ON A RECENT EARLY
keep fishing the same areas and you’re not happy with the results, try
morning I was putting on my waders while
something different. Don’t be afraid to explore. Get out of the parking lot!
waiting to meet clients at the What-A-
My first response to the older gentleman was right on target; fishing
Burger parking lot in Port Isabel when
on the Lower Laguna continues to be outstanding. I believe we are
an older gentleman drove by and asked,
now reaping the rejuvenation of our bays that Hurricane Dolly’s storm
“How’s the fishing?”
surge and heavy rain brought to the ecosystem; and let’s not forget to
Of course my natural response was,
mention the benefits that the five trout limit has brought. In addition, fishing pressure has declined, a likely product of the general state of the
“It’s awesome!” He then replied, “No, I meant how’s the
economy, so fishing right now is about as good as it gets.
fishing right there where you’re standing.”
Because of minimal traffic on the water we are currently finding fish
I quickly caught on that he was trying
where they are suppose to be and not hiding or running from props and
to be funny, so I responded swiftly with,
the blast of outboard engine exhaust. The water has come up considerably
“Oh, they are tailing everywhere, all over
so shorelines have produced very well for us. When the wind blows hard,
the parking lot. I’ve already got my limit.”
typical for this time of the year, it causes bait to be pushed up shallow.
Off he went as we both chuckled over
A good concentration of bait along the grass beds of a shoreline is an
our conversation.
excellent attractor for the predators that we pursue. Some of our bigger
That conversation stayed with me for the rest of the day as I waded. It got me to thinking that on any given day we can have a parking lot experience. If I would have stayed on that
fish have come from shorelines or small pockets of water where the bait has been pushed by the wind. By now the shrimp hatch should be in its mature stage making the
parking lot all day, the only thing I would have caught was concrete, a
sandy, muddy west side shallows a prime area for rooting redfish.
good sunburn and lots of crazy stares. As a matter of fact, the only fish
Learn to study the tidal movements for the areas you fish. If you plan
you could find there was What-A-Catch on the restaurant’s menu.
to fish a shallow lagoon, find out when the high tide begins to flood the
Yes, parking lot experiences will occur even to the best of fishermen, but to some fishermen it occurs on a more regular basis. Why? If you
74
April 2009
area. Remember fish will migrate in and out of these shallow estuaries according to the tides; you want to be there as they migrate in and on the
Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com
Just Keep Five