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Trinity Bay – On the Rebound
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By LARRY WILBURN
A seagull circles and hovers above the water, diving down to grab a shrimp as it flips out of the water. Soon other gulls join in and the show is on with all the screaming and screeching with the birds frantically diving for the shrimp as they race for the surface to get away from the hungry fish below.
This is a scene that is played out time and again this time of the year in Trinity Bay. Anglers are constantly watching for the birds working and quickly make their way to the ruckus because they know the fish are there. As trout and red fish chase schools of shrimp, the shrimp will scatter toward the surface in an effort to escape. The seagulls can see the action from above and try to pick off an easy meal. The anglers are using the seagulls to show them where the fish are.
The fall is the best time to fish Trinity Bay. There is a lot of bird action in the fall and it is a blast to fish the birds. You do not have to wonder if there are any fish or if they will be biting. If the birds are working, I guarantee the fish are there and will usually hit anything that is thrown at them.
For the most part, the schools of fish that the birds work are smaller fish commonly called schoolies. That is not always the case as I have caught some nice trout under birds. It’s not always speckled trout that the birds work. Sometimes it will be redfish or sand trout and I have even seen the birds work schools of gaff top.
As I said, the fall is the best time to fish Trinity Bay. The marshes that stretch to the north from the bay are important nursery grounds for shrimp and other bait fish. As the waters start to cool in the fall, the shrimp and baitfish will leave the marshes and bayous, migrating to the open bay. This exodus is what attracts the predatory fish like trout, redfish and flounder. In the fall the bay is usually quite salty and clear – perfect conditions for the fish and fishermen. With the cooler weather that we have had recently, that migration is well under way and the fishing is red hot right now.
Of course we had the hurricane that really hurt the upper bay system with a lot of debris and a lot of dark water that ran out of the marsh and into the bay. For the most part the black water is gone but the debris remains.
Some favorite spots are the reefs that dot the north shoreline of the bay. Dows, Beasley’s, Fishers, and Umbrella reefs are all popular spots in the fall. On the east shore line there is Hodges reef. All hold fish but better if fished early in the day. You can find these reefs on maps of Trinity Bay . The spot that just about everyone likes to fish is the spillway. The spillway is located on the north shoreline and is where the warm water discharges into the bay from the Cedar Bayou power plant. Over the years, an oyster reef has formed out in front of the spillway and often times holds lots of fish. You will need to get there early as it can get very crowded.
The Anahuac pocket is perhaps the most productive area of the bay in the fall. The pocket is shallow and has a lot of underwater vegetation with scattered shell. Bait is usually abundant in the pocket, and that is the key. Find the baitfish and you will find the predatory fish.
If the water is clear, you may be more successful fishing if you get out of the boat and wade. In shallow clear water, the fish are often times spooked by the noise that boats make. It’s not that you will not catch fish; it’s just that you are more likely to catch more fish out of the boat.
It you do not have a boat, you have some options. A lot of fishermen will wade-fish there around the spillway. There is public access to the bay at McCollum Park off of FM 2354 in Beach City. Another popular spot is the end of the road at the Fort Anahuac Park in Anahuac. Both places are good fishing spots and are free for the waders.
As far as the best baits go, live shrimp is the most productive. If artificial bait is your thing, soft plastic shrimp imitations will be the most productive. Any number of bait companies make some good baits that will catch fish. Color is the most important. Pumpkinseed chartreuse, glow chartreuse, black chartreuse and red shad are all good colors in the fall.
If you have an opportunity to fish Trinity, now is the time as the fishing action is as good as it gets.
This is a scene that is played out time and again this time of the year in Trinity Bay. Anglers are constantly watching for the birds working and quickly make their way to the ruckus because they know the fish are there. As trout and red fish chase schools of shrimp, the shrimp will scatter toward the surface in an effort to escape. The seagulls can see the action from above and try to pick off an easy meal. The anglers are using the seagulls to show them where the fish are.
The fall is the best time to fish Trinity Bay. There is a lot of bird action in the fall and it is a blast to fish the birds. You do not have to wonder if there are any fish or if they will be biting. If the birds are working, I guarantee the fish are there and will usually hit anything that is thrown at them.
For the most part, the schools of fish that the birds work are smaller fish commonly called schoolies. That is not always the case as I have caught some nice trout under birds. It’s not always speckled trout that the birds work. Sometimes it will be redfish or sand trout and I have even seen the birds work schools of gaff top.
As I said, the fall is the best time to fish Trinity Bay. The marshes that stretch to the north from the bay are important nursery grounds for shrimp and other bait fish. As the waters start to cool in the fall, the shrimp and baitfish will leave the marshes and bayous, migrating to the open bay. This exodus is what attracts the predatory fish like trout, redfish and flounder. In the fall the bay is usually quite salty and clear – perfect conditions for the fish and fishermen. With the cooler weather that we have had recently, that migration is well under way and the fishing is red hot right now.
Of course we had the hurricane that really hurt the upper bay system with a lot of debris and a lot of dark water that ran out of the marsh and into the bay. For the most part the black water is gone but the debris remains.
Some favorite spots are the reefs that dot the north shoreline of the bay. Dows, Beasley’s, Fishers, and Umbrella reefs are all popular spots in the fall. On the east shore line there is Hodges reef. All hold fish but better if fished early in the day. You can find these reefs on maps of Trinity Bay . The spot that just about everyone likes to fish is the spillway. The spillway is located on the north shoreline and is where the warm water discharges into the bay from the Cedar Bayou power plant. Over the years, an oyster reef has formed out in front of the spillway and often times holds lots of fish. You will need to get there early as it can get very crowded.
The Anahuac pocket is perhaps the most productive area of the bay in the fall. The pocket is shallow and has a lot of underwater vegetation with scattered shell. Bait is usually abundant in the pocket, and that is the key. Find the baitfish and you will find the predatory fish.
If the water is clear, you may be more successful fishing if you get out of the boat and wade. In shallow clear water, the fish are often times spooked by the noise that boats make. It’s not that you will not catch fish; it’s just that you are more likely to catch more fish out of the boat.
It you do not have a boat, you have some options. A lot of fishermen will wade-fish there around the spillway. There is public access to the bay at McCollum Park off of FM 2354 in Beach City. Another popular spot is the end of the road at the Fort Anahuac Park in Anahuac. Both places are good fishing spots and are free for the waders.
As far as the best baits go, live shrimp is the most productive. If artificial bait is your thing, soft plastic shrimp imitations will be the most productive. Any number of bait companies make some good baits that will catch fish. Color is the most important. Pumpkinseed chartreuse, glow chartreuse, black chartreuse and red shad are all good colors in the fall.
If you have an opportunity to fish Trinity, now is the time as the fishing action is as good as it gets.
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