You're In Hot Water

  That is, if you fish these new hotter summers in Gulf waters. I remember the old days when the heat of the sun was balanced with a cooler wind off the water. No so, in this time, at least, not in the middle and end of summer. This condition makes the fish harder to find. They're a bit like us and enjoy moderately cool temperatures.
   All this makes for a game of hide and seek. They hide and you seek. Here are some tips that will make you a master game player. The whole point of the exercise can be boiled down to one question. "Where is the water cooler, on a hot summer day?"
   When the afternoon sun really gets wound up, the clumps of shell act like little heat radiators. Their dark colors absorb heat and release it, continually heating the water. So, in the afternoon look for the reflective sandy bottom where fish cool a bit while feeding in the moss. Your bait is also much more exposed to the in and out traffic of fish that are feeding. 
   The salinity of the water controls heat because salt holds heat. Therefore, wherever a fresh water source drains into a bay, you will have an area around it that's cooler. Another good point is to find a structure in the water that tends to shade, thus reducing the temperature. It stands to reason that on a hot day, you would be under a tree or shade. The fish follow similar reasoning.
   Last, but not least, deeper water can afford cooler temperatures and on hot days fish tend to move to deeper water. This is why they feed in shallow water at night. Casting into a channel with a juicy bait on a hot summer day can get you some of the best fish caught in South Texas waters.

Captain Mike Scott is a retired Texas Gulf fishing guide and commercial fisherman. As Mike puts it “If you really want to catch your limit talk to me.” Please feel free to contact Mike for any fishing questions through AlphaLane.com or by using his site email in the AlphaLane search page. Use Mike’s CID which is 119 or simply search on category ‘fishing’.