Your Bay Flats Lodge News & Updates
Bay Flats Lodge | December 12, 2019




December Trophy Tips
IF YOU HAVE FISHED along the Texas coast in December, you know we can sometimes experience some warm days.

At this point in the year, however, bay waters have already cooled enough to send the shrimp and other small baitfish packing. This means that mullet is becoming the only food source left for big wintertime speckled trout.

When the sun comes up on a cold December morning, look for some of the larger trout in shallows situated adjacent to deeper water. Mullet are going to seek the muddy shallows at sunrise because this is where the water is going to warm the fastest following cold nighttime temperatures. The water may only be a foot deep, but this is where you’ll typically find the mullet. Find the mullet, and you’ll typically find the trout!

A few key locations to search for big trout along our section of the coast are any of the mud flats along the ICW between Port O’Connor and San Antonio Bay. Other spots are the flats outside the mouth of the Victoria Barge Canal, and the flats situated outside the entrance to the Army Hole cut out on Matagorda Island.
Pay attention to the muddy flats on the Espiritu Santo Bay side of the Matagorda Ferry Channel cut near Port O’Connor. Also check out the cut farther down the ICW toward San Antonio Bay across from Charlie’s Bait Camp.
Looking for big trout in December in shallow water is going to require either drift fishing or wading. A cautionary note for drifting anglers, however, is that you cannot approach the shallow areas with much speed, whatsoever.
Any boat wake you happen to throw across the water’s surface or up against the shore is going to seal your fate with any big trout that might be in the area. Wading is your best bet, as it provides a stealthy approach. Park the boat a fair distance from your target area and slowly make your way there on foot.

The longer the cast you’re able to make, the better. There are a lot of high-end rod and reel combos on the market today, so look for a rod of your liking in the six and a half to seven-foot range.

Bait-casting reels and spinning reels are typically the reel options for most everyone along the coast, so choose what best meets your needs and preferences. Equip your reel with a 20-pound braided line and a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. Then you’ll be ready to attack anything.
Big trout get to be big by not getting caught. They are smart, and they spook easily. When searching for big trout in skinny water, use lures that don’t make any noise—no rattles.
Fish the shallows the same way you would fish on a dead-calm day. If you go with topwater baits, any of the floating Corky or Corky Devil models are good choices.

If you happen to be fishing in really clear water, which is often the case in winter, you may prefer throwing some of the brighter colors. If you’re fishing in stained water, muddy water, or under overcast skies, the better bet would be to throw some of the darker colors.

Other lure options are subsurface baits and soft plastic jerk baits in a variety of models such as plastic shrimp tails, sand eels, and bull minnows. A keen subsurface producer that’s hard to beat year-round is the MirrOdine suspending twitch-bait, by MirrOlure. A simple twitch, twitch, pause retrieve is all that’s required with these baits to resemble an injured baitfish, which is often quite effective on big wintertime trout, especially in shallow water.

Most anglers have their own theories as to the best times to fish for big December trout. Some swear by the moon phases. They claim that three to five days leading up to and then three to five days following the new and full moons are the absolute best times to be trophy trout fishing. Others like fishing lower tide stages, claiming the fish are easier to locate because they’re concentrated. There are also those who strictly fish the barometric changes just prior to and three days following a wintertime cold front.

As we’ve discussed, winter’s colder temps often produce very clear water conditions, which makes it more difficult for the trout to ambush their next meal. Under these conditions, the trout will most often be found feeding during periods of very low-light conditions because their prey are unable to see very well when there’s not much light.

This makes night fishing for wintertime trout a very good option, especially in places with very clear water. Bundle up, stay warm, and have fun out there!


Dockside
with Randy Brown

Here at Bay Flats Lodge, we get to see the sun come up and go down on most days. Watching darkness change to day light, and then seeing that light slowly give way to the returning darkness is a blessing many people don’t have the opportunity to enjoy. A variety of colors paint the sky both morning and night, and taking the time to really appreciate them provides the soul with a sense of peace that is hard to come by. It’s in these minutes of extraordinary light, both morning and evening I find myself reflecting on the good things in life.

One evening last week, I was in conversation with some guests as the sun sank into the waters of San Antonio Bay. Fortunately, I was facing west and had a wonderful view filled with every shade of red and orange. This good conversation and the light show that was second-to-none makes for quite a tranquilizer.

Gratitude moves at a slow pace. It takes time to appreciate the good things that we have and that get to experience. Let me invite you to come slow down a bit and increase your appreciation for the good things that surround you. I’ll be glad to watch the sunrise and sunset with you.



TPWD Held Flounder Meetings This Week

AUSTIN- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) held scoping meetings this week along the coast for the public to attend to voice their opinions and ask questions about potential changes to the recreational and commercial flounder fishery for the 2020-2021 license year.

TPWD is considering a wide variety of tools for helping manage flounder populations. The Coastal Fisheries Division’s resource monitoring data shows a long-term population decline for flounder. Although there were substantial changes made to flounder regulations in 2009 and 2014, these regulations only yielded small short-term improvements.

Overall, there is a long-term decline in both recreational and commercial landings. Therefore, tools like a decrease in the bag limit, an increase in the minimum size limit, area closures, time closures, and gear restrictions are being considered.


5th Annual Freeze Out Fishing Tournament
January 10, 2020
Port O'Connor Community Center


In just one month, someone will be receiving this illustrious trophy, not to mention a handsome check! Only the best competitors will choose to compete, and only the best performers will win the 2020 POC Freeze Out Fishing Tournament!
G E T Y O U R F R E E Z E O N!
The upcoming 5th Annual Freeze Out Fishing Tournament will begin at 5:00PM on January 10, 2020, at the Port O’Connor Community Center. And as hosts of this annual and charitable event, Lance Abel, and his wife, are pleased to announce that the 2020 Title Sponsor will be Bay Flats Lodge! Once again, thank you to Bay Flats Lodge owners, Chris and Deb Martin, for your continued support! You can visit www.bayflatslodge.com for all your fishing, hunting and corporate outing and entertainment needs. We look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s event!


What our Recent Guests are Saying...
Capt. Steve Boldt is top-notch - absolutely thrilled with the experience! Capt. Steve is extremely knowledgable, friendly and connects well with people. He is an absolute pro! The lodge staff is tremendous! They make the lodge feel like a family environment. Top-notch accommodations! - Ryan B. 12/9/19

Capt. Steve Boldt and Capt. Cooper Hartmann are fantastic guides! All the meals were great! All around great trip. This was our fourth visit to Bay Flats Lodge - this trip does not disappoint! - Louis W. 12/9/19

Capt. Rudy Briseno is the best guide I've ever had! - 12/5/19

The staff were very friendly, the food was excellent, and the service was unbeatable! One of the best trips our team has been on! - Ed Y. 12/5/19
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Seven-Day Weather Forecast
Thursday 10 % Precip.
Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 64F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Friday 10 % Precip.
Partly cloudy skies. High 71F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday 10 % Precip.
Sunny skies. High 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday 10 % Precip.
A few passing clouds, otherwise generally sunny. High 74F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Monday 60 % Precip.
Scattered thunderstorms, especially in the morning. High 72F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Tuesday 0 % Precip.
Windy with a few clouds from time to time. Much colder. High 56F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph.
Wednesday 0 % Precip.
Mainly sunny. High 56F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
Coastal Water Temperature:
Port Aransas 69.0 degrees
Seadrift 63.0 degrees
Matagorda Bay 67.0 degrees




Visit our website www.BayFlatsLodge.com
Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina | www.bayflatslodge.com | 888.677.4868
TJ Christensen - Operations Manager
Angie Christensen - Office Manager
Randy Brown - Manager
Patsy Morales - Guest Services/Assistant Manager
Murray Martin - Administration & Marketing Manager
Chris and Deb Martin - Owners

Solid post.