Capt Blacks Outdoor Adventures

Texas Outback Article March/April 2011

2011-03-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

In my house I have a white eraserboard marked off with dates, names, lengths and weights of fish caught over the past five years. These “notable catches” range from personal bests to some real Baffin Bay behemoths. One can quickly see that we catch big trout in my favorite bay system year round.
But one thing you will also notice is the weights vary throughout the year. Thirty inch plus trout can weigh anywhere from seven pounds to well over the ten pound mark.
One other thing you will notice while perusing this “wall of fame” is the fact that there is a time of year when the numbers of these bigger trout are caught a little more frequently. Happily these two coincide in the months of March and April.
The big female trout are at their peak weights for the year in preparation for the spawn. Rising water temperatures trigger the instincts of trout to procreate and the Big Girls need all the extra weight they can pack on to get them through early spring
Springtime is a wonderful time to be on Baffin Bay. The bay just seems to come to life before your eyes. Those bitter cold morning boat rides slowly begin to fade away and we look forward with great anticipation to the time we can retire our waders for another year.
Even our tactics change we are in pursuit of our finned friends. As the water warms up to the sixty-five to seventy degree mark, we dust off our seldom used topwaters for some explosive and consistent action. The Corkies we used all winter are still effective as these big fish become efficiency experts.
They are opportunistic feeders and will go for an easy meal anytime. But, you will find that they like to live large and eat large as well. Many of the fish caught this time of year will have large mullet tails and even smaller trout tails protruding from their mouths.
Large plastic swimbaits such as Stanley Thump N Mullet are also an effective way to take a trophy trout. The tails on these baits produce a lot of vibration under just about any retrieve speed. I like to pull them through the water by lifting my rod tip and then let them flutter back down through the water column slowly as I reel the slack line in. Aggressive strikes on the fall are common. Rigged weedless or “rockless” in Baffin, these baits are fast becoming a favorite with me and my clients.
One thing that never changes about Baffin is the fish attracting ability of the serpulid rock formations found here. These are the most consistent places to locate concentrations of baitfish and predators. They afford hiding spots for small crabs, shrimp and baitfish while also providing great ambush points for trout.
Time spent wading nearby and probing these rocks is well spent. Be sure to try your best to walk around these rocks during your wade. There are several reasons for avoiding directly walking on them. They are fragile and can and do break. They are also serious trip hazards and believe me, you do not want to fall on these rocks. They are very rough and covered with barnacles which can remove large amounts of flesh like a cheese grater. Its best to back up and ease your way around these obstructions.
Sandbars and drop-offs will be focal points depending on the weather. I love those cool days after a cold front with light winds and sunshine that really seem to warm up the flats and shallow bars. Big baits work well this time of year in these situations. Large topwaters, Corkies and other suspending baits take top billing as the big trout look to be more efficient in their eating habits. I like to wade just off the bar and make long casts on top of it working my lure towards the edge. Many of the hits we get here are just as the water depth changes a couple of inches and the strikes can be aggressive and vicious.
The overall condition of the bay is good right now. We survived a possible fish killing freeze event with virtually no damage. The warming trend behind the big freeze seems to have triggered a substantial bite from big trout as well as redfish. It seems every dropoff, sandbar and drain is teeming with redfish and they are very indiscriminate eaters right now.
As much as I love to pursue trout, the steady action and hard pulls that the reds provide are hard to pass up. The best thing about that is that the same lures we are using on the trout are working quite well on these bruisers.
So dust off your rods and oil up your reels. It’s an exciting time to be here in God’s country. Hope to see you down here soon. Capt. Aubrey Black

Phone 210-355-5091
e-mail: captblack@captblack.com
website: www.captblack.com
Blog: www.captblacks.blogspot.com/
FaceBook: Fan Page -Capt Blacks Outdoor Adventures
Personal Page -Aubrey Black
Twitter: Captblack15

February Saltwater Angler Article

2011-02-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

Now THAT was a cold snap!! It really kind of puts a new perspective on a few things that have been happening lately. Everyone knows all about the arguments over the trout limits lately and everyone has their own opinion as to how our fishery should be managed. But our feeble attempts to regulate anything that we in all reality have no control over are thrown back in our faces and we get a real glimpse of who is in control……….. and it isn’t us!

As I write this, a second round of the really cold stuff is blowing through. Supposedly this round won’t be quite as harsh as the ice storm we went through the first week of February but who knows. For me personally, that was a very tough week. Of course, there was the usual cancellations and re-scheduling of trips that you would expect when the weather turns that bad. But most of all for me and many of my fishing brethren along the Texas coast, our livelihoods were suddenly at stake. We have been extremely lucky for several years dodging hurricanes in the summer and fish killing freezes in the winter. But we have to wonder when our luck is going to run out.

Fortunately, the trend over the past few years amongst the guiding profession has been to allow our clients to participate in the overall experience of the outdoors. The emphasis is slowly beginning to inch away from the old school “fill-the-cooler” trips and more about experiencing the majesty around us, the camaraderie of friends and actually learning about the ways and habits of the quarry we pursue. As my friend Capt. Mike McBride, aka McTrout, says “It’s all about the trip”.

So what’s happening in Baffin? Well, the cold weather definitely put a damper on the trout fishing for a little while. We spent most of the week after the big freeze checking the bay and the Upper Laguna Madre for signs of a substantial fish kill. Fortunately, we didn’t find any. We spotted a good number of dead and cold stunned silver perch and a couple of small trout but that was the extent of our observations having covered well over one hundred miles in the process.

We did manage to sneak out between these two cold spells and do a little fishing and the trout we caught were very aggressive, fat and healthy. Reports from my friends stated that the redfish were very hungry and active almost the entire time during the cold spell.

Original Corkies and Corky Fat Boys in darker colors have been working well around drop-offs and rocks. The extremely low water levels recently opened up many wading spots we don’t normally get to enjoy this time of year and we took full advantage of them. Stanley Wedgetail Thump N Mullet has been a new addition to the arsenal and appears to be deadly on redfish. Because of their weedless or in my case, “rockless”capabilities, I think these baits may work well on big trout this spring. I’ll let you know. Like I said earlier, we have very low water conditions out there so y’all be extra careful and I’ll see ya on the water.

Capt. Aubrey Black

Baffin Bay

Article submitted to: Texas Outback Magazine Jan./Feb. 2011

2011-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

It’s time!! The time of the year when those blurry pictures start making the rounds on the internet. You know the ones I’m talking about. Some unrecognizable angler bundled up like the Michelin man in all the latest and greatest fishing gear from your favorite outdoors catalog. Invariably they will be holding some huge potbellied trout sagging between the Boga Grip latched on the bottom jaw and their hand. These types of pictures get the blood pumping and make many a trophy trout enthusiast do some crazy things.

Baffin Bay is my home waters and for good reason, this area is targeted by many of the aforementioned trophy trout seekers. The stable, hyper-saline environment seems to be conducive to the development of these really big trout. Lots of shrimp, mullet and crabs are everywhere. The ever present rock formations in the bay are veritable “fish magnets”.
The changing of the seasons brings plenty of unpredictable weather. Cold fronts come through just about every three to five days.
North winds will have us looking for areas of semi-protected shorelines near deep water and or mud. The north banks of the Laguna Salada and the Cayo de Grullo along with drop-offs from Starvation Point all the way to East Kleberg Point. Behind the Tide Gauge Bar in the mud, rocks and grass is another great place to look and the Badlands and King Ranch Shoreline should be holding some genuine monster trout right now.
With the onset of cooler water temps, we are starting to focus our efforts on the areas which hold large trout. Baitfish, primarily large mullet, are abundant especially in the back half of the bay system. The far reaches of the bay system, including Alazan, received a huge influx of fresh water this year and it seems to be helping the overall health of the bay.
Sandbars, drop-offs and deeper rocks will be the focal points depending on the weather. I love those cool days after a cold front with light winds and sunshine that really seem to warm up the flats and shallow bars. Big baits work well this time of year in these situations. Large topwaters, Corkies and other suspending baits take top billing as the big trout look to be more efficient in their eating habits. Wade just off the bar and make long casts on top of it working your lure towards the edge. Many of the hits we get here are just as the water depth changes a couple of inches and the strikes can be aggressive and vicious.
Slow presentations no matter what you throw will be key to your success. Dark plastics rigged on the lightest jigheads will be first and foremost in my wading arsenal. Corky Fat Boys and Corky Devils are a staple as well. I personally don’t throw many topwaters this time of year but have seen many clients successfully use these baits. Vary your retrieve until you find what they like. A big Super Spook with a slow walk-the-dog retrieve and occasional pauses has been a big producer.
Grinding in cold, wet and windy conditions will probably be the norm until late March this year. Being prepared with the right gear is half the battle. Don’t hit the bargain bins when you are looking for your wading gear. Staying dry is the key
Good quality breathable waders with layers underneath are a must. Under Armour makes several great products and a good pair of fleece pants will help keep you dry and comfortable. Simms and Orvis make some of the best wading jackets on the market but make sure you do your homework and get the one that best fits you and your style of fishing.
It’s an exciting time to be out here enjoying God’s bounty. Duck hunting, dove hunting and fishing have been good to excellent. The trophy trout season is just now kicking into high gear and we fully expect to do as well or better than we did last year when we had six monster trout over thirty inches. That included one ten pound plus trout caught early spring. We hope to see many of you down here this year as we pursue the biggest and best our waters have to offer. Y’all be safe and I’ll see ya on the water.
Captain Aubrey Black
www.captblack.com
Facebook: Capt Blacks Outdoor Adventures
Twitter: CaptBlack15
Ablack1@rivnet.com

Saltwater Angler December Article

2010-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it may not say it on the calendar yet, but winter has definitely made an appearance. Temperatures are forecast to be in the 30’s and the winds are whipping from the north. Two things come immediately to mind. The fishing is going to be a little tough, and the duck hunting is going to be great. Now what more could you ask for this time of year? No matter what the conditions are out there, we are privileged to be able to experience the bounty of Mother Nature here in the greatest part of the greatest state of the greatest country in the world.

We duck hunted hard the first half of the split and were rewarded with the best duck hunting I have experienced……. Ever!! The two week split between the first and second half was actually welcome. Those 3:00am wake up calls tend to get to you after a while. After resting up a couple of days, the itch to get on the water came back full force and you know how much I like to chase the Big Girls this time of year.

Our trout fishing is a little sporadic right now. I had two really good days with trout up to the 24””mark followed by a few so-so days. The weather cooperated for the most part but I just couldn’t seem to find a consistent pattern. There are still a lot of shrimp in the bay and the trout just seem to be following them around in deeper areas of the bay.

Small top waters as well as small plastics rigged underneath a Cajun Thunder popping cork have been our top producers but the bigger fish have come on suspended baits like my favorite blood red Corky Devil. A medium to fast retrieve has been working best. On the days after a cold front has passed and we got a little warming trend, the trout were congregating on some of the sandbars in Alazan and along the south shoreline. Look for concentrations of mullet on these bars and then camp out for awhile. Top waters and Corkies work well here too.

Redfish are very hungry and aggressive up shallow for you sight casting fans. I like to use white or chartreuse Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad on the lightest possible jig head when pursuing these bruisers. I am not certain if the fish prefer one over the other but I do know that I can see them better myself and it’s easier to get my lure where I need it to be when I can see it. Swimming the lure in the middle of the water column and leading the fish slightly has made for some very exciting hookups.

By the time you read this, the second half of our duck hunting season will be in full swing. As I stated earlier, it’s been the best I have experienced and judging by the clouds of redheads, pintails, bluebills and other assorted ducks I have seen this week, it’s only going to get better.

Capt. Sally and I recently received recognition for being in the inaugural class of Certified Wildlife Guides in a program developed by the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau. The program seeks to insure that visitors to the Corpus area have a quality experience. The program focused on quality customer service, environmental issues and wildlife identification. I’ve been told before that I was certifiable, and now it’s official.

Wintertime in South Texas isn’t a time to huddle indoors. There are way too many angling and hunting opportunities out there. It’s too bad the economy is in such poor shape because everything else down here in God’s country is so good. Y’all be safe and I’ll see ya on the water.

Capt. Aubrey Black

(210) 355-5091

2010-12-21T14:17:00.001-08:00

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Even Better

2010-06-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today was an even better day. Between myself and two clients, we managed to catch and release 39 keeper trout and Ryan landed his first ever sightcasted redfish. Plastics all the way today on grass and shallow rocks.

It's Still On!!

2010-06-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

Friday was a good day for us once again. Four guys boxed 19 trout to 23" and 2 fat reds. We released a nice 26" trout early and ground out the rest here and there all day on plastics. Various plastics including Saltwater Assassins and Brown Lure Devil Eyes rigged on the lightest jigheads we could find did the job for us color didn't seem to matter.

Water is still in great shape. Grasslines and scattered rocks from thigh deep to chest deep were the pattern of the day.

It's Saturday and there are a few tournaments going on so it should be a test of wills and patience today lol. Fortunately I have a great, funloving crew so stay tuned.

Just A Quick Note

2010-04-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Blogging has always been fun for me. Its a way I can convey my thoughts and let you see what I see through the written word as well as pictures and the occasional video. I have come upon a new way to get these things to you even faster through FaceBook. Its virtually "real time" stuff and I know you will enjoy it. Click on the link and enjoy. You may have to cut/paste the link into your browser.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Riviera-TX/Capt-Blacks-Outdoor-Adventures/111104792260869

Still Rockin' and Rollin'

2010-04-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Still seeing lots of bait in most locations. Even a few slicks from time to time. Saltwater assassins rigged on Flutter Hooks fished slowly over the rocks produced most of our trout today. The venerable red/white paddletail took the big flounder. Fished lots of structure today and caught lots of mostly small fish but we did manage enough for a fish fry this evening. Mmmm good stuff. See y'all on the water.

Really Liking This

2010-04-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Things are definitely heating up in Baffin in more ways than one. The waters are steadily getting warmer and I know I will soon be wet wading. Can hardly wait til I won't be scared to have that third cup of coffee in the morning lol.

Soft plastics have been the hot baits lately. red/white, pumpkinseed/chartreuse, and Morning glory/chartreuse are the top producers.

Good sized flounder are falling for the same lures and our topwater bite is showing signs of kicking off. We have a cold front moving through now and we will be a little cool the next couple of mornings but I fully expect to pick up where we left off earlier this week.

Y'all come on down, the fishing is really getting good.

Bigger Is Better

2010-04-04T22:05:00.001-07:00

Well, the winds layed down a little and the fishing seemed to be doing the same. Fortunately, Jeff stuck with his Super Spook Jr. topwater long enough to coax a hit from this big girl that almost touched the 29" mark. Saw a few more nice trout chase our topwaters around some of the deeper rocks but they avoided us........ for now. Looking forward to our next little weather window to get back out there.

Let It Blow

2010-04-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Had a good week of fishing in spite of the extremely low water and very high winds. Trout to 28" and several really nice flounder fell for various colors and styles of soft plastics. Water temps are in the seventies and the fishing is getting better by the day.can't wait to get out there each day.

The Beat Rolls On

2010-03-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Great day on the water today with fantastic clients. Today was just confirmation that It's On!! We had quality fish today at several locations in the bay even though the water was less than perfect. 15 - 20 mph East winds today kept things stirred up a bit. Soft plastics of various shades including Limetreuse, Morning glory, Rootbeer and Plum all rigged on 1/16 oz. jigheads or 1/8 oz. Flutter Hooks did the trick.

Shallow rocks and grasslines in thigh to waist deep water worked best and the fish were hungry. Many had gorged themselves on mullet and one that we brought to the cleaning table even had a dogfish in its stomach. Proof that they will eat just about anything. Looking forward to light winds and sunny conditions tomorrow. It should be good.

Three biggest trout today all topped seven pounds. Click on images to enlarge.

It's On!!!

2010-03-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

If the past few weeks are any indication, the Big Trout run is definitely in full swing. Reports are flying about lots of big fish being caught even in the far reaches of Baffin. Fortunately for me and my clients, we have been able to take advantage and hang a few of them ourselves. Click on images to enlarge.

Topwaters and Corkies have been the best producers and no particular color seems to be working better than another. The big fish are shallow (thigh deep or less) and while there may not be big numbers, the size makes it all worthwhile. We have seen trout up to thirty inches and four fish topping the eight pound mark so far and we are only getting started

Spring is officially about to start and it definitely looks like things are going to be very exciting. I have a few openings the end of March and a few the end of April but call me soon because they are filling up fast with all the news. Go to my website http://www.captblack.com/ and check out my booking calendar. We have made things convenient for you by arranging for you to book and pay for your trip on-line. Hope to see you soon. Later, Capt Aubrey Black

Makes You Wonder

2010-03-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Weatherman missed it bad this time......... in our favor. The 35+ mph winds and 50% chance of rain didn't materialize. The winds finally showed up at about 2:00 but other than that it was a beautiful day and we could basically fish anywhere we wanted. Unfortunately, it seems I can only put folks on fish when the wind blows. We managed a dozen or so trout with an even 10 making the keeper mark. The biggest of the day was a fat 20"er but not what my group was looking for. We gave it heck but it just didn't happen today. Various paddletail plastics and Corky Fat Boys and Original Corkies provided most of the catching today. Headed to the Fishing Show in Houston for the next few days. Hope to see some of y'all there.

Windy Day

2010-02-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it should come as no surprise that the winds blew today. Seems thats the only days I can book are the windy ones. Fortunately, I had a crew of hardy souls today that were prepared for anything mother nature dished out. We ground out several spots along the north side of Baffin until the winds forced us to the south side. Like the last trip, we finally struck paydirt on the south shoreline. We caught quite a few trout up to 17" and a lone redfish until Carl showed all the young guns how it was supposed to be done. Click on the YouTube link below to see the video of Carl's catch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iQUUgY0DXU

Various colors of Corkies were the lure du jour except for a certain guide who stuck with a red/white Saltwater Assassin all day. Gonna grind it out again tomorrow. The winds are suposed to blow from the other direction this time lol.

February Fun

2010-02-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

Been busier than a one armed wall paper hanger lately with a few charters and scouting trips trying to really get in touch with whats happening in my favorite bay system. Things are definitely on the upswing down here. Numbers are still down with the exception of one or two trips but our quality is picking up. Big Girls are definitely showing up. We've even been picking up an occasional flounder.

My brother in law, Capt. Bruce Miller even got in on the action with a nice 29"+ trout two days ago. Sorry about the background but you know how these damn guides are about their fishing spots lol.

Had a recent trip with some great clients that I prefer to call friends. I had been on a pretty fair concentration of trout for four or five days and was really looking forward to putting these guys on the fish. With the help of Capt. Sally http://www.captainsally.com/ , our intrepid group headed out with high hopes. The weatherman said light winds until noon but he was lying......... again. It was at least 20 mph when we arrived at my spot. The wind was all wrong and was blowing directly into the grassline we had scouted the previous day in pristine conditions I might add.

I gritted my teeth and decided to give it an hour just because I knew there were fish here. Ray struck first with a keeper trout just minutes into our wade. The water was quickly losing its clarity but the fish seemed not to mind so much as we hooked, landed and released two more keeper trout. And then it happened.

Randy made a long cast with a pink Corky Devil and began a slow retrieve in the thigh deep water. The fish picked up the offering and he set back hard on the fish feeling some weight as the Big Girl made a powerful run taking line against the drag for about fifteen yards. He turned her and started a slow back and forth struggle as the fish circled to his left. I grabbed my new Flip video camera and headed towards the action seeing that this fish was putting up a good fight.

As I got closer, she surfaced between us and I got a glimpse of a broad back and big black tail. The fight gained a new intensity as Randy realized what he had. I vowed to stay out of the way in case the unthinkable happened just so I wouldn't get blamed lol. After a couple of attempts, he latched the Boga Grip on the Big Girls bottom jaw and just like that............ a new personal best for my friend. A quick measurement and weight before safely releasing her. I couldn't wait to get home to put together a little video so without further ado, here she is. Randy's new personal best trout 28" 8#+ (Click on the YouTube link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej0UKh7ofB0

Looks like winter is going to stick around a bit longer as the north winds are howling outside as I type. That just means we will have something to look forward to on our next warm-up. Looking for bigger and better things as we slowly move toward springtime patterns. Hope to see y'all down here soon. Also, you might want to check us out at the Holder Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on March 3 - 7. Capt. Sally will be giving a seminar at 1:00 on Saturday and I will be giving one at noon on Sunday.

Great Hunt

2010-01-20T12:28:00.001-08:00

Chip Pitcairn, Sally and I headed out with Rocksy and Kelly to do a little duck hunting this morning. The forecast was for fog but it wasn't too bad down here. We had a couple miles visibility with a low cloud ceiling and light winds. Ducks were decoying very well into our spread and we had to start getting picky about our birds early in because of all the pintails, bluebills and redheads. Kelly made a great "hero" retrieve on a mature redhead drake and both dogs did well. Except for the two wounded ducks and the dogs version of "Keystone Cops". Duck season is winding down but there are still a few open dates before the close on the 24th of January

Quacker Smackin'

2010-01-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

Duck hunted the past few days and got a variety of conditions with a variety of results. Good numbers of pintails and wigeon are flying and a few buffleheads mixed in. Can't figure out where all the redheads went. Hope they show up this week. Rocksy watching over the spread and Jeremiah with a Bull Sprig headed to the taxidermist

No Fish Kill In Baffin

2010-01-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Finally got out on the water today to check out any damage from the recent cold snap. Looks like we avoided it completely. Didn't even see a dead mullet. The water was very cold today and there was almost no baitfish activity.

The few places we saw bait, we caught fish. Nothing to write home about but we managed 4 trout and 2 redfish. Saltwater Assassins and Sea Shad were the top producers today. Water temps in the upper 40's for most of the day with overcast and drizzle.

I Heard It On The Radio

2010-01-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

Had a little fun this weekend talking with Doug Pike on his Sunday radio show in Houston while I was in town for the Houston Boat Show. Capt. Sally and I teamed up to represent our area down here. You can click on the links for the podcasts of both hours of the show.

http://www.790kbme.com/podcast/dougpike.xml

We had a lot of fun just talking fishing, hunting and whatever Doug wanted to talk about. the show was almost two hours long so make sure you are comfortable lol.

SoTex Dove Hunt

2009-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

Hunted on Monday with the Munoz clan. Had a great hunt just minutes from my house here on Baffin Bay. Tons of mourning dove and had some pretty good shooters as well. Still have openings through January 17, 2010. Call 210-355-5091 for info.

Here is a link to the YouTube Video.

Test Blog

2009-12-28T13:50:00.001-08:00

Trying out new blog