Winter kayak fishing.

picaroon
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Winter kayak fishing.

Post by picaroon »

A friend complained that there was no place in the winter to fish with a kayak. He is dead wrong. I can think of a easy dozen places to fish within 100 miles of Houston. Once you learn how to fish these areas you are guaranteed to do well. Remember that a place may be good at certain times but not others. You have got to learn the area and how to fish it. Over the next several weeks I will give you these spots. It is up to you to learn how to fish them.

Most of my experience has been after a front. When temperatures fall bait fish retreat to deeper water as do trout and reds. Game fish are looking for suitable water temperatures water movement however slight and food.

When a cold front moves through the shallowest water gets cold first and when the temperatures warm the shallowest also warm the fastest. Fish first stop off in guts and pot holes and then move on to deeper water in rivers and bayous if possible or even the ICW. Again things reverse as the water warms and sunny skies appear. The fish then move back to guts, potholes, edges, oyster beds/reefs, mud and grassy bottoms. The fish are looking for their comfort range and just a few degrees makes a big difference. The sun works the fastest in warming the water but a incoming tide works but to a lesser degree.

Remember no bait, no fish. The bait will first be on the edges of deeper water and then migrate on to shallower water. If the bait is on a flat that is where the fish will be also. Look for birds wading because they are there for small shrimp and small minnows. I fish a couple days after a front because that is when the water is again rising. Things are getting warmer and the fish are someplace other than the deepest holes. Here I am trying to first find the fish and then follow them. The fish are there you just have got to find them.

Think edges, structure, water around 4'-6' deep, but not the very deepest, guts, shell, potholes and even the ends of boat docks. In places like the Colorado River even fish the ends of fallen trees. As Joe Doggett said, a stealthy approach is always best. A element of a stealthy approach is a very long and accurate cast. Work the bait slow and then slow it down some more but cover a lot of water........You may want to invest in a cheap depth indicator.

COLORADO RIVER..........This is a river about 100 miles SW of Houston in/near the small town of Matagorda. This river is beautiful. inter kayak fishin gThe river gets quite deep and of course there are a number of fishy sand bars dropping off into deeper water. At times the water gets relatively clear and is quite fish-able. If there is a lot of rain up stream then it is not so fish-able down near Matagorda. You pick your days. The town has places to eat and spend the night. Here you want to fish up stream from the town. This is a very historic area and it is worth a quick weekend trip for you and the wife just to explore. This area is very good for summer fishing.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by jackinayak »

Great info; thanks. I have found your "how to find reds in the winter" tips to be truisms.
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mike67
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by mike67 »

Thank you. Generosity seems to replicate the gift. I'll look forward to the spots.
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YakRunabout
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by YakRunabout »

Thanks for the info. There are plenty of days through the winter when the weather is warm enough. The challenge is to coordinate with the fish to hit the same spot at the same time! If the timing is off then it is still likely to be a great day on the water.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by JMS »

Wow great information! Thanks for sharing
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txspeck
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by txspeck »

Winter time fishing is the best time to fish, I catch my largest fish this time of the year and on warmer days will catch a lot of trout and reds.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by troutslinger »

Oh yeah, we had a house on the river in Matagorda for a very long time. Was really good under our pier lights. Like txspeck said winter is my favorite time because I'm after quality trout. Summer is best for quantity. Ever since they closed up parkers cut has really changed the fishing. Still fairly good but it used to be very good. Caught some nice solid trout on top waters under the lights. Sure miss that place. Anyone wanna go hit east Matty?
Last edited by troutslinger on Sat Dec 05, 2015 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
picaroon
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by picaroon »

TRES PALACIOS RIVER/PALACIOS TEXAS.....What a jewel. This is a very nice, clean little town located on the North East corner of Matagorda Bay. It is on Hwy 35 just a little North West of Matagorda. The river is not so deep, about 5'-6' but when it gets down into very cold temperatures the Trout and Reds have no trouble retreating out into the bay where they can easily find water 10'-15' deep. When it warms up a little there is a abundance of oyster reefs, shell and mud.

The water in the river is 5'-6' deep. The boat basin with its deep water was a hot spot for winter fishing at a time but I think it is illegal to fish there during the winter. You need to go there on a scouting trip with the wife. There are 5 motels and several restaurants. Things in this town are inexpensive. This would be a great spot for the kids during the summer and they have a great pier. Nearby Turtle Bay is a great spot to catch trout on a fly rod in the summer. and a visit to College Port, nearby is worth the effort.t

NOTE: all of these spots are very kayak friendly.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by TexasSharkerBoy »

Don't forget to wear waders!
picaroon
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

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Txspeck said it best.........winter is the best time to fish....................CANEY CREEK/SARGENT............What a wonderful spot. A lot of folks have cabins in the area and it is fished regularly with great success. Like all creeks, bayous, rivers there are holes in the stream beds and fish gather there during the coldest of times. When it begins to warm the fish venture out from those holes and are quite hungry and are feeding. You have just got to be at the right spot at the right time. Like Palacios the regulars do well. After the cold weather the trout begin to gather in the river. Hundred fish days were not unusual for my father back in the day. Do not forget to try the channels built by developers of the several subdivisions in the area.I remember seeing a string of 75 big trout caught by some folks setting in lawn chairs.

I do not think there are any restaurants or motels in the area but you have got to check it out for yourself. This is a tremendous area to fish in the summer and nearby East Matagorda is legendary for Reds.

Did I mention that you need to buy a cheap depth finder or carry a long cane pole......
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

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SAN BERNARD RIVER..........This is a fantastic spot and a place we went to in the winter when I was a kid, especially about 12 miles up stream neat an area called Church Hill Bridge. It is a beautiful little river and worth the trip just to paddle near Hwy 521. Up stream the river is shaded with moss covered Oak and Pecan trees. The mouth near the Gulf is either sanded in or on the verge but that is not a problem with water coming from the nearby Brazos. This is another legendary place and during the winter the deep holes on the river bottom fill with trout and reds.

My guess is that it is about 65 miles from Houston and a quick trip. The nearby Cedar Lakes are great during warmer weather for Reds. The beach in the spring should be good for wading in the surf. This would be a very good place to learn and fish on a regular basis. I have a friend that catches a lot of reds in the area and a lot of flounder.. He lives in the nearby town of Sweeney so it is just ma few miles from his home.

Brazos River..........Just a very few miles East of the San Bernard River is the Brazos River. As rivers go it is much larger than the San Bernard but like all rivers it is full of pot holes but there are folks that would not fish any where else. To it is a very muddy place and it does not seem to hold many fish.

Some months ago I was talking to a fellow who runs a tackle shop in Richmond-Rosenburg and I was telling him about catching Reds in the San Jacinto River. He said that was nothing and proceeded to show me pictures of Reds caught in downtown Richmond-Rosenberg. The bottom line is that there are fish in the Brazos if you can catch it when the thing was not flooding or very muddy.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by texnomad »

Do not come down to Corpus. The water is so shallow that all the fish are gone for the winter. If you believe that I have a concrete kayak to sell you. He He He
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by Otto_08 »

WestEndTroutAssassin wrote:Anyone wanna go hit east Matty?
Hitting E Matty tomorrow am.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by Alstang1 »

Good write up. Palacios is awesome. 2853 at 521 is an amazing little launch point for the tres palacios river. It is barley NE of palacios and can be accessed by 35n of palacios.

Turtle bay and turtle creek are amazing this time of year. The bay has a boat ramp access and has about a 200 yard shelf on the north side that is about 3 foot deep The full length of the bay.
The creek is right on 35, 3 miles west of palacios and 33 miles from my back door. I just left there with 5 trout and 1 red after 3 hours fishing tonight. Culling fish is very common there. I had to toss 2 18 inchers today.

For those looking for bait, west end bait camp and grassy point are both outstanding establishments. I have the numbers. Not sure if I'm allowed to post them. Someone let me know.

Al
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by picaroon »

I have not been to some of these spots in many years. Alstang 1 's current feed back is needed, appreciated and applauded. Please feel free to put in your remarks, advise we need it...............
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

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BRAZOS HARBOR-VELASCO..........When I was in Law School we would sneak off to Brazos Harbor in the winter. Where FM1495 crosses the harbor the ship channel has a streach of water that ranges from 17' to 9 foot and at times it is quite productive. In those days (1960) I had a 14' fiberglass skiff sold by Sears. We would throw it in the back of a pick-up and give it hell for a couple hours before school. We did well. We also sneaked into the Dow Plant and fished a spot near a wier/ small spillway and it was also very good but you cannot go there now. This is a very good spot and you should explore it.

BETTER CHECK IF IT IS LEGAL TO GO THERE NOW.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

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TURTLE BAYOU/OYSTER CREEK..........I have never fished Turtle Bayou but I have been there a number of times to visit a friend that was a Judge in Free Port who lived there and he would brag about the fish he caught there so I will throw it in on this discussion. I know there are some deep holes in that Bayou..................I have not fished Oyster Creek since I was a kid but it is legendary for its winter fishing. My father owned 155A up near Angelton and we would fish for Gar there in the summer. My father would hunt deer there because he thought it was his duty and responsibility to do so. He and relatives and cronies felt that their annual deer hunt was a religious experience and it grew into a very big part of his later life.

I have got to say that Oyster Creek is too good to pass up.

I am going to throw this in for good measure realizing that it is not so kayak friendly. When we go to West Galveston Bay we are hitting a number of spots but to be honest towards the end of the day we may need to resort to desperate measures to fill our stringers. One of those is the ditch, creek that flows from the ICW into Alligator Lake. There is hole in there that is about 5'-6' deep and it is always good for one or two reds. Unless someone else has been in there recently you almost cannot miss. This spot is on the North side of the ICW between Bastrop Bayou and Chocolate Bay. BASTROP BAYOU is a place I have never fished but it deserves a trip just to explore. If you find holes or water of any depth then you need to give it a try this winter. Let us know if you do good.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by karstopo »

Those old skimmer gates at Dow are famous in the local fishing mythology but I believe they are off limits these days. Believe it or not, red snapper of keeper size used to come out of the Freeport harbor. The coast guard shoos boats from the 70 foot deep hole since 911.

I love creek and river fishing. I'm glad you are mentioning some of these spots.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

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NEW BAYOU..........New Bayou is a little bayou located on the North side of Chocolate Bay. It is not so far from FM 2004 at the bayou but for an old guy like me it is a hike. That entire East shoreline beginning at Grassy Point going South is quite good. Think about prospecting the shoreline with gold spoon. The area in the fall is also very good with a small soft plastic for Flounder. The bayou is to the left just past a large abandoned bay house. It is a favorite. Up in the bayou there are two distinct deep holes find them and fish them and fish around them. Again this is a prime spot learn it and you will do good.The thing I like about that shoreline is the grass that grows down into the water and often you will spot a red in the grass if you are stealthy. I had a Curlew for a number of years and that was a good quick spot for me to fish in the afternoons and still be home at a reasonable hour.


CHOCOLATE BAYOU..........I have spent countless hours/days/weeks in that Bayou. Friends had a house there and in the winter it was a fantastic place to fish. At a time there was a Shell Hopper located on the West bank of the bayou near the town of Liverpool.They would spill shell into the bayou and the trout would be there in the winter. We had 100 fish days with a lure called a ''Plugin Shorty". I would bet that a soft plastic would do the job now. The trout were small but there were a lot of them and almost never a red. That shell hopper is no longer there.

Up stream the bayou is quite beautiful and worth a paddle with you favorite girl friend, wife or child. Can I say that I really like this bayou.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by texnomad »

WOW a plugging shorty was the first lure I ever purchased. They were very unique for their time.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by karstopo »

Put Austin bayou in there too. Its a tributary off Bastrop Bayou. I was leading the Titlum Tatlum tourney one year with a red from Austin Bayou until the last hour.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by Milkjug »

I am reluctant to put this up for the hordes of potlickers, noobs, and internet scouters out there.

There is a secret spot that not many know of in W. Galveston Bay that can produce well at times in the Winter.

The few in the know call this spot "Confederate Reef". Access by paddling North from either the Sportsman's ramp or cul-de-sac.
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by M Michael Meyer »

texnomad wrote:Do not come down to Corpus. The water is so shallow that all the fish are gone for the winter. If you believe that I have a concrete kayak to sell you. He He He
I agree. My wife and I came down here to do some fishing. Boy, are we disappointed. We cannot find any fish in the winter. I would recommend you stay away from this area. :lol:
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Re: Winter kayak fishing.

Post by Yaklash »

picaroon wrote: I do not think there are any restaurants or motels in the area but you have got to check it out for yourself.
I'm pretty sure a place called the Crab Trap Bar & Grill is still open; it is pretty damn good (and I'm kind of hard to please when it comes to seafood) and they are great folks there.
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Post by picaroon »

BASTROP BAYOU..........AUSTIN BAYOU..........I have not mentioned these two bayous because to tell the truth I really have never fished them in the winter and in truth I know little about them. My. secretary of over 25 years and her husband had a house at Demi-John Island and I helped them rebuild it after Hurricane Alicia back in the 80's. I fished a number of times in Bastrop Bay from a motor boat and I fished for flounder from the bridge at Demi-John. In the fall that is a "Hot Spot". Twenty flounder on mud minnows, but other than that I know nothing. I suppose that being a bayou it has some deep holes. Find them and fish them and you should do well.

I have never wet a line in Austin Bayou but when I was about 16-18 we would go there and water ski. We went there because we had a ski jump in the bayou and that was for us a big attraction. We had a duck lease on Austin Bayou on some land owned by a Rice farmer named Rasymond Peltier. He had some rice reservoirs that were full of Black Bass and we had a 12 month lease. I bought a wounded rabbit call and hoped to kill a coyote but never saw one even though the area was full of coyotes. We did kill a couple of Bobcats.

All things considered I think this is an outstanding area. You have got to learn the area and explore. It is a very good and productive area at times.
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