# A Little Fresh



## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

It comes as no surprise that San Antonio Bay and the surrounding waters are fresh. The heavy rainfall from Hurricane Harvey and the resulting flow from the Guadalupe River have turned our bay system into something more akin to your bathtub than a brackish water ecosystem. So here are a few tips to try when the water goes fresh.

Fish Deeper Saltwater is heavier than fresh so fish will tend to move deeper. If youâ€™ve fished a pattern in more normal conditions this time of year and found success, try fishing the same pattern deeper. An Alameda rattle cork with three to four feet of line beneath it can be deadly. This method is always easier with a spinning set up. Along those same lines try going from a 1/16 or 1/8-ounce jig head to a 1/4. A consistent presentation in a lower part of the water column is what youâ€™re after.

Pay Attention to Color There will almost always be pockets of saltwater to fish if you can find them. With a high tide start looking in the back country and windward shorelines. A distinct color change is an indicator of a confluence of fresh and saltwater. As good as finding saltwater is donâ€™t forget to fish that color change. 

Stomach Content is a Key If you have the ability to fish multiple days, seeing what the fish are feeding on is a big plus. While sand eels may be common in Redfish if you see them consistently in trout you know these fish have been pushed to the bottom by fresh water. If the stomach content is mullet you know the fresh water might not be as bad as it looks. 

Fish Donâ€™t let the fresh water keep you off the Bay. Changing conditions are just as much opportunity as they are hindrance. Maybe more so.


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## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

*More Fishing Ahead*

Many of our friends have been asking if we have been catching fish, and is the water to fresh? We hope the above bullet points helps.


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## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

*Thank you to so many returning guests*

We couldn't be so happy with all the friends who have showed up to fish after the storms.


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## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

*Epic days ahead*

According to Captain Harold "we had back-to-back epic days" for our guests.


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## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

Were Up and Running - Back in Business Since Thursday 9/7

In 2008, I watched my son run the last race of his college career. The event was Steeple Chase which is basically Cross Country on a track. Three thousand meters, eighteen hurdles and five water pits make up the course. Eric's coaches had set him up with a chance to win his last race. His school had already secured the conference title so their number one runner in the event was pulled out. Now it was up to Eric. While Eric did have competition in the conference, he was fast enough to get the job done. On the third lap, he was leading the race when he hung a spike in a hurdle and went down. Eric rolled and came up but now was in third place. He never got back to the front and finished third.

I had watched Eric run competitively almost all of his life. I had seen him win multiple races and two National Championships. Even so, this was one of the proudest moments as a father I experienced. My son went down but came back up and refused to give up. His character was revealed. What more can a parent ask?

Here at bay Flats Lodge we hung a proverbial spike in a storm named Harvey. We got knocked down. But we've gotten back up and now were running again. Almost 14 days of sweat and blood put us in position to reopen. Our team's commitment to this business didn't waver. As Chris Martin says you need to sweat the small stuff and we did. Every detail has been addressed and is still being addressed.

So, our character has been revealed in this set back. Were still committed to our customers and our community and that will never change. To all of our loyal customers we want to say thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon.

All the pictures associated with this post have been taken since we've reopened. As you can see the Lodge is in great shape and so is the fishing. 

Randy Brown
Bay Flats Lodge Assistant Manager


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