Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina
August 27, 2018


THE GUIDE REPORT
THURSDAY - Aug 23rd
Capt. Stephen Boriskie - Turn of events today as my 3-pack showed up early and eager! I said to 'em, �What ya'll doin' here so early? Ya'll stay up all night?� They said, �Heck no Boudreaux, we ready to fisch!� Hey, well, that's my best Cajun impression - good thing my impression of a fishing guide is better! Opting for the live shrimp today, as I alluded to in last night's live Keep Austin Fishing broadcast, I showed up with 'crickets' as by ole pal Talkalot Philip refers to them! Good thing we had them because it was on (well, not 'on', but way better than the past two weeks) with the bite. First there were keeper trout, then smalls, then trash fish, then keeper redfish, and then more trash. I tell you, these guys were busy today, and must have returned to the water ten times the amount of fish they boxed. Ending the day early, they were worn out. Instead of trying to limit on redfish, they said, �Take me in Captain!' So, I obliged! Friends, thanks for reading and sharing! Come down here and let's cut up together and share a few laughs and stories! Hope to see you soon!



Capt. �Lil John Wyatt - Today was the first of two days with this group from the annual repeat customer party of Mark A. Today wasn�t a bad showing at all, especially considering at least one of our guys had never fished before. We experienced some good cooperation from some extremely nice redfish today. The guys enjoyed themselves, and had a good time out on the water. We�ll try our luck again on Friday morning for a half-day adventure!



Capt. Kevin Matula - It was a grind this morning wading with lures, but we finally found a decent bite. The Erik T. party of three almost recognized their full 3-man trout limit, and some of their fish were extremely nice trout. This type of trout turnout is what we will look to expect as we end the hotter months of summer and enter into the fall fishing pattern of fighting big trout on artificial baits. If you�re an avid artificial enthusiast, or would like to learn to wade fish with lures, now�s the time to get you�re gear ready, because as soon as the strong heat breaks as a result of the first notable cool front of the season, the trout action is going to skyrocket! Come wade with us at Bay Flats Lodge this fall, and see for yourself just how much fun you can really have!



Capt. Todd Jones - A dozen stops, lots of miles, hundreds of casts, and I just couldn�t put Tyler and Travis on a trout bite. So, they had to settle for a last stop �Hail Mary� and found some big pulls. Both Tyler and Travis boxed their first-ever redfish, caught lots of smalls, and finished off a solid redfish limit to 25�. We�ll be out again tomorrow for a half-day with these two, hoping to keep the bite rolling!



FRIDAY - Aug 24th
Capt. Stephen Boriskie - Good stuff on a shorter day for a great customer visiting BFL time and again. Budget constraints aside, the difference between taking customers to lunch during the work week versus treating them to a day of bay fishing (along with an overnight stay at BFL) can mean the difference in having a customer�s business for a one time order, or having their business for many years to come. In this age of hit-n-run customer retention, which would you rather explain to the owner or in the boardroom, how you closed a deal and made a decent margin on the order or how you gained and retained a multi-million dollar customer who assures you purchase orders for the next several years? That�s the kind of business we are doing out on the water each and every day. Consider it the next big thing occurring in social media - our own version of �face time�.



Capt. �Lil John Wyatt - Day 2 showed that these guys weren�t going to give up until it was time to go home. They took it to the redfish again this morning, just like yesterday! They ended this morning�s half-day trip with lots of fish for the frying pan, as well as a lot of good stories to pass along to family and friends at home.



SATURDAY - Aug 25th
Capt. Todd Jones - Team-building group of four boats out for a half-day of fishing and some friendly competition today. The �boss man�, Richard, happened to be on my boat. Last year, their first year at Bay Flats and their inaugural tournament, Richard�s boat got stuck with the �Dead A** Last� trophy that he�s had to display in his office for the past year. This year, they turned the tables and pulled out a win, gaining bragging rights for the year. Lots of fun with these guys (and gal)! Thanks for the tip Capt. Billy Freudensprung! We�ll be out again for another half-day Sunday morning!





A SNOOK�S TALE
With the exception of only a few reported instances, Snook landings in Texas waters have generally been confined to the very southern tip of the state along the U.S. and Mexico border, near South Padre Island and Port Isabel. Some say this may be because the Snook population in Mexico once was so great that it naturally spilled over into Texas waters near the border, thereby supplying the southern portion of Texas with a small number of Snook that coastal anglers in south Texas could enjoy on rare occasion. However, having a small population of Snook in Texas has not necessarily always been the case.



In the late 1800�s and early 1900�s, the Texas population of Snook was believed to be thriving. However, and as-like with many other popular sport fish like the Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Flounder, the commercial fishing industry consequently took its toll on the Snook population in our state waters. As late as the 1920�s, it wasn�t uncommon for commercial fishermen to recognize catches of nearly a quarter-million pounds of Snook. As a result, Snook numbers continued to dwindle, and the last commercial landing of Snook took place in the early 1960�s, and Snook were outlawed for commercial sale in the late 1980�s.



Ever since then, random fishing reports have still included occasional stories of Snook landings taking place down in the Lower Laguna Madre. Some south Texas coastal fishing guides even offer specialty Snook trips for anglers targeting a chance at what seems to have become the ever-elusive Snook. But even with it�s highly recognized popularity in south Texas near the border of Mexico, the Snook have been discovered as far north as Galveston and the Sabine River, and an unrecorded number of Snook were killed in Galveston Bay and the Matagorda Bays during a record cold freeze in the mid-1980�s.



Historically, it�s been rare for Snook to be caught along our Texas mid-coast region. Granted, Snook landings have happened over the years on limited occasions here, but not on a regular basis, at all - probably only a handful of reported landings in many, many years. However, there has been a notable increase in the number of reported Snook catches in our surrounding San Antonio Bay region over the course of this past year. Some claim that Hurricane Harvey relocated the Snook here from southern Texas waters, while others claim the Snook may be here as a result of them needing to find new breeding grounds.



Regardless of what the real reason may be, catching Snook continues to be on the rise here, and we are certainly very pleased to be seeing this forward progress! It�s truly revitalizing to be allowed to witness such a fragile resource begin reappearing right before your own eyes, and with such vigor and energy. One of our own Bay Flats Lodge guides, Capt. Garrett Wygrys, has even gone as far as to develop a method of locating these amazing fish, and he reports that the Snook have continued to grow as a direct product of his vigilant practice of Catch, Photo, and Release (CPR). We all appreciate Capt. Garrett�s photos and conservation initiative toward the preservation and protection of our regenerating Snook population, and we all look forward to what he may be able to share with us regarding further Snook discoveries as we prepare for the end of summer and the start of fall. This year�s Snook action will all be over with as soon as water temperatures approach the 60-degree mark, so let us know as soon as you can if you�d like to get in on some of the fun with Capt. Garrett! Until next time, tight lines to all, and be careful out there!



NOW BOOKING 2018-19 DUCK HUNTS
VIDEO: "Why We Duck Hunt"
Along with the anticipation of this year�s daily limit for Pintail increasing to two per day, per hunter, there will be much more wing action available in the back lakes and along the bay front up and down Matagorda Island along the southern portions of Espiritu Santo Bay and San Antonio Bay. There will be redheads (and lots of �em!), widgeon, blue and green-wing teal, canvasback, bluebill, gadwall, and even the occasional cinnamon teal and mottled duck.

If that�s not enough to satisfy your waterfowl thirst, perhaps our latest addition to this year�s lineup of duck season tactics will entice you. Earlier this year we were fortunate enough to secure duck hunting privileges on a new piece of inland property, which is located just moments from the lodge and currently holds three freshwater ponds. We�re diligently working to complete seven more freshwater ponds prior to opening-day, and we look for this property to hold great potential for this year�s hunting guests.

[img]http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2018/08/full-108403-228968-duck.jpg[/img]

The dates for our Texas south zone of the 2018-19 Duck Season are November 3-25, 2018, and then December 8, 2018 - January 27, 2019. For a first-class duck hunting experience along the mid-portion of the Texas Gulf Coast, look no further than Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina.


BFL's GRASS ROOTS WADE FISHING w/LURES SPECIAL
We're getting back to the basics by offering a special deal to all of the wading and artificial enthusiasts out there. When you book 3 wading with artificial bait trips in 2018, you will receive your 4th wading with artificial bait trip in 2018 FREE!
- The 4th FREE trip ONLY includes one free full-day of wade fishing with artificial baits for 4 anglers in one boat.
- The 4th FREE trip does NOT include free lodging and meals.
- One full-day of wade fishing with artificial bait constitutes one trip toward your goal.
- All trips must be taken prior to December 31, 2018.
- Offer not valid on trips booked prior to April 1, 2018; only valid on trips booked between April 1, 2018, and December 15, 2018

[img]http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/pics/usergals/2018/08/full-108403-228969-wade.jpg[/img]


HERE�S WHAT SOME RECENT GUESTS SAID�
Capt. Kevin Matula and Capt. Perry Rankin were great! - Maddie D. 8/26/18

We love coming to Bay Flats Lodge, as the hospitality and amenities are always first-class, and Capt. Billy Freudensprung is the best guide in the whole wide world! - Kenner C. 8/25/18

Great staff - very professional and courteous! Capt. Harold Dworaczyk was excellent - he put us on the fish! First time to visit, and we look forward for more trips in the future. Excellent from A to Z! - Jerald R. 8/25/18


FIVE-DAY WEATHER FORECAST
Monday 20 % Precip. / 0.0 in
Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 91F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
Tuesday 20 % Precip. / 0.0 in
Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 90F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
Wednesday 50 % Precip. / 0.0 3in
Scattered thunderstorms in the morning, then partly cloudy late. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Thursday 50 % Precip. / 0.02 in
Scattered thunderstorms in the morning. Partly cloudy skies late. High near 90F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Friday 20 % Precip. / 0.0 in
Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
Synopsis:
A southerly flow with an inverted upper trough expected on Monday. The upper trough will increase moisture and provide a better chance for showers and thunderstorms on Monday. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected Tuesday through Thursday as copious moisture moves across the region and as weak upper level disturbances move westward from the northwest Gulf of Mexico toward south Texas.
Coastal Water Temperature:
Port Aransas 82.9 degrees
Seadrift 89.1 degrees
Matagorda Bay 86.0 degrees


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Captain Chris Martin
www.BayFlatsLodge.com

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Solid post and fish as always. Good job.

Always love reading your post and seeing your catches. Great job.