and redfish in minor, but noticeable ways to an observant fisherman. One of the most significant seasonal changes Texas anglers experience is the large-scale transition from winter to spring and the big changes in behavior that follow. A wintertime pattern is easy to man-
age, slow to change, and allows the casual fisherman to stay on top of the fish without doing a lot of scouting. The fish will find an area where food is available and water temperatures are moderated by bottom structure or cur- rent, and sometimes both. Fish will often camp in these areas,
sometimes for weeks or months with very little movement or change in feed- ing habits. Metabolism is slow, so big migrations or day-long feeding frenzies are not common wintertime events. Twenty-minute feeding bursts a couple times a day may be all that is required of a winter-chilled speck or red to maintain its slow metabolism, so a lot of inactivity must be tolerated by winter anglers. This is the slow-paced, predictable life of a wintertime fisherman. Often, suddenly spring announces
its arrival with a warm 20-knot south- east wind and a flood tide that raises the bay water level by 18 inches. The rules have changed, and the lazy win- tertime angler is faced with the tough-
est and most dynamic transition on the entire fishing calendar. Before hanging up the waders and waiting for the next cold December wind, it is important to examine these changes and see how they can be used to our advantage. While a huge influx of water may
seem daunting at first, a springtime fisherman needs to factor its impor- tance for three reasons. First, the fast- cooling shallow waters of the bay get an infusion from the warmer, deeper Gulf of Mexico, raising the water tem- perature as much as 10-12 degrees overnight, and kick-starting the metab- olism of the fish. Second, that big rush of tide brings with it food, and lots of it, in the form of mullet, pin perch, shrimp, and menhaden that have been waiting in the deeper waters of the Gulf for just such a ride to the shallows. Third, the shorelines, grass beds and reef tops that were unreachable for gamefish during the low tides of winter are now flooded with warmer water and food, kicking into gear the spawn- ing behavior of coastal specks and the feeding instincts of redfish.
READ THE SIGNS There may be more water for the
angler to cover now, but the fish in that water are warmer, hungrier and more
There may be more water for the angler
to cover now, but the fish in that water are warmer, hungrier and more active for longer periods of time.
active for longer periods of time. Winter fish that have sustained them- selves on a strict diet of sand eels and mud minnows are ready to hit the buf- fet as well. In addition, specs will now begin to seek out and defend spawning beds, making the big girls more likely to hit big, intrusive baits like topwaters or live pony mullet. A common misconception is that the
high winds of spring do not bode well for the coastal angler. In actuality, the wind can be a tool to help locate and catch fish, rather than an obstacle to keep us off the water. Wind blowing off the Gulf, which is common in spring, tends to keep nighttime temperatures warmer, helping the water get warmer faster and stay that way. This translates to more fish activity. With that, the new rush of baitfish and shrimp become con-
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JAMES FOX
TIDE
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