STRATEGIES FOR SHALLOW SUMMERTIME TROUT

It’s been a while since I have written one of these monthly blog posts but to be honest, I have missed it more than I realized. For those of you who used to get the emailed version of these, welcome back! And to those who this is your first read, welcome and thanks for reading! Most of you probably know me already but for those that do not, my name is Capt. Eric Gonsoulin and I am a guide focused on clients wanting to catch trophy speckled trout year-round in the Baffin and Laguna Madre bay systems. These articles focus on observations I have made on the water the month before in hopes that some of the content will help you (the readers) become better anglers and give you a better skill set and chance of sticking that lifetime fish, whether on the water with me or on your own.

This month’s article discusses a pattern I have seen developing over the past couple of years and have seen it more so this year than ever before, trout staying shallow all day during the heat of the summer. It is hard to believe that during the month of June we had multiple trout over 7lbs including one tank that went to 8.5lbs (pictured), and numerous other trout over 5lbs and you know what they all have in common? They all came from knee deep water, or less, regardless of the time of day. Kind of kills the concept that trout feed shallow early then slip off into deeper water as the sun gets higher right? Of course I am not saying they never go deeper, that’s crazy. They will move deeper when the conditions or environment allows them to, but the fact is that larger trout benefit more from staying up shallow than they will moving out deeper. Here’s why.

First of all, moving to deeper water means expending energy. Energy that could be saved and used to hunt the next meal, which will only move them closer to being at the top of the food chain. On average we have seen our water temperature in Baffin start around 83-85 degrees each morning and top out around 90-91 degrees during the afternoon. Though 90-degree water is not comfortable, it does not necessarily mean death. Trout are not like humans in this sense, they will sacrifice comfortability to save energy. Side Note : one thing I have noticed is that the trout tend to become more lethargic as the water temps reach 90 degrees. They enter what I call “survival mode”. Those of you that have fished with me before have heard this term. At this point they are not so much concerned with eating and we usually see a drastic drop in feeding behavior as conditions change and warrant fish to “survive” rather than expose themselves. There are still ways to catch them, but the bites become less frequent and much less aggressive.

So if they are not focused on feeding, why not move to a more comfortable environment? I’ll give you two guesses, but you’ll only need one… predators. Over the past 5 years we have seen a huge increase in our dolphin population in Baffin and the Upper Laguna. I am not sure the reason for this, but I do know that those 1,000 lb puppy dogs definitely affect trout patterns. Plus, this year we have seen quite a few more sharks than normal. Myself and several other guides have been seeing several large Bull Sharks in Baffin since around Memorial Day weekend. Hope they move out soon but unfortunately this may be a new normal for us with the amount of tide runners that came into the Laguna this year. Of course, this is going to keep larger trout shallow. Staying in an area where they truly are the top of the food chain is always a safe bet for them, and they know it.

Now that I’ve explained why they are staying up there, let’s get to the good stuff. When targeting these upper class trout during the dog days, what are we looking for? Many things go into building a consistent big trout pattern that are dependent on the area you are fishing as well as the day’s conditions, however there are several ingredients that remain relevant no matter where you are. First and foremost, I look for current. Though Packery Channel helps, here in Baffin and the Laguna we primarily rely on wind driven current day in and day out. Understanding the hydraulics of your bay system and where water flows in and out is huge here. This is where Google Earth becomes your best friend on your days off the water and letting your feet be your sonar on the days you are on the water. Make notes of every bottom contour!! All of these are created by water movement and almost always you can expect that bottom structure will stay put for years to come, barring any major environmental change like a hurricane. Typically I look to where the current is stacking bait either up wind or at the focal point of a bottom change (in other words, windward structure). A point, gut, sandbar, drop-off, bowls or depressions in the flats, these are all things to look for. I like to setup up wind of the area structure and slowly (key..) approach the structure while making more casts than steps. Once one of us gets a bite from a quality fish we will stop, or if we reach the area I believe good fish are holding we will stop and fish it for as long as I believe there is an opportunity to catch them.

Deep water still plays a big role in shallow water trout fishing, even though they are staying shallow all day or the majority of the day. Trout are doomsday preppers by nature, they always have a backup plan in case the conditions change and they need to escape quick. Quick, protected, deep water access is a must. But Capt, protected deep water access? That just sounds dumb. Well, yeah it does, but hear me out. Those of you who fish areas like Rockport or Port Aransas can attest that Dolphins can get anywhere they want to, but unless it’s a freakishly high tide you rarely see them in areas that are cut off from deep water by a sandbar, reefs, or drains. Deeper water to a trout can be the difference between knee deep water and waist deep water, even if its just a small gut in between two sandbars. More times than not they are not going to just swim off into the depths of the bay and hope for the best, they are doomsday preppers remember? A deeper bowl in the flats, a gut between sandbars, an old oilfield channel that is deep in the flats, these are all examples of deep water that is protected. They do not need a drop off leading to the middle of the bay, just a foot or two more water to give them security and peace of mind.

Above all else, bait is the key that always points us in the right direction of the fish we want to catch. No bait, no fish (most of the time, there are exceptions). Identifying and targeting the right bait that your targeted fish are feeding on is huge. Typically, larger trout will target smaller bait such as shrimp, ballyhoo and needlegar during the summer. For example, earlier this month I pulled into an area I knew had been holding some larger fish but did not see any bait movement except a few small menhaden flip. My customers seemed to be puzzled, thinking the water was “dead water”. Which, for those looking for fields of flipping mullet, it would have looked like that. A little pep talk and explanation of what we were doing, and off we went. In a span of an hour we had 2 fish over 7lbs and another 6lb fish. Never saw a mullet flip, only a shrimp here and there and a few menhaden. Pay attention to the bait your target is feeding on, and it is not always big mullet.

In closing, all of the information above boils down to one thing that I tell my anglers all the time. Everything on the water is information, it is our job to receive it. Everything from where a mullet jumps, to the way waves are rippling around a point. We can learn something every day if we allow ourselves to pay attention, so always be aware and attentive to your surroundings.

Hope this article is enjoyable and helpful, these will come out the first week of every month so make sure to stay tuned for the August blog!

I do have some available dates for July and August left, as well as one week left for Port Mansfield in February. Get with me if you’re looking to book, 832-455-9322

Capt Eric