# Bay Flats Lodge - "Wintertime Pattern"



## Capt. Chris Martin

Bay Flats Lodge on San Antonio Bay
January 25, 2017

*Capt. Chris Martin*
Hunting your catch this time of the year can mean that one must adopt an ability to expect the unexpected. As we proceed further into the cold season, abrupt weather changes along coastal waters can, and often do, change with little or no warning. Meteorological patterns of approaching seasonal cold fronts are not always predictable, and conditions out on our neighboring bays and waterways consequently are just as unpredictable. The weather forecast you listened to Friday night may have called for strong, southerly winds until mid-afternoon on Saturday precluding the advancing front. However, and while you slept comfortably in your bed dreaming of your next morningâ€™s adventure, the insistent frontal passage seemingly took on a mind of its own and decided to push on through the region ahead of schedule. You awaken to the predicted south winds, but shortly after your early departure and arrival at your first vantage point, an ominous and dark cloud bank begins to build as if out of nowhere in the northern sky. It takes you but only a few moments to realize what has happened, or what is about to happen, and you suddenly get that ever-nagging premonition that your chances of any effective fishing on this day may soon be coming to a quick end. But it doesnâ€™t have to end this way!

Many folks do not have the luxury of planning their fishing trips around the proposed intentions of wintertime weather. Work schedules, family matters, and other life obstacles often dictate whatever precious time may be leftover for fishing, so donâ€™t let your next cold season fishing trip be spoiled as a result of obscure planning on your part - especially when planning to be out on the water just prior to an approaching winter system. Anticipate beforehand that you may be forced into having to execute maneuvers to an alternate and well-protected shoreline in the event the weather suddenly turns bad on you. To accomplish this, and whenever and wherever possible, layout destinations for the dayâ€™s venture that will allow you relative quick access to areas that can guarantee at least minimum shelter from driving north winds.

In starting your day wading a shoreline protected from the seemingly inevitable and enormous south winds typically experienced prior to wintertime fronts, and if you know the front will arrive sometime throughout the course of the day, make sure you are within close proximity of, and can escape to, a different nearby shore that can provide you and your party immediate guard from harsh winds blowing directly from the north. I know it sounds rather simple here on paper, but take a word of advice from someone who has attempted to cross San Antonio Bay in the midst of the onset of one of these fronts â€" you donâ€™t want to put yourself in that position, trust me! Take just a little bit of extra time in performing your advanced planning. It may just define the difference between you enjoying a complete day of fishing on a bad weather day, and you having to head for the dock with your tail between your legs, or worse.

On the fishing scene, San Antonio Bay now resembles what weâ€™re used to seeing with regards to normal fishing patterns for this time of the year â€" shell, mud, and grass are all producing. Now then, youâ€™ve probably heard this a hundred times before, but as the water temps continue their decline, the trout will often hold close to areas offering deep water access during non-daylight hours. Then, and as the first rays of morning sunlight begin warming the shallows that are just adjacent to the deep water, the trout begin their daily migration in search of a sun-drenched environment and a morning morsel, or two. A good example of just such a place resides in close vicinity to the mouth of the Victoria Barge Canal, where the entrance lay scattered with shell-covered shallows whose configuration is made up primarily of spoil banks consisting of hard shell with a little bit of a mud mix, just to make things even more interesting.

*Capt. Stephen Boriskie*
It was a good team effort on Sunday on a high wind duck hunt that forced us to look inland to drive our customers near the ducks. I'd like to say thank you to Capt. Jeffery Garner and Capt. Billy Freudensprung for working together with me to put our customers on a very nice duck hunt. We were on a property with several ponds holding some good numbers of puddle ducks. Using a pair of Polaris Rangers we drove the customers through the swampy countryside to hidden pit blinds through some thorny brush. One of the ponds worked better than the other, so we moved all of the customers together to concentrate our efforts on the flight zone, and that was the ticket as we meshed these two groups together in a roomy perch as they gained new friendships while downing puddle ducks and a bonus goose along with a sandhill crane. Since the flights were continuing later than we have previously been experiencing, we extended the hunt until after 10:00AM to make sure our customers had the best chance at knocking down the birds. Everything worked, and the customers were happy, so we got them back to the Lodge for a hot meal and a shower before they had to hit the road. Like I saidâ€¦.It was a real solid team effort on the part of the guides at Bay Flats Lodge!

All of us here at Bay Flats Lodge wish to remind you of the 2016-17 Winter Fishing Special (Until March 31st)
http://www.bayflatslodge.com/2016-17-winter-fishing-special 
You and your party can enjoy a great ending to the year with some well-deserved rest and relaxation as you savor some fabulous cuisine, enjoy first-class accommodations, and experience great fishing at some of the best rates Bay Flats Lodge will offer all year long. These dates are moving fast, so call 1-888-677-4868 to book your spot early, and inquire about the special winter rates.
$412 per person 2 Guests per boatâ€¨
$275 per person 3 Guests per boatâ€¨
$232 per person 4 Guests per boat
(Includes 1 night lodging, 3 meals, and 1 full-day of fishing)
Live bait provided at additional charge, if requested.
6.00% Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax not included

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*Deer Season Is Hereâ€¦*
Open marshlands and sandy swamps covered by grassy plants, and nearly impenetrable motts of trees and brush, are both natural environs that make for a great attraction to the deer, and Bay Flats Lodge hunters are able to take advantage of both. Being less than three hours from Houston, Austin, or San Antonio, our deer hunting property is located along the coastal bend region, providing time saving convenience to hunters. Gone are the days of having to drive into the depths and remoteness of south Texas, or out to the far reaches of some of the more secluded western regions of the state in order to enjoy a trophy hunt of a lifetime. Hunting whitetails with Bay Flats Lodge means spending more time enjoying the finer things in life such as the pleasure of the hunt itself, the camaraderie of friends and family, and the truly finest accommodations and service offered anywhere along the Texas coast.

Our whitetail hunting area was developed locally several years ago, and the land and the wildlife have been managed closely ever since. In that we hold exclusive outfitting privileges on this hunting area, and because it sits just moments away from our Lodge, we are able to provide our customers with a whitetail hunt second to none. We invite you to experience Bay Flats Lodge, the premier hunting and fishing destination on the Texas coast for your next trophy-class whitetail deer hunt.

Three-Day Weather Forecast
*Thursday 0 % Precip. / 0.0 in *
Mostly sunny skies. High 63F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
*Thursday Night 0 % Precip. / 0.0 in*
Clear skies. Low 46F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
*Friday 0 % Precip. / 0.0 in*
Generally sunny. High 63F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph.
*Friday Night 0 % Precip. / 0.0 in*
Cloudy. Low near 50F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
*Saturday 20 % Precip. / 0.0 in*
Cloudy skies. High 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
*Saturday Night 0 % Precip. / 0.0 in*
Cloudy early with partial clearing expected late. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. 
*Synopsis:* 
Moderate onshore winds will persist this morning ahead of an approaching cold front. Isolated showers are possible ahead and along the front. A moderate to occasionally strong offshore flow will prevail after the frontal passage later this afternoon. Generally moderate onshore flow will transition from northeast to east Thursday through Friday. Weak to moderate offshore flow will develop Saturday through Sunday. Patchy light rain and isolated showers are expected Friday night through Sunday as warmer moist air overruns the cooler surface. 
*Coastal Water Temperature:* 
Rockport 68.0 degrees
Seadrift 68.0 degrees
Port Aransas 64.0 degrees

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Captain Chris Martin
www.BayFlatsLodge.com

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## Capt. Chris Martin

*Now offering a whitetail experience like no other*


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