Bay Flats Lodge on San Antonio Bay Report
by Captain Chris Martin

If you’re wondering what it’s like to fish in Texas during June along the Gulf coast, then you can stop wondering. It’s not a lot different than fishing during the month of May, except for the fact that June may get a bit warmer. Because of this, I’ll generally make a few alterations when I’m fishing in June. The first will be that I’ll make it a point to be situated in my first wading spot of the day just as early as I possibly can so as to enable me to take advantage of the early morning low-light conditions. A lot of good red fish and large trout will be taken during the early daylight hours this summer all along Matagorda Island’s bay side shoreline, so I’ll plan to be there early, as well as often. Another adjustment I’ll make in June is that I will begin paying much closer attention to the baitfish activity. I’ll place my focus upon areas where I notice the presence of nervous baitfish, while at the same time never discounting the occasional single mullet jumping several times in efforts of eluding a large red, or a big sow trout. And because most of my early morning wading will start-out in very skinny water, another point to make with regards to baitfish is that I’ll tend to move as they move throughout the morning hours as the day heats-up. When the bait begins to migrate away from the shoreline shallows in search of cooler surroundings, I’ll also transition my wading session toward deeper water – I’ll follow the baitfish. I know it may sound somewhat silly, but it has proven to be a most effective tactic over the years that has worked for me more times than not. Give it a try sometime!

Another thing I like to begin doing in June is watching the birds. But not just any bird. I primarily like paying close attention to the bigger gulls and terns, and don’t forget the big brown pelicans either. All of these feathered creatures fish for a living, so don’t hesitate to investigate the immediate vicinity next time you see some of them sitting on the water. Trust me, they’re sitting there for a reason, and it’s not because they’re tired and just resting. Chances are real great that they’re scoping-out their next meal, so observe closely next time you see them. They could very well lead you to the promise land. And these surface-feeding birds remind me of yet another June adjustment I like to make and that’s the type of baits that I prefer to begin tossing this month. Some of the greatest pleasure I’ve found while fishing has come to me when I’ve been fishing with top water baits. There’s just something about the thrill of seeing a fish explode upon my surface walker that I’ve never been able to get over, and probably never will. It may sound far-fetched, but to me it’s an outdoor excitement unmatched by much else the wilderness world has to offer, but that’s just me. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity provided me when fishing with top waters to be able to try to visibly entice the bite by using different baits, styles, finesse, and skills. For example, when I’m working one of my favorite surface baits across the water in a rhythmic “walk-the-dog” cadence and the lure is sharply attacked but not taken, I like trying to draw a second strike by letting the bait sit completely still where it was first struck while I count to five-(5) and then by slightly twitching the bait once or twice ever so slightly and then letting it sit idle once more for another five seconds, or so. This is often all the coaxing a big summertime red or large trout needs in order to fulfill their temptation. Things simply don’t get much better than that!

One more adaptation I regularly make in June is the location in which I search for trout and reds. Until now my focus will have been placed upon the grass-covered shorelines on an almost daily basis. However, June represents one of the very first of a long line of hot months to come which often dictates a change in and of itself alone. This is the month I strongly encourage those who may have their sites set on chasing summertime reds to closely look at some of the many major back lakes – Pringle, Contee, South Pass, Long Lake, etc. And if you do venture into these back country areas, keep in mind that you’ll probably have to make an effort to fish along the southern banks due to the floating grass issue you’ll be faced with otherwise. If the back lakes aren’t for you, you’ll still be able to locate summer reds cruising along the shorelines – South shorelines along the bay front all the way from Big Pocket to the First Chain of Islands. I also like working a number of the mid-bay reefs of Espiritu Santo Bay. Reefs like Josephine’s Reef, or even the smaller reefs to the West, are all commonly recognized as being high-productive areas while drifting during the mid day hours. Some other productive reefs that I like are located in San Antonio Bay – Chicken Foot, Dagger, Big Bird, and Panther. When I fish any of these reefs at this time in the year, I mostly concentrate my efforts on the points of the reefs that are in 3-5ft. of water. And for added success, as always, I don’t have to tell you that I’m constantly paying close attention to the baitfish activity along and atop these reef areas.

June is often the beginning of blazing-hot sun in Texas. It’s a heat that is capable of zapping all the energy from your body very rapidly. It’s imperative that you remember to hydrate yourself with water often throughout the day, to apply, and re-apply, sunscreen to all exposed skin areas, and to always wear long-sleeved shirts and full-length pants. Also important to keep in mind is the fact that summertime means much more traffic on the water, so always think safety first.

www.BayFlatsLodge.com
1-888-677-4868

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A duck hunting lodge isn’t complete without an old dog. Even the finest duck lodges in the nation have a weathered Labrador retriever limping about, sniffing around for discarded lunch scraps and possibly a duck or two to pick up, only to get the feathers in their mouth one more time. Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, Texas, one of the finest lodges I’ve visited has several dogs, but one looks and lives the role of “duck lodge dog.”

Brooke is a 15-year-old chocolate Lab whose feeble back legs look as if they could give out at any moment, yet, it’s her job to keep an eye on the place and everyone who visits. Of course, she has designated and devoted herself to this tedious task. 

Walking down the stairs from the main kitchen and eating area, the last step onto the concrete is answered every time with the click-clack of Brooke’s toenails as she creeps along making sure every hunter or fisherman has everything he needs. The click-clack has a slow-but-steady rhythm, because “speed” is a word no longer associated with Brooke. Brooke relied on her speed back in the days of retrieving ducks for her master and Bay Flats Lodge owner, Captain Chris Martin, but these days she epitomizes the slow atmosphere and relaxed aura of the Texas coast. As hunters and fisherman relax on the covered patio, enjoying the sunsets and sharing stories about their day’s adventures, Brooke can always be found off to one side, watching over her clients and dozing a few minutes here and there. 

It’s a non-stop job keeping an eye on this place, one this retired hunting dog obviously takes great pride in. She’s devoted to every guest, much like the guides, cooks and Capt. Martin. Every morning at 3:30 a.m., when I stepped from my room in search of coffee, Brooke met me on the walk to the kitchen. As a dozen men loaded gear and donned waders, Brooke stood beside them, going from guest to guest, offering them a silent ”Good luck this morning, boys.”Brooke’s body is deteriorating and she has been known to walk out in front of a golf cart or two in the early morning, never hearing it coming. A quick yell from the driver, and once the headlights hit her, she realizes she’s made a mistake. She takes a calculated step back to let the cart pass, but shows no shame as she keeps moving in the same direction, still headed off to do whatever it was she had planned. After hunting with the guys from Bay Flats Lodge, I understand where her pride comes from. Long saltwater-flats retrieves on diving redheads and pintails is how Brooke lived her life. Nestled into the brush or blind, eagerly awaiting another mesmerizing Texas coast sunrise, is where she grew up. She’s spent more time in flats boats and air boats than most and has retrieved more birds than 50 other dogs I know combined.

She runs with an eight-year-old black lab, Crash, whose bad hips have kept him from the long boat rides to the flats and freshwater marshes where flashes of wigeon and gadwall litter the coastal backdrop. Their eyes tell the story. They know they are duck dogs, even until the end. They have too much pride to rest when guys pile out of boats and trucks returning from a morning hunt. Both dogs greet the hunters like lovers awaiting a war heroes’ arrival. They are more than likely jealous of the other dogs, but they don’t mind slipping back to sleep in the cool grass when everyone disappears from the docks well before the sun rises. 

They sleep in the shade provided by airboats, trucks and a golf cart. They don’t ever have to move, yet, Brook and Crash greet hunters as if they are the owners and operators of Bay Flats. Sitting under the covered patio, both dogs seem to materialize like a flock of green-winged teal when bacon hits the grill. The wag of a tail and a head on a knee might not be enough to convince some to fork over a sample of whatever is coming off the grill, but Brooke knows she has earned as much bacon as she wants. She merely steps back, cocks her head to one side and stares at you with a noticeably piercing glare seen only in the eyes of hunting dogs. I gave in immediately. Her eyes are beginning to cloud slightly, but the intensity holds in her pupils and I can imagine her picking out a flock of low-flying redheads coming across the bay from 500 yards, or marking a downed pintail drake in a rolling bay. Now it’s the bacon that sets her eyes ablaze.

There are other dogs. We hunted with Red, Sadie and Lexi, all showing the professionalism of their owners and class of the lodge they represent. These are Texas-coast duck dogs. and their puffed-out chests and muscled physiques explain it all. Unlike my dog, they don’t have to practice every day—they hunt every day, and they do it well. 

I spent time sitting in a rocking chair, enjoying the breeze coming off the bay and sipping on a glass of sweet tea while Brooke sat next me. I imagined the stories she would share if she could talk, and I was amazed just thinking of them. She was a bit camera shy, but so are most hard-working, humble folks I know.Before I pulled away from Bay Flats Lodge after enjoying some of the finest wing shooting I’ve experienced, I thanked Capt. Martin for a great experience, and then I went to say goodbye to old Brooke. She was standing at the edge of the parking lot looking out onto the bay. She stood there staring as if she could see the large rafts of redheads, wigeon, gadwall and pintails. Her scan of the bay complete, she walked over, gave me a slight nod and slowly strode to a shady spot under the deck. She had to get rested up—she’s not as agile as she used to be and she has a new group of guests arriving in just a few hours.

For every hunter out there, nothing can relate to the excitement and the memories made during that first hunt. For Kristen Monroe, her first duck hunt was certainly no exception to this well known fact. Plus to make this hunt even more unforgettable, she got to share it with some of the guys from Ducks Unlimited.

As 2011 comes to an end, many of us give thanks and reflect on the past. For us hunters, every hunting experience is special for different reasons. There is one particular hunt that comes to mind that I am especially thankful for; my first duck hunt. Not just because of the beautiful pintail drake I took home, but for the new friends and knowledge that was gained. Mike Checkett and Chris Jennings of Ducks Unlimited hosted the 3^rd annual Women’s Media Camp at Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, Texas. Understanding the relationship between conservation and hunting has always been important to me. Checkett and Jennings were the perfect teachers. 12 women including myself, walked away from this camp with a better understanding of duck hunting, an appreciation for the value of wetlands, and how Ducks Unlimited works to preserve and restore them.

Diehard water fowlers live for the smell of marsh; the passion for ducks is in their eyes. I couldn’t wait to find out what made duck hunting so exceptional. My hunting group included Jennings, veteran outdoor communicator Laurie Lee Dovey, and Bay Flats lodge guide David McClelland. It was exciting to hear the ducks from afar, and the anticipation of my first shot. Dovey, Jennings, and McClelland educated me about duck identification and the significance of it. Don’t ever shoot the wrong kind of duck; you can get in a lot of trouble. Watching flock maneuvers can be helpful for identification; Pintails, mallards, and wigeon form loose groups while teals and shovelers usually fly in close bunches. Expert duck hunters are amazing; they also identify the duck by listening to their wing beat and call. Did you know not all ducks quack? Ducks also whistle, grunt, or squeal. Although Dovey has been in the outdoors industry for decades we shared the moment of shooting our first ducks together. All we had to do was combine shotgun skills, and a little tenacity. A lot of questions were answered that day sitting in the costal marsh blind.

Jennings explained the importance of the healthy wetlands, Ducks Unlimited works year round to protect. Wetlands are the key to keeping the wildlife abundant and crucial for a healthy living environment for people. They help purify the water by removing nitrogen and phosphorus along with any toxic chemicals that may exist. Marshlands are home to more than 900 wildlife species and they also help control soil erosion and subduing floods.

There is nothing comparable to hunting with likeminded individuals and swapping stories for a few days. Ducks Unlimited managed to evoke the love for waterfowl and wetlands in many women media members that didn’t already have it. In 1937, a small group of sportsman started a group with a single mission, habitat conservation. To this day 12 million acres of the most critical habitat for waterfowl has been conserved and restored. Congratulations for becoming one of the most effective conservation groups in the world Ducks Unlimited and Happy 75^th anniversary!

 

WOW! What a day for Captain Rick Hammond with the Jesse H. family from Victoria 5/9/12. After listening to all the guides, it sounded like the afternoon bite turned on. Also what was weird yesterday, we awoke to 20-25 mph north wind, which changed up the strategy from the day before. Later in the day the wind went dead calm, allowing Captain Rick to return back to the previous days patterns.

www.BayFlatsLodge.com
1-888-677-4868

 

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Bay Flats Lodge on San Antonio Bay Report
By Catpain Chris Martin

Gator Trout-It’s on!
While using lures, Thursday was the trophy trout kind of day. Reports were being delivered two at a time, “We had a personal best on our boat.” One of them will go on the wall, while the others were released to swim another day. From plum chartreuse to bone plugs, it was good stuff.

The wade fisherman struggled on some boats, so the game plan Friday; relocate to new real estate. At least that’s the plan right now. All 9-guides had some peaks and valleys Thursday, but that’s fishing. The best part; everyone managed to catch fish and have fun.

Testimonials
Lori H.
05-03-2012
Well Chris. After the first trip to the lodge and taking home a cooler full of awesome Specs, I didn’t think it could get any better. I was wrong. Second time was even better. I was so impressed that your entire team remembered my name, greeting me like an old friend, and took care of everything allowing us to get down to the business at hand without worrying about a single detail. I asked our guide, Steve, if we had a shot at a couple of Reds, we caught our limit! Steve planted us on top of some nice big feisty Reds and he never stopped working making sure we had our bait I the sweet spots! Austin and Sherman rocked the meals,….Oh So Good, and getting some time to visit with you and Debbie made the experience feel like home. Thank you, once again, for reminding me (as if I had forgotten) that relaxation doesn’t happen in a spa or at home watching TV. True Relaxation and Rejuvenation comes when visiting Bay Flats Lodge. Watching the sun set and rise over the bay, standing silently in a boat watching the line blow in the wind, listening to the waves lap against the shore and noticing how beautiful it is to hear nothing. That is peace, relaxation, and rejuvenation! Am, I coming back? You Betcha!!!

www.BayFlatsLodge.com
1-888-677-4868 Office

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Bay Flats Lodge on San Antonio Bay Report
By Captain Chris Martin

According to BFL Captain’s TJ & Jason, “We experienced a solid day today, and everyone found trout and reds.” The wind backed down towards mid-day on Tuesday, setting up for a windless day on Wednesday. Yes, if you’re reading this on Wednesday, you should have used a vacation day or maybe a sick day. We awoke to a puff of wind, and noticed the coastal scrub oaks at the lodge not moving.

The lodge welcomes a busy Wednesday with a cross between wade fisherman and boat anglers eager to get after it. As of late, best action using lures – white gulp, bone spook jr., plum chartreuse TTK Flats minnows tipped with 1/8 oz. heads. We’re still dribbling across the back lakes on the windward shores, while slowly moving to sand and grass. Oyster shell should explode this week, especially with light winds. Good luck!

The Coastal Angler Magazine May Issue is out, “A Last Ditch Effort” page 22.

http://www.coastalanglermag.com/maga…12/TexasCoast/

www.BayFlatsLodge.com
1-888-677-4868

Photo note: 2 anglers in pic, one guests already in shower when photo was shot. Thanks

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