Just when it looked as though the winds were going to back off, they started blowing again. Add to that a hard-falling tide each night, and you have some pretty tough conditions this past week. There is a silver lining though as a more tropical weather pattern is expected to form by the weekend. Tropical patterns typically result in lighter southeast or easterly winds and more consistent tide levels.

Currently, there are plenty of redfish in lakes and marshes. In the event of a low tide they can be approached by wading or by kayak. So far this season, most of the fish have been very approachable both from the skiff and afoot. On the bay-side flats, there are numerous cow nose rays cruising so watch for redfish following along behind. There are also plenty of jacks cruising the channel edges and drop offs along shorelines. Unfortunately, the high winds have kept me from getting to them as the deeper water has just been too rough to spend any appreciable amount of time chasing them.

The prospects for the summer look bright. There are plenty of redfish up skinny where a fly fisherman can get to them. The bays, flats, and marshes are in great shape after the two previous seasons of above average rainfall. As evidence of this, I have been in some lakes this spring where the finger mullet were so thick they had to take turns swimming! Until water temps hit the high eighties, I will concentrate on lakes and marshes and large bay-side flats. As I pole in, I will be looking for bait activity and fishing birds (herons and egrets). These have been key indicators of redfish activity this spring.

A word of caution: there has been an unbelievable number of jellyfish in the bays and on the flats this spring. Both cool (non-stinging) and hot (stinging) jellies have been present in numbers that I have not seen in twelve years. If wading, wear long pants, and if paddling or poling, be careful that you do not pick up tentacles as you move along. They can certainly light you up so keep some meat tenderizer handy.

Report provided by Capt. Paul Brown. He can be contacted at 361-386-0408

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