Hot Wing Preparations
Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina
October 25, 2018
DUCK NEWS AT BAY FLATS LODGE
For those of you looking forward to some hot coastal wing action during this year’s 2018-19 Texas South Zone duck season, your wait is almost over. The first-half of our season begins on November 3rd, and runs through November 25th, with the second-half beginning on December 8th and ending on January 27th. This year we’re featuring 13 freshwater inland ponds for our visiting winged-friends and waterfowl hunters to enjoy. And if that’s not enough to entice the duck hunter urge within you, the ever-growing bird population on our neighboring bay waters, along with our two new Air Ranger airboats, will offer Bay Flats Lodge duck hunters ample opportunity this season, as well.
THE GUIDE REPORT
SUNDAY – Oct 21st
Capt. Todd Jones – Shuffled up the groups for day two, but Tony and Marcus are seasoned anglers who were geared up to drift with lures. A little lighter winds today and a shortened four-hour window to fish had us hoping for a quick bite. A couple of drifts throwing soft plastics over mud and grass brought a solid limit of trout to 19”. A short move to a little shallower water, and the guys polished off their redfish limits throwing weedless gold spoons and Berkley Gulp jerk shads. October fishing is definitely in full swing!
MONDAY – Oct 22nd
Capt. Todd Jones – Dennis and Roland blessed me with a day of drift fishing with lures, which was very productive even in the blustery 25+ mph north winds. Solid trout to 23” and reds to 28” were boxed on soft plastics in darker colors, and they had quite a few on topwater baits also. Drifts over soft mud and grass in 2’-3’ of water brought the best bites. Ended the day with a 2-man limit of solid trout and five healthy reds. Hopefully, day two ends up as well!
Capt. Heath Borchert – October has definitely been one for personal-bests, for first-times and for big boxes. November should continue to produce just as well. If you haven’t booked your trip with Bay Flats Lodge, now is good time to do so, especially for you waders going after big trout. Back lakes and shorelines with Corkies and topwaters can produce some solid trout through out fall and winter.
HOT WING PREPARATIONS
Although it may have seemed like it would never get here, autumn has arrived, and it has brought with it some of the season’s first noticeable cool fronts, and a soon-to-be new opening day of duck season. In as such, there are probably a lot of things on your mind as you anticipate that special day this season, but right now it’s time to run through a list of preparations and to decide upon what all needs to be worked on prior to this year’s first shot. That’s right, the first-half of duck season in our Texas south zone begins on November 3rd this year, so hunter’s need to identify any possible issues with their decoys, their blind, their boat, and their gun.
One of your most important pieces of equipment, naturally, is your duck gun. You should disassemble the gun and clean it, all the while checking for functionality of all moving parts. Once you’ve made sure that your gun is in good working order, spend a little pre-season time whetting your skills by scheduling some shooting time. With regards to decoy maintenance, hunters either repair them, or simply replace them. But regardless of whether you repair or purchase, before heading out to the blind for the first time this year, make sure you inspect each anchor line to make sure they are not rotted or frayed, and that they are securely attached to the decoy body.
Set aside a day ahead of the season that you can dedicate to making sure you will be able to rely on your boat, motor, and trailer to get you there and back safely. Next, spend some quality one-on-one time with your duck calls. You may think you were really impressing the birds with your calling abilities last season, but a little practice ahead of time will never hurt you chances this season. Try to have fun while prepping for the season and remember that all of your hard work will have been well worth the effort the moment you watch that first flock of ducks of the season set their wings and brace for a landing directly inside your decoys. Good luck at the start of what I hope proves to be another great season for you!
HERE’S WHAT SOME RECENT GUESTS SAID…
Capt. Doug Russell is a terrific guide who is very helpful, too! He persisted in finding spots to fish until we reached our limit. – Randy S. 10/23/18
Capt. Cody Spencer was great – had a good time! – Kenny L. 10/23/18
Capt. Doug Russell has all the right stuff! Your key to consistency in the quality of your services has always been your ability to retain good folks who work for you – you do this well! Keep up the great work! – Barry C. 10/23/18
FIVE-DAY WEATHER FORECAST
Thursday 10 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Partly cloudy skies. High 73F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Friday 20 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday 10 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Mainly sunny. High near 80F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday 10 % Precip. / 0.00 in
A mainly sunny sky. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Monday 0 % Precip. / 0.00 in
A mainly sunny sky. High 72F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
Synopsis:
Much drier conditions will develop for the latter part of the week. Weak winds will become more variable during weekend, briefly shifting to a more south/southwest flow Saturday night into Sunday. The next cold front will move through Sunday night into Monday morning. Small craft advisory conditions may occur behind this front.
Coastal Water Temperature:
Port Aransas 68.0 degrees
Seadrift 66.0 degrees
Matagorda Bay 66.9 degrees
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Captain Chris Martin
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ForEverlast – Hunting & Fishing Products
Building Conservation Trust – CCA’s National Habitat Program