About 6 or 7 years ago, I started looking for waters farther south than Rockport, to escape the crowds and the airboats. I knew Capt. Aubrey Black, of Baffin Bay, so I called him to ask him if there was any good shallow water to sight cast in. He said, in all honesty, that he really didn't know. His game was wade fishing in waist deep water, tossing lures in search of the trophy trout and he'd been very successful.
Curiosity made me run down there in my skinny running Curlew at the time, and Aubrey jumped on board for a shallow water scouting mission. Beautiful grass flats and shallow, sandy shorelines were everywhere, the water was crystal clear. The entire south shoreline was a pasture; all of the rocks in the bay were clearly visible. It was almost like an aquarium, and I was mesmerized by this untouched and undiscovered part of the Texas Coast.
Soon, every chance I got, Baffin was the destination for more scouting adventures and unbelievable fly fishing and sight casting opportunities. The decision was finally made, moving Capt. Sally's Reel Fun Charters to Baffin Bay was a real risk, but, since I had fallen in love and married the Guru of Baffin Bay, Capt. Aubrey Black, it somehow didn't seem that impossible.
About a year later, I was guiding in Baffin Bay full time, successfully moving many of my clients with me and bringing in a whole new group of clients who had the same wonderment that I did about Baffin Bay.
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51" redfish caught by Drew in the fall of 2012 |
But then, with the drought setting in, windy conditions and salinity levels rising to never before seen levels, the brown tide began.
At first, it was a little disturbing. Eventually, it was a fact of life, and, like the sea creatures of Baffin, those who adapted, thrived. Capt. Black and I found a pattern that was a lot like my style of fishing, but with the brown tide, in most places, the bottom was not to be seen. Our pattern was to watch and follow the rafts of mullet in the shallow water. Even in a brown tide, the fish have to eat, so we set about to refine this pattern and replicate it on a daily basis, no matter what the conditions. 2013 and 2014 where two of our best years ever for trophy trout fishing. With the brown tide almost a non-issue for us, we continued to thrive but were virtually all alone in Baffin Bay. Our persistence and tenacity paid off and our business boomed.
The rain began, finally, in the winter of 2015, and almost never stopped. Baffin Bay received several feet of rain in a short amount of time and began to show herself again. Little by little, the clear water was starting to take over. Grass was beginning to grow in the places it used to grow. Growing amazement from our guides and clients brought proof that Baffin Bay had, with a healthy dose of fresh water, "turned over a new leaf" bringing forth the decimation of the brown tide and the introduction of the "aquarium-like" crystal clear waters of 5 years ago.
Like a celebration, the creatures of Baffin Bay have exploded onto the scene. Blue crabs abound, cow nose rays, jellyfish and even a few stingrays inhabit Baffin now, in every corner of the bay. Each day, something new shows up and it's almost like living the waters we fish.
It's our celebration now. The fishing is truly off the charts, with big Baffin trophy trout and good numbers of healthy mid-sized trout are being caught on a daily basis. Redfish are roaming in the grassy areas, big grass flats and shorelines, consuming the baby blue crabs about as fast as they emerge. Black drum are everywhere along the sandy shorelines, rooting around for their favorite fare. Good-sized flounder and hefty sheepshead lurk in these same areas, giving anglers lots of opportunity for a great fishing story.
Don't miss this beautiful transformation of one of the most mysterious bays along the Texas Coast. Baffin Bay has a lot to show you now, come with us to share in the amazement of this "new" Baffin! Capt. Black and I, along with Capt. Marcus and Capt. Josh have openings on our calendars, which you can find on our website, www.BaffinBayRodandGun.com . You can book right there as well.
Everything we have worked so hard for has come to fruition and we'd all like to share it with you this summer. Don't miss this awesome opportunity to catch trophy trout in the morning on top waters (the top water bite is on, big time) and then sight cast to hungry redfish and black drum in the clear and shallow waters of Baffin Bay.