Drifting on the early morning outgoing proved fruitless casting soft plastics into off colored water. With no birds working or feeding activity it was looking bleak for any speckled trout action. The bait was here, shad flitting, shrimp skittering, and mullet, well, being mullet. Then I spotted a distant grass-line.
Not wanting to give up DESPITE rising temps setting records across Texas, with predictions for 107 “feel-like” temps this day for the Galveston bay area. But this was July, and July temps in Texas were typical for the upcoming 4th “firecracker weekend”.
The grass-line looked inviting, the water much clearer with its sloping 4ft to 8ft depths looking more fishable. As I paralleled the bank to begin casting a 1/4 oz jig loaded with a pumpkin/seed chartreuse soft plastic, my first cast was immediately “thumped” zinging off for deeper water. Rolling and fighting, the fish revealed a black spot on its tail. “A redfish, I thought, and a nice one! After several strong runs stressing my skills a golden hued, bronzed 26inch spot-tailed redfish finally slipped into the net. What a beauty!
This was a sport-fishermen’s dream come true and as surreal as it could get with a rising sun at my back and tailing reds at my front. This beautiful redfish would become the first, of many reds I would have the joy of meeting today.
The weather couldn’t have been better, with light southeast winds riffling bay waters, allowing for controlled drifts along the grass-line, keeping the boat at the right casting angle with my troll-motor. When the reds tailed, I would cast to them with an immediate hook-up. When the reds boiled or bulged the water chasing bait, I would cast to them with an immediate hook-up. And when they surfaced, I would cast to them with immediate hook-up. It seemed that I just couldn’t miss with everything going my way this morning. Until, I met the “BIGGUN” !
Basically sight fishing for redfish, I used my troll-motor to control my drift fishing along the edge of the grass-line, staying within easy casting distance of about 30ft. I was easing along the flooded grass searching for the tail/tale signs of a feeding red when suddenly a “yard long” brute surfaced showing its back as it boiled on a mullet. My cast was quickly gobbled up! Setting the hook, the red exploded for “mid-bay” with me trailing behind frantically trying to keep up with its runs and surges. But fumbling fingers and slowness of age favored the rampaging red when my belated drag-set caused the jig to pull-out from its massive jaw. “This was one for the fish Gods I mumbled, as I strolled back to the grass-line, still shaken from the “wild” redfish sleigh-ride I had just experienced.
The water was FULL of shrimp, which probably was the main reason for the reds feeding spree along the grass-line. But mullet and shad were here as well mulleting and skittering their way along the grass until the reds “ambushed” them, scattering mullet and shrimp in all directions. These aggressive feeding ambushes made easy targets for my casting as many a red met my jig when this occurred.
FUN was the key word here today! Amazed that no other boats were around having it all to myself and not wanting to “jinx” my luck, I kept those thoughts under my cap, keeping a low profile with my hook-ups and hiding my action from prying eyes. I managed to catch and net 8 keeper slot-reds before 8am and handling another four keepers before heading in by 9:30:am. These reds were from four to eight lbs, with one 28″ plus weighing 10 or 11 lbs, with my “yard-long” red easily capping 25lbs.
Along with an occasional speckled trout, my 12 redfish morning had been a good one for sure. Releasing ALL back to east bay waters to help replenish the stock. But one oddity alerted me to the absence of any flounder. This was flounder water for sure with flooded grass holding “tons” of baitfish and shrimp. I guess the TP&W studies were true. That the flounder count was down to an estimated 55% with the popular flatfish being absent from Texas bays, which is the reason why the TP&W fisheries Dept; possibly cutting the daily flounder limits from ten to five per day for the upcoming 09/10 season.
In three my mornings of angling, launching by 6am, casting by 6:30am, and out by 10am, spending a total of nine hours fishing time, I managed to catch 29 redfish from East Bay waters, of which 26 of them were between the legal slot limits of 20″ to 28″ with three going over slot. Though I released all my fish the legal “keeper” limit for anglers are three slot reds per day with 1 over slot included in the limit when tagged. What really surprised me was the fact that the reds I caught were above the 21″ minimum with no throwbacks. Four were multi-spotted “hatchery reds” with the rest being “single-spot” natives.
My fishing tackle included Castaway 7ft saltwater light-casting rods and Shimano Cruxis reels spooled with 10lb test Yozuri hybrid mono. My soft plastic lures were saltwater series Bass Assassins in pumpkin/seed chartreuse with 1/4 oz chartreuse Bass Assassin “big-eye” jig-heads. And I stress the “big-eye” feature as being a key factor for my action.
You can reach this fishing area by driving to Bolivar Peninsula near Rollover Pass and launching from the Yacht Basin public launch. Run across the inland waterway through the cut into East Bay, bearing left towards the grass-line. Head for the wreck of a water tank left by hurricane Ike and fish 100 yards on either side of it. There are Two sloughs on both sides of the tank that are worth checking out.
“Stealth” is a very important here, so small rigs such as my 17ft aluminum Skeeter fishing rig, which is more adept for bass fishing freshwater lakes rather than red fishing saltwater grass-lines, did very well with its bow mounted Troll-motor and sonar by not spooking the tailing reds. This was an exceptional fishing trip folks that should be experienced by those who enjoy the enjoyable with hard pulling fish and “toe-to-toe” action..
After my exciting encounter with the redfish during this “firecracker” weekend fishing Galveston’s East bay, I can safely say this. “Thanks to the Lord for allowing me to experience the experience. “Thanks to Mother Nature for setting such a beautiful scene. And “Thanks to the TP&W Fisheries Dept; for their “very successful” redfish program.By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
