Author: Hank Beaumont

Few conservation stories in American saltwater fishing are as remarkable as the recovery of Texas redfish.

Today, anglers across the Texas coast regularly encounter healthy populations of slot-sized red drum in marsh systems, shallow bays, and grass flats. Tournament circuits flourish, recreational anglers enjoy consistent action, and coastal communities benefit from thriving fishing tourism.

But this success did not happen by accident.

The modern Texas redfish fishery is the result … Read the rest

Texas offers one of the most diverse inshore fisheries in North America.

Stretching more than 350 miles along the Gulf Coast, the state’s bay systems provide a complex network of marshes, grass flats, oyster reefs, and tidal passes that create ideal habitat for redfish year-round. While red drum can be found across nearly the entire coastline, certain bay systems consistently produce stronger numbers of slot-sized redfish, making them favorites … Read the rest

Spring along the Texas coast signals a transition.

Winter’s slower, temperature-driven patterns begin to fade, replaced by rising water temperatures, increasing bait activity, and longer daylight hours. For redfish, this seasonal shift triggers renewed feeding behavior and gradual movement toward spawning preparation.

While the major offshore spawning events occur later in the year, spring redfish in Texas begin staging in shallow bay systems, marshes, and coastal flats where warming water … Read the rest

There’s a certain heaviness to the air on the Texas coast in the fall. The crowds thin. The bait thickens. And somewhere beyond the breakers or near a tidal pass, oversized redfish begin to gather.

These aren’t slot fish cruising ankle-deep marshes. These are bull reds — mature, powerful redfish often exceeding 40 inches and capable of stripping drag in seconds. For coastal anglers, targeting fall bull reds in Texas … Read the rest