Our weather has been up and down the past few days, with thunder showers popping up in the Gulf and then moving into the bays and eventually making landfall. Wednesday is forecast to be the wettest of the day of the week with possibilities of 3 to 4 inches of rain. We will take every drop we can get at this point.

Trout fishing has improved, by this I mean that I am catching more trout in more areas. I am seeing lots of undersized trout mixed in with the slot sized fish most days. Tides are low but water is very good. We have had light SW to SE WINDS the past 10 days and this certainly helps with the water clarity. It seems to me that over the past month our bottom grass has really taken off. This is great to see and we still have at least another 45 to 60 days of growth possibility. If we get some more rain out of this system, we have over the gulf right now, we could really see some good things start to happen. I am seeing tons of small blue crabs along the shorelines right now. I attribute this to the 6 or 7 inches of rain we had about a month and a half ago. The slot size trout I am catching are mostly 16 to 18 inches with a few each day over 20 inches and a few each week over 22 to 23 inches. Only three fish the past month to month in a half over 26 1/2 that I have caught.

Texas Custom's Double D's and MIRROLURE LIL JOHN XLs are getting most of the water time for us. Just this week I have seen an upswing in my Double D bite due to a new migration of small bait fish that are schooling and moving along our barrier island shorelines. The air temperatures have been cooler this week, but those mid 90's days of August and early September are just around the corner.

Tropical storm Beryl is still forecast to become a category 1 hurricane as it approaches the middle Texas Coast. Projected landfall is somewhere around Matagorda/Palacios area as of the latest tracking update. Rockport will be on the clean side of the storm but should still see a rise in our tides and hopefully a few inches of rain.

On the fishing scene the weather is going to knock us off the water on Monday it looks like due to the timing of the storm. Hopefully I can rebook Tuesday's cancellation and continue my busy schedule. I love being busy and continue to be blessed in this department. I am headed to Port Mansfield on Wednesday evening to fish Thursday through Saturday with a group of guys. I still have a few 2-day opening for Port Mansfield in August, but everything is for the remainder of the year is pretty much booked up and again, very blessed to have this. I am seeing a slight pickup in the trout fishing in Rockport over the past two weeks. Just better weather conditions to get into some areas that high SE winds prevent us from fishing. Small trout continue to dominate the day most days, but we won't have larger trout with having the presence of the smaller fish. I don't target small fish, but they are a part of each and every wade right now. Dolphin remains a huge problem when on larger trout. We just have to pick up and pull off of them if we don't want to see the trout eaten upon release. Floating bags work but remember you can only have legal limits and numbers of trout or any other game fish in possession and any given time. I just have my guys release the fish with the dolphin swim off or we wade up shallow and release them in water depths that the dolphin is not comfortable in. Best game plan is to just leave and go find some more.

I am still concentrating on mostly submerged grass beds along windward barrier island and spoils.

Mirrolure LIL JOHN and LIL JOHN XL'S along with 5" Bass Assassins and 6th Sense Whale Tail soft plastics, TEXAS CUSTOM'S DOUBLE D'S and CUSTOM CORKY SOFT DINE XL series lures are my go-to right now. Our water is clean to clear, so clear color patterns are still best. NEVER, leave the boat without WATERMELON, PLUM, OPENING NIGHT, PISTACHIO/CAJUN CROAKER, BONE DIAMOND, WHITE, PLUM or ROOT BEER. TEXAS CUSTOM'S 1/16TH oz. 2/0 Jig Heads in WATERMELON RED GLITTER. SILVER or CHARTREUSE are a definite must have. ROCKPORT TACKLE TOWN carries everything we need for fishing and more. Go in and visit these good folks and then then you want what Jay and Jay Ray use. I promise they know everything we use from head to toe and all in between.

Hurricane BERYL is moving over Jamacia right now and then headed toward the Cayman Island. The forecast is for weakening as it moves toward the Yucatan Peninsula. By Saturday Beryl should be in the GULF and the path is still looking more towards Mexico but a turn or drift to the north could put BERYL landing as a TROPICAL STORM or Cat 1 Hurricane from Brownsville as far south as Corpus Christi. South Texas needs rain in a major way so we are hoping Beryl can provide this for that most area.

Trout fishing remains tough according to my standards. I still think 30 plus slot trout a day should be my standard for 2 to 3 guys. We have not had many of those days. I am seeing more trout in more places, but we have a way to go to get back to normal. July through September can be tough trout months regardless of the trout population due to high water temperatures that create small windows of opportunity for us. Red fish will start to save the day as soon and tides go dead low and heat drives them to our shoreline drop-off and edges. Larger trout can also be found in with the reds at times.

Mirrolure LIL JOHN XL and LIL JOHNS are dominating my bite. I am catching some fish on the TEXAS CUSTOM'S DOUBLE D series when we find large concentrations of bait fish working the edges of grass flats and scattered shell reefs. Stop in and see the guys and gals at TACKLE TWON and tell them you want what JAY's throwing. They know and they can hook you up. Tackle Town also has a special 30 percent off on the NEW WATER LAND BRAND OF SUNGLASSES that I am now wearing and so is Jay Ray. I love mine. WATER LAND makes Polycarbonate and a Japanese mineral glass Lense that is a clear a glass lenses as I have ever used, and they are light weight as well. Awesome sunglasses so stop in this week and try a pair on. WATER LAND also had polarized sunglasses for kids!!!

Winds out of the ESE are starting to pick up this afternoon. Nice weather day on the water with 20 plus mph winds but tides are super high due to the Tropical system, maybe Tropical Storm Alberto by tomorrow morning according to the local weather forecast. Much needed rain headed our way and hopefully into the South Texas and Hill Country rivers and lakes. Don't think this is drought ending type of rainfall, but 6 to 10 inches is possible and that will certainly help. Rain on the coast is always good for our bay systems long term. Maybe not the Galveston and East Matty areas but definitely from Aransas Bay south, rain is a good thing.

Trout fishing has picked up enough to keep things interesting. Understand that what I consider good and what is good for today's fisheries are totally different. I am working on getting a better attitude about catching fewer fish and having clients tell me it was a great day. All the trout I am focused on right now are holding close to moving water as well as deeper water. Catching trout on shell reefs. scattered shell and sand a grass. Wind direction and velocities area the controlling factors on where and when I fish certain bay systems.

I AM THROWING TWO TYES OF LURES RIGHT NOW.TEXAS CUSTOM'S DOUBLE D's and MIRROLURE LIL JOHN XL's and LIL JOHN's. OPENIGN NIGHT, MOULTON, WATERMELON RED GLITTER, PURPLE DEMON, GOLDEN BREAM and BLUE MOON have been good color choices in my waters. My DOUBLE D colors are TRUTH, PISTACHIO, PEARL HARBOR, GRINGO and PLUM NASTY.

Please continue to think about releasing the trout if you can. I am seeing good numbers of smaller trout in population, so I know that what we have been doing by releasing the majority of the trout is working in my area. Once the numbers get healthy and we get a little help from Mother Nature, we are going to be in great shape and then we can keep a few fish and not impact the population as much. Plenty hot on the water so pay attention to hydrations while fishing.

It's been a while since I updated the Blog section of the website. I am sorry for this, but life/fishing has gotten in the way. I have been a little under the weather but hoping to get this resolved. Not keeping me off the water that much but I have cancelled a few days which is highly uncharacteristic of me. I have also fished some days where I probably should have not but that is not who I am or want to be and that is enough about that.

Trout fishing is still tough by my standards. I still look at a 30-slot fish day as a good day whether I have two guys are 4 guys. 6 or 9 is NOT a GOOD DAY and don't let anyone convince you that it is. I have taught many of you better than that. Right now, trout numbers as far as trout over 16 inches is concerned are down in San Antonio and Aransas Bay as well as all points in between. We do have wha looks to be decent recruitment in the wings that should be coming into the slot fish size in a year or two which is great to see. Mother Nature has to help us and WE have to continue to try and do our part by keeping only the fish we need for a meal or so and releasing the rest. This goes for ALL our bay game fish residents. When on population is down, WE have a tendency to focus our efforts on the other species and then they in turn start to decline as well. Not bragging, but Jay Ray and I have and continue to do our part in the Catch and Release of all trout and pretty much the reds a well for the most part. We will occasionally let our guys keep a few reds. In this my last quarter of the game, I am going to do what I feel is right for the future of the fishery and that is that. Has not seemed to hurt our books as we continue to have to purposely write days off if we want a day off. We no longer fish weekends due to the pressure we have and the inability to truly give the client the best opportunity at a wade fishing with lures only experience.

Winds have been strong enough to knock us off most of the really good trout water in these types of AIR and WATER TEMPERATURES. I have already marked 88-degree water during the afternoon hours in ESTES FLAT and systems to the NORTH and SOUTH.

I HAVAE PRIMARILY THROWN SOFT PLASTIC MIRROLURE LIL JOHN XL's, LIL JOHNS and the TEXAS CUSTOMS DOUBLE D. Double D bite has been tough lately, but it is still a must have in your box. When they decide to move back to more shallow waters to feed this lure will be very productive, I promise. The OPENING NIGTH LIL JOHN XL has been my go-to over heavy grass flats with very few potholes. Water is very clear despite the high winds and just so you know, the high winds actually help our red fish bite in the clear water. The CHARTREUES ICE LIL JOHN works well in these conditions as well. Even in overcast skies the OPENING NIGHT/CLEAR/PERAL LIL JOHN XL. You still never want to leave the dock without WATERMELON/RED GLITTER OR GOLDEN BREAM OR PURPLE DEMON in my opinion. I am rigging with TEXAS CUSTOM 1/16TH OZ. 2/0 SHORT SHANK jig headed in WATERMELON/ RED GLITTER, SILVER, CHARTREUSE OR BLACK /GOLD. I helped design the head, so I of course love the product and obviously so do a lot of other anglers based on sales.

Hope you have a good trip when on the water and as always be safe and release what you can.

I am having to work really hard when fishing in Rockport to keep my clients on the right fish. Weather patterns the past few weeks have been less than desirable but that is just a part of fishing. Weather patterns change and we have to be willing and able to make the necessary changes in your game plan in order to stay on fish. No doubt our fishery in Rockport is in rebuild mode so it is understandable that we are going to see periods of slower than normal activity. Good news is that trout limits are now 3 and there is no way that this will not help rebuild the trout fishery after the freeze. Honestly the TP&W should have changed the limits permanently after the 2021 freeze. No matter now, it's done and good on em. I am making a few two-to-three-day trips to PORT MANSFIELD here and there, knowing that fishing there is better, and we have a better chance to catch larger trout. IAM TOTAL CATCH AND RELEASE ON TROUT IN PORT MANSFIELD AS WELL.

In Rockport we are fishing underwater grass edges or scattered grass beds on windward points and shorelines right now. I am seeing some early signs of a pre-spawn in our trout so I believe the FULL MOON in May could shows us some major spawning activity. Some slicking also being observed which makes it easy to at least locate the parallel line that the fish are setting up on. This does not mean that we will always be able to catch them but knowing where they are is huge and gives me a ton of confidence.

Texas Custom's Double D's, Custom Corky Soft Dines and Mirrolure Lil Johns and Lil John XL's are still my go to lures most days. The 5" Bass Assassin in Bone/Silver, plum or Cajun Croaker are still old standby's that you need in the box. I have had good success on the TRUTH, PLUM NASTY, PEARL HARBOR and PISTACHIO Double D'S and the same color patterns in the Custom Corky Soft Dine series. You might want to pick up Boogie Man and Crwon Royal as well.

Water is good in Rockport right now and tides higher than they have been in a few days. The higher the water the better the water will be along windward shores.

I am working down on my last two weeks here in Port Mansfield. I will be returning to my home waters of Rockport at the end of the month. Looking forward to getting back to the Aransas Bay Complex. The NEW trout regulations should go into effect on March the 26th. This is a good thing guys trust Trout slot limits will be 15 to 20 inches and bag limit will be 3 trout. By September 2024 we should see a tag on our license for a 1 trout over 30 inches per year.

"There's a new sheriff in town". Mercury Marine and the SALTWATER LEGEND'S TOURNAMENT SERIES setting up this afternoon for this week's PORT MANSFIELD EVENT. Weather will prove to be interesting for sur Good luck to all the anglers and as always, be safe and courteous on the water.