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Wayne’s Port Mansfield Report Wayne Davis

from July 2021

from July 2021, page 76

Hooked up with Rowsey David Ro...

WAYNE DAVIS Greetings from Port Mansfield. At the present time we are dealing with high tides and tons of rain. I have dealt with high water levels in years past and one gut-hooked trout. We have been dealing with some big rains but these have not dampened our spirits or our efforts. Lightening is a whole other problem, though, and we layoff for safety’s sake. Numerous days have WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Port and when I see it like this I venture put my AFTCO Anhydrous rain jacket through some rigorous workouts.

Mansfield just a little bit further inland, (yes, in I have owned two and I can say they will keep you dry. We recently held my boat, of course). It is really cool to a media event with some of the KWigglers Pro Team Women Anglers cruise slowly on plane in crystal-clear and the wind and rain showed up right on cue. They battled both like water in pastures where cow and nilgai the pros they are and still caught good numbers of fish in adverse tracks are holding small pinfish and conditions. I am super proud to be associated with them. Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for mullet. I am not quite sure how many more acres of fishable water we might On that note – Captain Ernest Cisneros, myself, and KWigglers Brand Ambassador, Erica Rae Hirsch, will be holding a women’s only fish over 20 years. He specializes gain if it rises another foot or more, camp this fall at Port Mansfield. This is a three-day program and not in wade fishing with lures. but I would bet many. I am not the just a fishing trip. Yes, there will be fishing, but we will be covering biggest fan of extreme high water but so much more. Feel free to give me a call for more information on Telephone as I have previously stated, I use it to this exclusive educational opportunity. You can also find updates on 210-287-3877 my advantage best I can. One of the Facebook – Texas Women Anglers. Email advantages of high water is that it will Getting into July, we can expect elevated water temps and seasonally captwayne@kwigglers.com eventually drop, and when it does you lower tides. I will shift my mostly knee-deep game to thigh-deep along better not miss out. You see, all those ledges, points, and edges of grass lines. This pattern should hold through

“scattered” fish in the salt flats will be leaving and you can bet I will be summer with plenty of redfish, and some flounder, as well. Area baitsitting at the mouth of a drain or cove capitalizing on the moment. Be shrimpers are reporting numerous small flounder in their nets, which sure to check the accompanying video to see how we take advantage. could foretell good flounder action ahead this fall and winter. Our bay

In general, our water is OK, but with an unusual tint that I associate is in recovery mode, trout-wise, and along with the influx of fresh water with freshwater runoff. We are also seeing a lot of what locals call Easter we are seeing shrimp, croaker, pinfish, mullet, and other forage species grass – filamentous algae. Slimy, bright green in color, in strands and while wading. This, coupled sometimes in mats. It is impossible to get a soft plastic lure through the with the recent dredging stuff. Topwaters become the practical choice in areas where it is thickest of the East Cut could be a and these have been producing well for us. catalyst for boosting the

Redfish have taken center stage since the freeze and I expect this recovery. Good stewardship will continue for the foreseeable future. Trout fishing is slow across the will also help. board. Some say two years, while others say three to five before it gets The 46th Annual back to normal. I can go three to four trips without a single trout and Port Mansfield Fishing the next might give us two or three. Most of my anglers understand Tournament will be held the importance of CPR during these times, which is totally cool, and I July 15-18, 2021. The trout am glad to see it. Others, want to keep a few reds for dinner, which is category has been removed also OK in my book. I have cleaned thirteen fish all year – twelve reds from the bay division and it is being conducted in a blackjack format with incentives for live weighin. So, gather a team and bring the family for a funfilled weekend. For more information contact www. portmansfieldchamber.com Jeff Hall with a nice redfish Until next time, stay safe that took a topwater. out there!