I like fishing Calaveras more then Browning Lake for catfish, you can catch good numbers quickly with shrimp or chicken liver, cut bait.  To go after the big Reds you need good fresh live shad, look for points that extend out.  At Browning lake there is a good bank spot that is a point on the south shore and you have to get there early in the AM to fish that spot because there are always someone there fishing.  Good luck and post up any pics of you have any luck.  There are some good cheap fishing guides also that will take you out in the boat with bait and rigs for about 50 dollars for half day and 100 for full day that catch alot of good Reds and Hybird Bass!!!

Yes, the fishing can be very good back there at time, typically in the winter like you mentioned.  Our area of the shorline has all of the canals and finger flats.  Sometimes, large schools of redfish and drum get caught up in the tidal pools when the water goes out.  Its sick!! And can be very frustrating.  The are wallowing around in iches of water and you can clearly see huge redfish and drum but they are very hard to catch.

I like to throw lures, but even the tinest of lures will spook them.  A fly would be dedly but I dont flyfish.  I have found the best lure to be a tiny torpedo prop bait, the ones that are made for bluegill.  However, even this often spooks them.  Just about the only way to catch them is by tying a hook directly to your line with no weight, and baiting it with a peeled piece of shrimp.  Cast the bait in front of the fish but not right on top, they will usually pick it right up.  Its awesome even though its dead bait because the whole thing is visual cause the water is so shallow!

There can be so many that you want to just run out and grab them but the mud is way to soft and you will not get two steps before your up to your neck!

If you walk all the way out from our area you can eventually get to the open bay where there is a small island and several nice oyster reefs!  I used to fish this area alot growing up but not lately bcause I am so much into bass fishing!

Anyways, since you grew up in Odem, you have probably been out to my place.  When my greatgrandad died, and my dad moved to Dallas area; the ranch was left unattended to for about 20 yrs 70s-90.  People had knocked down the fences and gates and over the years locals forgot that anybody even owned it.  It was like public land for everybody. 

When my dad moved us back to the area in 1990, it was over run by tresspassers!  Poacher/hunters, fisherman, trash dumpers, and drug cookers!  What fought for about 15 yrs to get it cleaned up.  It was very dangerous and took alot of blood, sweat, and tears.  We were dealing with people that had been tresspassing for so long that they actually believed they had every right to be there, and they would get very upset, even violent.  They would knock down our gates, signs and fences; destroy and vandalize our cars and property, and guns/shots were even fired on a few occassions (nobody ever hurt)!

Finally, we teamed up with an adjacent landowner that had a lot of money.  He gave us the funds to build big sturdy gates that could not be ripped down.  This solved the problem.  Within two years our animal population increased 10 fold!!  It took us 15 yrs of fighting but it has come full circle.  For the past 9 yrs things have been great and we get very few tresspassers and poachers.  We broke the local idea that the place was open to the public.

We got a good deer herd and tons of wild pigs!!  Come on out!

I spent the whole weekend over in Rockport, spent two nights at Hunts Castle in one of their cabins.  OK, place for just men.  If you take wife and kids rent a room inside their main building.  Great pier for fishing caught a few sand trout’s keepers, and a few speckle trout’s, not keepers.  ggonzales, thanks for the advice on “the boiling pot" great food.  I will absolutely keep eating there.  Was not able to fish behind the McDonalds but did see many people there.  Spend half a day at Goose Island, also a great place to fish but with the kids I spent more time fixing their lines.  Next time around I’m going to try "Matagorda State Park" does anyone have any information that can be useful for bank fishing?  Over all it was a great time that we spent in Rockport, definitely a place to visit again.  Kids loved the harbor and got a chance to fish for the shrimp boats for perch.  Just off the side wall, they dipped hooks with shrimp and instantly caught them.  Then we gave them to the shrimp boat owner which sold for bait.

The fishing and the waether has been hot for me this summer, I have found that live shrimp was working best, but there were a few times that we ahd trouble buying bait because there was no shrimp available.  We fish Nueces Bay and the upper Laguna Madre with great success.  The best part of it is that we are 100% wade fisherman utilizing no boat or kayak and still catch good fish.

Another one some of you may like.

Red Dot's Homemade Tarter Sauce.

In a measuring cup, dip 5 TBSP. mayonaise (not Miracle whip) into measuring cup.

Add 2 TBSP sour cream

Add 4 TBSP. sweet Pickle relish.

Add 2 TBSP. Sour cream

Add 2 tsp.parsley flakes

add 1 tsp. onion powder

add 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian pepper

Mix well.  Use with fish, oysters, shrimp or crawfish.

1/2 tsp sugar may be added if desired.

Diana,

I use a similar sauce recipe to put over blackened or grilled fish.  Instead of lobster, I use small or chopped shrimp or lump crab meat (you can buy canned).  Add a wee bit of roux to this sauce for added flavor too.  I also add chopped green onion or parsley for color/presentation and a little more flavor. 

Thanks for the updated reports Diana !

DOA Shrimp is deadly this time of year at South Padre