Outside of any unforeseen severe weather systems, like that of another hurricane, sparkling sunshine with much milder conditions is what the coastal bend area should be in store for during the upcoming month. October often marks the beginning of the fall fishing pattern where cooler water conditions traditionally coincide with higher tides at this time in the year. In order to take full advantage of the opportunities provided to us by the higher-than-normal and stronger tidal movements that usually begin this month, I'll be making provisions for what should be some truly speck-tacular backcountry fishing adventures. That's right! It's time to start getting serious about heading to the back lakes in search of some "Hogs". I'll be knocking the dust off of some of my more treasured surface walkers that I haven't used since last spring, replacing hooks where necessary, and will be stocking them in my wading belt in place of most of the well-used plastics of summertime. And because the number of total daylight hours will only continue to decrease as we head into fall, I'll make plans to be at my initial destination point earlier than usual each morning, and will begin my first wade session of the day within the last hour of darkness just prior to the pre-dawn sunlight. But before even leaving the dock each morning, I'll verify that the one Visa-card type piece of fishing equipment for fall fishing has not been erroneously removed from within the confines of my leaning post, my binoculars - binoculars, don't leave for the lakes without them. In summary, fall is making its way to us as we speak, bringing with it shorter and cooler days and cooler nights with the approach of each minor front, so be prepared. It's time to begin making that traditional transition from hard sand or shell bottom structure to that of the soft mud and grass mixture found in our area back lakes, areas offering food and cover for what could just turn out to be your best-ever trout this fall.While it is true that fall is emerging, it doesn't mean that winter is upon us. We should not encounter any blue-northers for quite some time, so we should continue to experience predominate southerly-influenced winds that we are used to. This means that we shall continue to see higher October tides that will tend to push fish into places that the fish do not normally have access to, hence the back lakes and their surrounding areas. Lake areas that we may not be able to get into during the summertime should, at times, be holding anywhere between two to three foot of water during certain high-tide periods of October, areas consisting primarily of soft mud mixed with grass where the trout bite will relocate to during periods of falling surface water temperatures brought about by cooler atmospheric conditions. I like to begin my day in these areas before daybreak due to the fact that the days are getting shorter, and because we historically have made contact with fish in these areas either real early in the morning or very, very late in the day. Now upon entering a back lack area, and as I noted previously, binoculars can be of great benefit to anglers when attempting to decide the best place to anchor the boat or to setup for their first across-lake drift. You really need the advantage of being able to pinpoint large baitfish when searching for trophy trout. These back lakes commonly hold great numbers of redfish, too, and it is for this reason that you should key-in on slicks, nervous bait, or mud boils where rooting redfish are commonly found before screaming blindly across the open lake. So, learn to use your binoculars to your advantage. Shut down your boat prior on entering a back lake and carefully scan the surface area for any signs of bait or fish. As you know, these back lake areas tend to be much shallower than that of the open bay, and any unnecessary sound should be kept to a bare minimum in order to minimize spooking. Once bait or fish activity is sited, attempt to position your wade or drift upwind of the target area. As a general rule, and unless noticeable bait activity in a different area dictates otherwise, I will normally setup on the windward side of a back lake. This gives me the advantage of having the wind at my back while casting, and it sets me up for a wade all the way across the open water of the shallow lake. And as for casting, I mainly throw top waters in the back lakes at this time of the year. Surface plugs offer the most life-like resemblance to mullet and they are, by far, my favorite baits to focus on in the back lakes. While many are under the belief that fish will only strike top water baits during low-light conditions, my fishing logs reflect some of my historical-best action has occurred in the high sunlight of the midday hours. Another false belief that has become caught in many minds is that fishing with top waters is most effective only when performed in calm-to-moderate wind conditions. But again, some of my most productive top water sessions have taken place during heavy and increasing winds. Regardless, the next few weeks will offer anglers huge opportunities to boost their confidence while fishing artificial lures in the vast back lakes just adjacent to the southern most shores of San Antonio Bay. This is a great time of the year for those wishing to hone their top water skills, and there is no better time to increase your confidence level, and no better way than by chunking top water lures. But be forewarned, during this transition from hotter months to cooler months you may find it necessary to grind from dawn until dusk, but the rewards can certainly outweigh the efforts.

In wrapping up this edition of Guide Lines, we wish to remind all of the rapid approach of the upcoming waterfowl season, with this year's duck season being November 1-30, 2008, and then again on December 13, 2008, through January 25, 2009. We will soon commence our annual preparations of the blinds, and we recommend November as being a wonderful time of the year to experience a "Blast & Cast" trip, also known as our Duck-Fish Combos - hunt waterfowl in the morning, take a short break, and then exchange the shotgun for top water lures in the afternoon. Remember to practice CPR, "Catch, Photo, and Release", whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Guide Chris Martin, Port O'Connor/Seadrift region. www.BayFlatsLodge.com…1-888-677-4868

Capt. Chris Martin
Bay Flats Lodge, Inc.
391 Bayside Drive
P.O. Box 580
Seadrift, Texas 77983-0580
2 1/2-hours south of Houston, Texas
www.BayFlatsLodge.com
1-888-677-4868