|
|
|
|
Monday I stood chest-deep in the Matagorda surf as a lazy sun eased below the dunes. Trout were bashing She Pups on the edge of the third bar as the tide gently receded, blue-winged teal were buzzing the marsh just over my shoulder and my bare feet felt every undulation the current had created as I scuffled from guts to sand bars.
What a blessing it is to live on the coast.
Labor Day Weekend is here, an extra day from the grind to enjoy the sweltering heat, and a tough choice to decide what to do with that day.
Coastal fishing is a solid choice. Whether you go by boat or by foot, there are several choice venues.
If the surf holds flat and green, speckled trout anglers should reap the rewards. Topwaters and live bait have worked throughout the week along with soft plastics like Texas Trout Killers, Bass Assassins, Norton Sand Eels and Bull Minnows, Stanley Wedgetails and Gulps. Best bite has been during the morning hours since ardent incoming tides have ushered new water to the first gut.
“We had good trout this week in the surf,” said guide Charlie Paradoski of Matagorda. “We caught them wading and drifting with plastics and topwaters.”
Those fishing the surf at night have scored trout on plastics and live shrimp under lights. Some have stood on the sand with lights and fished the first gut, while others have walked the boards on Galveston and Surfside piers.
With the threat of a hurricane brewing in the Gulf, seas could get bumpy quick. This could hurt the trout bite, but not redfish. From now through November, spawning bull redfish will be roaming the surf. As far as fishing for big brutes go, the rougher the better. Redfish like rolling waves during the spawn - the rough water helps displace eggs and protect the fry from predators. Best bet for success is chunks of cracked crabs, finger mullet and fresh peeled table shrimp. Already, big reds have been taken from Bolivar to South Padre and action should only get better as days become shorter.
“There are lots of bull reds in the surf,” said guide James Plaag of Silver King Adventures. “Conditions have been calm and flat and our boats have caught over 20 tarpon up to 160 pounds this week. Lots of jack crevalle and sharks are being taken under the tarpon.”
Good hunting too
Sept. 1 marks the opening of dove season in the North and Central zones. Though the South Zone does not open until Sept. 20, many coastal hunters will travel north of IH-10 to hunt the Central Zone.
Prospects look solid for fields near Hempstead, Columbus, Sealy, Dayton and Waller. If you plan to travel, the traditional dove corridor of Texas, which includes San Antonio, Hondo and Uvalde, all look promising. Cut corn fields are holding the brunt of the birds.
“Our fields are loaded up with doves,” said guide Robert Trotti of Texas Dove and Waterfowl. “The rains last week displaced a lot of birds, but since we have dried up, they came back. It should be easy limits for whitewings around San Antonio.”
Teal season opens in two weeks, and this weekend might be a good opportunity to scout ponds and do some touch-up work on blinds or levees. Though blue-winged teal are often “here today and gone tomorrow,” a trip to the field to check water levels and maybe mow down traveling paths could alleviate any obstacles when opening morning arrives.
Remember, with temperatures as warm as they are, cold-blooded reptiles could be a problem, especially if you hunt freshwater marshes where alligators are know to roam. A scouting trip could help you make the decision to leave your dog in the kennel instead of encountering a possible tragedy in the predawn darkness.
“Everyone who comes in the store says they are seeing lots of teal,” said Mike Grigar, owner of Johnny’s Sport Shop in Eagle Lake. “Teal season is usually really good on the prairie.”
It is tough deciding what you will do this holiday weekend. That’s the beauty of living on the coast.
Bink Grimes is a freelance writer, photographer, author and licensed captain. Contact him at binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net or www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com.