After a long and tediously cold winter, a long string of 75 degree + days have graced the middle Texas Coast recently.  These warm sunny days and balmy nights have caused water temperatures to rise into the "it's on" category!

Fish are no longer concerned with survival, but are ready to branch out and eat in quantity.  Redfish are still nipping sand eels and crabs and trout are gorging on big mullet in the 6 to 12" (and up) category.  Water levels are still low, but soon, a push of water will usher more redfish into the super skinny waters of the back lakes.  Tiny shrimp and glass minnows will begin to arrive and lodge themselves into any cover they can find.  Since many back lakes are devoid of grass (thanks to ducks and cold water temps), any cover will do.  Find some green goo or emerging grass, or mats of dead grass and you'll find bait hiding there.  Predators know this too and will be rummaging through the matter in search of morsels hiding there.

Stingrays bedding up provide a perfect place for redfish to find sand eels sticking their heads out of the soft mush.  Target these stingray beds in the areas where there is no grass.  Pods of hardheads are converging into the shallow water as well.  Surrounding these rolling 2 18" Trout with 8" mullet in their guts balls of hardheads will be lots of hungry redfish, picking off whatever is being dislodged from the bottom by the hardheads.  At this time of the year, predators will use every method in their arsenal to find food. 

Water temperatures still matter, so fish the warmest water possible.  If a cold night does arrive, take this into consideration when picking your fishing spot for the day. 

Flies of choice are small clousers in white/chartreuse, all white and natural colors.  Small crab flies and any bottom dwelling flies will work as well.  Lures chunkers toss Super Spook Jr's in light and dark colors, 3" soft plastic paddletails in natural colors and 1/8th ounce weedless gold spoons.  Add a crank bait like a Baby 1- when it's blustery and there is no floating grass.

Talk about sightcasting to the trophy trout that are crawling in huge numbers all over Estes Flats.... there are a bunch of them and they are big!  Unlike all winter long, these big fish are currently eating.  Shallow water sightcasting to large numbers of gigantic trout won't last long, however, as they will be sliding off onto the edges to begin to spawn.  You will still be able to find them, however, early in the morning or late in the day along the very shallowest of edges.  Now is the time to target super shallow, hungry, trophy trout in Rockport.  On the fly or on a lure, put it in front of them and they will eat it.

Full-on Spring is coming a little later this year, but we are rushing there!  It's great to finally be able to go fishing in Crocs and without three layers of clothes!  Here's a very warm welcome from me to the hot, sweaty, sunscreen-in-your-eyes days of spring and summer!  It can't come too soon!

Capt. Sally
Website:  www.captainsally.com