March 8, 2006 — Need Directions?
So, you want to find fish and see how the fishing has been lately? Well, you basically have six choices when you get to the harbor mouth: Hang a right, or Hang a left; Take a port heading or starboard heading; or go north, or go south! The direction you take determines the fish you want to catch. Very odd set up we have going this year, so far and the fish are staging accordingly to the boat traffic around them. Seems were the fish normally are is covered by every type of boat and fisherman and you get a scattered mix of cruising reds or dink trout. The traffic the Laguna Madre is starting to experience is blowing the fish out of their normal haunts and sending them to new and exciting places. We we could get everyone to run normal routes instead of right through the fish….but I digress!
Want reds and monster trout? Take a right, starboard, or southerly turn and get shallow. I have been on great reds and trout for a couple of weeks now in a very tight, we are talking football field sized area with a few mid 20 to high 20's trout caught and released. The reds have been awesome…showing signs of an incredible year. I, personally, and a number of charters have caught upper end slots to oversized everywhere south. Personal lure of choice, if not throwing flies into a 35 mph headwind is a Bone colored top dog! Exclusively…if I can't sight cast to 'em I have to see them eat! When forced into deeper waters….anything dark with a paddle tail to tattle tail on the bait. With wild winds, water has been muddy so I want as much noise out there to raise interest!
Want large numbers of trout with monster girls thrown in and a few slot reds? Take a left, port hand, or northerly heading and get relatively deep for this time of year. Trout have been holding in crotch to waist deep water. Any shallower, any deeper…nada…these fish are getting wise or the monkeys that think because they have a shallow water boat they should run the first grassline wide open are scattering the fish and pushing the fish deeper. You never know! Mother nature is her own thinker. Once again dark colored plastics with tails and a limited top water bite in the right conditions.
Expect spring conditions soon. We are in the mid to upper eighties all week with wind and sun. Bring skin protection for that winter pallor. Also, reports will be more up to date now since we will have guides on the water everyday from now until the end of October…thanks for all the business and memories. We will also be posting a weekend outlook on our Port Mansfield Fishing Forum and giving away a pair of Everlast Ray Guard Boots to the member posting the highest number of pertinent postings for the month of March. So log on and get chatting!