Months of Transition LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

LOOKING INTO MARCH AND

On days I am spring shing, I pick spots based on air/water temperature and the amount of sun versus clouds. For colder days, I also glance at what the moon is doing and base my decisions on all of these factors.

My shing trips start in the morning and end mid-day, so the major and minor bite times aren’t always in my favor. is does not mean the sh are not in the correct location and hungry. It just indicates that based on all this information, certain times should technically be be er for feeding. When it is cold and

Do not be scared to try something different every once in a while and enjoy the spring shing season!

CONTACT CAPT. MERRITT:

Email: GeradMerritt@gmail.com

Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

April it’s always hard to pinpoint exactly where you’ll be, exactly what you’ll be doing, or how you’ll be doing it on any given day. ese are transition months, is it going to be cold? Is it going to be hot? Will the sh be deep or shallow? ese “transition” months cause indecision in some of the sh schools. Some are already entering summer patterns, some are still holding on strong to winter pa erns. It can take a while to get ahold of them, but once you do it can be great shing. I like to start in deep grass pockets for red sh and trout looking to ambush overpassing bite size bait sh. If that’s not happening I start to cruise the shallow ats looking for warmer water and schools of bait sh scattering from under the boat. If I see a good amount of sh over a 75-100 yard stretch I feel like it’s worth swinging around on. I’m a lure guy when it comes to red sh and trout, but sometimes in these transition months I’ll use certain kinds of bait like ballyhoo or live mullet. Anchoring up or dri ing along mangrove covered spoil islands can be good with these kinds of baits.

But don’t get under con dent, March and April are also extremely easy and fun months to sh if you decide to take what Mother Nature is willing to give you… e sheepshead shing is phenomenal during this time period, they are spawning and holding in massive schools in semi-deep structure, anywhere from 6-20’ deep from inshore channels and bridges to nearshore wrecks within just a few hundred yards of the je ies. Once I locate the schools on my humminbird sh nder Live or dead shrimp free lined o the side of the boat will get chewed every time! Be ready for triple and quadruple hook-ups when hangin’ in schools of these convicts. ey’re not easy to let but the tasty meat is worth the work. ey call ‘em “bay snapper” for a reason!

Trophy hunting? With the good moons, full or new, in March and early April you can nd me chasing monster trout on pink topwaters and jigs with so plastics. It’s the time of the year where the trout tend to be the heaviest, and most willing to destroy noisy walk the dog style topwater lures, which is an absolute blast! Many personal best sh are a ained by my clients during these times.

CONTACT CAPT. BARRERA:

Email: CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com

Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

Lower Coast Hotspots

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado

HOTSPOT: North of Arroyo

GPS: N 26 22.0107, W 97 20.0005 (26.3668 -97.3333)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Corkies, soft plastics in dark colors

SOURCE: Captain Joey Farah 361-442-8145

TIPS: Fish the rocks off the point in deeper water. Fish Corkies and eel-style plastics on light jigheads.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Marker 63

GPS: N 26 14.343, W 97 16.482 (26.2391, -97.2747)

BEST BAITS: 3 inch Berkley Gulp under a popping cork

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Fish grass beds and along the spoil banks… all shallow water from 18 inches to two feet deep.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Queen Isabella Causeway

GPS: N 26 5.0155, W 97 12.0163 (26.0836, -97.2003)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Egret Wedge Tail and Kelly Wiggler

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

TIPS: If the weather is warm Capt. Johnson will start the day with a topwater and use them all day if I have a consistent bite. If the action slows, he will go either to a soft plastic or a Corky… a slow twitch bait.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point

GPS: N 27 16.3, W 97 30.46 (27.2717 -97.5077)

SPECIES: Sheepshead

BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, fresh shrimp.

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Free line shrimp around the pilings. Braided line is best for light bites.

LOCATION: Middle Ground

HOTSPOT: Channel

GPS: N 26 36.398, W 97 24.102 (26.6066, -97.4017)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live bait, Gulp Shrimp, twitchbaits.

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

TIPS: Fish the flats just west of the Marker. Trout and redfish hang out around the potholes in 3- to 4-feet of water. The traditional live bait and soft plastics work well.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats

GPS: N 26 12.138, W 97 17.8489 (26.2023, -97.2975)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Various baits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Topwaters, red/white soft plastics, gold or chrome spoons.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield

HOTSPOT: Land Cut Spoils

GPS: N 26 49.0094, W 97 28.0021 (26.8168, -97.4667)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Catch 2000 or Corkys

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: The Catch 2000 and Corkys are suspending baits…just a slow twitch, keep them above the grass. Favorite colors are pink/chartreuse for a Catch 2000 and a pearl/green on the Corky.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Stover Point

GPS: N 26 12.0031, W 97 17.0117 (26.2001, -97.2835)

Hotspotlight

Kleberg Point

KLEBERG POINT ON THE WEST SHORE OF BAFFIN BAY IS THE GATEWAY TO TWO productive extensions, Cayo Del Grullo and Laguna Salada. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish

BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with live shrimp

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear area at the bottom; dawn-midday, dusk 7

TIPS: When fishing open water, fish the flood tides. In smaller bays fish an ebb tide because the nutrients are being flushed out of the small bays and channels.