FALL TROUT FISHING PATTERNS

FOLLOW THE MIGRATION

Summertime 30"Up Shallow

Well hopefully all of you had as good of a summer as we did! Needless to say we saw some outstanding days between the months of May and September, multiple days with several trout over 7lbs, plenty of consistent 5-6lb fish and several fish over 30”. Not bad for the “worst” months of the year for trophy trout! With that being said, I did take most of the month of August off for maintenance and an much needed slow down. Had some knee/foot problems I have needed to nurse and the boat needed a good clean up as I get it ready for sale in the next few months. If anyone is looking for an outstanding shallow water Haynie tower boat in the next few months, let me show you what I’ve got. No complaints at all on this one, it has done everything I have needed and more. This is also the reason I did not write a September blog, I felt it was better to provide a report from  my days on the water that month rather than to provide info based on my log book. (Which if any of you serious trout guys are not keeping a log of every day you fish, you need to be).

Over the past few weeks we have seen some exceptional shallow water fishing. Multiple trout in the 7lb range and one touching the 30” mark for September is abnormal but welcomed! This year has been a little different, we have started our fall pattern much earlier than normal. We were already seeing large herds of shrimp moving out from the drains in early August, and I believe the cooler than average temperatures has helped this process as well. So, this month’s article is going to discuss several of my favorite Fall patterns for trout and redfish.

TRUCK STOP PATTERN

When we think of a truck stop, what are we thinking about? Gas, food, utilities, all of the above? Yes, but above all else it is an attraction that congregates many people for many reasons. The same is true for trout and gamefish alike. To me, a truck stop (when speaking about fishing and not traveling) is an area along the baitfish migration that stacks bait and provides a good shallow feeding ground with immediate access to deeper water along the highway. Mullet stack in these areas due to current, safety, and camouflage. A trout will stage an ambush here because bait is stacked in these areas and makes for easy prey, as well as it being very easy to slip off into deeper water and continue down the road following the migration. Shallow sandbars, shoreline points, underwater points, windward flats with deep potholes, all of these areas stack bait and predators alike. To me the most important aspect of these areas are the ones that hold smaller bait. Over the years I have learned to pay extreme attention to what trout are feeding on and try to match my lure to that as much as possible and not assume that the bait I am seeing is the bait they are feeding on. This is especially true during the late summer and fall months when it is primarily the smaller bait that is migrating such as shrimp, menhaden and small mullet. Not all areas are created equal, and it pays to observe which areas hold which kinds of bait. For example, a couple weeks ago we were fishing a flat that had a small concentration of large mullet, but despite our efforts the trout wanted a smaller bait. 5” Coastal Brews, Double Ds, and micro topwaters seemed to be the only ticket they would punch. One Knockers, Skitterwalks, 6” Coastal Brews, all of these got the finger. Why? On every grassbed we would stick a good fish on, 2 or 3 small shrimp would fly out of the water on the hookset. Noticing this pattern everyone switched to a smaller bait and targeted the right structure and bam, almost everyone hooked up on a 4-5lb plus fish with the larges going right under 6. The larger baits would get looks from smaller male fish, but the larger females were on the appetizer diet. This pattern should ring true throughout the fall months going into mid-December when we start to transition to a winter pattern after a few good cold fronts.

SHORELINE DRAINS

Probably the most productive pattern of the Fall is the drain pattern. Though more prominent in places with a lot of backwater like Rockport and Port O’Connor, this pattern can still be used very effectively across the Baffin Bay and Laguna Madre bay systems. Drains do not have to be only coming out of shoreline lakes or creeks, if we think about it every bay system is one large drain. But, in order to use this pattern properly you need to identify the water hydraulics of your bay system and understand what the water shed is. The most productive drain pattern may not always be at the drain mouth. Again, we are looking for areas that stack bait in the water’s path from that drain mouth. Take Allyn’s Lake in Aransas Bay for instance. That drain slough runs a couple hundred yards through the lake and has multiple drains into the Allyn’s Bight and along the San Jose Shoreline. However, the more productive areas for me in the past have been the areas where the gut makes a bend or pinches against a shoreline. Again, stacking bait and predators alike. My clients & I have pulled 7lb+ fish out of these small bends in multiple bay systems after learning this pattern. Even though we are a couple hundred yards, or even half a mile, from the drain mouths we are still following the water shed and using the bottom contour to stack bait.

Bait choices these next few months will be on the smaller side of things for me. Once we have consistent cooler weather I will be relying heavily on the Double Ds as the menhaden and small mullet populations become the primary source of food for these larger trout. Do not be afraid to work the hell out of this bait. I work mine like a maniac and have really found that on some lures, the faster and more erratic the better.

Of course, the 5” Coastal Brew darts are still going to be our go-to weapons day in and day out. Rigged with a 1/16^th or a 1/8^th jighead (WITH A SMALL SHANK HOOK, 2/0 ONLY!!), these baits are the most versatile baits on the market and they last. No I am not saying they are the only plastics that catch fish and my clients are always free to throw whatever they are confident in, but these baits are at the tip of the spear most of the day even during “corky season” for most of my guys. Why? The results speak for themselves.  

Good luck this month and I hope that everyone has success on the water! For those looking to learn more about fall patterns and chase big trout in the process, I have several days left available in October and plenty in November. Call or Text me for a calendar or details! 832-455-9322

Capt Eric