Recent rains messed up a lot of fishing plans, but late-spring storms aren’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s normal for Central Texas to get a late spring rainy spell, and while it might have monkey-wrenched a fishing trip or two, in the long run, these beneficial showers will be highly appreciated when we head into the stretch of hot Texas summer weather.
Last weekend, we were around seven inches below the normal rainfall amounts for the year and without the wet spell, we’d be turning the corner into summer without much hope of making up the deficit. But as we head into the last full week of May, we’re pretty much caught up on rainfall area-wide, banks are full in most lakes and streams, and drought maps are a lot simpler to read.
As I wrote about a couple of weeks back, high-water fishing is one of the most reliable times to catch fish. Chocolate milk-like streams and newly-flooded areas are a huge attraction for fish, thanks not only to the infusion of oxygen-rich water, but also to the floodwaters washing out worms, insects, crustaceans, reptiles and amphibians, and other small prey that have been displaced and end up in the water.
High waters also wash out other, larger creatures from their usual habitats, including mammals, reptiles and birds that live and feed near the water’s edge. If you’re fishing in recently-flooded areas, watch your surroundings to avoid any unwanted encounters.
Out of the bank conditions are ideal for wading and kayak fishing, partly because of how easy it is to access good spots to fish. In fact, some of these areas are only a foot or two deep, which isn’t a problem if you’re in a kayak since it can be paddled across six inches of water.
With a little fishing common sense, newly-flooded areas can be very productive. Fish are definitely in there gobbling down all that new food, and if you’re in the right place and have the right bait, the only other factor involved is how lucky you are.
I like using either live bait (minnows, crawfish, night crawlers or freshly-netted shad) or Texas-rigged soft plastic worms or lizards. Bouncing a weedless bait through flooded shallow areas covered with grass and trees will keep you actively fishing better than lures with treble hooks, which can easily snag and cause you to trample through your fishing zone to retrieve your bait. A Google search for “Texas-rigged bait” will give you all you need to know about how weedless rigging works.
It can be annoying to cancel a fishing trip due to weather, but to put disappointment into perspective, remember that a year ago, the world was shut down because of a virus. A little rain is nothing.
Down by the sea
My friends down at the salty shore tell me that surf fishing is pretty much on hold, with flooded beaches and big waves making fishing too rough for all but the most sea-hardy, with 6-8 foot waves offshore predicted through the weekend.
But these things are fish and about the only things they do are eat, swim and make more fish, and they don’t stop because of some rain and wind, so you can still catch fish if you can find them. Best bets are throwing live bait or spoons off the jetties, and bay fishing has been good for reds on soft plastic baits.
In nine days, the 2021 red snapper season starts up in federal waters for private anglers, and bag/size limits will remain the same as last year — two fish per angler with a minimum length limit of 16 inches. The limit for state waters (federal waters start at nine nautical miles from shore) is four per angler with a minimum length of 15 inches. An important side note is that fish caught in federal waters count toward the state bag limit. Read and understand the regulations before you go.
The season ends at midnight on August 2, leaving most of the summer for anglers to charter offshore snapper trips. I’ve taken a few head boat trips and have always come back with my limit. Plus, with all the paying customers who end up too seasick to catch their own, I’ve gotten to reel in at least a half dozen more to round out the overall boat limit. Sort of taking up the slack for the folks hanging off the back.
Even if you’re just fishing for the day, you’ll need a valid fishing license. Visit the TPWD website for licensing options.
May 23, 2021 at 05:37AM
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Outdoors: The rain, the fish and other things - Waco Tribune-Herald
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