The stars are aligning for a great holiday weekend, fishing-wise. Coming off Thursday’s new moon the tides will be strong, the winds and seas are forecast to be favorable and the fish should be chomping. The only caveat will be the extra boat traffic due to the holiday, so be prepared for longer waits at the ramps.
The big news the last week or so are the reports of very large cobia being caught. The water temperatures are in the upper 70s and the ling are crisscrossing the Big Bend in good numbers. Trophies up to 80 pounds have been landed. Cobia can be found around most structure and even sometimes cruising along the flats. It may be solo fish or pods of several members. A medium-heavy spin outfit with 30-pound test braid with a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader will handle most ling. Al Gag’s Whip-it Eels and larger swim baits or bucktail jigs will entice the fish, as will live pinfish, catfish or eels. There is a new federal size limit, so be aware of your location and measure carefully before putting one in the box.
Trout and redfish continue to be cooperative and can be found from the backcountry creeks and bayous to the open flats. Depths of six feet or less are prime zones, although don’t hesitate to try deeper with the warmer water. Soft-plastic touts, minnows and shrimp lures are the standard options. A noisy surface plug twitched over the tops of flooded grass or oyster bars will score nice bags as well. With the aggressive pattern, colors don’t matter as much as presentation, but it’s hard to go wrong with natural-looking black/silver or olive/pearl. With the winds and rain this past week, water clarity might dictate mixing a little gold into the repertoire as well. Both reds and trout will gladly slurp down a wobbling Aqua Dream weedless spoon, too.
This is the ideal time for diversity, if you’re tired of chasing trout and redfish. Tripletail and flounder are here in good numbers. A DOA shrimp or Sureketch jig will trigger strikes from either. Some hefty Spanish mackerel are in the nearshore depths hammering bait pods. Use a shiny casting spoon or Gotcha lure to pick macks off the edges of bait. For big game action, sharks will definitely bend the rod. Blacktips and spinners are great sport and will gladly eat a swim bait lure.
Winds are expected to be south/southeast at low volumes through Monday. Mid-morning low tides will be replaced by nearly two feet of incoming water by mid-afternoon. With the brightening lunar phase, very high feeding activity is forecast for a couple hours after the high has peaked, along with the last hour before dead low.
Please practice common courtesy at the ramps and on the water. Maintain social distancing and operate the boat safely. Law enforcement will have a presence all weekend, on the lookout for boaters under the influence or those who violate fisheries laws.
Finally, remember the reason for the Memorial Day holiday and give thanks to those brave American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom.
Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.