# East Matagorda Bay (Any tips?)



## kro (Jan 28, 2012)

My cousin and I started fishing East Matagorda Bay this past fall and needless to say it's been _slooooooow_ for us. We've "graduated" to using artificials, mainly Norton Sand Eel Jr.'s in electric blue/chartreuse tail, but like I said, it's been really slow. The only place we've caught fish is a shell point that extends out to about waist deep water. We've caught a 21 in. trout, a 24 in. red, and a dink red at this particular spot in the three times that we've fished it. So there's a little background info...

My main question is, does anyone have any tips/patterns/methods/etc. that they would mind sharing for fishing EMB? Any help would be greatly appreciated, whether it's a quick comment or something more in depth.


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## wolffman73 (Nov 30, 2011)

I am lost too. There are fish out there, you just gotta know where to find them. I am still searching. EMB can make you look like a real rookie.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Ive fished there twice and all i know is the north shoreline has more scattered shell reefs and there are a few out in the middle that supposedly hold fish. We never found them but ive heard one called dogbone reef is good. Hard to find when you cant fish there several days a week and get to know it well


-mac-


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## Stevie_A (Feb 1, 2005)

The most consistent pattern working now is drifting the reefs on the west end.


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## TXplugger (Nov 26, 2007)

You ought to try WMB. Hit the guts on the S Shoreline. E is too slow.


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## Super Dave (May 26, 2004)

for all you E Matty newbies, there's an easy way and a hard way to learn how to fish that bay, or any bay. The hard way is to do what you are doing now. Keep going not knowing where to go or what to look for and run right over the fish never knowing they are there and be disappointed every time you go until a blind hog finds an acorn one day and then you will keep going back to that same spot every time but, alas, the fish that were there that day are long gone and you end up whining about your lack of luck or expertise. Or, buy a Hot Spot map and do some research. Learn the locations of reefs, their names, and characteristics. Then, and this is to be done after the research step, hire a guide. Call someone like Charlie Paradoski, google him up, and book him for a trip during the season you want to learn. He will show you how to fish, where to go, and put you on fish. Ask him questions while he is showing you. Then, reap the benefits by practicing what he preached. Do this a time or two again, perhaps with different guides and get different perspectives. Remember, you don't fish spots. You fish areas. Look for the areas that hold fish. Look for the signs fish are present. In those areas, present the artificials in different ways trying to remember what you were doing when you get a hookup and repeat. Remember, it's a lot cheaper to get a couple buddies, hire a guide, catch some fish, learn a lot of good info, all in one day, rather than paying expenses to keep going by yourself with nothing to show for it. Good luck.


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## Super Dave (May 26, 2004)

for all you E Matty newbies, there's an easy way and a hard way to learn how to fish that bay, or any bay. The hard way is to do what you are doing now. Keep going not knowing where to go or what to look for and run right over the fish never knowing they are there and be disappointed every time you go until a blind hog finds an acorn one day and then you will keep going back to that same spot every time but, alas, the fish that were there that day are long gone and you end up whining about your lack of luck or expertise. Or, buy a Hot Spot map and do some research. Learn the locations of reefs, their names, and characteristics. Then, and this is to be done after the research step, hire a guide. Call someone like Charlie Paradoski, google him up, and book him for a trip during the season you want to learn. He will show you how to fish, where to go, and put you on fish. Ask him questions while he is showing you. Then, reap the benefits by practicing what he preached. Do this a time or two again, perhaps with different guides and get different perspectives. Remember, you don't fish spots. You fish areas. Look for the areas that hold fish. Look for the signs fish are present. In those areas, present the artificials in different ways trying to remember what you were doing when you get a hookup and repeat. Remember, it's a lot cheaper to get a couple buddies, hire a guide, catch some fish, learn a lot of good info, all in one day, rather than paying expenses to keep going by yourself with nothing to show for it. Good luck.


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## [email protected] (Oct 6, 2010)

this time of year, drift live shrimp under corks over Raymonds reef, plastics at the condo pocket, live over Cleveland reef. try the deep mud/shell at bird island to the east.


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## kro (Jan 28, 2012)

*Super Dave:* We've been doing quite a bit of research. We've got a Hook & Line Map (which used to be Hot Spot) with GPS coordinates, we have one of the East Matagorda Bay Video/Map DVD's which has Tommy Countz explaining different spots and techniques, I read quite a few fishing reports, etc. I think we've got a pretty good grasp on the logic of WHY certain people fish certain ways, areas, etc., the hard part is having a game plan and sticking to it while we're on the water.


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## nhampton (Aug 8, 2007)

General Fishing Advice.

If you've only caught 3 fish in three different times, don't keep going to that shell reef unless you have a reason to believe the fish have a reason to be there.

Fish are in a location for one of three things; sex (spawn), food, or comfort (oxygen or temperature). This time of year they are looking for the highest water temperature with an occasional meal (metabolism slows therefore food requirements drop). 
During a north wind situation fish will normally be in or adjacent to deep water. Tides will be low so a marsh drain into deep water might be a good place to look especially on a falling tide. 
On a South wind tides will be rising along with temperatures. Fish will tend to be shallower, over a mud or dark colored bottom (warmer due to sunlight absorption), and on the downwind side of the bay providing water clarity is still adequate. 

I commend you on switching to artificials, but part of what lets you fish artificials successfully is the knowledge of how to fish the bait and the confidence the fish are there. Since you don't know the fish are there, maybe back up to using bait until you find fish then switch over to artificals. You can always release the bait caught fish if it makes you feel better. Eventually you'll get enough skill and confidence to go with artificials alone.

Move. If you've been there a while with no bait activity or bites move. If you're wading a reef or shoreline move up and down it. While a map may have an exact spot for an area, this is just a starting point. Fish will tend to be at particular location along a structure or area. On a reef they may be attracted to the shallowest part, the deepest hole, or someplace in between. On a shoreline it may be grassy flats or deep guts. One way to do this is to drift. This will cover a lot of area and when you get bit, mark your GPS and slowly go back around and try that portion of the drift again. Two or three successful drifts would suggest you might want to quietly drop the anchor and try it there for while, but don't fall in love with a spot, when you quit getting bit resume the drift and find the next spot.

Read the fishing reports but don't fall in love with them. Remember, these reports are usually a day old to a week old. The odds on finding fish in the spots mentioned are slim because even in the best of circumstances the conditions would have changed therefore the fish would have moved. But adapt your fishing location to how the conditions would have changed since the report. Fish do move but usually no farther than it takes them to get back into their comfort zone.

Get a guide. I think the guide should be an educator as well as a fish finder. He (or she) should be able to have probable locations the fish will be, but additionally be able to tell you why. Why a particular bait worked in a particular way should work and why this location should be good. Once you have that knowledge you can find similar spots on your own. But don't try to steal your guides honey hole, odds are that it's not a honey hole, it's a spot that holds fish when the conditions for that spot are right. Don't expect to catch as many fish as a guide does because he has one very important advantage. He knows where and how fish were or were not caught yesterday. This doesn't tell you where the fish are today, but it should get you close and that will eliminate unproductive places to try and the travel time in between.


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## kro (Jan 28, 2012)

*nhampton:* Lots of good info! I seem to be connecting more dots as I read different articles, reports, forums, etc., so hopefully my cousin and I can make things happen in the future.

By the way, I'm pretty ignorant about guides, but are most of them willing to explain things and "teach" you? The reason I'm asking is because I've heard some pretty discouraging stories about guides in the past (I'm not "anti-guide" or anything ha ha!).


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## Chiquapin13 (Jan 8, 2012)

I'm in your same boat kro. Does north wind change everything? I'm planning on fishing Friday we will have north wind, should we stay and fish on the north shoreline?


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## dc1502 (May 25, 2006)

If you decide to hire a guide to "learn" East bay or any bay for that matter, be sure your express that desire to your guide. There is a big diff. between a trip set-up around catching fish and a trip designed to teach you a few new tricks. Either way for that area Dustin Lee and Hollis Forester are some great guys to fish with. I know several ppl that use these guys every year and the one thing they always talk about is "how much new info." they were exposed to on their trip. Good luck in your quest it will all fall in place ........................Keep Grindin DC


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## kro (Jan 28, 2012)

Thanks for all the help everyone! I really appreciate it!


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## Jim Martin (Jun 3, 2009)

Chiquapin13 said:


> I'm in your same boat kro. Does north wind change everything? I'm planning on fishing Friday we will have north wind, should we stay and fish on the north shoreline?


Yes.


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## DadSaid (Apr 4, 2006)

Kro, we caught some Friday on the west side of bird island. Drift around the shell piles. We used a copper/brown colored lures


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