Sheepshead, black drum, and sand trout provide plenty of action when other species become difficult to catch.
Story and Photography Nate Skinner

Perhaps the best part about fishing the Texas coast is there is always something to catch. As long as conditions allow anglers to safely navigate bay waters, they can pretty much bet on being able to find one species or another willing to bite. This becomes even more true for those prepared to diversify and employ a variety of tactics and strategies to discover hungry fish.
Possessing the right attitude is also key. Negativity never produces success. Optimistic anglers, confident that the fishery will provide, will excel during adverse scenarios which is what can be expected during the second month of the year.
The anglers that seem to best exhibit an eternally optimistic attitude are children. Youngsters smitten with the outdoors tend to always be willing to try to find a tug at the end of their lines, no matter the situation. It’s like they are born with the innate knowledge that our coastal estuaries always offer some sort of action for those eager to put forth the effort.
I was reminded of the enthusiasm, imagination and innocence that a young angler possesses last winter, when Captain Ryan Battistoni asked if I wanted to tag along on a trip with some of his clients.

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