There are periods of time in the winter in which anglers can coax lethargic fish to bite.

Story and Photography by Nate Skinner

Winter can be one of the hardest times of the year to consistently catch fish along the Texas coast. By the time anglers ring in the New Year things can be downright tough depending on the trending weather conditions. Fortunately, the Gulf of Mexico helps to regulate both the air and water temperatures in and around Texas’ coastal bay systems. Strong cold fronts may bring blustery weather but between them warmer air and water coming from the Gulf helps heat things up fast. The result is periods of time in which anglers have a higher percentage of coaxing fish, lethargic in their winter patterns, to bite.
The occurrence of these high percentage times is usually sporadic. Some may occur for several days while others may only last several hours making planning for them difficult. Most of us are unable to just hit the water at the drop of a hat, so we must use other factors to our advantage to increase our odds rather than just counting on the best conditions to occur when our schedules allow us to fish. Planning angling efforts according to tides, wind direction, air/water temperatures, and solunar periods will also increase on-the-water success. Examining these variables before a fishing trip will help anglers formulate a productive game plan that will definitely increase the chances of multiple rod bending strikes. It’s fishing with a purpose, rather than just casting and reeling in while hoping to get lucky.

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