# Summertime Surf at Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina



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

*Bay Flats Lodge Resort & Marina
July 11, 2019*

*Texas Flounder Getting Help From
CCAâ€™s BCT and Shell Oil for Hatchery Program​*Earlier this year, conservationists celebrated efforts to fully fund a project to reverse the downward trend of flounder populations in Texas waters as Shell Oil Company and BCT recently committed $40,000 to the â€œFlounder Buildingâ€ under construction at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson.






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Since 2006, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been perfecting the spawning, larvae culture and live feed techniques required to raise southern flounder fingerlings, and needed only adequate space to increase production levels from releasing tens of thousands of fingerlings annually to releasing hundreds of thousands of fingerlings annually.

Shellâ€™s funding caps the effort for the new flounder building in Lake Jackson to fully develop large-scale hatchery production to supplement the wild population and compensate for weak year class recruitment periods due to freezes, warm winters, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia and other adverse events.

While regulations governing commercial and recreational harvest of flounder have been ratcheted up in recent years, the population has not responded as hoped, meaning more drastic measures may be needed. To give the stock the best chance of recovery, CCA Texas funded $125,000 for construction and $100,000 for equipment needs for the Flounder Building. Once online, TPWD will be able to greatly expand flounder culture efforts into seasons that have traditionally been too warm to raise the demanding larvae.






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â€œWe truly are fortunate in this state to have public, private and corporate entities that are so willing and able to take action when any of our wildlife resources is faced with a crisis, and our flounder fishery is in a crisis,â€ said Patrick Murray, CCA National president. â€œThe future of that fishery may literally be in our hands, and it is good to know that we and our partners are putting our best effort into getting flounder back on track. The outpouring of support that the hatchery program has received is certainly setting the stage for a positive outcome.â€

*WINTER FISHING SPECIAL: Dec. 2019 â€" Jan. 2020​**Boat or Wade Fishing (Includes 3 Meals, 1 Night Lodging, and Fishing Guide)
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*We still have December 2-22 and January 3-31 dates available!*

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).

*Siesta!​*





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Siesta time is one of the great ideas of human kind. Cold climates may have created some great things, fire for one, but the southern heat created the desire for a midday break. Here at Bay Flats Lodge, we encourage a siesta mentality. The boats leave early this time of year, and the daily plan is to find fish fast and get back before the heat becomes too oppressive. While things donâ€™t always go according to plan, we almost always get everyone back in time for a nap, if they chose to take advantage of the opportunity. Fishing and a siesta are a hard combination to beat. So, pick up the phone and give us a call. Weâ€™ll do everything we can to make sure your fishing is followed by a world-class siesta time! - *Randy Brown, Bay Flats Lodge Manager*

*Share Your Bay Flats Memories​*





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Thereâ€™s nothing more special than you, our Bay Flats Lodge customers. Thatâ€™s why weâ€™ve put photos from your lodge visit out on our SmugMug page 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!
*CLICK HERE to go to SmugMug​*
*Summertime Surf​*Youâ€™ve probably heard from time-to-time about how magnificent the trout fishing can often become during the summertime on San Antonio Bay over shell pads and shell reefs. Well, the fishing also gets to be really good out in the surf. July and August are the months of the year that attract surf anglers to a slick beach like no other. Most canâ€™t wait for a calm day so they can get out there along the sand and look for pelicans perched just off of the beach and mullet gathered in pods at the second and third sand bars. Opportunity just doesnâ€™t get to be much better for a coastal angler. Itâ€™s a time when even the novice can enjoy fun times and rod-bending adventure.






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On those occasions when youâ€™re able to get into the surf on a warm summer day, try throwing top water baits. Theyâ€™re the favored lure of many, hands down, over any other artificial bait. Thereâ€™s just nothing like seeing a huge trout or redfish swim up to the surface of the water and then attack, or engulf, that small piece of mullet-imitating plastic. Itâ€™s a rush thatâ€™ll jump-start your heart every time it happens. Itâ€™s amazing!

Start your day out early, being in position along the beach ahead of sunrise. It can get really, really hot along the beach when thereâ€™s no wind, so you should try to be there extra early in the morning so you can take advantage of the coolest part of the day. It doesnâ€™t last long, but it can be extremely comfortable while it does.






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If possible, anchor your boat atop the second sand bar - put an anchor off the nose of the boat, as well as one off of the back of the boat, if needed. If you get out of the boat to wade, make your way to the first gut thatâ€™s just off of the beach. Toss dark-colored baits in these shallows before the sun comes up. Itâ€™s a practice thatâ€™s produced over the years, and it still works till this day. Itâ€™s really shallow here, so working a surface-walker in this water is only productive prior to daylight hours. Once the sun rises, this skinny water begins to boil quite rapidly, and the fish relocate accordingly.

A lot of anglers may be lucky and realize â€œeasy-pickingsâ€ as they free-line live croaker or shrimp during July and August in the surf. But whenever we get a lull in the wind, or when the wind happens to be blowing out of the north this summer, youâ€™ll find pluggers throwing nothing other than artificial baits up-and-down the guts all along the beachfront. Keep in mind the extreme heat, and the necessity for regular hydration and sunscreen application. Good luck out there, and be safe!






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*What Our Recent Guests Are Sayingâ€¦​*_Capt. Steve Boldt is absolutely THE BEST! I've been on guided fishing trips several other places, but NO ONE can beat Capt. Steve! Even when the fish aren't biting, it's a great time on his boat! - *Layne S. 7/10/19*

I can't say enough about how impressed we all were with the Lodge staff - everyone was pleasurable and friendly! My fishing guide was Capt. Heath Borchert, and I'll definitely request him on my next outing. The food was EXCELLENT! From the steaks, the pork chops, and the bacon-wrapped shrimp - I'm salivating right now just thinking about all of it! I was very impressed with the entire property, and honestly don't know how you could improve on any of it. I'm not just saying that to be nice - it's true! All aspects of our stay and of our fishing trip were more than any of us (all 12 of us) could possibly ask for! - *Brent C. 7/10/19*

The Lodge staff went above and beyond, and were exceptionally friendly, and the food was simply amazing! - *Cindy O. 7/10/19*

You can't possibly find better people than the staff you already have! I can't wait to come back! Capt. Cody Spencer was awesome! He got stuck with two old ladies who have never been saltwater fishing, and he showed us how to do it - we had the time of our lives. Capt. Cody is great! All of the meals were perfect - more than enough food, and it was so good. The kitchen staff were attentive to our needs - we probably even got a little spoiled before having to come back to reality! We stayed two nights - first morning we were fishing, but the second morning we were just leisurely packing up. The staff came in to work and were wiping down the lawn furniture and banisters around the upstairs decking. I was in shock at the attention to detail. Fabulous job! Angie is the absolute best- I love working with her. Patsy is great - wonderful personality and very accommodating. TJ is very friendly, and we enjoyed some conversations with him. Capt. Cody is wonderful - we really enjoyed learning and fishing with him. You have some of the best people on staff there! - *Ronda K. 7/10/19*_

*Seven-Day Weather Forecast​**Thursday 20 % Precip.*
Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
*Friday 20 % Precip.*
Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
*Saturday 20 % Precip.*
Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
*Sunday 20 % Precip.*
Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
*Monday 20 % Precip.*
Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 90F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
*Tuesday 20 % Precip.*
Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
*Wednesday 10 % Precip.*
Sunny skies, with a high near 92. Winds SSE at 10-20 mph.
*Coastal Water Temperature:* 
Port Aransas 84.0 degrees
Seadrift 86.0 degrees
Matagorda Bay 84.0 degrees

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Captain Chris Martin
www.BayFlatsLodge.com

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