"The Unknown"
Guide Lines, by Capt. Chris Martin
April 15, 2020
With this being mid-April, it’s only anyone’s best guess as to when things might start getting back to some sense of normal for us, but we’re keeping our heads up, and we certainly appreciate all the words of encouragement that we continue to receive from customers. We’re all in the COVID-19 situation together, and we’ll all get through it together. It might take a little longer than we initially expected, but we’ll get there, because that’s what Americans do!
As you might imagine, we haven’t been doing as much fishing as we’d like to lately. But, had we been able to get out on the water, we really could have taken advantage of the latest front that blew through. That frontal passage cooled things down to temperatures we’re typically used to seeing this time of the year, and all bets are on that there certainly would have been some prime trout catches experienced in conjunction with the adjusting temps. Oh well, there’s always next year.
Without knowing what kind of weather might be coming our way during the last part of April, it’s probably safe to say this recent front will be followed by a warming period. As of “tax-day” (or what’s usually know as tax-day), water temps are hovering around 73-degrees, which is perfect for targeting big springtime trout. In that’s it’s only the middle of the month, we might get a couple brief cool spells that will help maintain the water temps, and that will help extend a good trout bite well into the month of May.
If it hasn’t already begun, area shorelines will house bait fish that will entice the trout. It’s still cold enough to push the fish to deeper water during low light hours and nighttime, but when the morning sun starts rising, the bait, and the trout, will look for comfort. That means the bait will swim to the shallows at sunrise in anticipation of quick relief as the morning sun rises in the sky. The trout will then be attracted to the warmth of shallow water, and they will look for bait in the skinniest water at the absolute earliest part of the day. So, be in place, and be ready with the right equipment.
The last part of April and the first part of May is a fantastic time for top water enthusiasts to take advantage of some possible aggressive bites, not to mention a lot of great fun! The trout that are caught right now are actively feeding as they come out of the colder months of the year and are heading into spawning. To put it simply, they’re hungry. And the bite can often become downright aggressive at times. Some of the larger mullet-imitation top water baits will produce quite well during this period. If you want to experience some true heart-stopping action, tie on a top water bait and slowly wade a shoreline covered with live bait. It’ll make a believer out of you!
Bay Flats Lodge sends our prayers to the world, and to our nation’s leaders, first-responders, the medical community, the grocery store employees and farmers, and to some true unsung heroes right now, the American truck drivers (without them, we’d have nothing)! Keep the faith America! We love you all, and we’ll see you soon! Remember to practice CPR, “Catch, Photo, and Release”, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Guide Chris Martin, Port O’Connor/Seadrift region. www.BayFlatsLodge.com…1-888-677-4868"