- dannowise
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
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.
