I have been blessed to be raised on the Texas Gulf Coast my entire life. Born in the Houston metropolis I was introduced to saltwater fishing at an early age. Not as early as some, but I have been wetting a line in saline waters for well over a decade now. Nothing parallels the feeling, or “high” if you will, I get every time I am able to break free of the exigencies of everyday life and visit my place R&R. My life has been absorbed by the waters of the Gulf and the finned-quarry that make the Gulf their domicile.
The Texas Coast has a fantastic fishery. The fish are plentiful, as is the amount of fishable terrain, regardless of incessant hearsay proclaiming otherwise. There is ample water for all anglers to enjoy, so there is no need to be parsimonious or discourteous. The catching can be so good at times that it is difficult to appreciate the fishery. But slow days on the water evoke reflection.
Traditionally, Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year on the coast. This year was no different. There were plenty of tourists and regulars bombarding bait camps, beaches, and boat ramps. It would be of no surprise if I were to recount a story about the number of insolent people I encountered on the water last weekend because undoubtedly these occurrences transpire; even more so on high traffic weekends.
On the contrary, I stumbled upon far more ill-mannered fish over the three days I spent on the water. I only ran across a canoe and an airboat in the three different places I fished last week. I saw and spooked a plethora of fish and came across countless fish that didn’t look twice at my offerings. I got turned down so many times I started to feel like a door-to-door salesman. I managed to catch several fish each day with the exception of one. Several years back that magnitude of success would have been a grand accomplishment, but with experience comes expectation.
The conditions were near perfect with the exception of the wind. It was nonexistent, which can make fish extra wary and cognizant of their surroundings in extremely shallow water. I fished in water less than 1’ deep. I imagine the lack of wind and low water levels played a significant role in their behavior. The fish didn’t cooperate but that’s fishing. I can’t complain. I have had a great year thus far and have caught more fish than I ever thought possible a few years back. We have a great fishery here on the Texas coast even if the fish give me the cold shoulder sometimes.
Conditions:
Tide: low coming in strong
Water Clarity: muddy (it’s the marsh)
Wind: non-existent or slight breeze (westerly direction)
Lures: shrimp fly (white), Excalibur Jimmy (chrome/silver) and TTF flats minnow ( mumpy glo and blackened chicken)
