Finally, fall is here....As seen in Saltwater Angler

Water temperatures in the mid to lower seventies have turned on a feeding frenzy in the shallow water this week!  The big schools of redfish are gathering together to feed up for the winter as the cool fronts that come through inch water temperatures down and down.
 
With water levels remaining normal to high, the back lakes of San Jose Island and the shallows of the back of Mustang Island are a few places to key on this fall.  Estes Flats and South Bay both turn on, as well as the shorelines of Traylor Island, Mud Island, Super Flats and Quarantine, when the winds are right. 
 
Changeable conditions during the entire fall really keep anglers thinking about best places to fish under all of these certain conditions.  Study your maps and have alternate locations for fishing under different wind directions.  Besides the usual south east winds, heavy north and north east winds are prevalent.  Remember that, in the shallow water, winds move water, creating current, either down a shoreline, between islands or through guts and sloughs.  Not only does wind move water, it moves bait, either stacking it up or whisking it down a shoreline, cut or drain.
 
After paddling, poling or wading into your fishing location, make a good study of where the birds are feeding, how the wind is blowing through and where the bait is jumping.  Target your fishing locations where the most activity is.  Sometimes the best fishing location is a windy shoreline, especially early in to a windy session.  Big predators will use this roiled up water to feed in, snatching helpless shrimp and tiny baits being blown around and out of the grass.  If you see bait jumping on these windy shorelines, fish there, throwing a topwater or soft plastic.  Work your topwater loudly so that it will be noticed if the winds are kicking.  Rip your soft plastic paddletail up through the water column for the same reason.  The vibration of the tail will bring predators looking.  Think of the noise that your topwater or paddletail makes as a "fish call".  Windy conditions mean that you'll need a louder call!
 
Another twist to the fall fishing season is the arrival of migratory ducks and other water fowl such as coots.  As more and more arrive, they jerk the grass up by the roots in the shallow water to feed.  Not only that, but their little paddling feet kick tiny shrimp and baits up out of the grass as well.  I have caught lots of redfish under big rafts of coots in ankle deep water.  Redfish will use any critter necessary to feed with, whether it's a stingray swimming in the grass, balls of rolling hardheads or a raft of coots paddling their little feet.  They are predators that feed symbiotically with these other creatures, picking up the easy meal whenever possible.
 
Fall is a good time to start to target big trout in the shallow water as well.  Up until now, the primary predator there has been redfish, but as the water temperatures drop, trout will join them to feed up for the winter.
 
Looking for a big trout in the skinny water?  Go super shallow, look for slicks and fish early or late.  Big trout are a lot more saavy in the skinny water so bring your number one stalking game.  Fishing the change from dark to daylight or from daylight to dark, target the very edges of the grass, where grass meets sand or near the edges of sloughs and guts.  Being somewhat solitary, the big girls set themselves up for a big meal.  Toss a topwater and really stalk these primary places.   If it's quiet, go smaller, like a Super Spook, Jr., if it's windy, go for a She Dog.  All sizes of trout will be hanging out with the schools of redfish you will find all day.  They'll hang out on the fringes of the pods, feeding on the baits being dislodged by the reds as they tail along.
 
Lure anglers and fly anglers have lots of satisfaction in the fall as both reds and trout forget about the lazy days of summer and turn on the feeding machine.  Competition is high and predators forgive lots of bad casts and presentations. 
 
Be here for some of the legendary fall fishing that the mid-coast of Texas offers through December.  Now's a great time for kayak anglers, sight casters and both fly and light tackle anglers, just be prepared for anything.  Sunny, cloudy, windy, calm, cold, hot, you name it, we'll have it.  But, the fishing is so worth it and your angling skills will improve with the more time you spend there, whatever the conditions are.
 
See you on the water!
Capt. Sally
www.CaptainSally.com
Sally@CaptainSally.com