The last few days of winter can often yield spectacular catches of spot tails.

Story and Photography By Danno Wise

Once February rolls around, most saltwater fishermen willing to venture onto the bay have one thing in mind – trophy trout. However, many inshore anglers would be surprised to learn that redfish action can still be red hot even when the temperatures drop during late winter.
Not only can fishing for redfish be productive, but there is a variety of ways in which to catch spot tails during late winter. And, the vast majority of these methods will work up and down the Texas coast.
SHALLOW WHEN IT IS SUNNY
Capt. Steve “JR” Ellis, who spent two decades guiding out of South Padre Island and now takes fishermen out of Port Mansfield’s Get-A-Way Adventures Lodge, says sight-casting to sunning reds is an overlooked aspect of winter angling.
“Even during the coldest part of winter, we can have some good sight-casting in shallow water in the Lower Laguna Madre,” said Ellis. “In fact, we have some really good sight-casting trips in winter. We actually have some of our clearest water conditions during winter because the cool temperatures kill all the little blooms that are floating around when the water temperatures are higher. As a result, the water is extremely clear. It can almost be too clear at times. It will get dirty for a few days around a front when we have really strong wind, but it settles out really quickly, especially in the shallows.

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