Capt. Chris Martin and his wife, Deb, have been hosting anglers and hunters at Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, Texas, for the past 25 years. Nothing makes them happier than sharing this incredible ecological community with their guests. As a token of their appreciation, Chris and Deb make sure each lodge guest is gifted with Yeti drinkware upon check-in.
The guests’ Yeti cup serves a much greater role than simply being a gift, however. It represents the first step in the Bay Flats Lodge mission to totally eliminate use of plastics – our Zero Plastic Initiative. Phase one of this environmental conservation effort entails discontinuing use of Styrofoam cups, so guests are requested to use their new Yeti during happy hour in the outdoor kitchen or for sipping coffee at breakfast, as the lodge no longer stocks disposable drinkware.
The ecosystem in our surrounding bays is unique in that speckled trout, redfish, and various baitfish provide us with year-round fishing opportunities. These bays are our livelihood. They’re how we support our families, including the families of our Bay Flats Lodge guides and employees. The welfare of our fishery and marshlands depends heavily upon us maintaining a clean ecosystem. We’re currently planning phase two of our no plastic policy, where we plan to eliminate all single-use plastic bottles, both at the Lodge, as well as on the guide boats.
We’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on the progress of our Zero Plastic Initiative, but currently we’re focused on the cold weather we’ve experienced lately. The recent cold snap has dropped tides by about two feet, and has driven water temperatures 20-30 degrees lower than just a couple weeks ago. Although the morning ride across the bay might be a little uncomfortable, recent fishing efforts have proven fruitful. Redfish and black drum have become a normal part of each day since things cooled off this month.
Those who brave the cold water by wading with slow-sinkers and plastic tails are often being rewarded. The wintertime trout pattern has begun, yet a typical bite cadence is still teetering from day to day. One day you might have an active bite early in the morning. The next day’s active bite period might show you that you didn’t have to get up so early that day! On one recent day, things didn’t start popping until an hour or two after lunch. Go figure.
For the top water enthusiasts, you should find your best results coming during the low-light periods of each day. Get your efforts in just prior to, and shortly after, both sunrise and sunset. That’s not to say you won’t entice a midday strike with your surface walker. It simply means your chances may be greater near the beginning and the end of daylight hours. Stick to muddy areas during extreme cold, and look for some “Bigs” basking on area flats on clear days.
We want everyone to know about the 2021 WINTER SPECIAL. January 15 through February 28, 2021, is a time when you and your friends or family can take advantage of up to 29% savings on Bay Fishing and Fly Fishing at Bay Flats Lodge. Remember, practice CPR, “Catch, Photo, and Release”, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Chris Martin, Port O’Connor/Seadrift region. www.bayflatslodge.com …(888) 677-4868