Rockport sport fishing strong despite freeze
Posted on 05/05/2011 by jgoodspeed
By John Goodspeed
Special to the Express-News
ROCKPORT — On a balmy but breezy day in Aransas Bay, the big freeze of 2011 seemed like a lot of hot air.
If anything, the fishing is better than normal, with plenty of large redfish and many at the upper end of the 28-inch slot limit and over. That’s an unusual occurrence so early in the spring, Capt. Ron Matson of Reel ’N’ With Ron Guide Service said as he guided three anglers to his sweet spot.
Matson had feared the worst in February when a bitter cold front kept the air temperature ranging from the high 20s to low 30s for three days.
In the 1980s, three freezes devastated the coastal sport fishing population with a combined estimate of more than 30 million dead fish, and one in 1997 hammered speckled trout, red fish and black drum to a much lesser extent.
This year sport fish in the Rockport area dodged a bullet. Instead, mostly mullet and hardhead catfish took the hit.
“Nobody was complaining about losing the hardheads,” Matson said of the notorious bait thieves.
Big schools of mullet and shad and plenty of pinfish and golden croakers are all over the bay, he said while anchoring in a narrow, knee-deep tidal flow area between two small islands.
“We usually catch redfish and trout in the spring, but they are running larger than usual,” Matson said. “From what I’m hearing, everyone is doing really well and landing bigger fish. We’re catching black drum in good numbers, too.”
Almost on cue, Mike Nischalke of Hunter Outdoor Communications landed a nice black drum.
Jim Van Gilder of Corrosion X proved the freeze did not kill all the hardheads as he hooked several in a row.
Then a rod doubled over and a reel screamed for mercy as a redfish stripped line after striking a hook baited with blue crab.
The line was reeled in and the red took it back out several times for a couple of minutes until the fish tired and was brought to the side of the boat, where Matson netted it.
The red measured 27 inches.
“See what I mean?” he said. “It’s safe to say fishing is going to be pretty good this spring and summer.”
That also is the prediction of Karen Meador, Aransas Bay ecosystem leader of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
“What anglers are catching so far this spring is reinforcing that,” Meador said. “And there’s no shortage of bait fish.”
Fewer than 2,000 sport fish were found dead along the Texas coast after the freeze, Meador said.
“If it had stayed cold for a couple of days longer, more sport fish probably would have been affected,” she said.
Water temperatures ranged from 47 degrees on Feb. 5 in Rockport Harbor to 38 degrees at the Copano Bay Causeway.
Mullet die at around 50 degrees while trout begin having potentially lethal problems around 46 degrees and reds at about 40.
TPWD temporarily closed fishing in several deeper areas, where fish congregate in warmer water, including Rockport Harbor and six subdivisions with canals.
As for why bigger reds are being landed this spring, Matson’s theory goes like this: At age 3, reds are usually 27-28 inches long and migrate into the gulf. These fish are younger and bigger.
“The only thing I can think of is that they are at the borderline for maturity,” Matson said. “Because last year was exceptional for food in the bays, maybe they grew faster than normal.”
Said Meador: “I don’t really know. His theory is as good as any.”
One thing that seems certain, though, is that it’s going to be a hot summer despite the freeze.
Rockport-area angling strategies
- Drift fish or anchor in shallow water during a changing tide.
- Capt. Ron Matson likes to cast for baitfish to catch redfish, black drum and speckled trout with what they are eating.
- Matson chums with cut bait, dead shrimp and even shrimp heads from dinner.
- Use a variety of baits on different rods to see what works including live mullet, croaker and shrimp; cut bait; and blue crab.
- Mann’s Baby Waker in Texas Sunrise is Matson’s go-to artificial lure because the crankbait doesn’t spook fish with a big splash, runs just deep enough and mimics an easy prey with just about any kind of retrieve.
Posted on 05/05/2011 by jgoodspeed
By John Goodspeed
Special to the Express-News
ROCKPORT — On a balmy but breezy day in Aransas Bay, the big freeze of 2011 seemed like a lot of hot air.
If anything, the fishing is better than normal, with plenty of large redfish and many at the upper end of the 28-inch slot limit and over. That’s an unusual occurrence so early in the spring, Capt. Ron Matson of Reel ’N’ With Ron Guide Service said as he guided three anglers to his sweet spot.
Matson had feared the worst in February when a bitter cold front kept the air temperature ranging from the high 20s to low 30s for three days.
In the 1980s, three freezes devastated the coastal sport fishing population with a combined estimate of more than 30 million dead fish, and one in 1997 hammered speckled trout, red fish and black drum to a much lesser extent.
This year sport fish in the Rockport area dodged a bullet. Instead, mostly mullet and hardhead catfish took the hit.
“Nobody was complaining about losing the hardheads,” Matson said of the notorious bait thieves.
Big schools of mullet and shad and plenty of pinfish and golden croakers are all over the bay, he said while anchoring in a narrow, knee-deep tidal flow area between two small islands.
“We usually catch redfish and trout in the spring, but they are running larger than usual,” Matson said. “From what I’m hearing, everyone is doing really well and landing bigger fish. We’re catching black drum in good numbers, too.”
Almost on cue, Mike Nischalke of Hunter Outdoor Communications landed a nice black drum.
Jim Van Gilder of Corrosion X proved the freeze did not kill all the hardheads as he hooked several in a row.
Then a rod doubled over and a reel screamed for mercy as a redfish stripped line after striking a hook baited with blue crab.
The line was reeled in and the red took it back out several times for a couple of minutes until the fish tired and was brought to the side of the boat, where Matson netted it.
The red measured 27 inches.
“See what I mean?” he said. “It’s safe to say fishing is going to be pretty good this spring and summer.”
That also is the prediction of Karen Meador, Aransas Bay ecosystem leader of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
“What anglers are catching so far this spring is reinforcing that,” Meador said. “And there’s no shortage of bait fish.”
Fewer than 2,000 sport fish were found dead along the Texas coast after the freeze, Meador said.
“If it had stayed cold for a couple of days longer, more sport fish probably would have been affected,” she said.
Water temperatures ranged from 47 degrees on Feb. 5 in Rockport Harbor to 38 degrees at the Copano Bay Causeway.
Mullet die at around 50 degrees while trout begin having potentially lethal problems around 46 degrees and reds at about 40.
TPWD temporarily closed fishing in several deeper areas, where fish congregate in warmer water, including Rockport Harbor and six subdivisions with canals.
As for why bigger reds are being landed this spring, Matson’s theory goes like this: At age 3, reds are usually 27-28 inches long and migrate into the gulf. These fish are younger and bigger.
“The only thing I can think of is that they are at the borderline for maturity,” Matson said. “Because last year was exceptional for food in the bays, maybe they grew faster than normal.”
Said Meador: “I don’t really know. His theory is as good as any.”
One thing that seems certain, though, is that it’s going to be a hot summer despite the freeze.
Rockport-area angling strategies
- Drift fish or anchor in shallow water during a changing tide.
- Capt. Ron Matson likes to cast for baitfish to catch redfish, black drum and speckled trout with what they are eating.
- Matson chums with cut bait, dead shrimp and even shrimp heads from dinner.
- Use a variety of baits on different rods to see what works including live mullet, croaker and shrimp; cut bait; and blue crab.
- Mann’s Baby Waker in Texas Sunrise is Matson’s go-to artificial lure because the crankbait doesn’t spook fish with a big splash, runs just deep enough and mimics an easy prey with just about any kind of retrieve.
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