The Black Drum Run is on til mid April. Check out the Pictures & Video from this past weekend trips

For the last several days we have discussed jetty fishing and, while we gave a general overview, there is much more to learn about fishing the granite rocks. Before we leave this subject, we need to discuss the dangers associated with fishing both sets of rocks. Fishing via a boat and walking out on the rocks have their elements of danger and anyone not familiar with the area should be aware of some of them. Rock walkers, those anglers who take their gear and bait out onto the jetties and walk the surface, are faced with several dangers. Not the least of which are slipping and falling, an exposure that can result in a serious injury. During the summer, the heat beginning late morning can be tough on the hardiest anglers and whether it is heat exhaustion or an injury of any magnitude, the distance back to where help is available can be a big problem especially if the injury causes limited or no mobility. Early on, the tops of the jetties were smooth and easy to walk, with mainly slippery conditions being the danger. Today, the broken-up rocks prevent any type of device with rollers or wheels from making its way to an injured person. For boaters, the biggest danger lies on the channel side of both jetties. Strong currents can cause anchors to stop holding and sweep boats onto the rocks. Wake is the other big problem, as large vessels traversing the channel often create large waves, Those waves continue all the way to the jetties and can easily sweep boats up onto the rocks. Weather can present a danger anywhere on the water; however, one of the most common weather-related dangers around the jetties is waiting too long to pull anchor and head in when a storm or squall is approaching. Battling high winds, rain and lightning back to dock is not fun!

Now that February is here, we can expect to see increasingly warmer temperatures that should do wonders for fishing. Wednesday was a great day around Galveston; however, not much was taking place on the fishing scene. Today should be much like Wednesday, with slightly warmer conditions; however, by Friday we are supposed to see another cold front pass through. Once we reach February, the cold spells do not linger as long as they do in December and January, and by Valentine’s Day, longer periods of daylight are noticeable, so we have a lot to look forward to in light of what we experienced during January.

This week looks to offer much better conditions that we have seen in a while. Tuesday could be a good day to give fishing a try. Low water levels could be an issue, as brisk northerly winds prevailed most of the day Monday. Part of the good news is that the water temperature is warming into the 50s, a reading that fish easily survive in and move around more. Last weekend, live shrimp supplies were scarce all around the Galveston area. Sub-50-degree water temperatures cause the crustaceans to dig deep into mud bottoms for survival. Hopefully, it will not be long before bait shrimpers find the prime saltwater bait moving again. Last weekend there were some spotty catches of trout and other fish, with most coming from West Bay. Sunday fishing report pretty well summed up the situation on the fishing scene.. “Sunday, the only bait I found was some old, thawed out shrimp. We passed on it. So I threw lures and Gulps for two hours in the harbor with no luck. No sign of life at all other than some hungry birds.” As the water warms, expect fishing action to pick up. We should start seeing more black drum showing up in the near future. The fish first appear around the jetties and eventually move into the bays. We still are in January and normally it is close to Valentine’s Day before the “Big Uglies” (Black Drum) begin to show in noticeable numbers. Sometime around St. Patrick’s Day is when the annual black drum run reaches its peak.

Now that the worst is over, we are in the “wait and see” period when the damage to our fish stocks will be assessed. Hopefully, the fish kills that occurred were not of the magnitude to make a significant impact on our stocks of trout and other fish. Going beyond that, the question many anglers have is how will our fishing be when conditions improve? In regard to that question, let me share my experiences with the after effects of hard freezes. If no major fish kills took place, then the catches will progressively improve as the water warms. Fish continue to have to eat, so finding food in the form of bait fish and crustaceans will be their high priority. When warmer water and higher tide levels return, expect trout and other fish to be aggressively feeding. The best time to fish with the best odds of catching something will be in the afternoon when the shallow waters are the warmest. Trophy trout guides have often told me that the last two hours before dark sets in are the best. Deep pockets of water will continue to be one of the best choices, as fish now are in a pattern of working out of their refuge. This means that until sustained warm weather, which usually means water temperatures close to 70 degrees or higher, trout and other fish will stay close to safe havens and venture out for short times in search of food. By early next week we should know more about this situation and can discuss where the action is going to take place.

There is little doubt that fishing will be impaired by the latest cold front passing through. While winds will start dropping late Wednesday, it is likely that low water levels will persist for a while. Friday, a wind shift to an east-northeast direction should help water levels return to normal, and by this weekend, the outlook is looking good. Light southeast breezes are forecast to return, and that is always good news for fishermen. We continue to receive reports from last weekend, and the two latest ones were both from the jetties.