b'Coastal Bend FishingFALL FISHINGBEST OF THEYEAR IN THECOASTAL BENDAlbert Zertuche is known throughout the saltwater fishing world as the one-time world record holder for the biggest shark caught from a pier, a 12 1/2 ft. Tiger Shark at Bob Hall Pier, on August 19, 2011. TCBM is pleased to welcome him as our fishing expert.The best part about fishing in the Coastal Bend thisAboveAlbert Zertuche and an amateur angler showing time of year is the ample, public access to first-classoff two beautiful redfish caught at the end of the Packery shore and wade fishing, which does not require aChannel south jetty on North Padre Island. MiddleAlbert boat and can be reached but just pulling off thewith a prize speckled trout caught shore fishing in Laguna highway. Coming from Flour Bluff and heading toMadre off the JFK Causeway. BelowReel cleaning tech-niques being demonstrated on the Team Hard Life YouTube Padre Island, take the low road exit where Cos-Waychannel, which has become the most popular online source and Red Dot piers are locatedthese places offerfor fishing instruction, professional tips and equipment direct access to Humble Channel, a prime routeadvice for saltwater anglers on the Texas Gulf Coast.from seagrass beds in the flats along Laguna Shores Rd., to Packery. Wade fishing in the flats along the low road is accessed by just pulling over and claim-ing your spotand the sunsets are fantastic!The tall bridge to the island crosses over the Intra-Fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast has always beencoastal Waterway, the primary barge shipping and best in the Fall, and in the Coastal Bend a wide arraygeneral navigation route running south to north in of underwater ecosystems and a multitude of migra- Laguna Madre, and onward for hundreds of miles tion routes provide endless destinations for findingaround the Gulf Coast mainly along the inland sides and catching your limit of the most popular saltwa- of the barrier islands. If Humble is like Saratoga ter speciesredfish, speckled trout and flounder. Blvd., the Intracoastal is the SPID for migrating fish, but access underneath the JFK Bridge is limited and Just like in the mammalian world, fish feed anda little tricky, but can produce great fall catches.fatten themselves up in the summer in preparationThe completion of Packery Channel in 2006 was one for the fall and winter months. Unlike land animals,of the best developments for game fishing in the however, fish meet their mates in the winter andUpper Laguna Madre. In addition to providing much spawn in the gulf. As soon as water temperaturesneeded fresh gulf waters into Laguna Madre and in the bays and estuaries begin to cool, femaleCorpus Christi Bay, the channel offers excellent, free gamefish will begin their migration to the Gulf ofaccess to prime onshore fishing from both flats and Mexicoand they take the same routes that boat- rock and concrete jetties. The Packery Channel north ers follow to get offshore. jetty can be accessed from Zahn Rd., right over the The system of channels in the Upper Laguna MadrePackery Channel Bridge on Hwy. 361. The south jetty will be ripe with migrating reds, specks and floun- can be reached easily by turning east (toward the der, that will take breaks along their journey to feedocean) on Whitecap Blvd. off SPID (Park Rd. 22), then in shallow flats. The first route into the gulf north offollow Windward Dr. to Beach Access Rd. 3-A. For Port Mansfield is Packery Channel, which separatesall the expertise on fishing in the Coastal Bend, visit North Padre and Mustang Islands. Alberts YouTube Channel: Team Hard Life.TheCoastalBend.com THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINEFall 2019 123'