Through grass, drag a soft-plastic jerkbait extra slowly.

Autumn Haunts

October is by far my favorite time of the year. The sunsets are brilliant, and cooler days and nights send a bolt of energy through all living things. It doesn’t hurt that the trout fishing is fabulous, too. White shrimp flood the bays from the nearby marsh and prompt large schools of trout and redfish to gang up like bullies. Equinox tides flood shorelines and rejuvenate the shallows with fresh recruits of baitfish. Like summer, mud, shell, sand or grass bottoms all hold fish.

Open-bay reefs as well as grassy shorelines are prime wading venues due to wads of shrimp looking for shelter in the grass and shell. “Back lakes,” areas inside the beaches, are solid for trout and reds as well. Those white shrimp that have not found their way to the bay remain in the marshy back lakes. Often, herds of reds, sometimes 50 to 100 to a school, roam the brackish marsh and gorge themselves. Most are brutes.

Spring and fall are similar in that both seasons feature the strongest tides of the entire year. Water temperature dictates the best bottom over which to find trout. If waters chill below 60 degrees, restrict your efforts to the mud and shell. If shoreline water temps warm to near 70 degrees, you’ll likely find more trout over sand and grass.

Winter Wading

More oft than not, winter wading (or shall we say waddling) is best over mud bottom. Mud bottoms are the warmest part of the water column during a frigid winter, and, it is by no coincidence that veteran trout anglers get muddy when Old Man Winter arrives. Sabine Lake, Trinity Bay, East Galveston Bay, West Galveston Bay, Christmas Bay, East Matagorda Bay and San Antonio Bay have lots of mud, so are among Texas’ best winter trout waters.

Wading in soft mud is not for the meek, weak or faint of heart; it requires a level of physical fitness and good balance. Understand that trout fishing this way involves a little pain, muscle cramps and a sweat-soaked forehead.

Capt. Jesse Arsola can’t wait for January in East Matagorda Bay. He has more than one 10-pounder under his belt, and too many 9-pounders to count on both hands, including one last January. “Right about the time hunting season is winding down you can catch some beautiful trout over mud,” Arsola said. “It is one of my favorite times of the year. There isn’t a lot of boat traffic due to the cold, and most people will not wade in the muck. It can be exhausting.”

Arsola is not a small man, however, and he says wading muddy bottoms requires a different style. “Go slow, very slow,” he said. “Try to keep the pressure on your toes and pick up your feet with every step. Even then, I sink in the softest mud up to my knees and the water is to my waist, so I am standing in about two feet of water,” he said.

This big trout moved over shallow mud to feed during a late-spring warmup.

Some anglers would wonder if it would not be better, and less exerting, to stay in the boat and cast. But Arsola stresses that big trout in shallow water in winter won’t put up with boat noise, so wading is a must. If given a choice, Arsola likes to fish a mixture of mud and oyster shell, and says that the best time to fish in the winter over mud bottom is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

“The water heats up and the fish head to the dark mud flats to warm up,” said Arsola. “I like working a suspending mullet plug slowly over mud and shell bottom, sometimes allowing it to drag right over the shell. Braided line helps prevent the loss of lures over sharp shell.” Top suspending plugs for winter trout include the soft-plastic Corky, the MirrOlure Catch 2000, Catch 5 and Tidal Surge’s Crazy Croaker. Rebel Broken Backs, though hard to find in tackle stores, continue to catch sluggish winter fish for “old school” Texas anglers.

“I work the muddy edges of shell reefs that have a dropoff, while a strong current is moving,” Martin said. “A trough, the warmth of the mud, and active baitfish combine to just about guarantee the trout will be there.”