September and October are months of change along the Texas Coast, as it unofficially marks the end of the long hot summer and the beginning of cooler temperatures. Some of the changes here in the Coastal Bend include less fishing pressure, cooler water temps, nicer weather, higher tides, and overall better fishing conditions than July and August. Another welcomed event is the beginning of our dove hunting season. As for the fishing, it doesn't seem to matter which species you are intending to target, chances are you'll begin having better opportunities for catching them.



Let's start off with my favorite fish, the ol' Speckled Trout. In the months of September and October we normally get some much needed rain, welcomed higher tides, cooler water, and we also begin to see less boat traffic. Obviously, all of this helps in the aid of catching our adversary. Plus, the trout welcome the change because they are coming out of their most stressed time of year - the invasive hot summer.

The bulk of my time will be concentrated on wade fishing the shorelines of our bays that have an abundance of hard sand/grass, sand/shell bottoms, and lots of nervous, bunched up baitfish. With this kind of scenario early in the mornings, or late in the evenings, it's almost a slam dunk. Boat fishing the reefs of our northern bays with live baits or plastics will also produce lots of fish as well. You can also find a good bit of trout

while drifting the flats in front of Rockport and down in the Laguna.

Redfish, during the month of September, will seem to be almost everywhere, especially on the flats and shorelines. And by early October you'll find the species

schooling in large pods, heading for our jetties and passes for their spawn. Any kind of bait you have on the end of your line will do the trick. Normally, it's pretty easy to spot these groups of fish. The obvious and easiest way to find some of the schools is to look for lots of boats in a small area. The boats will be huddled together while the anglers are picking fish out from the sides of the school as the meel around, commonly referred to as a "Redfish Rodeo". The not so easy signs of finding these schooled up redfish include looking for "nervous" water, or many wakes in a small area. Even running by the large schools in a boat will make these fish "hump up" which is a easy way of finding them, but don't do this in a way to make other fisherman mad. "Red/gold" looking colored water, and birds hovering or working a small area over a flat or shoreline is always a good sign. A large area of "nervous looking" water is also a very good sign there is a school of reds there. Wade fishing the shorelines will yield better catches most of the time because you can keep up with the school as they move down the shoreline. If you're not willing to wade, another way to stay with the school is to use a trolling motor, as you can move your boat with the fish without spooking them. Be sure and stay just inside of casting range to the bay or deeper side of the fish, and position yourself even with, or just

ahead of, the leading fish in the school.

September and October usually give-up quite a few flounder too, especially during the latter part of Setpember. Look for these "flatfish" in and outside of the many creeks and sloughs running into our back lakes. You need to fish up tight to the shorelines and fairly shallow, in about 1 to 2 feet of water. Concentrate your efforts on and around the points of land jutting out from the creek, and also into and inside the creek. Sandbars and small deviations in contour of bottom help out a lot also. Keep in mind, you must have some kind of current running through the cut or slough when fishing for flounder.