Capt. Jeff Larson

September was an awesome month for sportsmen and all outdoorsmen. Fishing was consistent and so was the hunting. The Mosquitos sucked! LITERALLY! Dove season always kicks off with a BANG. Teal Season soon followed and was very productive. Friends and Family were able to enjoy some great grilled Diablos and Greek Seasoned whole ducks broiled and basted in the oven. Yummm, yumm finger licking good.

Teal hunting in the rice fields and surrounding areas was phenomenal to say the least. The weekend hunts were wrapped up with full limits of blue wing teal quicker than the weekday hunts because of the obvious high volume weekend pressure. Hunters were well pleased this year with the season from the reports that came inro the office. Weekday hunts were really good but you had to wait on the natural flight pattern due to the lack of pressure. The Predawn minutes were the best but they are hard to pick out in low light when they dive bomb through the spread. This is when the spray and pray method comes into effect. Shoot quick, often, pray that you dropped something and your retriever finds the duck. There were also reports that green winged teal were bagged during the early season but not as many as in some years past. This tells duck hunters that the ducks are already on their migration pattern. So get geared up. Start patching waders and testing them now so you will have time to order you another pair because the patch rarely works. Flex Seal sort of works, messy, the commercial got me to.

A quick Teal story (I know nothing is ever quick with hunting stories especially true ones, hey, hunters can fib like fishermen also):

The second weekend of Teal Season, I hunted the bay. Louie, Steve, and Brett had shot their limit the day before in the marsh on the bay. They encouraged me to go back the next day. Of course going back to the same spot on the next day is never good as the day before. Anyway, I went back to their blind, knowing better. Hoping I could prove myself wrong in my theory. As I was pulling up, to the bay brush blind they had constructed the day before, in my boat, I noticed some glowing orange eyes inside the blind. My first thought was hey a raccoon. Then I remembered that there are a bunch of alligators showing up in the back bays due to the rain and high tides. I had my friend immediately tie his dog off to the center console railing of my boat so he couldn’t get out. As I pulled up closer to the blind it was a huge alligator and it was not scared or moving. The massive lizard just went under the water and laid there. We could see him because the water was super clear. If my dog had been there that morning I believe he would have been an appetizer. I don’t tie my dog down when he is in the boat. Some people crate or strap their dog down when running a boat, which is a debate in itself at the boat ramp over coffee. But the moral of this story is always be aware of what’s going on around you and check the area for hazards to you and your dog as you are boating. Needless to say, we had to move out of his blind. So we just backed out and went on down to the next pothole.

This also brings to question why can’t we hunt alligators in the public waters of Texas? We are becoming over populated with alligators all over the State. Is it possible Texas Parks and Wildlife could have a draw for a tag type controlled system? There are plenty of hunters here who would like to harvest an alligator. It would help with research and bring in more funds to the State. We all know they like more funds. The alligator hunters would help in removing the nuisance gators and keep their numbers in check on public waters. Until then, just keep your eyes and ears open for the territorial lizards.

The beginning of every month seems to be the best outdoor action for fishermen and hunters. This October is no exception. There have been full limits of dove being shot in the fields with sunflowers and goat weed. Call the Lodge and get on an Argentina type hunt before they migrate our of the county. Fishing has been picking up with more trout coming across the cleaning table. The best action that has been reported is from waders who target their favorite fall fishing spots. Top water action has been impressive during the major feed and tails are producing trout on the minor feed. October is notorious for flounder. According to the coastal surveyors that have been doing their surveys in the area, also confirm that flounder are healthy and in great numbers. Even on windy nights, gigging limits of flat fish have been a commonplace for guides, boaters and walkers.

Which brings this question to mind. Why are the laws becoming more restrictive and complicated? Just asking. The old timers that I talk to say it’s a natural cycle and enjoy getting them while they are here. The flounder population cycles up and down no matter what laws are in place. We are seeing about twice as many young baby flounder a night while gigging as we are keepers.

Targeting flounder via rod and reel this time of year is rather interesting and challenging. Mud minnows are the bait of choice but for the skilled angler there are a number of baits to use. Visit our local tackle stores and all the owners are there to steer you in the right direction on the latest and greatest flounder baits. The only advice I can give is to have a net ready because flounder have an innate ability to spit a hook. It’s wild how they can fight so hard, you get them right to the boat, you know they see you and PUUUT! they spit the hook. Amazing!

The lodge has a list of flounder guides that are available so book early and often. The jetty guides, back bay guides, and fly guides at the lodge are all catching fish so call the Lodge and Scott will match you with the type of fish catching style you prefer.
Big ducks are showing up every day so start getting your gear ready. Don’t wait to the last minute.

The Saltwater Lodge reservation line is: 361-785-DUCK (3825)

Wishing you a safe trip with awesome memories.

Capt. Jeff Larson

Two limits by Louie and Jeff with Ryder. Thanks, Capt. Jake Huddleston! -Capt. Jeff Larson

Blake Read (top photo) and Jacoby Read from Hallettsville, caught these red fish while fishing with their dad near the Port O’Connor jetties.

The Seadrift Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with San Antonio Bay Day, October 11, hosted a fishing kids fishing tournament.  Thanks go to Charlie’s Bait Camp and Chunky Monkey’s for the donation of bait.

In the 2 to 5 year-old category, Chelsey Metcalfe won for both the largest and smallest fish. (See photo on front page.)
In the 6 to 9 year-old category, Kylee Green caught the largest fish and Wheeler Carusa caught the smallest.
Among 10 to 12 year-olds, Megan Vanderford took the prize for the largest fish and Methan Morgan brought in the smallest.

Pictured with the winners is Brigid Berger with the San Antonio Bay Partnership.

Chelsey Metcalfe won for both the largest and smallest fish in the 2 to 5 year olds category.Largest Fish (6-to-9-yr-olds) Kylee Green

Largest Fish (6-to-9-yr-olds) Kylee Green

Smallest Fish (10-to-12-yr-olds) Mathan Morgan

Wheeler Carusa caught the smallest fish (6-to-9-year-olds) in the Kids Tournament

Largest Fish,10--to-12-year olds category - Megan Vanderford

Peterbuilt Truck Factory from Denton, Texas enjoyed the lodge and fishing with Capt. Steve Boldt, Sept., live bait San Antonio Bay. -Bay Flats Lodge

Admittedly, given the weather transitions that continue to occur this month, and with the legendary tides of October, coastal anglers along the Coastal Bend region of Texas often describe redfish angling in the back lakes as being nothing less than epic, at times. However, fishing for speckled trout above shell may soon reach a point to where there’s nothing comparable for the next several weeks as fall prepares to fully unfold. Historically, some of the year’s hottest trout action can often be recognized atop the numerous shell pads spread amongst the vast waters of San Antonio Bay this month and next.

The amount of shell in San Antonio Bay is unquestionably large, yet its presence is sometimes discounted or dismissed simply due to the fact that anglers are either unfamiliar with the bay, or they have heard horror stories from other anglers describing bad experiences with some the more shallow reefs in the bay. Granted, there’s a lot of shell located throughout San Antonio Bay, but there’s really not anything about all of the reefs that should place fear into any one of your fishing trips. Most any of today’s electronic maps accompanying modern-day GPS systems commonly have each and every one of the San Antonio Bay reefs marked. If the vessel you fish out of doesn’t have a GPS, then an alternative might be the use of one of the more common hotspot fishing maps of the area. These maps are generally concise as to the reef locations, yet you will more than likely need the water in the bay to be fairly clear on the particular day you wish to traverse San Antonio Bay with the use of only a map. Of course, a third alternative would be to fish with someone already familiar with the area, or who has in-depth knowledge and experience with San Antonio Bay. The reefs in this bay, as like those in any other bay, do call for a certain amount of respect and consideration before one heads blindly across the water. Regardless of your methodology, look for the speckled trout action to improve amongst all of the shell with the passing of each day this month. Reefs like Chicken Foot, Dagger Point, First Chain, Half Moon, Refuge, Sickle, and even Panther could begin sparking angler’s interests very, very soon.

Until the fall shell action turns on strong, there are always alternatives available for anglers looking to catch nice trout and redfish, especially in a bay system the size of San Antonio Bay. For those who may be unfamiliar with the area and who want to get to know their way around the neighborhood, there are seemingly endless shorelines outlining San Antonio Bay that can offer anglers convenient contingencies in almost every weather condition. On the east side of the bay (the Seadrift side), anglers can enjoy wading any of a number of flats areas and shell piles situated parallel to the Victoria channel on the western edge of the channel itself. These shallow spots and spoil areas can work well for anglers on calm days, and can somewhat protect fishing efforts on days presented with slight north or west winds. At the north end of the bay sits Guadalupe Bay, a venue offering shorelines protected from northerly winds that also happen to be sprinkled with isolated areas of small clam shells that the redfish often find irresistible. San Antonio Bay’s west shoreline happens to be situated along the eastern most edge of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, and it can offer superb trout, redfish, and flounder to anglers wishing to try their luck at wading whenever weather and tide conditions are working in their favor. And then, of course, there’s the shoreline that outlines the southern portion of San Antonio Bay. This is probably one of the more well-known areas of San Antonio Bay, and is also commonly referred to by many as the Matagorda Island shoreline. It’s a shoreline offering almost anything and everything that will accommodate a lot of various conditions in a lot of different situations – coves, back lakes, drains, bayous, grass, shell, mud, sand, deep water adjacent to shallow water, great protection from southerly wind, etc. When planning your next fall fishing trip to the coast, give San Antonio Bay some consideration. You might just be pleasantly surprised!

In closing, our team of guides at Bay Flats Lodge wishes to remind everyone of the rapid approach of the upcoming waterfowl season, with this year’s opening day being November 1st. Duck season is a wonderful time of the year to experience a “Blast & Cast” trip where you can experience a full morning of waterfowl hunting, take a short break, and then exchange the shotgun for top water lures and a fun afternoon of fishing. 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

Nephews of Captain Chris Martin from Houston and Austin, David & Dirk Aman, landed these fish with Captain Boriskie out of Bay Flats Lodge while visiting Uncle Chris and Aunt Deb, September 28. All fish landed on live shrimp and cut mullet in lower San Antonio Bay.