Freshwater gone which means lots of speckled trout right now in all the bays also plenty of bull reds with some slots mixed in at the jetty’s.
With the fronts coming but not lasting long the saddle blanket flounder are going to start moving after the limit returns to 5 so it will be a home run for the fisherman. We are still catching limits of flounder just hard to get 2 over 5lbs.
With 70 degree weather everyone needs to get out & enjoy the sunshine!
With the sheepshead & redfish in a feeding frenzy that means the water temperature is rising towards that magical 68 degrees when the giant speckled trout move into the shallow water to start spawning. This is the most exciting time of the year as the trout eat everything in their path to fatten up before the long months of spawning. This is truly the time of year to catch a wall- hanger.
Probably the best way to increase your chances is to hire a knowledgeable guide but beware of the Internet as the high ratings seem to come from those who spend the most money & catch the least amount of fish.
So make sure you do your homework and check out the guide service to make sure they are going after the species you want to target before you spend your hard earned dollars and have a bad experience. Tight lines & hope to see you on the water.
Upper Coast ForeCast / December 2014– January 2015
All the predictions for the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015 are that it’s going to be an extremely cold winter. If that’s true, we are going to have to start thinking more about deep water channel fishing which is not done very often in our area.
Learning how to fish drop-offs can be extremely challenging but also very rewarding. Lucky for us, the invention of all the new electronics should make it easier to zero in on the depth the fish are at. Side scan and remote control troll motors with GPS technology are taking a lot of the guesswork out of fishing. Still, the most critical part of deep water fishing is finding the exact depth. As all the bass guys know, suspended fish are the hardest to catch.
Always count your line down and make sure you pay close attention to exactly what you were doing when you got the strike as presentation is always the most important part of filling the ice chest. If you are not lucky enough to have all the high tech stuff, turn your depth finder so that you can see it while running your troll motor to stay on the drop-offs. Making sure to have proper clothing “layered”can sometimes be the key to catching more fish, as it’s a lot easier to concentrate when you’re not freezing.
Good Fishing—Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 Written for The Coastal Conservation Association of Texas Newsletter – Fishing Forecast
Upper Coast ForeCast / February-March 2015
As we move from the doldrums of winter and head into spring, fishing in the Upper Coast will start to explode with action. Watch for those occasional warming days, as fish will be feeding more often, giving us a better chance to catch more and better numbers.
In early February and moving to mid-month, the back of Trinity Bay wade fishing with Corky’s and Mirrolures can be extremely productive. Work the shell in Jack’s pocket with the current moving either way, but remember that as the fronts come through, they will push the water out some of the prime areas, making them too shallow to fish, so watch the tides.
If you didn’t catch the fish of a lifetime to go on the wall in December or January, you still have three months when the fish are still fat and not heading into the light weights caused by spawning.
February moving into March, one of my favorite spots is San Luis Pass, but ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE JACKET WHEN WADING ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE PASS.
In the back bays, clear shallow flats with guts running every which way are a great place this time of year to catch a wall hanger.
And, whether you challenge a light surf in waders and life jacket, wade a shallow stretch of a bay or drift-fish the deeper waters, remember that courtesy on the water is catching. Know the weather before you go, and go comfortable. Tight Lines, and I hope everyone catches their fish of a lifetime.
–Capt. Ralph Frazier / 281-337-0321 Written for The Coastal Conservation Association of Texas Newsletter – Fishing Forecast
