Saturday morning was windy. The afternoon was even worst. As I was motoring from the slip to the dock to pick up my clients Saturday afternoon, I was told I was crazy for fishing in the stuff and to even cancel by some.
Morgan Scott and his buddies arrived. Ken Sabin and I motored off for West Matagorda Bay. Winds never let up as we paved our way through the swells. The boat ride wasn't all that bad.
I rigged up the boys with plum and chartreuse brown lures. I also provided a Laguna Rod to those that wanted to give them a try for the day.
The sun beamed overhead though the wind countinued to rip. Into the afternoon, the bite really turned on.
Seven limits of redfish with several trout to 3 1/2 pounds were picked up as they busted baitfish.
Cold drinks and burgers were waiting when we arrived a little after dark.
4-9-08
Adjusting to the wind was the name of the game once again this week. I had drifters for the last three days. To sum it up, when the wind blew fishing was slower, when the wind was calm, fishing was great.
Sunday, a group of three drifted with me in East Bay. They had never fished Matagorda and two of them had never fished saltwater. We got on a great bite for the first two hours and boxed seven solid trout in no time using soft plastics. We caught undersized fish as well and finished up the day at noon.
Monday and Tuesday I fished a big group of anglers from Austin. Alongside Captains Ken Sabin, Scott Reeh, and Rob Cumming, we picked up the group and split up to fish the bays. Ken and Scott branched to West and we spent the two days drifting in East.
Monday produced 20 trout with solid sand trout to 19 inches and a 27-inch spotty redfish. After four drifts, we found that the fish were huddled in a pocket. I had four anglers on board and we left East Bay at noon and ventured to West before the wind picked up. Captain Scott Reeh and I anchored on a shell pad and relaxed as we waited for the reds to attack and left the undersized redfish biting when we concluded the day.
Tuesday was more of the same, however, I was stuck with 5 anglers drifting on my Explorer for a half day outing. Somehow we managed. Wind were humping over 20 from the ESE. After losing fish in a backlake, we found a bite on the northwest side of the bay where we fought through throwbacks for a half limit of specks.
The camera is still out of order, however, here are some snapshots...
4-5-08
3-30-08-Reporting the Good with the Bad!
Spring is known for windy conditions. Matagorda anglers experienced plenty of it this weekend.
Saturday, we wadefished in West Matagorda Bay. Honestly, it was slow for everyone I came in contact with. The first few hours of the day were beyond slow with no bites or the first signs of a baitfish. As the super low tides began getting replenished by the incoming tide, we began catching. At around 11, we recieved our first bite and it was followed up with several others. As the incoming tide continued, the wind picked up and we began seeing small pods of glass minnows. (Great sign of things to come!) Brown Lure Sea Devils in Bone and plum/chartreuse produced five specks in knee deep water. Wading into deeper guts with the brokenback produced another four to polish off a box of nine specks averaging 20 inches in length.
Sunday, drifting was the approach. Though the day before was slow, I still think I would have rather waded. East Bay was a mud hole but we decided to give it a shot and grind it anyway. Gulps and live shrimp were beyond necessary. We started off drifting deep shell and caught two trout and a redfish. An additional 20mph arrived from the east so we ventured to the diversion and caught a couple of flounder and trout just under the mark, scratching up a total of three trout and a red. The sun brightened up the morning and boat traffic was nonexistent, the bunch still had a good time!
As tides creep back up and the winds take a chill pill, we will see quality fishing again! For wadefishing buffs, Matagorda regulars anticipate the arrival of glass minnows in West Matagorda Bay. It provides the potential for one BIG feeding frenzy!
3-26-08
Movie in Matagorda
Shooting with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn
First off, I cannot give any details relating to the movie itself. However I can say there was a movie being filmed on Monday through Wednesday this week in Matagorda. Yes, Matagorda! The entire beach was closed off...all 28 miles....and Matagorda was the host for a new Hollywood-caliber film.
I had the opportunity to get casted on the movie. This opportunity was an exciting experience and I was able to participate in a historical opportunity for matagorda. I met both Brad Pitt and Sean Penn; I even asked Penn if he would like to do any fishing while he was down. He stated that the night was his last in Matagorda.
Another once in a lifetime opportunity in the books. Now we just need the wind to die down so we can log some great fishing trips in the books as well!
March 19, 2008
Excellent Fishing....Even in 30+ MPH Winds
Highlight of the week-Photographer and Lone Star Outdoor News creator, David Sams stayed at the Full Stringer Lodge during the week hoping for some wadefishing photo ops. The weather failed to cooperate..as usual, it seems this time of year....but West Matagorda made it happen!
He and Jared Ramey joined me on tuesday. If you can recall, Tuesday had a small craft advisory and was easily dishing out 30 mph winds. They were as tired of the unstable weather as I have been for the last two weeks.
Any who, our second stop proved to be faithful. We slid over the gunnel with the sight of small mullet flipping tight to the grass-a direct result of higher than normal tides.
I told them what was about to happen...my third cast in the grass proved it. A keeper red took the bait and was soon released. Five hours later and each of us released at least two limits of redfish-all on topwaters! Jared pulled the lone speck from the shallows-a super skinny 26 inch speck. Sams broke off two hooks and still managed the largest reds of the day! (video soon)
My boat was actually in the shop to get a brand spankin' new Suzuki 250 SS from Busha Boat Works. I will be spending a few days breaking the motor in and readying it for my upcoming charters! I cannot wait to take you guys to great fishing within a boat that offers a quieter, faster, and more reliable ride
David Sams Enjoyed His Day of Fishing on March 18, 2008
Aside from failed attempts to match schedules with complimentary wind conditions, I spent this weekend in college station recieving the Dan Klepper scholarship from the Texas Outdoor Writer's Association.
The experience was one I will never forget and the scholarship will be put to very good use. Thank you Chester Moore and TOWA.
I'm sitting here pecking away
at a keyboard as I try to zone out the rain that has seemed
to pound the roof for the entire day.
This week was just another
one of those excellent winter weeks of fishing. We had solid
bites and some very good catches of big trout in the 4-6+
pound range. No Sevens this week, although the amount of
bites we had made up for it!
I find it kinda funny to see
how nasty it looks outside and know that tomorrow will likely
be sunny and clear skies. The weather has played in tune
with how the bite has been acting as well. This weekend
was a good example. Friday afternoon, we had four big fish
bites on slow sinkers. We had two fours, a three, and a
beautiful five and three quarter pounder. Sunday, beautiful
conditions and ideal water clarity-everything was setup
perfect. The bait was going mad. We didn't draw a strike.
Like the weather, a day's bite can change drastically in
February.
Tuesday afternoon was another
great trip. East winds were howling, we found clean water
and put a hurting on limits of redfish and some big specks
in the process. What was kinda new was how we were catching
quite a few keeper sized specks in only shin deep water.
This added to our bites on topwater. We released limits
of reds, a few keeper specks, along with one big girl weighing
over 6 pounds and another at 5 pounds.
March 4 2008
