# A WEEK OF HARD WINDS AND PRESSING STORMS at Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina



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

​Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina
June 27, 2019

*WINTER FISHING SPECIAL: Dec. 2019 â€" Jan. 2020​*
There is no doubt it is summertime. The Texas heat has arrived and we are all looking for cover. Hot, humid days have already turned thoughts to wintertime and its associated cooler temperatures. Fishing in the summer is great, but winter fishing offers all of the excitement of summer fishing except in a much cooler atmosphere. If youâ€™re interested in catching fish from the boat, winter fishing is for you. Fish are congregated much more than in the summer months. Searching for warmth, these fish find deeper holes adjacent to flats where they can warm themselves when the sun is out. And donâ€™t forget wintertime is trophy trout season for those of you who want to get in the water. To this end, Bay Flats Lodge is running a Winter Fishing Special. Now is the time to book that winter fishing trip and start thinking about cooler days and fishing fun.

_Boat or Wade Fishing (Includes 3 Meals, 1 Night Lodging, and Fishing Guide)_

The following conditions apply to the 2019-20 Winter Fishing Special:
â€¢	Live bait and Texas Hotel Tax costs not included.
â€¢	When rescheduling due to bad weather, we will allow you to reschedule your trip any time within the following 12-months.
â€¢	If you reschedule for any reason other than bad weather, you will be required to reschedule your trip for the period of Dec. 2020 thru Jan. 2021.

â€œWINTER FISHING SPECIALâ€ Rates:
Full-Day 2 anglers per boat â€" $500/angler
Half-Day 2 anglers per boat â€" $475/angler
Full-Day 3 anglers per boat â€" $375/angler
Half-Day 3 anglers per boat â€" $350/angler
Full-Day 4 anglers per boat â€" $350/angler
Half-Day 4 anglers per boat â€" $325/angler

â€¢	Simms Chest-Wader Rentals + Boots are $35/day
â€¢	Simms Wading Boot Rentals (Boots Only) is $20/day
â€¢	If you plan to wade fish, please bring your own rods & reels. Rod and reel rental is $30 per day (we supply rods & reels when fishing from the boat).

*A Week of Hard Wind and Pressing Storms​*





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It seems as though our current weather pattern is about a month off from what weâ€™re used to seeing this time of the year. So far, June has been extremely windy, where normally we get rid of the heavy stuff after April and May. In as such, a lot of last weekâ€™s search for an effective bite took place along the sheltered banks of the ICW, as well as atop neighboring flats just adjacent to it. Some braved rough rides across the bay to the Matagorda Island shoreline and back lakes at the southern end of San Antonio Bay, but with the velocity of last weekâ€™s wind it was still pretty tough locating any clean water anywhere. It made for some tough fishing conditions each day, and everyone had to work hard to put fish in the boat. Some boats located all trout and no reds, while others hit the redfish and drum jackpot, but couldnâ€™t find any trout.

Weâ€™re normally enjoying the mid-bay oyster reefs out in the middle of San Antonio Bay by this time each summer, but this year has been an exception. Winds this month havenâ€™t allowed anglers an opportunity to get atop the shell, but the weather forecast for the upcoming week appears promising for diminishing wind speeds. Weâ€™re hoping for clearing mid-bay waters soon, as the shell pads out in SAB should be holding numbers of trout on days when you can get out there. Weâ€™re keeping our fingers crossed and are hoping for the best!






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While the majority of last weekâ€™s guests fished out of the boat with either live shrimp or live croaker, some the guys who waded found some good fish while throwing plastic tails with lots of action, as well as Paul Brownâ€™s Soft-Dines. Most of the wading was over grass and mud with a little oyster mixed anywhere there was a patch of cleaner water to be found â€" there werenâ€™t many options all week long. One group found some fish holding off the drop-off in the ICW about halfway to Port Oâ€™Connor. The bait had to be presented just right in order to draw the strike, but the odds of connecting were with you if you could cast beyond the drop-off and manage to keep your lure from dragging bottom. It was a challenging week all the way around, but maybe the worst is now behind us!

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*CLICK HERE TO GO TO SMUGMUG*​
Thereâ€™s nothing weâ€™re more proud of than you, our Bay Flats Lodge customers. Thatâ€™s why weâ€™re putting the photos from your lodge visit out on our new SmugMug online-printing site so you can show them off to the world. These photos, just like your visit, pull people together. Now you can showcase the memories of your visit with friends, family, customers, or co-workers in the way in which you wish for them to be seen. Bring the memories back to life!

*Remember What Works Best​*Next time youâ€™re wading a favorite shoreline on a less than productive day, stop for a minute and ask yourself some questions as to what it is you have done in the past under similar conditions that allowed you success. Did you remember approaching a particular shoreline that youâ€™ve fished previously, but todayâ€™s approach to that same shore shows you a distinct difference in the water level? What did you do previously that helped you in this situation? Remember, as the tide falls, the bait falls with it, so position your wade session off the shoreline towards the most outward tapered shelf. On the other hand, if the tide rises, place yourself much tighter to the shoreline, as the bait will be carried toward shore with the incoming tide and will be congregated in shallow water.

Do you recall a time you were unable to draw a strike to save your life, even though the water was full of active baitfish? What did you do? Did you simply relocate yourself a short distance down the same shoreline, or did you leave to go hunting elsewhere? Disciplining yourself to relocate just a short distance along the same shore would probably be the safest bet, as sometimes a move as little as ten to twenty yards in any one direction can make a difference. Leaving an area that shows evidence of fish activity should be regarded as a last-resort option.

Do you remember the times you have been slowly making your way down a shoreline and all of a sudden happen upon a strong, steady bite? Did the bite continue, or did it end abruptly? If it ended quickly thereâ€™s a good chance you didnâ€™t stop moving when you happened upon the bite. The general rule-of-thumb here is â€œâ€¦the first to move is the first loseâ€. Next time you stumble upon a good bite, stick your soles in the sand and fish-out the area completely. You may have just found that sweet spot that can generate a consistent bite for you the rest of the day.

What about the bait youâ€™re throwing? Is it producing fish, or simply providing you an additional level of frustration? Try to think back to the one bait that you have come to rely upon the most in the past, regardless of conditions. Train yourself to regard that one particular bait as your â€œgo-toâ€ bait, and never leave the boat without it. You may find that you have subconsciously become accustomed to the proper utilization of that bait, and will therefore have much greater confidence in it. When all is said and done, you might decide that going with what you know can prove to be the best approach.

*Building Conservation Trust Restores Oyster Reef in Sabine Lake​*





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*CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY​*
Make a gift today and you can help the Building Conservation Trust provide funding for local, state and national fisheries, habitat conservation and restoration projects. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help support the work of the Building Conservation Trust, please use the Donation Button below.

*What Our Recent Guests Are Saying â€¦​*_Everyone we encountered was courteous and made us feel right at home. In a day and age where customer service is rarely found, everyone at Bay Flats was first-class and at the top of their game! Capt. Billy Freudensprung was knowledgeable of the area, and made us feel very welcome on his boat. The weather did not cooperate with our fishing plans, but Capt. Billy went out of his way to help get as many fish in the boat as possible. In short, the food and staff were outstanding. I canâ€™t imagine a more pleasant experience! Clean rooms, very manicured property - first-class all the way! Keep doing exactly what youâ€™re doing. I wouldnâ€™t change a thing! - *Chad D. 6/25/19*

All of the staff was very helpful and professional. The food was excellent, and we liked the rooms! - *Wes B. 6/24/19*

Fished with Capt. Cooper Hartmann both days. The bite was slow, but Capt. Cooper put in a lot of effort to get us fish under difficult conditions. He did a great job of teaching the rookies! You have a really great operation, and that is why we keep bringing groups of employees back annually. Outside of the great food and usually decent fishing - there are two big reasons we keep coming back to Bay Flats Lodge: 1) Y'all are turn-key - we can park the cars and never get back in our car until we leave to head home, 2) We have a lot of rookie fishermen that your team does a good job teaching! - *Scott S. 6/24/19*

The Lodge staff was clean, considerate and engaging! Your facility is perfect, and the food is off the charts! Extremely well done! - *Kirk G. 6/23/19*

Great service from the Lodge staff! Capt. Todd Jones took the time for a group photo with the fish before getting to dock! - *John M. 06/23/19*_

*Seven-Day Weather Forecast​**Thursday 10 % Precip.*
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Southeast wind 6 to 11 mph.
*Friday 10 % Precip.*
Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light south southeast wind becoming southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
*Saturday 20 % Precip.*
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
*Sunday 20 % Precip.*
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming east southeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
*Monday 20 % Precip.*
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South southeast wind 5 to 11 mph.
*Tuesday 70 % Precip.*
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
*Wednesday 60 % Precip.*
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
*Coastal Water Temperature: *
Port Aransas 82.0 degrees
Seadrift 84.9 degrees
Matagorda Bay 84.0 degrees

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Captain Chris Martin
www.BayFlatsLodge.com

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