Stacked Odds MID COAST

Reported by CAPT. KYLE HODSON

AS WITH OTHER STYLES OF shing, there are many mornings in our sport of y- shing that are lled with excitement!

ere’s the anticipation of the play-byplay that rolls through your mind as you consider the day’s conditions. ere’s also the essential optimism that’s shared in the cockpit of the poling ski as you envision Matagorda

(28.4835 -96.2168) sound. Best Gulp! colors are pearl or New Penny.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake

HOTSPOT: East Pass

GPS: N 29 59.0269, W 93 46.5619 (29.9838, -93.7760)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Gulp under a popping cork

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Catch a lot of fish under a popping cork with Gulp on a light jig head, 1/16 oz, 3 to 5 feet under a Coastal Popping Cork. They have a good ‘clack’

Island’s backcountry.

As saltwater anglers, there are also mornings when we question our sanity. is might be brought about by the sound of ags whipping against ag poles, which could be a warning—whether heeded,

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: 5 Inch Provoker soft plastic

SOURCE: Capt. Bill Watkins

409-673-9211 www.fishsabinelake.com these exact days this past December. We were greeted with ENE winds gusting to 25mph - the type that sprays everyone as you make your way across the bay. Air temperatures were holding in the upper 40’s, and we were blanketed in heavy cloud cover and high winds—the odds were stacked against us. or not - of high winds, along with rigging clanking on other nearby boats. Whatever your vision, the realization is ampli ed once you’re away from land and out on the water.

TIPS: Depending on how much fresh water we have coming in will determine where the trout will locate. If the lake is real clear and salty, the fish will be distributed all over the lake, many of them up north by the rivers.

We arrived at our destination and made our way through the maze of marsh. Looking for relief from the wind, we were encouraged as we placed ourselves upon the unbeaten path. We truly felt that the further o the trail we could go, the greater reward we might receive. So, we discussed the upcoming lake and its possibilities, and talked about the plan.

Unfortunately, we experienced one of

Upon entering this Matagorda Island back lake, something caught my eye and I shouted to my angler, “9 o’clock, we might have something.” He’d already keyed on the same thing. His shot now moved to our 12 o’clock. He held the shot, and he presented a well-placed 40-foot cast to what I knew was a good sh. My initial fear was that this sh was going to drag us down through some of the shallow guts that I wouldn’t be able to pole us to. My angler, however, did a fantastic job, and he was