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If anyone is interested in providing fishing reports from time to time e-mail me at kurt@arroyocity.com .Arroyo City 9-26-01 I'm a daytime, addicted topwater, sometime
spoon or plastic novice.
Arroyo City 6-26-01 Redfish have begun to tail almost every morning until the wind rises above 10 miles per hour. Morning after morning, there have been tails as far as you can see in dead calm12-inch water all over the east side of the lower Laguna -- the best and worst of conditions. And these conditions continue at the present time, even though early morning low tides have suppressed some of the vigorous tailing that we've seen. Fly fishers: If you can cast 75 feet, no problem, but most novice to intermediate casters can't throw a line that far. So, getting close enough to cast has been the main problem. And the redfish have not been pushovers. They typically stop tailing when you get within 70-80 feet of them, but you can spend hours stalking and casting to visible fish without catching one. Fortunately, with a little coaching, many of my clients have hooked up under
such conditions. You have to get down low, hold off on Spin fishers: Use Culprit red worms or some other unobtrusive lure to entice the reds to hit without spooking. Small topwaters will work to draw them from some distance away, but soft plastics will run less risk of spooking the fish in dead calm conditions. After the tailing action subsides, we've been fishing way out east for cruising redfish and big trout. We have many days when we've had 10 or more shots at trout over 24 inches, but in very shallow water. We often catch one or two in this range, but we've seen much bigger ones that have thus far eluded us. The east flats have been a great fly fishing venue. Fred Arbona, Larry Haines (co-owner of The Fly Shop in Port Isabel) and I went out and caught 29 fish one Friday in early June. The action: The redfish have been tailing in the grassy areas of the LLM, chasing shrimp and crabs out of hiding and chasing small pigfish. Spawning size trout -- that is, over 20 inches long -- can be found in the same waters, and can be seen chasing single shrimp above the surface. Boats have to be able to get up in less than a foot of water to exploit this action. Later in the day, we've been using lightweight shrimp and glass minnow-type patterns out on the east flats to catch trout and reds, and an occasional ladyfish. Summary:: We are in the prime time for big trout action, and for tailing redfish. Big trout have been seen tailing along the Inter-coastal in places that local fly fishermen would not tell you under the threat of torture, but which are reasonably easy to find on your own once you understand the patterns. Redfish should continue to tail in the early morning and during strong tidal movement throughout the summer, and into the fall. Try east and southeast of the Saucer if you have a deep-draft boat. Just go as far as you can early in the morning and then wade into the shallower areas. You should see some tails. Both reds and trout have been following sting rays with amazing regularity. Since rays are easy to spot from far out, we have more time to prepare for our presentations. We expect this action to continue through the summer. Capt. Scott and Kathy Sparrow, Kingfisher Inn and Guide Service
Arroyo City 5-30-01 I couldn't get up to Arroyo City until Thursday this week. Took the boat to Combes to have its 4year checkup. That's how long Gilbert told me it had been since I had it serviced. No wonder it was choking down to a top speed of 4.5 mph. Picked it up Thursday morning and just took it to Arroyo City and parked it didn't want to stick around for the long week end and the wild bunch. I did get to fish Thursday night, and the shad are getting bigger and I was able to catch some with my net. Enough to fish all night. It was around midnight that a swarm of flying ants moved in. I turned off all but the big fishing light after brushing my self off. Back to fishing, I didn't get any stings from the ants, guess I was lucky. Shortly after the ant fight a big trout started another fight. It was a lot more fun. She turned out to be 20 inches long. Two more keepers after that one, (one18in. the other 16in. there were 4 or 5 under 15in. trout and one rat red and I called it a night around 3am. All in all had a great time and enough fish for a great meal. More later, Lonnie. Lonnie Burns - ljburns@acnet.net
Arroyo City 4-30-01 After some late cold fronts, the fishing is
finally settling into the normal spring patterns, with some exceptions.
Everything is a bit retarded due to the abnormally cold winter -- the grass
growth, and the movement of fish into the West side of the Laguna Madre.
Indeed, we have been fishing on the east side since last fall, except for some
forays into the northwest bay for rare and unpredictable podding redfish.
Don't count on that happening!
Arroyo City 4-7-01 April third thru sixth unbelievable!! This week started slow, could not get away before Tuesday, got to Arroyo City around noon to open camp and get bait. Checked all three places. No one had shrimp. So off to Port Isabel. Shrimp cheaper there any way. Loaded up with a quart of shrimp, started back to arroyo city and blew the fan belt on my old GMC. Found a parts house in the wall mart shopping center, they helped and I was back on the road before the shrimp died. Back to fishing Tuesday night under the lights caught 3 nice trout. Wednesday had to take truck into Rio Hondo to finish temporary repairs from Tuesday so I didn't get the boat in the water. Fished dock again Wed. night caught 7 trout all over 16 inches, feeling better about the trip after all I had my limit and it only took two days +$100.00. Thursday was the best, out of bait again and none of our local boys having live shrimp. I head for Port Isabel, I need to return a fan belt anyway, no more problems, but still did not get boat ready, had to go home Friday. Thursday night started fishing off the dock just at dark around 8pm and I had a ball. Trout moved in and it was one after another for two hours. Had my limit by 10pm. Trying to get back next week . Lonnie Burns - ljburns@acnet.net
Arroyo City 3-15-01 Higher tides have finally begun to return to
the Bay. The east flats continue to fish well, with fish being found close
to the channel, and then -- sometimes after an "empty zone -- near the
transitional water where the grass plays out. Getting there will require a boat
that can get up in less than a foot of water, since the tides are not super
high, as yet.
Arroyo City 2/21/01 Fishing on the lower Laguna Madre has
continued to be simply awesome for those of us who have fished through the
winter. While some have cursed the unusually low tides -- possibly the lowest
tides in 20 years -- others have reported that the fish have been easy to find,
and easy to catch, except for a brief spell in early February when the reds
acted like they'd been drugged.
Arroyo City 1/6/01 Fishing has been, alternately terrible and wonderful. Although the weather has been uncharacteristically cold, there have been brief periods of warm weather -- rising into the 70s -- in between the cold fronts. And during those times, the fishing on the Bay has been simply awesome. On December 23rd, for instance, Kathy and I went out on the Bay and caught seven reds and two sheepshead on our fly rods -- all in about three hours. We saw some giant trout, and missed two strikes from 28-30" trout. It was one of the finest sight casting days we'd seen all year -- that is, for the year 2000. More recently, several cold fronts have kept us at home with family and friends over the holidays. On the 1/04/01, however, our good friend Skipper Ray tool two clients out and caught 36 reds on mullet near the entrance to Rattlesnake Bay. Skipper repeated this action yesterday and today with the same two very fortunate gentlemen. I took two spin fishers out today, and wondered if we could do as well on spoons and soft plastics. Even though the wind made casting very difficult, we saw more fish than I'd seen in months. We fished just east of the Intercoastal just north of the mouth of the Arroyo. We had easily at least 100 good shots at reds and trout in the 23-27" range, and caught several on Gold Silver Minnows and Red Culprit worms. It was, as I said, awesome. Here's what to do. First of all, the tides are unbelievably low, perhaps lower than they've been in years. The gas well flats near Three Islands -- and many other areas of the east and west flats -- were actually dry yesterday. But what this means is that the fish have few places to go. They are near the channel, and holding up in troughs between the spoils -- where the water is a few inches deeper than the surrounding flats. Fish these troughs early in the day with bait or lures or fast-sinking flies, and then try the east flats along the edge of the channel. Drift or pole your boat about 100 yards off the channel, and use your Polaroid's to see the cruising reds. Your casts have to be perfect, however, as the fish are very sensitive in this 8-12" clear water. If we have a couple of days in succession above 70 degrees, the reds will begin tailing again. Actually, they haven't really stopped, depending on where you look. But definitely look for them to tail in the entrances to Rattlesnake, just on the west side of the spoils, and in the east flats on calm mornings. Don't let people who aren't fishing the Bay tell you that the fish have gone elsewhere. Maybe most of the people have, but the fish are still there, hitting just as aggressively as if it were springtime. Capt. Scott and Kathy Sparrow, Kingfisher Inn and Guide Service
Arroyo City 12/3/00 Fishing continues to be difficult this fall because of all of the early cold fronts. Strong north winds have assaulted the Bay on a weekly basis since October. Nonetheless, fishing has been good for sight casters during those calm days before the return to strong southeasterly winds. Reds have been found tailing in great numbers -- singles and small pods, too -- in Peyton's Bay on calm mornings from Woody's Hole northward to the Target. The slightly deeper trough in the middle of Peyton's seems to hold the most of the fish right now. Indeed, concentrate your efforts in the central to south part of Peyton's, as you may not find the reds on the "bar" in Peyton's north of Intercoastal markers 179-180. And further, you may get stuck if you take your boat at low tide. If you want classic tailing action, but do not have a shallow-draft boat, park on the east side of the Intercoastal spoil banks somewhere between Woody's Hole and markers 179-180, and walk across the spoils into Peyton's Bay. You may have to wade a hundred yards west or more before you find fish, but if you are stealthy, you'll probably see plenty of tailing reds. The bottom is not consistent, so try different places until you find a firm-enough bottom. Fly fishing, or light line and small spinning lures will be necessary in windless conditions. Blind casters will probably find fish just 50-100 yards east of the Intercoastal up near the Saucer, and along the east side of the spoils north of the Arroyo. The fish are moving into 2+-foot-deep troughs between the spoils, and into areas close to the Intercoastal, in wait of higher tides and warmer water. As the water temperature cools, try these spots. The fish will be sluggish, so use a slow retrieve. Topwater action has slowed, so stick with spoons and soft plastics (spinning), and weedless shrimp, deceiver and bendback patterns (fly fishing) And during a warming trend, watch for the reds to be in skinny water in Rattlesnake and Peyton's. Kayaks and wading will be necessary for these areas as the winter low tides reach their lowest point. Big trout can be found on the east side of the Bay near Padre for those willing to brave the shallow water and hunt for single, large fish. Long, surgical casts are a must for this "high tech" action. Tom Kilgore once caught 10 reds that averaged over 7 lbs. in one day of December fly fishing, so don't rule this challenging action out. Black drum in groups of five to ten fish can be found along the east side of the spoils north and south of the mouth of the Arroyo. Fly fishers can score with small flies and slow, twitching retrieves. Capt. Scott and Kathy Sparrow, Kingfisher Inn and Guide Service
Arroyo City - 11/13/00 Fishing has been alternately great and
terrible -- all dependent, as usual, on the weather this time of the year.
Between the fronts, as the wind returns to the southeast and there is some
semblance of calm, we have been finding cruising and tailing reds east of the
mouth of the Arroyo, and in Peyton's Bay. There is no rhyme or reason to any of
this, however. So you just have to be there. If we get a sustained period of
calmer and warmer conditions, look to find herds of reds in front of Rattlesnake
Island and Horsehead Beach. Lower seasonal tides may make it difficult to
fish for these reds in a deep-draft boat, but look for them to congregate at low
tide in the openings between the spoil islands between the mouth of the Arroyo.
This action may increase as we approach the end of the year.
Arroyo City - 10/23/00 Unstable weather patterns have made
fishing unusually difficult since the first of September. Last year
afforded autumn fishermen some of the best opportunities for large, oversized
redfish in tailing pods and schools in the vicinity of Rattlesnake Island and
Peyton's Bay. However, strong north winds and tropical systems have turned
this year on its head. Capt. Scott and Kathy Sparrow, Kingfisher Inn and Guide Service
Texas Parks and Wildlife Fishing Report
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