Try On Top

Just because you are drift fishing does not mean that a topwater offering will not be effective. Topwaters have become so synonymous with wade fishing that they are usually forgotten by drift fishermen. If there is a significant amount of shad balled up or pods of mullet matted up on the surface, try a topwater.

This will never overshadow the effectiveness of a jig. Still, it can produce some explosive action that you might well not have triggered otherwise.

Talk To A Shrimper

During a dockside hand-wringing session, veteran guide Capt. David Wright once sagely offered me a noteworthy piece of advice. "If you want to know where the trout are, ask a shrimper."

Capt. Wright's point? Where you find shrimp, you'll find trout. This is true in most bays, but particularly true in the deep, pass-influenced bays of the Galveston Complex.

Many of the migratory patterns of trout are related to the movements of brown and white shrimp to and from the marshes and Gulf. If you understand the life cycle of the shrimp, you understand the patterns of a large portion of the bay's speckled trout population. A bay shrimper lives and dies by these very same patterns. Ask him where the shrimp are, and odds are that there is a fair portion of trout there as well.

Keep A Log Book

To establish seasonal patterns, it is vital to keep a log. It doesn't need to be a detailed rehash of your entire trip. In fact, that could be the worst thing for the longevity of your log book. It should be simple and concise. Remember, most log entries will be written after a tiring day of fishing.

List the date, location of your catch, baits used, and the factors that influenced your catch-specifically, the direction and flow of the tide and, just as critical, the intensity and direction of the wind along with the clarity (or lack thereof) of the water. Furthermore, leave a brief space for miscellaneous comments about the trip.

Even if you don't fish as often as you'd like (which is true for most of us), make log entries based on the experiences of friends who go when you can't. If your best fishing partner catches fish in spot "X" on day "Y," it doesn't matter that you weren't there. It's still valuable information for establishing a pattern. Record every reliable fishing report that you get.

After a few years, it will pay off.

Read The Paper

If you can't fish regularly, try to keep up with the fishing reports in the newspaper. The advantage is twofold. Newspaper reports, believe it or not, are surprisingly fresh and honest. Although often vague, the information is usually substantiated. The outdoor writer who puts his name under it works vigorously to keep it that way. This information will rarely put you on "the spot," but it will give you the general pattern. If there is a report that there are a lot of fish in 4 to 6 feet of water in East Galveston Bay, you can discern that the mid-bay reefs have some fish on them.

The second fold of this method is one of reverse psychology. If the report says that catches have been good on Hannah's Reef, it's a good bet that two-thirds of Houston's fishing public will be there immediately thereafter. Use that information to discern the pattern, and then decide what reef will not be your choice.

All Birds Mean Something

The name "liar bird" may be one of the single greatest misnomers of the bay bird world and, equally, the greatest disservice ever done to the bay angler. Although there are instances in which these small terns are meaninglessly banging along like airborne mullet, there are also times when they are great indicators of the presence of minnows, shrimp and other forage. Never underestimate the eyes of a "liar bird."

They often tell the truth.

The beleaguered double-crested cormorant (a.k.a. "water turkey") can be a real asset to locating cold-water fish. Both cormorants and loons will scour the water column for baitfish during the periods when visible bait is scarce. These birds' ability to swim gives them an obvious wing up on their terrestrial brothers and serves as a valuable indicator to wintertime drift fishermen.

If there are birds (of any make or model) in the area, you know that there are some baitfish present. On a cold winter day, this may be the only sign you will get. You won't always be fortunate enough to find a large group of seagulls hovering over a school of trout. All the same, by focusing on alternate birds as well, you can often avoid the crowd and find the atypical school.

Look For The Obvious. Then Look Again.

Your eyes are your greatest asset to consistently finding fish. There are some signs that are obvious and others, alluded to earlier, that are not. Galveston Bay can produce some of the most subtle indicators of the presence of fish.

The key is to always be on the lookout. Look for the atypical. Look for the secondary signs that are often a component of the larger, more obvious sign.

For example, when you pull in on a reef, first evaluate the structure for a general pattern. Beyond the obvious signs of slicks, birds, or mudboils, look for color lines or surface bait activity that might lead you to the exact location of the school. Once you find a sign, obvious or not, look for the subtleties within the sign. Look for the bait movement within a color line or slick. Never let any clue as to the location of fish go unnoticed.

A Closing Thought

These tips will not change your life. Regardless of where you fish, the greatest remedy to inconsistent catches is the experience gained from persistent trail and error. The most tenacious fishermen are the ones who succeed with the greatest consistency. By constantly evaluating your techniques and methods and concentrating on the subtleties, you can greatly improve your performance on the Galveston Bay Complex.