Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina
February 14, 2019



BFL Guides Did Well in �Freeze Out� Tournament



The guides at Bay Flats Lodge are world class! This past weekend Capt. Cooper Hartmann, Capt. �Lil John Wyatt, and Capt. Kevin Matula fished together as a team and managed to take 5th place stringer and 2nd place big trout in the 4th Annual Freeze Out Tournament in Port O�Connor. Ask anyone and they�ll tell you the conditions were brutal. With temperatures topping out at 42-degrees, many teams struggled to the extent that they chose to not even weigh-in on Saturday afternoon.

Talented fisherman with years of experience, coupled with some great personalities, are what set our Bay Flats Lodge guides apart from the rest. Right now is the time to catch that trout of a lifetime, and we have the guides to help you do just that. When you call and book your trip, don�t hesitate in requesting a particular guide by name, as we want to make sure you get the guide you want so the trip you�re dreaming of becomes reality!



THE GUIDE REPORT
THURSDAY - Feb 7th
Capt. Billy Freudensprung - I fished with Shane, Bart and TJ the last three days from North Texas while they were here visiting us at Bay Flats Lodge. Tuesday was the first day, and it turned out being a true test of their patience, with low numbers brought in. Wednesday and Thursday, however, were spot-on as far as the fishing was concerned. Both days provided us with solid drum bites, with a redfish bite that gave up mostly small fish. They landed a couple keeper reds before it was all said and done, and even had one that required C-P-R (catch, photo, and release).



FRIDAY - Feb 9th
Capt. Cooper Hartmann, Capt. �Lil John Wyatt, & Capt. Kevin Matula - It wasn't easy but somehow our team pulled out a 5th place stringer and 2nd place big trout in the 4th Annual Freeze Out Invitational tournament in Port O�Connor on Saturday. We knew going into it that the bite would be very slow and subtle, so we also knew we were going to be required to grind it out in the 42-degree weather that Saturday morning presented us with. The water temp dropped another five degrees to settle at a balmy 46-degrees. The redfish proved to be plentiful, but the trout bite was hard to come by (we only had two all day). We lost a biggun� that would�ve pushed the 7lb mark, but that's part of fishing. The conditions were miserable, but we stuck it out and it paid off in the end! Can�t wait until next year�s event!



MONDAY - Feb 11th
Capt. Billy Freudensprung - Monday was a great day of fishing with these guys. Both the weather and the bite started out a little slow this morning, but the guys stuck it out and put a decent box together. We didn�t happen upon any trout on today�s trip, but the cooperation of the redfish and the black drum more than made up their absence!





February�s Fishing Has Been Typical
By: Capt. Stephen Boriskie
February has been typical along the middle coast with periods of colder temperatures and rain followed by quick warming periods, and then fog rolls in for four days until the next cold front blows the door down and forces the mosquitoes out! Then, the entire cycle repeats itself! It�s been my experience that our water temperatures fluctuate only a few degrees as the warmer days heat the water into the high sixties, then the cold air from a weekly front cools it back down to the low sixties. Unlike severe Arctic fronts, the cold fronts we have been getting have been coming off of the Pacific Ocean, and the teeth-chattering air accompanying them generally lasts only a day or two before they are gone again.



This has resulted in consistent fish patterns in the flats, especially near deeper channels and when the bottom in the shallower areas is more mud than hard sand (mud holds onto heat longer). The fish are going to hang out where they can escape to warmer water in order to survive when a cold front pushes through and quickly drops the temperature of the water. It seems to me the redfish and drum learn this quicker than the trout, albeit the reds and the drum can withstand the cold much better than the trout, as you�ll hardly ever hear of a redfish kill, but you darn sure hear of trout kills in areas farther from deep water. Like anyone else, and even after spending over 40 years on the water, I�m still not quite sure of the science there. The point is, however, for you to learn to concentrate your efforts around these types of environments and you will almost certainly be more successful in stacking the deck in your favor and putting fresh fish on the table during the winter months.

The majority of the trips I run at the Lodge are those where we are using live or dead per customer request, and catching whatever we can, or �whatever is biting�. February is kind of in between bait seasons, so I have been relying primarily on dead shrimp and it has been working well enough. Catches of near limits of black drum on good weather days are the norm, with scattered redfish in the mix. As an example, this past week I ran full-day trips on Tuesday and Wednesday and then a half-day trip on Thursday, and we ended up boxing a dozen or more drum and three to five redfish each day.



The guides who have been wade fishing with lures have been doing very well. Their catches have shown more speckled trout than anything else, with a few redfish mixed in. If you haven�t already done so, now is the time of the year for you to try some awesome wade fishing with artificial baits, as February typically kicks-off the trophy trout season that can sometimes run through the early summer months. The big girls (sow trout 25-inches, or bigger) are what we�re talking about here, and if you want one you�ll need to fish for them differently than you do for smaller trout.

In targeting these big fish of winter and spring, you must first understand that they may eat only once a day, or maybe even once every other day, so chances are great you�ll need to use a lure that closely resembles their once-a-day meal � a mullet. It�s all about the lure you choose, and the presentation you�re able to make with each cast. Top water plugs walked slowly across the surface, slow-sinking twitch baits presented atop a muddy oyster reef covered with occasional grass, plastic tails drug slowly across a muddy bay floor can all do the trick on these trophy trout, so give it a try as soon as you can, because once you stick that 27-inch yellow mouth trout, there will be no turning back for you � you, too, will suddenly become obsessed with wading with lures in February for trophy trout!



Don�t forget about the Bay Flats Lodge 2019 HUNT FOR TROPHY TROUT SPECIAL. From now through the end of February, wade fishing guests will receive a $25 DISCOUNT off their nightly lodging and meals each day. There are several February dates still available, but they�ll go fast, so don�t hesitate in phoning and making your reservations today�(888) 677-4868.





AIRBOAT REDFISHING



Make your way to the San Antonio Bay region along the middle portion of the Texas coast for an unsurpassed fishing adventure.

Travel where other boats can't as you go in search of the ever-popular Texas redfish amid the seemingly endless back lakes, coves, inlets, and sloughs situated out on Matagorda Island.

It's sixty square miles of remote airboat redfishing and unimaginable inland saltwater marsh fishing, with an outstanding lodge offering first-class cuisine and five-star accommodations thrown in the mix!

We have it all, along with different fishing and hunting options to suit every family member or office co-worker!



HERE�S WHAT RECENT GUESTS HAVE TO SAY�
Capt. Cooper Hartmann worked very hard to put us on fish - great guide! Great job to all of the lodge staff, with fantastic food and service! Everything was great - really enjoyed it! - Andy P. 2/12/19

One of my favorite places to take clients! - Kyle S. 2/9/19

The whole staff is top-notch, and the food is tremendous! - Shane B. 2/8/19

As always, the staff and the meals were great - a couple of the main reasons I come back! Everybody is made to feel at home and are treated like royalty. You should be very proud of your business! - Bill N. 2/7/19



SEVEN-DAY WEATHER FORECAST
Thursday 10 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Partly to mostly cloudy. High 71F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Friday 10 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Cloudy. High 72F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.
Saturday 20 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Cloudy. High 69F. NNE winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday 60 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Monday 30 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Isolated thunderstorms in the morning, then cloudy skies late. High 64F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Tuesday 60 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Scattered thunderstorms in the morning. Cloudy skies late. High 63F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Wednesday 10 % Precip. / 0.00 in
Mostly cloudy skies. High near 60F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
Synopsis: A weak to moderate southerly flow is expected through Friday. Winds will be strong enough that small craft should exercise caution over the offshore waters. Areas of sea fog will be possible at times Friday and Saturday over the bays and nearshore coastal waters as moist air moves across the cool sea surface. Generally light to moderate south to southeast winds are expected Saturday. A cold front is expected to move across the waters Sunday and trigger scattered showers. A moderate to strong offshore flow will develop Sunday after the frontal passage. A coastal trough is expected to develop Sunday night through Monday and increase the chance for rain. Moderate northeast flow is expected Monday in response to the coastal trough.
Coastal Water Temperature:
Port Aransas 57.9 degrees
Seadrift 59.0 degrees
Matagorda Bay 57.9 degrees


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Captain Chris Martin
www.BayFlatsLodge.com

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Awesome post and fish. Good job.

Plus #1.