Just a short 2 hour trip from Houston, but seemly thousands of miles from the daily grind of the big city, lies the small town of Matagorda. Established in 1827 as a major port along the coast by Stephen F. Austin on the Colorado River. The river that brought them here soon turned out to be their undoing. The constant shifting of sand bar along the mouth at the gulf, prove unsuitable and difficult to navigate, and Mr. Austin and company soon gave up their ideas of making this a thriving port along the Texas Coast. Which was a real bummer for Mr. Austin, but save this stretch of beaches and bays for many a future generation of fishermen. What was Colonel Austin's woes back in 1827, has turned into one of the better fishing destination on the Gulf Coast. Nowadays navigators armed with detailed map and electronic depth finders, still find these ever changing bays a challenge, but well worth the effort.
These days not much has change. Bigger cities have sprung up along the coast that turned out to be better port sites of yesteryear. And Matagorda is best known for their excellent fishing much as they were all those years ago. Which suits the local residence just fine!! The Matagorda bay community is divide naturally into East and West matagorda bay by the Colorado River. Which to this day delivers the enriched flood waters to this bay system ever spring in runoff water. Although this timeless, natural environmental occurrence may have played havoc on Mr. Austins plans. The enriched waters has transformed this bay system into a very inhabitable environment for all sorts of ocean creatures. Salt grasses bed line the miles of firm bottom shoreline throughout the both bays. And in the deeper, but not that deep channels of the bays, these rich water encourage oyster bed in the hundreds. scattered about like clothes on the floor of a typical teenager room. May still cause nightmares for the inexperienced boater. Those that spend a little time learning the subtleties of these bays. Will begin to appreciate the Colorado River as more as a friend of the bay system rather than a hindrance.
As of a week ago West bay south shoreline particularly around the Greens and Cotton bayou were producing above average stringers of trout. With firm sand bottoms these grassy shoreline are an waders paradise. Chuckin a gold spoon among the flats waiting for that rod bending strike from a monster red or trout. Is just what the doctor order to relieve all those stresses that have been building up from the first of the year. Heck I believe if Mr. Holyfield would spend a few days along these pristine shorelines bouncing a few shadtail among the grass. Might even be able to get those imagines of Mike (the shark) Tyson to fade from his memory in just a few short days. Or maybe free lining live croaker near the numerous oyster bed or platforms of East Matagorda is more to your likening. But be forewarned this type of fishing will bring to monstrous hits from above average trout. So hopefully you and your gear are ready for a fight.
Another proven method is bird chasing on the bays. Stacking up over a feeding frenzy of young trout, seagulls are like well trained bird dogs only with a high pitch tone that carries a long way in these wind driven bays. Limits of legal size trout can be had with a few short drifts through the area while free shrimping an kamakazee shrimp behind the boat awaiting the swift strike that will inevitable becoming shortly. If you grow tired of reeling in trout throughout the bays and are looking for some familiar jetty or surf action. Never fear, Manygorda has you covered for all types of fishing action. Early to mid summer the surf action around these parts are among the best found along the gulf coast. Along the beaches on either side of the Colorado mouth hold larger sow trout and the bull red cousins. With a few short cast of a broken back or heavy spoon out along the third sand bar. One doesn't have to wait long before a hook up with one of the monsters. With strong currents in the area tend to make the fight that much more difficult and any angler braving the waters would be wise to be wearing a good life jacket. Or before you know it you may find yourself casting back toward the third sand bar on your way to Mexico.
And the final jewel of fishing the Matagorda system is its' close proximity to deep water just offshore. Unlike the more over trafficked fishing Galveston Bay complex just down the coast. The waters just a few miles off the coast around matagorda are deep and blue. With a wide variety of offshore species of game fish for the taking. This time of year angler can set their hooks into ling, Kings, Dorado, Amberjack, Snapper and the list goes on. So the next time your heading out 45 south toward Galveston take that little detour south toward that laid back town of Matagorda. Bring a good map and your depth finder, with ice chest loaded with plenty of ice. And if your really determined to learn the area quickly without all the headaches of trial and error of stumbling across the numerous sand bars and reef. Contact one of the excellent guides in this serious fishing community, Tommy Countz just happens to come to mind. They should be able to give you a good head start in learning all the intricacies of fishing this anglers paradise so close to the big city you should be able to smell the trout slicks on the water. And I guarantee you be returning many a weekend afterwards. Spending a little more time in the area than Colonel Austin did and you'll find out that his lose was your gain. And grow to appreciate all the this particular bay system long forgotten offer the serious angler of this Texas generation!!!!!!
