Time that is heating back up as well. We are seeing some nice ones coming across the cleaning tables. We have been getting some solid 2 and 3 pounders with a few over 5. Let us know when you want to GIG ‘EM.

Here’s a side note for the technical fisherman:

Donny (POC Rod n Gun Donny) and I were talking the other day before he left for ICAST. He is starting a new economical line of fishing products for the serious fisherman. (PORT O CONNOR TACKLE CO.) Donny is using his Years of Fresh and Saltwater experiences to bring precision products to the fish market. He has also been working with his Dream Team for product development which we will all soon see.

The one thing artificial fishermen count on is a good quality lead head. I just picked up a pack of his JIGOLOS lock on heads. He told me he will soon have ‘em in different colors as well. You will quickly notice the detail of the heads. It is cast with a spot for eyes and he noted that the weight of the head is on the base of the form for straight casting. A lot of heads spin when you throw em. Donny designed his to cast straight for further casting capabilities. He also has a great push on design head with more holding power than other designs.

I see where he is going with this and after talking with him he will have specialty items at a reasonable cost.

It’s a wrap! Call Billy for select dates in August. July is Full at the Lodge.

Billy’s number is:713 907 4796. He has the Calendar to Book your trip.

Enjoy the rest of your Summer, Get a few more fishing trips in and Try Wade Fishing!!!

Captain Jeff Larson 281 217-0399

Summertime is in full swing along the Texas Gulf coast, and fishing has been outstanding here in the coastal bend region. Consecutive days of repetitive catches of speckled trout and redfish indicate that we’re going to be in for some really big fun as long as we don’t happen to encounter any unforeseen weather event out of the tropics.

Temperatures will soar this month, so anglers should be looking to take advantage of the early morning and late evening hours. Make it a point each day to leave as early as possible in the morning so as to be able to be wading your first session of the day prior to sunrise. There are a number of different reasons for this, but the primary reason in July simply becomes the summertime heat – it’s really hot right now, so why not fish during the time of the day when it’s most comfortable for you.
July anglers should expect tides to be rather normal for this time of the year, meaning there should be some fairly good water along protected shorelines and even into some of the more secluded back lake areas. When the tide is a bit higher on one day over another, look to find redfish cruising shoreline grasses tight against the bank in the backcountry. It will be important to be there as early as you can in the morning so you can locate the reds that are taking advantage of the coolness of the early morning shallow water. If you wait until later in the day the water becomes too hot for the fish, and they then begin looking for coolness elsewhere.

Whenever July winds allow you to do so, look to the open waters of some of the major bays systems like Espiritu Santo Bay, San Antonio Bay, and Mesquite Bay for some hot speckled trout action. This is generally the time of the year when trout action atop shell can become nothing less than spectacular. Live and artificial baits will both produce in this situation, and anglers can choose to anchor, drift, or wade based upon their preference.

July in Texas can become devastatingly hot, so it’s extremely important that you prepare accordingly. If you’re going to be out on the water all day be sure you always wear the proper protective clothing, administer ample amounts of sunscreen, and hydrate your body by drinking lots of water – if you wait until you’re thirsty to drink water, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Be safe, be considerate, and have fun out there!