Fall is the favorite season of a lot of Coastal Bend guides. The water cools, the first cold fronts arrive and fish feed hard before winter. Bait moves out of the marshes toward the passes, and predators follow it.
Bull redfish at the passes
From September into November, big spawning redfish, often over 30 inches, stack up at the Aransas Pass jetties, the Port Aransas ship channel, Packery Channel and the Matagorda jetties. Fish cut mullet or a whole blue crab on the bottom with a heavy rod. These fish are over the 28-inch slot, so they go back unless you use your Red Drum Tag. Handle them gently and release them quickly.
The flounder run, and the closure
Southern flounder migrate toward the Gulf passes to spawn in late fall, especially on falling tides after a cold front. In October, fish the channels and pass edges with a mud minnow or a soft plastic on a jighead dragged slowly along the bottom.
Trout and reds in the bays
Speckled trout gather under birds working shrimp in the open bays during October and November. Look for gulls diving, then drift through with a soft plastic under a popping cork. Reds roam the shorelines on high fall tides. Wade or drift the grass edges in Redfish Bay, Aransas Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre.
Fishing the fronts
- Before the front: falling pressure and a light south wind often bring the best bite of the week.
- During: stay off open water. Fronts can bring 25-knot north winds within minutes.
- After: the second or third day after a front, as the wind lays down, is usually excellent. The water is clear and fish move to the sunny, shallow, protected shorelines.
Plan your fall trip
Use the live conditions to time your trip between fronts, and check ramps near the passes. Fall is busy for guides, especially weekends in October, so book early if you want a guided trip.