Winners of the Kids Fishing Tournament

The Kid Fish tournament for 2016 was a great success and turnout. This year the youngsters came out on Saturday, 28th of May in full force, 72 participants signed up and turned in 187 fish in 2 hours! With all the bad weather predicted and high winds forecasted for that Memorial weekend, it didn’t stop the efforts of this awesome group of kids and parents who turned out for a beautiful morning of fishing at Kingfisher Beach Park.

Trophies were given for 3 categories, biggest, most and smallest, in 3 age groups, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. With snacks, drinks and bait provided, and the volunteers from the Chamber, the large group was very happy they came out and looking forward to next year’s Kid Fish.

Big smiles, just a bigger one with the bigger fish. Why is that?
-Capt. Jeff Larson

Incredible Month!!! Trout, Reds, Flounder, Kings, Lings, Red Snapper, Sharks, and the list goes on and on. What do you want to catch? June is setting up for some crazy catching action. Pick your game fish and go for it.

Let’s wrap May up real quick. Great trout action! Using tops, tails, croaks, shrimp, even cut bait landed a few nice trout while fishing for reds with cut bait. It usually happens during May. Redfish seemed to scatter some days and weren’t as consistent as the month before. We also had some great flounder gigging trips. Walking or Riding, both were fantastic. Flounder gigging out of a boat is best during high tides. High tides make for tough working conditions. May was great and the 1st of June has been off the charts.

The first couple of weeks in June have been fantastic for trout. We have had an influx of fresh water due to the recent flooding to the north of us. This weather pattern is setting up the same fishing patterns similar as last year.

The other day we had a day off so as any good fisherman would do Garret, Matt and myself went on a late morning wade with croakers and within an hour we had our limits of trout. Now these two local youngsters are hard core like most everyone that lives here is. They wanted to keep going and not stop there. Hey get your Mowdy and let’s run offshore, okay perfect. Limits of Red Snapper in an hour. Luckily the seas were flat with 1 ft swells every 9 seconds. Smooth as glass. On the short ride back through the jetties, we start thinking, hey, let’s go floundering. They planned on going early and I detoured later that night. We went separate ways floundering and ended up gigging limits of flat fish. It was a harvesting marathon. We had an epic day of fishing, one for the record books. Now we can have Bubba Gump Fish a hundred different ways, fried fish, grilled fish, sautéed fish, stuffed fish…. You get the picture.

The weather continues to be rainy this week making June a hot muggy month which makes for some unpredictable weather. With this type of crazy weather, fishermen need to be flexible when they decide on going out between thunder storms plus have some good rain gear. Simms Fishing Products are worth their weight in gold. Don’t push your luck wait awhile. The weather here will change in a few hours. The barometric going crazy with the different storms coming and going can really turn on the bite.

For example, Capt Benny and I waited several hours to run offshore to try some new Ted Snapper Spots. We were less than 2 miles from a wreck offshore when a Thunder Storm cut us off going to the new secret wreck that everyone knows about. We were so close to having our limit of Big Sow Snapper. 5 minutes we would be there and be finished with our limits. BUT no, the storm was sending lightning all around us plus buckets of rain. Ugh, we had to turn around and head to an old secret spot which held our limits of small Snapper. Disappointed yes we didn’t get to try and break the State Record but glad we lived to live another day with fresh Snapper fillets. Then it happened to me again the very next day but this time diverted to a rig that held big ones and wasn’t in a storms way. So, always be smart enough to make another plan when the weather is about to cross your path.

Be smart, don’t take chances in the bay or offshore when there are bad weather cells all around you.

The Lodge has been rather busy so call Scott to find your opening. 361 785 DUCK.

Keep your rain gear close, maintain your bilge pump and fish between thee storms.

Captain Jeff Larson, 281 217 0399

The first time I ever waded the surf along Matagorda Island the water was trout green and full of bait and lots of specks. It seemed like every cast delivered a big trout on 52M28 Mirrolure. That was one of those plugs that seemed to have it all together. It’s a slow sinker, red and yellow and a classic mullet imitation offering that trout loved to pounce on. Within a short time I had a stringer full of trout and was reaching for what looked like a four-pounder when a big shark darted out of nowhere and I was left with nothing but a fish head, that looked like it has been severed with a razor blade.

Fishing the surf is always and adventure. You never know what’s going to hit a live bait or lure on any given cast. Last summer about this time I made a run about 18 miles south of Pass Cavallo. The surf was flat and green and we were looking for tarpon. We got lucky that day and came up on a school of them that were feeding in the second gut just off the beach. The silver sides of 100-pound-plus tarpon were flashing in the clear water as they raised hell on a school of menhaden. We jumped three in about 30 minutes. Two smacked 5-inch long pearl colored Yum Money Minnows, and another hit a Bomber Pogie.

Last July Bill Panto and I were in the hunt for kings in the surf. We were casting 5-inch long silver Super Spooks rigged up with 12-inch wire leaders. The kings would literally rocket out of the water when they hit the lures scooting across the water’s surface. Panto had about a 30-pounder blast his Spook, and shoot out of the water about 20 feet.

“That’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen,” he yelled.

I considered that to be pretty high on the crazy chart since he was a Special Forces Green Beret back in the 60’s.

Whenever you can catch the surf clean and green to the beach you are more than likely going to catch fish. And if they are trout and reds they will more than likely be solid fish. Two of the best live baits you can use are shrimp and croakers for trout, reds and tarpon. But a live finger mullet or pinfish can be tough to beat, as well.

As for lures Super Spook Jr.’s are an excellent choice. Best color pattern is silver/blue. Another very good lure is a 6-inch Bomber jointed Long A in chartreuse/silver or silver flash/blue back. These shallow running cranks run 2 to 3 feet deep with a swagger that drives trout crazy.

Soft plastics will work all day long in the surf. Most of the time you’ll be better off rigging them on ¼ or 3/8 ounce jig heads. The idea is to be able to cast them a long way and get a fast sink rate. Most of the time a white or chartreuse jig head is best. As far as bodies go an Assassin Saltwater Shad is tough to beat. It’s got a split-tail and darts back and forth like a crazed banshee. Both trout and reds love ‘em. Best colors are red/shad, black/shad and white with a pink tail.

Probably the most unique lure you can use in the surf is a silver spoon. It’ll catch everything from big trout and reds to sharks, Spanish mackerel and the occasional ling. Make sure you rig them with about a six inch black wire leader. By the way, I sell ½ ounce and 1 ounce silver spoons that are custom made with brass blanks so they won’t rust. They can be cast or trolled for trout, reds, king mackerel and ling.

Big jack crevale and sharks move into the surf around the first of June and feed along the second and third guts throughout the summer months. One of the best big shark baits is a hunk of a fresh caught jack.

When it’s all said and done a clear, green surf can deliver big time fishing adventure. It’s all about hitting it at the right time.
To book a fishing trip in the surf give me a call at 409-782-6796 or email sloan288@aol.com.

Check out my web site at www.luckystrikeguide.com. We also run half and full day jetty, bay and wade fishing trips, along with island shuttles to Sunday beach.

Fishing the past couple weeks has been “really good” on certain days, and then just “good” on others. The term “really good” refers to days consisting of trout limits, and just “good” means anglers are catching trout, but just maybe not in the total numbers that everyone would like to recognize on a given day. This inconsistency has to be due primarily to the variations in the weather that our part of the coast has experienced lately. For example, the weather one day sends us a beautiful and windy high-pressure day, but our fishing efforts produce a diminished result of only ten to fifteen trout and (maybe) a couple redfish. Then, over the course of the next day or so, we may be faced with a windy low-pressure day, and our results double. Regardless, there has been a definite increase in trout action and a steady tapering-off of redfish catches with the warming of bay waters. Water temperatures have risen and are now staging in the low to mid 80’s each day, meaning there’s no need any longer for the use of chest waders if you want to try some wade fishing this month. However, it is strongly suggested that you wear long pants, as warmer waters tend to attract many of the seasonal jellyfish that can make for a very uncomfortable day of wade fishing if you are wearing shorts.

At this time, water clarity along leeward shorelines is nice enough to truly be deemed “trout water”, and these areas are holding good trout right now, as well as the open-water reefs out in the middle of San Antonio Bay. When attempting to decide where to stop the boat and to begin your wade session, it’s important to key on any bait activity along these leeward shores. Look for the obvious nervous water conditions, and the usual active and moving mullet. But even more importantly, scan the area for small slicks that may be popping up close to the bank or near the grass/sand transition. Try to position your wade upwind of the slicks if you’re throwing lightweight baits. If you’re tossing some heavier tackle, like large-sized top waters, you can often setup downwind of the slicks and still cast effectively over the targeted area. Check in all directions for birds sitting atop the water, or for cranes that may be standing right against the edge of the shore. Look for small patches of grass within a wavy sand bottom contour. Many anglers prefer wading sandy shorelines that have significant guts, not ones that drop-off slowly, but ones that closely resemble the first, second, and third guts that are commonly found along a beachfront.

A typical scenario anglers might like to adopt this month would be to begin in the predawn light by presenting top water baits up close to the shore and within the first gut. As the light of day grows in intensity, proceed to the second and then the third gut. This drill allows you to thoroughly work the shallows for about the first hour of the day before following the bait out to deeper water. Top water action in the skinny water has been good, but more for short strikes than anything else, but it’s just a matter of time before it will turn on strong. Recent top water results have improved significantly in deeper water, over sand and over shell. When working surface walkers in deep water, work the bait fast until you get your first slap or blow up. The best rod tip action is that of a sudden stop, or an action that goes from fast to that of a gradual slow down, and then back to fast again. This erratic type of action has proven itself time and time again in deeper water, whereas in shallower water an even tempo and smooth, slow retrieve seems to be the ticket. Try these lure-fetching techniques during your next top water wade session and see if they help.

Fishing with any level of success during the summertime months can often prove to be a difficult time for artificial lure enthusiasts. Bay waters at this time of the year are teaming with natural baits of all sorts, and there’s definitely an increased amount of boat traffic and fishing pressure. So, what’s a lure chunker to do? Work harder is the answer. If you are of the belief that you will be rewarded simply due to the fact that you were on your feet all day long, then you are fooling none other than yourself. However, for those who are willing to dish out 100% effort, the rewards can be very gratifying. Go with what you know, but don’t be afraid to try new things.

If the area you’re fishing isn’t producing, move to another spot containing fish signs. If your lure isn’t working, revert back to one that you are most confident in – your “go to” bait. And if you’re getting too discouraged at the fact that you’re not doing well, then remember…just Keep Grinding!