Summer is almost over - for better or worse

August is about to wrap up. Although summer doesn't end until the third week of September, most folks will consider the season closed after Labor Day. On the plus side, that means we'll see less traffic in the bays. However, the summer heat won't automatically disappear. Although an El Nino event is predicted to create cooler fall and winter conditions, the next month or so will still likely be extremely hot. This is a challenge for both fish and fishermen as water temperatures will be tepid and fish are sluggish. So, fishermen along the Texas Coast should expect at least a few more weeks of needing to fish the cooler times of day and look for areas holding cooler water during the heat of the day. As much as we hate seeing summer end, it will sure be nice to see the cooler temperatures of fall.

Dealing with rain & rain runoff for the first time in a long time on the Texas Coast

Most experienced Texas saltwater fishermen have had to deal with freshwater runoff at some point. This is a particularly common issue during spring and early summer - especially on the Mid- and Upper Coast regions. However, in recent years, that hasn't been much of a problem. Due to the years-long drought in the Lone Star State, even when we did get a little rain, it didn't make its way to the bays.

The most recent heavy rains have been different. Many areas of the coast have seen enough rain over the past few weeks to adequately saturate the soil, resulting in rain runoff. A number of coves and smaller bays have become inundated with freshwater - and, there's a lot more rain in the forecast. So, for the first time in a long time, many fishermen are dealing with runoff and freshwater conditions. Given the Super El Nino which is supposed to take over the weather patterns this summer, that may continue for awhile. But, dealing with a little runoff is a small price to pay for getting the much-needed rain.

That said, there's no reason to throw in the towel on fishing, either. If you happen to be in one of the bays which get an influx of freshwater, look for fish to be concentrated closer to the Gulf passes and away from the upper ends of the bays where the rivers dump in. Another trick, especially for trout, is to focus on the deeper portions of the bay. The heavier saltwater will also be down near the bottom as the lighter freshwater rides over the top of it. Trout will hunker down in the saltwater wedge. It's often possible to find good concentrations of them in these conditions.

Sometimes it's good to get away

As Southwest Airlines famously says in its ads, you want to get away. I certainly feel that at the moment! Even though our fishing on the Texas Coast has been pretty good this spring, we still have the travel bug. Luckily, we have another trip in a few weeks to Baja Sur to chase big roosters. By all accounts, the big fish have moved in to the East Cape, so I'm liking our odds and busily getting our tackle together!