Big Bend sportsmen and women who aren’t in the woods or duck blind this long holiday weekend should find plenty of seafood for the post-turkey doldrums. With mild daytime temperatures and the lows cool but not cold at night, the fish are not fully into the winter hunker-down mode just yet. Plenty are being caught still on the nearshore flats as well as the tidal creeks and around the coastal river mouths and oyster bars.
Trout are being the most cooperative targets lately. Live shrimp, DOA shrimp, grubs and soft-plastic smaller minnow imitations are accounting for the biggest catches with natural and white/pearl patterns drawing the most attention. Plenty of quality fish are being netted, along with non-stop action with lower slots at times. With the cooler water temperatures, the fights are spirited and fun on light tackle. As a bonus, flounder are still inshore in good numbers.
There are plenty of redfish around, too, but for some reason the reds have been timid early this week. Some will look a lure over and simply refuse to eat, while others will only nip at the tail. The success rate is typically better with schooling fish, as there’s competition to see who gets the ready meal. Most of the reds are singles, pairs or smaller groups rather than giant schools, however.
The weird fall weather has tree leaves staying on longer, albeit with ample color changes due to the cold snap. Tulip trees and some azaleas are blooming, too. On the flats, most of the pelagics are gone, although a few lingering bluefish and even a couple small blacktip sharks are still around. Blue crabs are scuttling around rather than buried and there’s lots of pinfish hanging out in the shallows as well. No wonder the game fish are confused?
Tides will be low mid-mornings with quite a bit of water flooding back in by late afternoons through Sunday. Coming on the heels of Tuesday’s new moon, expect negative lows so plan accordingly for launching. Peak solunar windows will be for an hour on either side of the high, along with the first hour on the incoming water. Winds are predicted to be light to moderate based on the early forecast with a chance of some showers by Sunday.
Please practice boating courtesy on the water and dress in layers for protection. You can always take jackets, hoodies and rain gear off when it warms but you can’t put them on if they’re not in the boat.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!