April 2026 Recap

April was a fun month of fishing! We finally got to wet wade, once the water temperature gets above 80, that is when I start wet wading. The main target for me this month was to catch big trout up on the shallow grass flats. There is an abundance of mullet, shad and some shrimp all over the flats. With that said, I mainly used topwater baits (bone/chromse she dog), Texas Custom Jay Watkins lures, Norton Sand Shad Jrs, 4" bass assassin paddle tails, and 5"-6" Coastal Brews. Areas I focused on were areas with grass and shallow guts. For me, that is where I found bigger trout. Then the strategy for the day would be to start with guts that were mainly grass with potholes within the grass, or to find areas of sand/mud with scattered grass patches. If I couldn't find fish in areas with lots of grass, then I would move to just a little bit, and visa versa. Bait being present with currents is key though. Spring can be a crowded time on the water, instead of focusing on "this is my spot that I must fish" spend time in areas that have similar structure to those spots you are always finding yourself at. That is how you grow and expand your knowledge as an angler. For me, if there was a bait source present, guts that allowed for water to be moving, and a lack of fishing pressure, it was automatically in the cards for me. The icing on the cake would be to find pelicans, seagulls, ospreys, and frigate birds in the area, because they are way better fisherman than I will ever be. There were an abundance of redfish also on the flats. With how windy the water is, that pushes bait to windward shorelines, and the fish follow the bait. Reefs were also great this month, as long as they were shallow enough for us to wade them. Reefs create great opportunity to find bait and current, with fish waiting to take advantage! If it is your thing, sharks are also in abundance, for shark fishing I would use a big circle hook with wire leader and a piece of cut mullet 4"-5" long. If you catch or see stingrays, then redfish are nearby. Often times stingrays and redfish work together, one of them digs stuff up from the bottom, and the other feeds on it. Overall, April was an awesome month and a preview of what we have to look forward to. The water was super high, bringing in lots of water and bait. I look forward to seeing how we will benefit from it in the months ahead!