# What's Happened To the Fishing This Winter?



## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

Everyone who knows me knows fall and winter are my favorite times to surf fish, and the east end of McFaddin is my favorite stomping ground. There are a lot of reasons for both. No blazing sun and sunburn, no hardheads or gafftops, no beach crowded with tourists. Usually the fish cooperate just fine to boot.

I have always bragged that east McFaddin might be the bull red capital of the country. A typical fall and winter trip would yield from six to a dozen or more bull reds and bull black drum (combined) per person. Add to that a fairly steady supply of whiting, puppy drum and slot reds, and winter fishing doesn't get much better than that.

That was then - this is now.

So far this fall and winter, I have had a couple of good trips. I have also had three trips, including my last two in a row, that were total skunks on big fish. Trip before last, my grand total for the day's fishing was two puppy black drum about five pounds each. Saturday's trip was much better. The long rods stayed silent all day, but the bait rods yielded whiting, puppy drum and a lot of slot reds, plus a couple of possibly oversized reds. I don't keep the drum or reds, so I didn't measure anything.

I'm not hearing any good reports on big fish from anywhere along the Bolivar peninsula to Sea Rim park. I'm actually starting to get worried that something is going on with the fish stocks for the first time in years.

Anyone have any thoughts?


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## skooter2 (May 3, 2011)

My surf fishing has waned since the San Bernard mouth sanded up. Still catching plenty of reds in the swamp. The last month has been feast or famine in the surf. 2 weeks ago the wife and I caught 14 reds in 3 hours with 3 rods out. 6 small enough to keep. Yesterday, had 6 rods out through out the tide cycle and couldn't lose a bait. Finally caught one 38 incher.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I head edjman had a good day on big whiting at Mac a few days back, but no luck on bull reds. He did say he stocked up on the big whiting as they were plentiful.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

The bull reds in the winter are in huge slow moving schools. These schools are massive in size but not very compact and move very little. If there food source has moved a little further offshore then you can get to. Then they will follow and make surf fishing very slow. Look for washed up dead bull reds on the beach. They will tell you where the schools are located. Best to be mobile in the winter, the reds do not run the beach. You can be set up catching bull reds all day and a 1/4 mile down the beach people fishing the same way will be skunked.


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## Bearwolf34 (Sep 8, 2005)

The sorry *** weather and chilly water has put a hiatus on alot of the winter fishing ive done so far. A few days couldnt even get a whiting nibble. However with a little sun yesterday seemed to pickup a little. Last yr at this time I had already snagged 8-9 good sized pompano...zilch this year. On another note, fall and winter are about the only times I fish, fighting seaweed, idiot crowds that trash up the place and massive herds of hardheads pretty much turned me off on fishing summertime.


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## edjman (Aug 13, 2013)

All you can do is keep going. The beach is nice,clean and quiet this time of year. Last time I was there all day, lost one big ugly on the bait rod and caught a few whiting. It wasn't until high tide that I started catching several whiting. They can be a whole lot of fun on light tackle. I can't complain about catching 12 fish in 20 minutes on whatever you decide to catch them with!:biggrin: Just wish I didn't have to wait all day...
Hoping to go again soon.


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

edjman said:


> It wasn't until high tide that I started catching several whiting.


Tide stage certainly seems to be more critical this winter than before. I normally have had no problem catching fish on every stage of the tide, even dead low. Last Saturday, as soon as the tide started out, the fishing shut off. It was like a switch had been flipped.

The problem is, I, like most people, have to go when I can. I just have to hope the fish will cooperate with whatever stage of tide I have to work with.


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## scrambler (May 28, 2004)

Not sure if this is true everywhere but there are a lot of dead spider crabs and puka shell looking egg casings washing up on west Galveston beach. Could this create a lot of easy natural food for the fish? 

I also had a slow weekend, even when the weather was nice on Sunday. Sunday's haul was 4 whiting and 2 croaker. Had pieces of shrimp soaking for long periods without a nibble. All fish were caught on fishbites.


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## skooter2 (May 3, 2011)

Few people have my vantage point to the surf. I live a mile from the beach and can view the events of an approaching front while fishing the bays and swamps. Normally, this time of year there is a pounding surf before a front hits. After the front, most of the time there is a wind and pressure driven low tide. The breaks in the bar are visible and I make a note as I drive down the beach. I'll fish them a few tide cycles usually with good results. The breaks will move with the approach of the next front.


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## skooter2 (May 3, 2011)

The reds showed up this morning in the surf at the start of the flood tide. Gave up after 6 29 and 30 inchers. No drum or whiting. Came back just before high tide. The same 29 inchers were still there but could have caught 'em with a cane pole they were so close in. Perfect conditions. Try again tomorrow.


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## skooter2 (May 3, 2011)

Had a slow couple of days but the reds showed up this afternoon with the flood tide. Got 4 over 40 inches and 1 27 incher. Still no drum or whiting.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

It sound good for winter fishing. It also sounds strange that you didn't catch any Whiting.
BTW: I like your Terrier and I have one that looks a lot like yours. She turned 8 the 22nd of December.


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## skooter2 (May 3, 2011)

My redfish terrier will be 11 in June. She hates to get a bath but will swim in a 40 degree surf and try to drag in a red. I've also had close calls where she swam out as I was landing some fairly large sharks.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Yeah that is a big bull red. Congrats! What a helper!


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## edjman (Aug 13, 2013)

Nice fish. I've never seen a dog that size at the beach. I wouldn't let it swim out there!


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## fishhawkxxx (Jul 7, 2012)

thanx scooter


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