Around Matagorda Bay - Weekly Newsletter and Fishing Report

Around Matagorda Bay

Weekly Newsletter
and
Fishing Report

September 5, 2002

...where fishing meets the net

Note from the Webmaster

In the Bay

We have the dark of the moon this weekend, so the fish will be hungry when daylight comes. So, your best BITE will probably be in the mornings with some in the evenings, too. Tide action will be very strong for the week, and on top of that, the tides are running 2 ft. above normal already. The bait should be on the move and that should have the game fish ambushing them at every "corner".

Matagorda Bay Links

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Colorado River Conditions/Fishing Report

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Kingfisher's Site of the Week

Hurricane Preparedness

Information on how to prepare before a hurricane threatens, supplies you will need, protecting your home and boat, what to do when a hurricane approaches, when you should evacuate, what to do after a hurricane strikes, hurricane terminology, and hurricane structure.

The biggest Tiger Shark caught on the coast of Texas was in the Gulf of Mexico in 1992 - it weighed 1129 lb. and was 162 inches long (13.5 ft.). The largest one on IGFA records for the whole world was caught in 1964 in Cherry Grove, South Carolina and weighed 1780 lb.

Can shark meat be used as food for humans?
Yes. It is palatable and nutritious if properly prepared. The fish in England's "fish and chips" is often dogfish or school shark. The prejudice against shark meat arises from a distate for the scavenging habits people attribute to sharks, and to the fact that the meat spoils quickly. The meat of certain species is apt to be strongly flavored.

Is it true that the meat of the hammerhead shark is poisonous?
It is only a rumor that the hammerhead is poisonous.

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and Fishing Report:

Goofy Smiley Face

Hi, Guys!

I can sum up this week in seven easy words - "Your guess is as good as mine!" Fishing is most likely not going to be predictable or even feasible for the rest of this week and possibly into next week, depending on what happens in the Gulf. If Eduard or Faye come knocking on our coast, we'll just have to see what each day brings. Any predictions in this newsletter are dependent on what the weather does - 8-)

Surf fishing, offshore fishing, and fishing from the jetties or pier are probably not even worth mentioning this week - so I won't.

In East Matagorda Bay the reefs should be good spots IF the wind is not bad. Look for flounder around the cuts going into the marshes.

For West Matagorda Bay - if the wind allows - try Mad Island or another protected spot - there may be some reds or drum for the taking. Oyster Lake might be another spot to try using live shrimp or crabs.

What baits do we like this week? Live shrimp, mullet or croaker. Topwaters might be good, as well as pumpkinseed/chartreuse Bass Assassins or other soft plastics.

And in the meantime - come on down and wet a hook - or watch the surf take over the dunes! Enjoy our bays!

Good Luck!

See ya next week,

Webmaster

P.S. I would love to get some feedback from you guys -- are you finding these newsletters helpful? Any suggestions for improvements? Let me know.

This Week's Fishing Reports

Thursday 09/05/02

No fishing report because of the rough wind/surf conditions and the storm brewing in the Gulf.

Wednesday 09/04/02

No fishing report - looks like the "stir-up" in the gulf is going to put a damper on fishing for a few days.

Tuesday 09/03/02

Rainy and windy today - however, I did have a report of a few nice stringers of trout coming out of East Matagorda Bay today - wadefishing using topwaters and Bass Assassins.

Monday 09/02/02

Poor fishing today - windy conditions kept fishing to a minimum.

Sunday 09/01/02

Well, the wind picked up today...and it rained for awhile. So, it wasn't as good a day for fishing as it was yesterday. Before the wind picked up, there were some reds caught on the east end of West Matagorda Bay around the South Pocket area. Down the beach there were only scattered catches of trout and reds in the surf today. East Matagorda Bay was not in real good shape with the east wind blowing - tore it up - and there were only a few catches of trout reported. Oyster Lake was fair, though -- catches of reds and trout on live shrimp under a popping cork.

Saturday 08/31/02

The surf was really good today. It was too rough for boats to go out the jetties and down the beach, but you could drive down the beach and catch some nice stringers of trout and big redfish using artificials and live shrimp. In East Matagorda Bay there were also nice stringers of trout and big redfish being caught by wadefishermen along the south shoreline using topwaters, soft plastics like Bass Assassins, or live shrimp under a popping cork. Good fishing!

Friday 08/30/02

Today's report for East Matagorda Bay is much the same as yesterday's - nice stringers of trout were caught on the south shoreline on artificials and live shrimp. The surf is still producing nice trout towards both the east and west ends of the beach. At the jetty trout and reds are being caught. It started getting rough today but those who went west in boats were catching lots of trout on topwaters.

Thursday 08/29/02

Wadefishermen along the south shoreline of East Matagorda Bay brought in some nice stringers of trout today. They were caught on soft plastics and live shrimp. The surf seems to be heating up -- nice trout are being caught in the surf on live shrimp under a popping cork and on artificials like Bass Assassins, hoagies, etc. If you're in a boat, you can turn east or west at the jetties and run along the beach and fish. Or drive down the beach and find a spot -- they're both good.

Kingfisher's Tip of the Week

Probably the most important element in fishing is the fishing line. Without it, the most expensive boats, rods and reels are useless. So, it’s clearly a good idea to take care of your line. Here’s how to care for monofilament line:

The first thing to do after a day of angling is to rinse the line with fresh, clean water.
Store the line in a dark, cool place, such as “a closet, even an area in your garage.” For heat to damage the line, the temperature has to exceed 250-degrees.
Keep your line in the shade when you’re out fishing. Sunlight can heavily damage monofilament.
What’s even worse for monofilament line is petroleum products, which will essentially dissolve the line.
Check your line for nicks or abrasions. The best way to do this is to run the line between your fingers or lips, or other sensitive part of your body.