Father and Son Memories Afield: Cody Weiss with his 1st Duck Band. Banded in North Dakota 3 years ago. Louie, 5 Time Texas Turkey Calling Champion, grinning with Texas Pride. -Capt. Jeff Larson
Now we are starting to see the crazy weather patterns we know and love here on the Texas Gulf Coast. The cold fronts push the water out of the Bays concentrating the fish and it also delivers more ducks to the duck guides so they can finish the season with a BANG!!! Man!, I Love being from Texas. The drastically changing weather is the best I have seen in my travels. It changes so quick which is usually a good thing but sometimes not so much. After the short cold blasts we see here, the wind slowly settles, then the warm weather brings in the fog off of the Gulf, this is great for Goose Hunting not so good for running boats aground. It’s like clock work down here. The moral of this time of year is, watch the weather and don’t go if it’s too extreme. The chance isn’t worth the reward from anyone that I have had to go rescue or retrieve their boat.
The other day in December, when the Fog was so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, my charter was pushed off from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. due to the fog. I like late charters because I need my beauty sleep. See, this time of year, fishing is epic later in the morning or later in the day. The late day fishing charter was a slam dunk throwing top waters, stringing keeper trout and letting a few mommas go back to where they came from to get ready to spawn. We managed 2 keeper reds on tops, they were a little sluggish compared to the trout. No bonus flounder that day due to us throwing tops that day. We could have left that morning at 7 a.m. or a little after but running in the fog in the marshes is risky for the boater and the wader. Plus I had noticed on FB several guys were going to go out because fishing has been great. And the Duck Hunting has been good as well. Don’t get me wrong, I am always pacing while waiting for the weather to clear, but seeing how many fishermen mess up by pushing Go Time in bad weather, especially fog, I am always glad I sat back and waited or cancelled. It’s a great Payday when I get to run a charter and get to UN-STICK a boat.
Just a side note to reiterate boating in Bad Weather: GPS is not as accurate in the fog. They have a tendency to lag behind as they are charting and can cause even the best boater to get into trouble. So play it safe.
The lower tides are pushing the fish into the deeper water, off ledges, by that I mean a small indention, we don’t have major drop offs other than the ICW and VBC, which makes for some good patterns to catch a limit of trout and reds. Flounder have been a little scarce but they are still around in the bay.
How do you feel now its January 2017? I try to keep a positive attitude and focus on the last few days of duck season, hunting Big Trout, Spring Turkey Season and maybe a trip to Africa. It’s a new exciting year with a new president with new promises, but most of us hard core hunters have already broke our New Years Resolutions. Duck Season and Deer Season are about to close. It’s a bitter sweet month that starts out the year. The Houston Boat Show is a great place to go visit friends like The Guys from Mowdy Boats. Jimmy Burns will be there with Waterloo Production and Custom Rods. These are great places to stop by and shoot the bull. See all the new toys that are out to enhance our down time from chasing Bucks and Ducks.
Spring time fishing should be really good this year. There hasn’t been long lasting cold fronts to warrant a fish kill. So now is the time to start looking at catching a Wall Hanger Trout. Heck, I don’t even have any fish on hand. I had to borrow a few fillets from my buddy Louie to take em to the Shrimp Shack.
2016 Coastal Wrap: Fishing was great all year. Lots of Trout, Plenty of Reds and numerous Flounder, Big 1’s. It was a Great Duck Kill’n Year, I call it a PP&G Year, Plenty of Puddlers and Divers. Out of my 25 years of duck hunting down here, this year was a top 10. Bird per Hunter Avg. was up there. Plus 3 duck bands.
Crane and Goose numbers were much better than the last couple of years and we aren’t done yet.
2017 Prediction is going to be about the same or better. If the climate remains the same so should the consistency of success as 2016.
Due to the great hunts last year, we are already having weekends getting booked.
Please give us a call and send a deposit so you want be left at the dock.
Saltwater Lodge Booking Number: (361) 785-3825, Ask For Scott, he is the Man of 2017.
Watch the weather, Get your deposit and dates booked, Book Often,
Capt. Jeff Larson, 281 217 0399
