Bay Flats Lodge on San Antonio Bay
By Capt. Chris Martin
March is behind us now, and hopefully the really cold frontage passages have gone with it. It’s April, and it’s time for us to get on to bigger and better things, like better weather conditions and bigger trout and redfish. A lot will be happening this month with regards to changes in the environment and in the fishing pattern. The days will be getting longer, which means there will be an ever increasing amount of sunlight each day as a direct result. Typically, some of the warming trends that we begin having this month will sometimes raise bay water temperatures to a level near between 70 and 80 degrees. Once waters reach that temperature, the springtime transition kicks-off that signals the approach of various changes for both the anglers and for the fish.
April anglers should look to the shallowest of waters to begin warming at the highest rate this month, as skinny waters along tapering shorelines will be the first to start collecting the springtime sunlight that will once again bring life to these places. The warming of these flats areas will start to attract all sorts of marine life, to include a lot of different types of bait species like mullet, different finfish, mud minnows, and even shrimp and crab. When this starts to happen, anglers are almost certain to be able to locate prized trout and redfish in and amongst the bait activity.
In April, the redfish are sometimes the first ones to follow the baitfish to the warming shallows, so anglers should focus on looking for pods of surface-active baitfish huddled tightly above heavy grass, mud, or sand for some exciting action. But, after a consistent warming trend lasting at least three or four days, anglers will almost certainly be able to find trout not far behind the redfish, as the trout are going to be just as anxious to feed on the active baitfish.
Spring can present coastal anglers with some windy days, as the winds will appear to increase each week due to the approaching warmer months. Wind direction and velocity can dictate success or failure based upon what decisions you make, so don’t be quick to cancel your day on the water simply because the wind happens to be blowing hard. Matagorda Island presents anglers with a number of good alternatives on windy days in the form of countless sand bars, points, coves, and leeward shorelines that offer protection while wade fishing. In the event that the wind does stop blowing for even a brief while, don’t forget to try some of the open-water shell reefs located out in San Antonio Bay, as some of April’s nicest fish can be taken above the shell. Good luck, and keep grinding!
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Bay Flats Lodge, Inc.
P.O. Box 580
Seadrift, Texas 77983-0580
1.888.677.4868 Office
Brochure
Lodge Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z97C5pSEWCc
www.BayFlatsLodge.com
BayFlatsLodge
Buy your Fishing or Hunting License before arriving call 1-800-895-4248 or
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/licenses/online_sales/index.phtml
