Fishing with Capt. Jeff Larson – (L to R): Capt. Larson and wife Dawn, Kristin Vance and Janette Yanchak

HOT! HOT! HOT! That pretty much sums up the Dog Days of Summer Fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast. The fishing is Hot! The weather is Hot! Night Time is even Hot! We are hitting the water before sunrise, so we won’t burst into flames. I caught a trout the other day and it was so hot it was already boiled so I squeezed a lime on it and ate it for lunch. All kidding aside, August is a Hot Month, this August has been especially warm. This time of year and with the intense mid day heat can challenge a fisherman in so many ways. As a guide, we like to get out early and get back early. Once the Sun pops up over the horizon, burns up the clouds and starts heating up the water, the fish start making their move to deeper water to cool off or remain cool. If you fish mid day, just a reminder, take plenty of water and stay hydrated.
The early morning bite continues to be really good with the incoming tides. Shorelines with subtle drop offs to deeper water are a key to filling stringers for waders. The Boat Fishermen are concentrating over deep reefs that are located off the shoreline in the middle of the bay. We are also checking above ground structures, ie wells, scattered all over the waters in the bay.

The surf is another great place when the weather is right. When you fish the surf you must pay attention to the waves of course but also the current. For instance, if the surf is marginal to even attempt to fish between the 1st and 2nd guts after you set anchor make sure the current doesn’t pull your boat around so that you are parallel to the Beach or Sand Bars. The breakers, or even 1 rogue wave can break into your boat which in turn can capsize it or sink it. Ask around the POC docks, there are plenty of guides that can give you close encounters of how dangerous the surf can be on any given day.
Rounding the Jetties can be a daunting task. That’s a whole other danger.This month alone there has been several drowning victims in the Passes and Surf. So one must be very observant of their surroundings and conditions.

The Passes of Texas that scatter down the coast are and have been a great place to fish. Those spots are where the fish flow in and out of the bay. They are also very dangerous due to extreme currents and shifting sand. We all know this and there are warning signs all around these areas for people to read and make their own decision if the risk is worth the reward. My point is we should not close these places to the public due to a few unfortunate drownings. I believe the State does a great job warning the public of the dangers of fishing around the Passes that lead out into the Gulf. I was a little irritated that there is a proposal to close areas around passes that I used to fish years ago. There shouldn’t be any beach closures. Fishermen should have access to every inch of the coastline as long as they have their fishing license. I don’t think closing areas is the answer. Maybe there should be different colored flags flown in the areas of concern that show the level of dangerous currents passing through the Passes. I see it in other coastal areas around the U.S. plus in other Countries. It’s like snow skiing, Green Slopes are easier (safer) than the Black Double Diamond (you have to be crazy to be here) but proceed with caution.

As Texans and fishing license holders we should all have a vote not just a say on area closures while a select few force feed us their agenda. Rant Over.
Just to summarize mid coast fishing. Live shrimp and Croaker seem to be the best live bait to catch a limit of trout. Piggies seem to catch bigger trout at Times but don’t get the attention like the Shrimp and Croaker. Mud Minnows are great for flounder and reds. Cut Mullet and Crab are the BEST dead baits for reds.
Artificial Baits, Go with what you have the most confidence in. We have been throwing Down South Lures over the reefs and along the shoreline to box Trout, Reds and Flounder, The ol’ Texas Slam.

Get your calendars out! Cast and Blast Season is approaching us like a freight train. Dove, Teal, Rails, Snipe, Geese are on their way. Alligators are there for the taking as well. Get with your Buddies or Family and let’s make a plan.

You can call Scott at 361 785 3825 to confirm your fishing and hunting combo.

Stay Hydrated, Fish often and Get Ready for Hunting Season.

Captain Jeff Larson
281 217 0399

Photo by Frank Guhlin from the recent Sharp Tooth Shoot Out in Port O’Connor. Wild Bill’s team caught the largest shark.

Jaxson Chambers (left) and Bryce Coveny had a great day fishing with their grandfather, Cal Junek.

Augie Deering (17), pictured with his father Gus Deering, caught and released this beautiful kingfish.

One of my dear friends, Jay had a father who was a dream dad! Bob Stewart was a man who took care of his family in so many ways. Bob was an unfortunate to be stricken with polio as a child which rendered his left arm unusable but that never stopped him from enjoying the things he loved to do. What a great example to his family and to others, just because you have limited upper body use you can fish and you can hunt with a few alterations on your equipment. As an example, Bob made himself a neck lanyard with a clip that attached to the fishing rod to help it swing just right left and right then at the base of the rod handle it fit nicely into a belt apparatus he fashioned using some angle iron, see the photo-genius. At an early age Bob instilled a great love for the outdoors in Jay. Bob had a favorite saying for a certain time of day, you know that time just before the sun sets when the light dims from the day and begins to shift to the evening? Whether you are fishing, duck hunting or deer hunting he would always refer to that time, a special moment when you know things are about to happen. Bob would call that moment Magic Time.

Magic time happens many times throughout the day when you’re talking about saltwater fishing. You go out with a knowledge based on the research you’ve done and you know that there are times of the day that are going to be better than others to catch that fish. It could be a weather pattern you’re working around such as the one we’ve been experiencing lately with the high-wind. Or it could be periods of rain like we had in June where the water in Central Texas makes its way down to our bay system via the Guadalupe River and changes the pattern for a month or so. Whatever angling situation you find yourself in, you have to work and find that best time in the day and be patient enough and dedicated to wait until the bite happens-magic time.

The best time to go fishing is whenever you get to go. As we all lead such busy lives most of that time will occur on a Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. When you are lucky enough to be out on the water and everything go right and catch fish I say that’s just about as magic as it gets. However if you somehow sneak away from your daily life and have three, four, five days that you can dedicate then I believe you have a lot of luck already and I believe you are an avid angler.

Whether you are fishing, duck hunting or deer hunting there will be periods of time that are slow where nothing seems to be moving, nothing seems to be flying and the fish sure aren’t biting – hang in there. Give it some time, move around and make a change, but keep going keep at it and keep teaching others your passion.
Passion is contagious so keep spreading the good news The Great Outdoors is the place you want to be. The next time you are out with your son or daughter or friend and you get the feeling that things are just about to happen and you begin to focus a little more intensely, lean over and whisper in their ear…”get ready it’s magic time.”

Capt. STEPHEN BORISKIE, Bay Flats Lodge

It’s August, and it’s hot. A lot may even argue that it’s too hot to fish. But don’t let that discourage you, as the trout action in August can also become very, very hot. One thing anglers can do this time of the year is plan to begin their time on the water each day just as early in the morning as possible. Make it a point to be across the bay and setup in your initial fishing spot almost an hour before the sun is scheduled to rise. There are various reasons for doing this, with probably the most common-sense reason being that it’s the coolest part of the day, and you can get a lot of fishing time in before your brain begins to bake from the heat of the sun. However, from a mere tactical standpoint, there are a couple different reasons you should like being out there so early when it’s hot.

The first is that the waters along shallow shorelines have cooled significantly in the overnight hours, and baitfish and predators (trout) alike often seek refuge along these flats during pre-dawn hours. The shallow water is cool, and the fish feel a greater sense of security there over that of the unknown dark murkiness of deep, nighttime waters. Another reason you should prefer earliness when it’s hot is because the pre-dawn bite is typically somewhat more aggressive over that of when the sun has already risen into the morning sky. Heck, there have been instances when the bite has turned completely off the moment the sun rises. But not to worry, when that happens you can often turn around and fish out in deeper water and find the bite again once you find the bait.

All in all, this month is a time for you to be starting-out early and shallow. And as the day progresses into middle and late morning, look to be following the baitfish into deeper water. It’s for this reason that your targeted fishing areas this month should be places where there are shallow flats that offer the fish immediate access to deeper water. Such places include areas like the many spoil banks piled-up along the Victoria Barge Canal and the open waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, the numerous shell reefs located in San Antonio Bay, and the many open-bay island areas – Big Bird and Little Bird Islands, Grass Island, Steamboat Island, South Pass and First Chain of Islands, etc. Granted, this month may not offer some of the most comfortable fishing conditions, but you can certainly take comfort in knowing that this month often offers a high potential for some very prosperous results.