GPS In-Hand, North Wind can be a Fish-Predicting Blessing
Call me crazy (you’ll have to get in line), but the north winds that are currently hammering most of the state can be the best friends you have in terms of consistently catching fish this spring and summer.
Anyone who has fished Texas saltwater for long knows, often from painful, bottom-dragging experience, that a hard-hitting north wind pushes a tremendous amount of water out of any given bay system. A strong norther can all but clear a skinny-water locale. Couple the north wind factor with a low-tide phase, and your favorite shallow-water flat can quickly morph into a virtual mud flat.
Yes, it’s lousy for fishing on that particular day. But, like a lifted veil atop a treasure chest, water removed from shallow-resting surfaces leaves the inquisitive angler a road map to structure … one that, once conditions settle and spring’s “bull tides” return, can and will lead you directly to the exact locations of submerged islands and reefs, channels, ledges and any other noteworthy changes in bottom contour.
Obviously, in the absence of an airboat, scouting water-shy bays and flats requires a good working knowledge of the terrain. The farther south you go down the Texas coast, the more challenging it can be to remain in navigable areas. Know your channels, and know them well.
Nonetheless, with care, and a the inexpensive assist of a quality handheld GPS, you can leave your favorite locales with a finely-pinpointed collection of coordinates that are nothing shy of invaluable throughout most of the year.
As for the tide tables, you can find them, along with exact corrections factored in for various Texas coastal locales and even your local weather, right here at CoastalAnglers.com.
This little trick is most valuable on the bays, but it’s worth it to mention that beachfront regulars can benefit from the sneak-peek north-wind approach as well. The “cuts” that slice through sand bars in the surf can be tough to read, especially through inexperienced eyes. They are, however, arguably the most important component of quality surf-fishing structure … especially when coupled with the presence of abundant broken shell.
Wear a pair of chest high-waders on a gusting north-wind day, walk a few feet from the bank and hit a quick GPS “Waypoint Save” when you detect a bar-to-bar cut, shell patches, or preferably, both. (NOTE: Be sure to “name” those quick-number saves ASAP, as it gets tough, and in a hurry, to remember the exact location of “Waypoint #23.” Many handheld GPS units limit the amount of characters you can enter when naming a waypoint, so you might have to get creative. Use abbreviations (“Bol” for Bolivar, or “PINS” for Padre Island National Seashore), and always add a quick and likewise-abbreviated notation as to the nearest landmark (one of mine, marked “WM,” denotes a nearby windmill).
If nothing else, getting outside on a beautiful day in March does wonders for offsetting the tremors of cabin fever. On some occasions, you’ll still be able to probe deep-water channels and catch a fish or two (in that regard, never forget the always-protected and surprisingly productive confines of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway).
At best … and much more likely than not … you will record a set of coordinates that, like a proven baitcasting rig or favorite topwater plug, will serve you well time and again in the years to come. Surf structure characteristics are much more prone to change than those in the bays, but even if your “savings” only pays off with two or three good trips, I dare say you will have made a worthwhile investment.
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[…] Justin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptCall me crazy (you’ll have to get in line), but the north winds that are currently hammering most of the state can be the best friends you have in terms of consistently catching fish this spring and summer. Anyone who has fished Texas … […]