CATHY WALKER LANDED THIS “TEXAS SLAM” – catching a flounder, redfish, and speckled trout all in one day – from her husband, Phillip’s, boat. Fall is a fine time to fish the coastal bays before cold weather arrives and changes the bite. (Photo by Phillip Walker)
by John Jefferson
An old song brings many melancholy memories. It goes:
“But the days grow short when you reach September.
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame,
One hasn’t got time for the waiting game.”
It probably refers to life … and aging. Some may imagine the songwriter was also a fisherman. Especially someone in his own “December.”
September’s days are getting shorter. The green leaves of summer are beginning to surrender to “leaves of flame” – even in Texas – although it might not be noticeable, yet. But to fishermen, times’ a-wasting.
Cooler weather has awakened the fish in the inland lakes and streams. And that has aroused the anglers who pursue them. That’ll last into December. Along the Coast, sports fishermen and ladies realize that the golden summer months of plentiful catches will soon be in remission until late next spring. Each cold spell brings a new chill that reminds us that winter is on the way. We’ll soon see and hear the first migrating geese come winging their way south to open water and food they can find without getting frostbitten feet.
The big redfish know by the changing light and water temperature that it’s time to leave the bays and begin their annual fall migration into the Gulf to spawn.
Phillip Walker and his wife, Cathy, have had a satisfying season in the Laguna Madre waters of South Texas. Both have landed nice trout and reds all the way from Corpus Christi down to Yarborough. Phillip says that trek by boat down the Intracoastal Waterway takes a commitment of both time and gasoline. It’s 45-miles down there from Corpus. His wife, Cathy, caught a Texas Slam – a spotted sea trout (AKA speckled trout), a red drum (redfish) and a flounder — all in one day.
They were fishing with live croakers. That’s a real switch for Phillip, who didn’t hide his resentment for anglers using live water dogs for bass bait on Fayette County Reservoir. In addition to not being as sporting as using artificial bass lures, the water dogs often seem to have been swallowed by the bass and deep hooking led to fatally injured bass. He reported seeing bass floating after weekend fishing.
It’s easier to lip-hook trout or reds without mortally injuring them, unlike bass with water dogs. A bigger problem though is casting a croaker without it hooking a hungry sea gull. Timing the cast until a gull passes works sometimes. And hook removal is challenging! Covering the bird with a towel helps, but it still requires patience, pliers, and sometimes gloves. Believe me!
And buying croakers isn’t like buying minnows upstate. Guides start lining up for bait around three a.m. Croakers are usually sold out around daylight. Walker swears by them though, as do most guides.
This is a magical time for saltwater anglers.
September Song ends with the line, “I’ll spend this time with you.” Fishermen might end it “ … spend it there.” In saltwater.
But hurry. The days are dwindling down.
JJ
