Article written by David Sikes

October 24, 2010

Corpus Christi Caller – Times

http://www.caller.com/news/2010/oct/24/autumn-weekends-are-for-snapper-fishing

PORT ARANSAS — Miss Ann’s 16 cylinders rumbled patiently in her new berth, dispatching subtle ripples through still waters at Island Moorings Marina this past weekend.

It was a cool dawn with barely a breeze, promising the kind of gulf conditions that cause even the queasiest anglers to leave their seasick remedies behind.

The slips at Island Moorings were unfamiliar surroundings for the handsome Miss Ann, a well-traveled, vintage, 33-foot Bertram sportfisher owned by Bill L. Olson, Houston publisher of Texas Outdoors Journal magazine. On board for this trip was Olson’s son Billy, who ably assumed deckhand duties, and his angler friends David Roe and Daniel Bowman.

This would be the maiden voyage out of Port Aransas for the Miss Ann and the first time in years any of us had fished for red snapper in October. The ever shrinking federal snapper season has been a summer thing since the species was declared overfished about a decade ago. But dramatic management measures have yielded positive results. Anglers still must abide by a two-fish daily limit. But for the first time in years the fees recently raised the annual harvest quota on red snapper.

And you may recall last month when federal fisheries managers decided to reopen snapper season in federal waters to compensate for a lack of fishing during the BP oil spill.

The Fisheries Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that recreational anglers had caught only 1.1 million pounds of this year’s red snapper allotment, which was set at 3.4 million pounds.

So the agency is providing anglers a shot at catching the remaining 2.3 million pounds during a 24-day extended season that started Oct. 1 and will run through Nov. 21. To maximize recreational opportunities, snapper fishing in federal waters during this period is allowed only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Judging by the smiles and piles of fish at offshore outfitter docks in Port Aransas, the return to fall snapper fishing has been bountiful. And as a bonus, anglers willing to endure the longer party boat trips are returning with a good mix of snapper and blackfin tuna.

What could be better?

That’s easy to answer. How about fishing in single digit winds with seas less than a foot. Throw in a few good friends and a comfortable boat and you have the makings of a remarkable fishing day.

I should mention that the classic Miss Ann has a patron saint. Ask either of the Olson boys and they’ll tell you that each voyage aboard the Miss Ann is blessed by her namesake, the late wife of Bill and mother of Billy.

Ann Olson succumbed to brain cancer in 2006.

She was a vibrant professional woman who enjoyed fishing and hunting and family. With Bill, Ann cofounded the Houston Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, securing her place among Texas conservationists.

But Ann’s legacy embarked on an unexpected path when Bill got the urge to resurrect a 1987 Bertram about a year after his wife’s death. He bought the boat in Georgia from a man who had been called unexpected overseas on business for an extended stay. The boat needed some work. But it was a quick sale, probably the result of Bill’s newfound carpe diem (seize the day) attitude that had emerged from his recent loss. Soon, the boat had a new name and new life.

It would have been too much trouble to trailer her home, so Bill decided a family adventure was in order.

Here is where Miss Ann’s mission became clear. Bill could have hired someone for the job. But instead, three generations of Olsons — Bill, Billy and Bill’s dad, Sam L. Olson — bonded during a nine-day, nearly 2,000-mile voyage along the East Coast, around Florida and across the open gulf to Texas. The Miss Ann brought them together and then ferried them safety home.

Following a face-lift and major engine work, a renewed Miss Ann came home to Port Aransas where her patron saint continues to bring together the father and son she never left.

This past Saturday, the elder Olson beamed from the flybridge at the humor and harmony on the deck below. He motored out about 40 miles to a rocky area called Hospital. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the irony of bringing Miss Ann to Hospital occurred to her captain. I didn’t bring it up.

Billy rigged lines and set out five baits at various distances for the inaugural troll.

Within minutes three of the reels were squealing. We were hoping for wahoo or maybe blackfin tuna. Instead we had hooked three bonita or little tunny. We kept two for bait and released the other.

We trolled for a while between Hospital and the Aransas Banks, continuing to hook bonita when finally one of the reels sang with a higher pitch.

David Roe, an inexperienced angler who has not fished since he was a boy, grabbed the rod as Bill reined in Miss Ann’s 488 horses. The mystery fish certainly was not a bonita, judging by the strain on Roe’s face and the stubborn yank on his line.

Billy Olson coached while calmly playing the role of level wind so the line on Roe’s reel would be evenly distributed. The teamwork paid off handsomely with a 17-pound prize, a blackfin tuna.

We were about 42-miles out.

Where there is one tuna there usually are more. We assumed additional tuna were well below the surface. But those aggressive bonita wouldn’t allow a bait to get past them.

So we left in search of snapper, stopping a couple times along the way to set out lines where we saw birds and surface activity.

At about 22 miles from Port Aransas, the Miss Ann idled up to a platform with an audible warning siren blaring intermittently. Five boats clustered around the legs of the rig. I spotted three small snapper being caught and released as we approached. The Miss Ann had no intention of joining the crowd.

Bill steered the boat well to the left of the platform and began scanning his depth finder. We were at least 150 yards from the rig when Bill maneuvered the boat to a standstill.

“OK, drop ‘em,” he shouted.

Two of us hooked up immediately. Mine was about a 10-pound red snapper, a good sign.

For the next 45 minutes we yanked snapper from this spot. Most were in the 10- to 12-pound range.

This didn’t go unnoticed by the anglers aboard the other boats. One by one each of the boats backed off from the rig and lowered their lines.

After everyone aboard the Miss Ann caught a limit of snapper, Billy filleted one of the bonita and Bill steered the boat up to the legs of the rig.

We wanted to try for a grouper with bigger baits.

But it was impossible to avoid the snapper. So Bill turned the bow westward and the Miss Ann brought her satisfied crew safely home.

Federal red snapper season is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 21.

Charter boat opportunities Port Aransas

For smaller charter boats (33-foot and smaller) fees generally range from $900 for two anglers; $1,000 for four; and $1,100 for six.

On larger private charter boats, fees generally range from $1,500 to $1,600 for an eight-hour trip with up to six anglers.

To book a trip, contact the Texas Charter Fleet at 866-893-5338 or e-mail info@TexasCharterFleet.com.

Party boats offer more affordable trips with a less intimate atmosphere.

Deep Sea Headquarters (800-705-3474) offers daily eight-hour trips for $85 and 12-hour trips on Wednesday and Saturday for $105. Snapper are off-limits on the Wednesday trips.

Fisherman’s Wharf (800-605-5448) offers a nine-hour snapper trip each day of the season for $85. And on Saturday they’ll offer an 11-hour snapper trip for $100 and a 12-hour overnight trip for $100.

Dolphin Docks (800-393-3474) has daily 8.5-hour snapper trips for $86 and 12-hour night trips on Fridays for $105. Dolphin Docks also will offer a 12-hour day trip from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday for $105. Ask about Dolphin Docks’ longer trips (depart Friday and return Sunday) during the season.

David Sikes’ Outdoors columns run on Thursday and Sunday. Contact David at (361) 886-3616 or sikesd@caller.com

 

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Calculated Approach

Captain Steve Soule’

It isn’t frequent that the average bay angler takes time to plan their trip out in depth, or consider all of the details of the day ahead. If you look at the most successful anglers around the coastal waters you will find that they leave very little to chance. These guys and gals who fish tournaments and take customers out to earn a living can’t afford to take a haphazard approach to fishing. They may seem relaxed and fish may appear to flock to them, but very little happens that wasn’t expected. This isn’t a result of researching reports in the news papers and on the internet, or listening to radio shows. These plans are typically founded in years of on the water research and an intimate knowledge of the waters that they will fish and the species that they target.

It seems that today, more than I can ever remember seeing in the past, anglers are yearning to catch what the pros catch. The biggest problem is that they don’t recognize the effort that went into each successful day. None of the top pro anglers got to their level of success without a huge investment of time, money, frustration and desire. So, how does an angler new to the sport of fishing and craving a greater level of success in their personal fishing get to that level? The answer is neither simple nor likely to be what most readers would want to hear. It is however, the best and most fulfilling way to truly learn to catch, more, and bigger fish consistently.

To find success in fishing and create consistent and repeatable results, you need a plan. Unfortunately, not just any plan will work. The plan must be founded on known truths, most of which can only be found with first hand experience. For those unsure about how to create an effective plan for a great day of fishing, here are some guidelines.

Start with what knowledge you do have, add in some that can be gained from current local informational sources, and understand the factors that can and will affect your day. If you have knowledge of an area, this will probably be one of your best starting points. With that foundation of understanding of the area, you only need to look for the "signs" that your chosen location is holding fish today. Hopefully, the familiarity of the area allows you to know the tide flow and level, wind direction, and other pertinent water conditions that work well. There are days when you can "force" a pattern to work, but for most days, and most anglers, this isn’t a recipe for a fun day of fishing. Again, knowledge of more areas, especially of those that differ not only in location, but terrain as well, will help you achieve success in catching.

I always urge people to explore. This has saved me as a guide and tournament angler more times than I could ever remember. Exploring doesn’t just refer to driving off to a new location twenty miles away. Exploring the general area you fish, and water and shorelines adjacent to them, can often lead to a greater understanding of how the fish move within the area. These are the things that you need to know: where the fish are positioned on different tides and at different water levels? What are they feeding on and when do they want to eat? Do they feed in a distinct and defined area within the larger area? If they leave the immediate area, where do they go?

A great example of this is one of my favorite reef systems in the Galveston Bay Complex. This particular reef structure is fairly long, and very diverse, encompassing shallow and deep water, mud transitions, guts, and even a few small flats. Due to the reef’s orientation, both tide and wind can have a profound effect on the water flows around the reef. For years, my understanding of this reef was very simple. I knew it had a shallow ridge that exposed itself on low tide and the general area was mostly shell bottom. But, after many years of drifting and wade fishing the area, I can now identify at least 7 distinct guts in and around the reef, shallow flats in several areas and several very distinct feeding areas for the big trout and redfish that inhabit the general area. I can tell you on most days, in most conditions, which part of the reef the fish will most likely be on and when they will most likely eat. Again, nothing beats the time spent exploring and understanding the areas that you fish.

I have said for years that a drift-only angler will never have the kind of intimate knowledge that a competent wade angler will develop. This isn’t to say that you can’t learn well from a boat, it just takes longer to develop the same kind of understanding of the area. When you are drifting, you absolutely have to monitor the depth finder and note the various depth changes in an area. You will have to drift and repeat, numerous times, as you are only seeing a "small slice of the pie" that is directly under the boat; whereas, a wade fisher can zig-zag across the area and piece the puzzle together much faster.

So what are the key elements of the plan, and how do we develop a successful one? The answer has several important pieces. Know your weather conditions! Know your tides! Know both flow direction and level! Know the primary forage species that your targeted fish is currently dining on! Know the timing of when the fish are feeding best! With all of those things said, the single most important piece of your plan should always be: Know when it’s time to adjust your plan!!

Knowing your weather! This is fairly simple. Turn on the TV or get on the internet and you can find the pertinent details for the day. But you need to be able to relate what you see or read to what will happen at the spots that you intend to fish. Wind direction can be critical to water clarity and levels. It can also take away the ability to cast comfortably to the area that you want to target.

Knowing your tides! This is also just a click away on the internet. Find a reliable source for tide level and direction of movement. These two components can be two of the biggest determining factors in your success in saltwater fishing, especially if you are in an area that sees big swinging tides or the opposite where the tide movement can be nearly non-existent. If you fish back-bay areas, you would want the bigger tide movement days to move the prey species. Conversely, if you fish near a gulf pass, strong tides often make fishing very difficult as the bait and fish are literally flying by in the tide.

Knowing the forage species! For trout and redfish, there are a handful of forage species that are consistent throughout most of the year. Mullet are a year round target. Shrimp are prevalent during spring, summer, and fall. Shad show up during the spring and remain through the summer. The list goes on, but it can be important to know what is there and when they will be the primary target. Knowing the target prey can help in selecting lures and baits to improve success.

Know the timing that the fish are using to feed! This timing is usually related to one of only a handful of factors. Tide movement – usually fish will be on a pattern of feeding in one area during the incoming tide and another area during the outgoing tide. These may not be far apart, but will almost always relate to the way the tide will flow through the area and around the structural changes found there. Light, or lack thereof – fish will feed on certain species during certain light level conditions, mostly due to their ability to ambush that particular animal most effectively. Frontal passage can bring huge feeds, but its my opinion that it has the utmost to do with the change in barometric pressure. Knowing this, you can pick some things from your weather report that may help your day. Most of the time this is just something that you are effected by rather than planning on. I do however try to plan trips around impending pressure changes to see improved success in big trout fishing.

Know Moon phase and timing of position! This is something that you can definitely use to your advantage, and again, it’s readily accessible on the internet. All fish and animals tend to feed following a moon schedule more than any other factor and knowing the timing of rise, set, directly over and directly under, can have a huge impact on your plans and fishing success or failure.

What’s the impact of this knowledge? Well, you won’t know until you try, but here’s a few interesting stories from recent months that help to substantiate what I’m suggesting. Last week was a great example. I had been trying to make plans with my tournament partner, Daniel Popovich, but my work schedule wouldn’t allow. He ended up fishing one of our favorite shell patches on Monday evening, in what wouldn’t seem like ideal conditions .The wind was blowing at nearly 20 mph, it was very cloudy, somewhat foggy, and occasionally drizzling. Not that we haven’t seen these conditions produce huge stringers of trout in the past, and this day was no exception. He landed 9 trout that afternoon, between 22 and 27 inches. Of them, two were over 7 pounds and 3 others were over 5!! This was a classic case of knowing the spot, weather, and tidal conditions. The fish are also fairly predictable about feeding on the moon. I think that it was setting during the period when the best bite was going.

During every single one of the 5 tournaments that we have fished since December of 2009, our trout will consistently feed on the moon position. Obviously, we can’t plan to have a specific moon phase or position, but we go into each and every day knowing when to expect the best bite and making sure that we are in the area where we have the greatest confidence at that time. Another interesting note, they will feed even more aggressively when the moon hits a certain position, coinciding with a shift in barometric pressure.

During our second tournament in December, we spent seven hours without a single bite, but at around 1 pm, the fish in a very small area turned on and bit in a way that I have never seen before. This was one of the most prolific big trout bites that I have ever fished! In about an hour and fifteen minutes, I had 15 bites. I was only able to land 5 of the fish that bit, but the stringer weighed 14.85 pounds, and I didn’t come close to landing the biggest fish that bit. I only had one fish that was under four, while the biggest was 6.75 on the certified scales. I missed or couldn’t stop 5 trout that easily would have dwarfed the biggest trout of the day. It was both fascinating and infuriating, but enough to land us a 3rd place finish. The bite was right on the major feed period for the day based on moon event and in conjunction with a sharp drop in a rising barometer the first day after the passage of a very strong clod front. I’m not suggesting that most people go out and try to fish a frontal passage, and definitely not suggesting that anyone endanger themselves, but if you are there and can fish it safely, that can be one of the most amazing bites you will ever experience in trout fishing.

As you develop that understanding of the areas that you fish, you will likely learn the smaller areas within that area that the fish actually feed in. Then you can better understand how the tide will effect where they will be positioned, given a certain level of water and direction of flow. Add to that the knowledge of which tide they are using to feed the most and when the moon will motivate them to a peak of feeding. From these conditions and your knowledge of the fish, and experience in the area, you start to understand better how to approach the area, as well as the fish. Then, you are more likely to be in the right spot at the right time. You can begin to take some of the guess work out of your fishing and fish an area with confidence. These things won’t guarantee you fish every trip, and there really aren’t any absolute truths to fishing, but you will be several steps closer to catching fish every trip. Think of it this way, you won’t catch fish at every spot, every day, but if you can eliminate a spot in a much more efficient manner, you can move to another that may be working. Eventually, you will find one that works on even the most difficult of days.

The final piece in developing plans for angling success, is understanding what has happened while you are on the water and keeping accurate records. I am as guilty as anyone of not recording some of the best information that I have learned. I’m a hit and miss log book angler. Fortunately, I have a better memory of fishing than I do of virtually anything else. Now, my family will not agree with me that this is a good thing, but as far as my fishing career goes, it’s been very helpful. If you recognize the importance of your logbook, here’s a few important things to keep track of: weather conditions, such as, wind direction and speed, cloud or light level, air and water temperature, water color and clarity, available structure in the area, activity of the bait, barometric pressure, tide level and flow direction, and of course the bait that you used. Don’t forget to log the bad days along with the good. It is every bit as important to know what didn’t work. I would far prefer to eliminate non-productive areas quickly rather than stay in an area trying to force something that isn’t going to happen. It isn’t always easy to understand exactly which factor is the cause of success or failure as they are often in conjunction with other factors. The more you watch and record what you have seen and experienced, you will find that your ability to locate and catch fish will increase, along with your ability to eliminate water.

So you can see, developing a plan, based on the current conditions, your knowledge, from recorded data, or that of others that can be borrowed. Knowing your target and the food that they are eating, and then understanding the timing can most definitely lead to greater success. This understanding will most likely will translate to much more fun in your personal or professional fishing time.

Good luck and great fishing!

Published July 27, 2010

West End story: After a long fast, dining options are improving on the island’s West End. Well-known restaurateur Randall Pettit is putting his expertise behind West End Restaurant and Sand Bar, 21706 Burnet Drive, in the space formerly occupied by Avery’s Bayside Cafe. (Avery’s owners opened Mackey’s Bar & Grill, 20801 Interstate 45, in Bayway II shopping center in Webster).

West End Restaurant and Sand Bar will offer up seafood dishes with some twists, promises Pettit, who is known for former island eateries, including Randall’s West End in Pirates’ Beach and for his early involvement in the once popular but now closed Waterman Seafood Grill, 14302 Stewart Road. Pettit also is an owner of elegant nightspot 21, 2102 Postoffice St. in the island’s downtown. Pettit’s latest project is at the 50-slip West End Marina, formerly known as Sea Isle Marina. John Turner bought the marina out of foreclosure earlier this year with plans to revive and renovate.

Pettit is aiming to officially open West End Restaurant and Sand Bar some time next week but didn’t have an exact date. The restaurant space has undergone a huge transformation, Pettit said. 

“It’s a beautiful restaurant,” he said. 

Stay tuned.

Gavel gossip: In these trying times, island developers continue to turn to auctions to reduce inventory and buoy property values at their projects. The latest to gravitate to the gavel is Randall Davis, developer of Diamond Beach, the 117-unit mid-rise resort and spa on 8.5 acres at the seawall’s western edge. The pale pink project came online last summer. Davis hopes to sell 40-beach-front units at an Aug. 22 auction. Starting bids are $140,000. 

Last month, more than 600 people attended an auction of 27 units at East Beach development Palisade Palms. Buyers snapped up all the units, auctioneers reported.

Then, West End development Beachside Village, earlier this month held an auction for 29 home sites and commercial properties. No official word on whether that auction was a success. 

For information about the Diamond Beach auction, call 800-522-6664 or visit http://diamondbeachcondosauction.com. 

Mystery closure: Some mainlanders are mourning the closure of Village Pizza & Seafood, 6402 I-45, in La Marque. Corporate officials of the regional chain could not be reached for comment. Village Pizza & Seafood in Santa Fe and Texas City still are open. Stay tuned.

Welcome Matt: Readers are raving about one of League City’s newest eateries — Matt’s Restaurant & Lounge, 3202 Marina Bay Drive. 

Sunday brunch features such fare as eggs Benedict and Belgium Waffles. Also popular is the seafood buffet served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday nights. Lunch specials are all about comfort food, and depending on the day of the week, include Matt’s Famous Meatloaf, red beans and rice and turkey and dressing, reports bar manager Michael Loneman. 

Matt Smith, who was general manager of Lakewood Yacht Club for 25 years, is behind the new restaurant. 

For information, call 281-334-7445. 

Want to rave about a restaurant? Visit Buzz Blog at galvnews.com.

Biz Buzz appears Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Make Sounds not Noise

By Captain Steve Soule’

 

From very early in my fishing history I knew that sound played a big role in the success or lack of it on any given fishing day. With nearly all of my early fishing experience taking place on shallow saltwater flats it was easy to observe the reaction of a fish to sounds around them. It became obvious that if we made the wrong kind of sound we wouldn’t even get a chance to cast at a fish. Trust me when I tell you that there’s nothing more frustrating than to pole a boat quietly across a calm flat after a fish only to watch her spook before you can even cast, it’s even worse when it’s your fault. Sounds as subtle as the gentle bump of a push-pole against the rub rail of a flats skiff or the hurried placement of a coke can on a fiberglass console can be the trigger. Regardless of the source, sounds of this nature will almost always elicit the same response.

On the flip side of the coin there are sounds that motivate complacent fish to demonstrate outward aggressive behavior. I’ve long been a proponent of rattles in lures, so much so that I went through a period of putting a glass bead rattle inside of my soft plastic tails. I’ve since decided that the practice may be somewhat excessive and probably unnecessarily even though I feel that it can be effective. It’s possible that I take this rattle thing to far, even now there isn’t a single lure in that I’ve bought in the last few years that doesn’t have a rattle either built into it or one that I put in myself. Well, excluding the soft plastics that I just mentioned. The bottom line is that sound does effect our fishing and I thought that I would share a little of what I know and believe about the subject.

I’ll start with the bad sounds or the ones that I’ve found along the way that have had and adverse effect on my fishing. The biggest sound that comes to mind is the loudest one we as anglers make and it’s the sound of propulsion. The obvious thought here is the noise generated by an outboard motor and I’m sure there’s not much explanation needed. Keep in mind though that the more we invade the fish’s habitat with this noise the more they adjust. If we all run across the shallow areas where the fish live then the fish will eventually find a new place to reside. It may not seem like such a big disturbance but the sound of a troll motor can and will spook fish and in most cases should be kept to an absolute minimum. Here’s another form of propulsion that many of us employ but often overlook, wade-fishing. This is a technique that most of us use to add to our stealthy approach but if we don’t take the time to do it quietly we often loose the benefit that it offers. There are situations where every step is critical. When walking on shell it’s easy to make more noise than fish will tolerate and wading in ankle deep mud can be equally noisy, both require some skill and the patience to move slowly and deliberately.

Here are a few more interesting noises that can scare fish away. There is a sound associated with the sonar beam used in most depth finders that is not only felt but also heard by fish. I learned this a few years ago while trying to chase down this pesky little clicking noise at the back of my boat. Since making this discovery I’ve always turned of my depth finder when I’m on fish or in very shallow water. I’ve also found that the same ill placed footstep can be a benefit useful tool when unwanted visitors enter your wading area, I’ve been able to successfully spook sharks by stomping a foot on hard sand or the deck of a boat. It’s safe to say that some sounds come across as being natural and others seem unnatural. It’s also important to note that sounds often have a much more pronounced impact in shallow water, and in skinnier water fish are almost always going to be more alert to noise.

When it comes to sounds we make it’s not nearly as easy to identify the good ones Outside of those we make with lures. I’ve seen very few situations where it will work inshore but there are a few times when a boat that runs over a group of fish it will instigate feeding activity. This is something that can happen in the inter-coastal and in other channels at times but don’t expect it to happen every time. Most of the goods sounds that I can think of come from lures and there are almost as many different sounds as there are colors. I find that I use mostly lures that contain a single ball rattle to generate noise but there can be a big variation from one lure to the next. Not only is there variation from lure to lure but also from one retrieve to the next. The distinguishable difference between lures plays a big role in selection during any given set of conditions so here’s a few of my favorites and the times I like to use them.

In water that is either deep (over 4 feet), rough or dirty it’s a toss-up between the She Dog and the Super Spook. Both of these lures have the ability to make a tremendous amount of noise and for this reason I prefer them for enticing fish in adverse conditions. If they want a moderate paced steady or stop and go retrieve then I’ll likely go with the She Dog. If they want either an exaggerated slow or very hard retrieve then I’ll opt for the Spook. Both plugs are also great if they want it sitting still since they will continue to make from the rocking motion of the waves. If the fish don’t want to come up to the surface it often becomes necessary to give a little sub-surface rattle. In a slow or not so aggressive bite it’s hard to beat either a rattle Corky or a Corky Devil with a rattle inserted in it’s belly, both have outstanding action and the addition of the rattles help them draw in fish from greater distances. If the fish are somewhat more aggressive and ready for a faster retrieve then it’s time to pullout the trusty old 51mr Mirr-O-Lure and let those little rattles go to work. If the conditions are choppy then the Corky Devil and the 51mr will be the better choices because the original Corky can be tough to keep up with in the wind.

As we move back into the shallows I will typically scale down in size to either a Ghost or a Spook Jr. but there are times when the big commotion of the big Spook can still be a winner. Generally if the wave action is small I’ll go with the smaller plugs and if they are rougher I may go up to the big spook. The Ghost sits somewhere in the middle range on noise and the rattle is slightly higher pitched than the Spooks but not as high as the She Dog, it can be deadly effective when an aggressive retrieve is needed. Over the last few years I haven’t used this plug nearly as much as I once did but the little Chug Bug from Storm is a killer when fish want a small meal. It can be worked in a slow Chugging motion or sped up to chug and walk at the same time. The higher pitch of multiple small rattles work well when shrimp are present and it can be worked very softly around glass minnows to draw strikes from surface sipping trout. Take it to heart that sounds can make or break you in fishing and make the most of those available to you. When you are on the water pay close attention to the sounds you make as well as the sounds of the bait that is present look for a lure that can come close to duplicating it. Careful observation, a stealthy approach and the right sound selection can lead you to startling discoveries and help you find fish that you might not otherwise find. Enjoy the sounds but try to keep the noise to minimum.

By Captain Steve Soule’

 

Being consistent or successful in fishing presents a challenge to all of us. Whether novice or seasoned veteran. We all share this as a common goal, no matter what our opinion of success. For some success lies purely in numbers, for others it may be fish size or even variety of species caught. Success, for me, is achieved one fish at a time, and each one ranks differently on my personal success scale. The key is fishing with this in mind. It’s just one fish at a time". I say this because it’s rare that I have the opportunity to catch two fish on one lure and even less likely that I could plan for it to happen. You’ve got to keep your concentration through each and every cast and make each one count. The real issue with success is not just what it means to us but how we achieve it.

Casting and retrieving lures is a tedious task but the more you put into each one, the more likely you are to reap the rewards. If I was to take any given lure and do nothing more than cast it as far as I could and crank it back at a steady pace I would eventually catch a fish. I think! If I took that same lure and added twitches, pauses, or other variations in speed, the hook-up ratio would increase dramatically. Think about I, when was the last time you saw anything in the bay swim at a constant speed for any length of time? If the real thing doesn’t swim straight and steady, then our imitations shouldn’t either. It is the thought and input from the angler that makes the Jure work

Fish feeding can be tracked (to some degree) and related to many things. "Transitions" stand out as one of the most important especially for catching trout. I’m covering a lot with the word "transition" so here’s a little clarification; A transition can be a change of structure, a change of seasons, a change of tides, the passage of a front, or even something as small as a color change in the water. Some changes trigger feeding while others may provide the location for it to occur. Finding the transitions, and understanding how they affect the behavior of the fish, serves to increase our odds of success.

We are about to experience a change of seasons, winter to spring, and with it will come changes in our fishing patterns. Our winter pattern has been based around several key transitions. When wading, I’ve based my efforts around the transition from mud or sand to shell, there is often a depth change associated as well. The second is a change in temperature which is often associated with those already mentioned, keep in mind that mud silts more easily and both mud and silt hold warmth. A classic example of this change bringing success came on a trip about three weeks ago, while fishing a series of finger reefs that extend from a northwest oriented shoreline with Houston anglers Doug and Dave we found a small group of fish feeding in water that seemed lifeless. The first fish came as something of a surprise as I was close to giving up on the spot; no bait showing and very cold water were taking their toll. I saw something about three hundred yards up the shoreline and told the guys that I was going to investigate. I took of at a brisk pace with my titanium rod across my shoulders, after about twenty yards I came to an abrupt stop and made a short cast with the Corky. The cast resulted in a twenty-two inch redfish, the first fish of the day. The guys quickly waded over to me and asked what I saw that made me stop and cast and I told them that I saw nothing! I felt something under my feet though that was what made me cast. I had found the transition zone between shell and mud and with water temps right at 50 degrees I felt sure that was were the fish would hold. We walked over the next finger and found the same structure change and this time found trout. We proceeded to catch and miss trout here for the next hour or so before they shut down but I don’t think that the guys will ever forget that type of transition in the winter.

The passage of a front this time of the year is a change that I love to fish, timing is everything here, catch this change within several hours of its occurrence and you may find the bite of a lifetime. This is usually a "hero or zero" situation so don’t get discouraged and definitely don’t put yourself in danger during a monster storm. This time of the year we begin to see some fronts come through that are less violent but still bring the change of barometric pressure, these are the safest ones to fish. I fished a front like this last weekend released what would have made a very impressive stringer shot. In just under four hours I caught and released 13 trout, the smallest was 19 inches the largest was 26. The impressive part was that every fish in between these, was over 21 inches and averaged 22-23, and add to that the fact that I missed somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty more bites that morning. This was an aggressive feed triggered by the passage of a front and the increase of the tide movement. The bite occurred over the same structural transition of shell to mud but one day can make a world of difference, the day before only yielded half the number of fish (with none over 24) and no where near the number of bites.

Here’s the change, with the coming of spring we’ll rock back and forth over the transition of warm and cold. On the cold days look for the continuation of the winter patterns we’ve already covered, on warming days look for fish to move shallow and gravitate towards shorelines. The bite will change from being focused on a late afternoon feed to one that increases in the mornings. Fish will spend more time aggressively chasing baitfish and will be suspended higher in the water column. For those who have given up on the top-water bite, check your hooks and get ready! My top producing lures will still be the slow sinkers on most days but the top-water bite will be on a steady increase and on many days will out-fish the slow sinkers. Spring marks the return of much more aggressive retrieves, a welcome change for most. For the last three months I’ve talked about fishing Corky’s at an extremely slow pace, now I can begin to work them in a much faster manner. The retrieve will resemble that of top-water dog walking, more than the snail pace that I’ve been using. One key remains; you’ve got to give them some pause time because that’s when they are at their best.

In the springtime I’ll fish baits that have greater ability to aggravate fish and elicit strikes from this more than from feeding instinct. Rapid retrieves with 51mr series Mirr-O-Lures are deadly when fish are suspended and you need to cover the water column more thoroughly. Try varying retrieve speeds with aggressive twitches followed by short pauses, the twitches get the rattle going and keep the lure darting the pause is when it will get eaten. There probably won’t be a warm day that passes without me throwing a topwater plug this spring. Think noisy and big and you’ll generate more blow-ups. The two top-waters that I won’t be without are the She-Dog in white and chartreuse and the Super Spook in the same color scheme. Black will be a strong producer and so will a white body red head. If you find fish in extremely shallow water sometimes scaling down can change blow-ups to hook-ups. On the bright, sunny days try plugs with chrome sides; I’ve often found that an extremely aggressive retrieve will work best.

Last but not least look for the reds to invade the shallows again starting in March, this won’t be a consistent pattern yet but it will begin to materialize this month. They’ll start out on the deeper, muddier flats and work their way shallow with the incoming tide. They will also roam open shorelines following schools of shad and other small fish. The reds will smash a top-water with reckless abandon but as they reach the truly skinny water I’ll usually opt for something that hits the water a little softer. I’ll fish Bass Assassins or the B&L Sea Devil (currently marketed as Brown Lure Devil Eye) most but a quarter ounce gold spoon is another top producer. This is the time to drag the fly-rod back out and put it to use, as the fish get shallow their effectiveness becomes more pronounced. I’ll cover fly patterns another time, and more on redfish areas.

It’s time to get back to fishing and enjoy the warmer daytime temperatures. I’m already making my transition to more topwaters and less slow sinkers in the wade boxes. I also have some exciting trips coming to East Matagorda, Baffin and Lake Calcasieu. I’m most excited that the transition here along the Texas Coast is more like a transition from Winter to Summer and in reality, only lasts a very short period of time. Wet wading and big topwater bites are in our immediate future!!

Captain Steve

By Captain Steve Soule’

 

I know, I know the title sounds like we’re about to dive into philosophical dissertation of what makes a perfect day on the water. In all honesty though understanding these three elements and their effects may just be some of your best ammunition when it comes to scoring big with trout. Learning how these three elements effect your personal fishing can vary greatly with location to location and answering the questions of what the outcome will be from variances in their timing are revelations that come only with time and patient observation. This month has been just like many that preceded it over the last few years, when the 15^th rolled around I realized that I was late for my deadline and still struggling to figure out what to write. Well as I forced a little thinking time into my schedule I thought about just how much I tend to babble at seminars and on the water about these factors and their relation to trout fishing and how they vary from day to day. I’ve been aware for a long time that under constraints of short time and in passing conversation, most people probably don’t pick up on the subtle nuances that I’m so notorious for rambling about. This may be no different but here are some brief descriptions that I hope can help to define and narrow some behavioral patterns that I see in relation to these factors.

Since I stated sun first in the title I work it first. Sunlight comes in varying degrees not only from day to day but from minute to minute. First of all, the amount of sunlight versus cloud cover seems to play a major role in the feeding behavior. Some day’s lots of direct sunlight can work well; this is often a situation for chrome colored top-waters to excel. On some other days heavy cloud cover can be the ticket, this often works during the dog days of late summer. Full cloud cover often dictates the use of darker colors such as black or the “808” color scheme of black back orange belly and gold sides. My favorite sunlight condition is bright sun mixed with scattered clouds; I guess its kind of the best of both worlds. There is another degree of light that is also effective though it may not be solely due to the light but also the reduced noise, yes I’m talking about night fishing and no I’m not going to say anything more than “it’s not for the faith of heart”. Oh, I better not forget the first and last light periods of the day. Most anglers know the sunrise as one of the best bites of the day but many never see the sunset because someone told them that they had to get up early and fish early to catch big trout. Don’t limit yourself to just early in the day, sunsets frequently bring out monster bites from monster trout.

Wind is next, I’ve babbled about wind endlessly, typically though it’s a profane uttering, while getting battered by high winds during someone’s twisted idea of a good day for a tournament. Though I really enjoy fishing on light wind days, slick calm can spell disaster at times. Big winds may not be the most anglers idea of good conditions but fear not, fish still east when it’s windy. Big wind is the RIGHT time to throw big noisy top-waters, you may find yourself compelled to work the plug harder in the wind but some days it’s better to just let the plug do the work. HUH,?? Yes let it work, that big rattle is there for a reason and it still makes noise when you let it float. Light winds will often dictate the use of smaller top-water lures where you can still use aggressive retrieves without spooking the fish so bad. If I had to choose the wind conditions that I like best I would again take the middle, with moderate winds of 8-15 mph. I’ve smoked big fish in big winds but it’s always a frustrating situation. Light winds let you see everything but the fish often get to spooky.

Ah, the moon. I’m sure you’re all expecting me to get into this night fishing thing, okay I’ll give a little but let’s talk about the moons’ effect on daytime fishing. There are the basic well-known thoughts that a big moon brings a big night feed and the new or small moon is better for daytime feeding. As a general rule this holds fairly well, but there are a few notable variances to remember. The full moon isn’t always directly over head at night so the moon position is a big factor. I’ve had some great trips where the full moon was setting or rising within a few hours of sunrise or sunset. On the full moon, phase we also see a good mid day bite when the moon goes directly under. When the new moon rolls around we all expect better daytime fishing and we usually get it. I still pay a particular attention to the moon position; rising, setting, directly over or under. If you are a night owl looking for perfect trout situation try one of these two, a full moon period with scattered to heavy cloud cover or a new moon at anytime.

It’s always good to remember that trout are ambush feeders and they need any advantage that they can get. I like varying degrees of light whether I’m fishing during the day or at nighttime because the light allows the fish to spot their prey and once “homed in” they can attach as the light becomes filtered by the clouds. Since I mentioned night fishing I feel strongly that I should also mention the most important thing about doing it, safety. If you plan to fish at night you better plan on taking ALL necessary safety precautions and operating your boat only in areas that you are familiar with at slow and safe speeds.

That’s all for this month, better be, it’s 10:00 on Saturday night and I’ve got a “West End Anglers” tournament to wake up for at 03:30 in the morning. See you on the water, safely and courteously I hope!!

by Captain Steve Soule’

It’s a beautiful thing when we can get water and air temperatures this low this early in the year, even more so when forecaster are calling for more cold and rain. For those who love the solitude of pounding West Bay or any other bay that isn’t likely to be affected by salinity drops and cold water, this is our year! Those of you who primarily fish bays that are prone to salinity drops will have some serious weather watching to do this year. These salinity drops are more dramatic during the winter months because the salts will not dissolve as readily in cold water, so typically we’ll see the formation of a fresh layer above a more normal salinity level. This fact, along with the fact that the higher salinity water will often hold a slight warmth advantage over the surface film plays a strong role in where fish will hold.

Water temperature seems to become one of the coastal anglers’ biggest concerns this time of year and everyone who read this publication read a full dose of some of the better known deep water winter holes last month. There’s no question that if the water gets cold enough these places turn on big time, but I want to tell you that there is more to winter fishing that just deep water. I guess that you could look at it like this, when it’s cold and drizzly some of us would rather stay home where it’s warm and dry while others would gladly endure the elements for the chance to feed a trophy. Trout are much the same; some groups would definitely prefer a deep hole with stable water temperatures and abundant dining. Other groups would stay and prowl their favorite flats and only drop deep in the most extreme cold. For that matter some never go deep, fish kills of past freezes make this point very evident. I guess it boils down to personal preference for both angler and fish to fight the elements or run for cover and warmth.

So, knowing that there are populations of trout both deep and shallow and probably everywhere in between, how do you decide where to go. Again, much of this decision will be based on your personal preference, though past experience should certainly play a role in the decision. I’m a prime example, for the last five winters I’ve fished a particular stretch of shoreline with unrelenting pressure. It has been a personal choice that has paid off with some impressive catches, but more than that it has taught me a lot about how certain populations of trout react to changing conditions. I fish this area anytime that the conditions allow and have learned to buck much of the conventional wisdom and myth that surrounds us about when trout feed. There is no question that changing conditions (cold fronts) will change a trout’s behavior.

There are a few notable generalities that typically apply in relating trout movements to frontal movements. During early, pre frontal conditions that atmosphere goes from stable with moderate barometric pressures into a trend of increasing clouds, warming temperatures, decreasing pressures and an onshore wind flow. During pre frontal periods look for fish to be in shallower water or suspended higher in the water column in deeper water. The last two days before the front passes will usually be good top-water days and faster retrieves will be readily accepted with sinking lures.

Frontal passage is the next stage and is the most difficult to predict. This is often a period of rapid change and therefore often difficult to fish. Just before the front actually passes the wind speeds will typically peak, the pressure bottoms out and cloud cover or rainfall is usually at its maximum. As the front passes everything seems to reverse winds shift to northerly, barometric pressure starts rising rapidly and temperatures drop sharply. This combination often triggers an urgent need to feed, followed by movement deeper and more stable waters. If you’re on the fish when it hits it can often be fast and furious, if you miss it you might think that there wasn’t a fish in the bay. This is definitely top-water prime time, but be prepared to switch to slow sinkers because it may not last long.

The final stage is post frontal, where pressures continue to rise before stabilizing, air and water temperatures drop, often for two or three days and cloud cover blows out leaving clear skies. The first day is the day to look for fish to start stacking up in the deeper holes. Keep in mind that deep is definitely a relative term. What’s deep for me may still be shallow for someone else, and the same goes for groups of fish. Look for slow retrieves near the bottom to be effective as the fish adjust to the shock of high pressure and cold water. By the second and third day the pressure will settle back to a more normal level and stabilize while the temperatures gradually increase. Look for increased feeding activity as the fish rise in the water column and slowly return to the shallows.

That’s the abbreviated version of a coastal cold front passage and some generalities that apply. Once we’ve gotten through a few and noted some of the patterns about how they affect the areas we fish, you’ll find that it becomes much easier to locate fish, and hopefully spend less time doing looking.

There is another factor that plays a major role in the success of the winter angler, the presence of bait. I don’t think that this can be emphasized too much. If the bait isn’t there the fish won’t stay around either. Trout know that they must eat to survive so they spend their lives following the movements of their prey. This time of the year we all talk about seeing bait, even small groups before we stop to fish an area. This is critical in finding fish but sometimes it seems impossible to accomplish. I’ve got some quick advice on the subject: fish in areas that you know hold bait or an occasional jumper that would have been overlooked even a slow planing speed.

Mullet will often hold deeper in the water during the winter months making an area look devoid of life until the area is looked at more closely. This time of the year I’ll catch a lot of good fish on day when I’ll see only two or three mullet jump, yet time spent watching the depth finder will reveal an abundant supply of bait.

Well, that’s enough for now, pick you preference, take your time and be prepared for some of the best winter fishing we’ve seen in several years. Stop by and say hello at the Boat Show, I’ll be hanging around the All Star and Meeks Marine booths, or if you’re interested I’ll be teaching a seminar on coastal fly-fishing with my fly school partner Bill Gammel on the first Saturday of the show. Hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and that your winter is full of fishing.