Texas Outback Article March/April 2011

In my house I have a white eraserboard marked off with dates, names, lengths and weights of fish caught over the past five years. These “notable catches” range from personal bests to some real Baffin Bay behemoths. One can quickly see that we catch big trout in my favorite bay system year round.
But one thing you will also notice is the weights vary throughout the year. Thirty inch plus trout can weigh anywhere from seven pounds to well over the ten pound mark.
One other thing you will notice while perusing this “wall of fame” is the fact that there is a time of year when the numbers of these bigger trout are caught a little more frequently. Happily these two coincide in the months of March and April.
The big female trout are at their peak weights for the year in preparation for the spawn. Rising water temperatures trigger the instincts of trout to procreate and the Big Girls need all the extra weight they can pack on to get them through early spring
Springtime is a wonderful time to be on Baffin Bay. The bay just seems to come to life before your eyes. Those bitter cold morning boat rides slowly begin to fade away and we look forward with great anticipation to the time we can retire our waders for another year.
Even our tactics change we are in pursuit of our finned friends. As the water warms up to the sixty-five to seventy degree mark, we dust off our seldom used topwaters for some explosive and consistent action. The Corkies we used all winter are still effective as these big fish become efficiency experts.
They are opportunistic feeders and will go for an easy meal anytime. But, you will find that they like to live large and eat large as well. Many of the fish caught this time of year will have large mullet tails and even smaller trout tails protruding from their mouths.
Large plastic swimbaits such as Stanley Thump N Mullet are also an effective way to take a trophy trout. The tails on these baits produce a lot of vibration under just about any retrieve speed. I like to pull them through the water by lifting my rod tip and then let them flutter back down through the water column slowly as I reel the slack line in. Aggressive strikes on the fall are common. Rigged weedless or “rockless” in Baffin, these baits are fast becoming a favorite with me and my clients.
One thing that never changes about Baffin is the fish attracting ability of the serpulid rock formations found here. These are the most consistent places to locate concentrations of baitfish and predators. They afford hiding spots for small crabs, shrimp and baitfish while also providing great ambush points for trout.
Time spent wading nearby and probing these rocks is well spent. Be sure to try your best to walk around these rocks during your wade. There are several reasons for avoiding directly walking on them. They are fragile and can and do break. They are also serious trip hazards and believe me, you do not want to fall on these rocks. They are very rough and covered with barnacles which can remove large amounts of flesh like a cheese grater. Its best to back up and ease your way around these obstructions.
Sandbars and drop-offs will be focal points depending on the weather. I love those cool days after a cold front with light winds and sunshine that really seem to warm up the flats and shallow bars. Big baits work well this time of year in these situations. Large topwaters, Corkies and other suspending baits take top billing as the big trout look to be more efficient in their eating habits. I like to wade just off the bar and make long casts on top of it working my lure towards the edge. Many of the hits we get here are just as the water depth changes a couple of inches and the strikes can be aggressive and vicious.
The overall condition of the bay is good right now. We survived a possible fish killing freeze event with virtually no damage. The warming trend behind the big freeze seems to have triggered a substantial bite from big trout as well as redfish. It seems every dropoff, sandbar and drain is teeming with redfish and they are very indiscriminate eaters right now.
As much as I love to pursue trout, the steady action and hard pulls that the reds provide are hard to pass up. The best thing about that is that the same lures we are using on the trout are working quite well on these bruisers.
So dust off your rods and oil up your reels. It’s an exciting time to be here in God’s country. Hope to see you down here soon. Capt. Aubrey Black


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February Saltwater Angler Article

Now THAT was a cold snap!! It really kind of puts a new perspective on a few things that have been happening lately. Everyone knows all about the arguments over the trout limits lately and everyone has their own opinion as to how our fishery should be managed. But our feeble attempts to regulate anything that we in all reality have no control over are thrown back in our faces and we get a real glimpse of who is in control……….. and it isn’t us!

As I write this, a second round of the really cold stuff is blowing through. Supposedly this round won’t be quite as harsh as the ice storm we went through the first week of February but who knows. For me personally, that was a very tough week. Of course, there was the usual cancellations and re-scheduling of trips that you would expect when the weather turns that bad. But most of all for me and many of my fishing brethren along the Texas coast, our livelihoods were suddenly at stake. We have been extremely lucky for several years dodging hurricanes in the summer and fish killing freezes in the winter. But we have to wonder when our luck is going to run out.

Fortunately, the trend over the past few years amongst the guiding profession has been to allow our clients to participate in the overall experience of the outdoors. The emphasis is slowly beginning to inch away from the old school “fill-the-cooler” trips and more about experiencing the majesty around us, the camaraderie of friends and actually learning about the ways and habits of the quarry we pursue. As my friend Capt. Mike McBride, aka McTrout, says “It’s all about the trip”.

So what’s happening in Baffin? Well, the cold weather definitely put a damper on the trout fishing for a little while. We spent most of the week after the big freeze checking the bay and the Upper Laguna Madre for signs of a substantial fish kill. Fortunately, we didn’t find any. We spotted a good number of dead and cold stunned silver perch and a couple of small trout but that was the extent of our observations having covered well over one hundred miles in the process.

We did manage to sneak out between these two cold spells and do a little fishing and the trout we caught were very aggressive, fat and healthy. Reports from my friends stated that the redfish were very hungry and active almost the entire time during the cold spell.

Original Corkies and Corky Fat Boys in darker colors have been working well around drop-offs and rocks. The extremely low water levels recently opened up many wading spots we don’t normally get to enjoy this time of year and we took full advantage of them. Stanley Wedgetail Thump N Mullet has been a new addition to the arsenal and appears to be deadly on redfish. Because of their weedless or in my case, “rockless”capabilities, I think these baits may work well on big trout this spring. I’ll let you know. Like I said earlier, we have very low water conditions out there so y’all be extra careful and I’ll see ya on the water.



Capt. Aubrey Black

Baffin Bay

Article submitted to: Texas Outback Magazine Jan./Feb. 2011

It’s time!! The time of the year when those blurry pictures start making the rounds on the internet. You know the ones I’m talking about. Some unrecognizable angler bundled up like the Michelin man in all the latest and greatest fishing gear from your favorite outdoors catalog. Invariably they will be holding some huge potbellied trout sagging between the Boga Grip latched on the bottom jaw and their hand. These types of pictures get the blood pumping and make many a trophy trout enthusiast do some crazy things.

Baffin Bay is my home waters and for good reason, this area is targeted by many of the aforementioned trophy trout seekers. The stable, hyper-saline environment seems to be conducive to the development of these really big trout. Lots of shrimp, mullet and crabs are everywhere. The ever present rock formations in the bay are veritable “fish magnets”.
The changing of the seasons brings plenty of unpredictable weather. Cold fronts come through just about every three to five days.
North winds will have us looking for areas of semi-protected shorelines near deep water and or mud. The north banks of the Laguna Salada and the Cayo de Grullo along with drop-offs from Starvation Point all the way to East Kleberg Point. Behind the Tide Gauge Bar in the mud, rocks and grass is another great place to look and the Badlands and King Ranch Shoreline should be holding some genuine monster trout right now.
With the onset of cooler water temps, we are starting to focus our efforts on the areas which hold large trout. Baitfish, primarily large mullet, are abundant especially in the back half of the bay system. The far reaches of the bay system, including Alazan, received a huge influx of fresh water this year and it seems to be helping the overall health of the bay.
Sandbars, drop-offs and deeper rocks will be the focal points depending on the weather. I love those cool days after a cold front with light winds and sunshine that really seem to warm up the flats and shallow bars. Big baits work well this time of year in these situations. Large topwaters, Corkies and other suspending baits take top billing as the big trout look to be more efficient in their eating habits. Wade just off the bar and make long casts on top of it working your lure towards the edge. Many of the hits we get here are just as the water depth changes a couple of inches and the strikes can be aggressive and vicious.
Slow presentations no matter what you throw will be key to your success. Dark plastics rigged on the lightest jigheads will be first and foremost in my wading arsenal. Corky Fat Boys and Corky Devils are a staple as well. I personally don’t throw many topwaters this time of year but have seen many clients successfully use these baits. Vary your retrieve until you find what they like. A big Super Spook with a slow walk-the-dog retrieve and occasional pauses has been a big producer.
Grinding in cold, wet and windy conditions will probably be the norm until late March this year. Being prepared with the right gear is half the battle. Don’t hit the bargain bins when you are looking for your wading gear. Staying dry is the key
Good quality breathable waders with layers underneath are a must. Under Armour makes several great products and a good pair of fleece pants will help keep you dry and comfortable. Simms and Orvis make some of the best wading jackets on the market but make sure you do your homework and get the one that best fits you and your style of fishing.
It’s an exciting time to be out here enjoying God’s bounty. Duck hunting, dove hunting and fishing have been good to excellent. The trophy trout season is just now kicking into high gear and we fully expect to do as well or better than we did last year when we had six monster trout over thirty inches. That included one ten pound plus trout caught early spring. We hope to see many of you down here this year as we pursue the biggest and best our waters have to offer. Y’all be safe and I’ll see ya on the water.
Captain Aubrey Black
www.captblack.com
Facebook: Capt Blacks Outdoor Adventures
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