Jay Watkins Journal Blog
JAY WATKINS UNIVERSITY SERIES, VOLUME 5
LISTEN to the FISH


Order a DVD
SOLD OUT
Order on USB Flash Drive
$34.95
ENTIRE SET OF TEACHING TRIP SERIES LEGACY DVD VOLUMES 1-19
(on USB Flash Drive in MP4 video files)


Each of the 19 Volumes contains the original DVD content and is appoximately 60 minutes in length.
$179.95

Blog Date: 2025-01-01

HAPPY NEW. Hoping that 2025 will be all that you and your family wants and needs it to be. We are looking forward to much improved trout fishing in the ROCKPORT/ARANSAS/SAN ANTONIO BAY area. Good catches the past month in just about all of our surrounding systems. Trout are very healthy, and recruitment looks to be alive and doing well. Lacking a killer freeze over the next two months, we should see one of the best spring and summer fishing that we have seen since the 2021 freeze. Huge shout out to ALL the area anglers that have helped with the rebuilding process by practicing CATCH and RELEASE of all trout and even red fish during this period. Project population growth rates for the coming years would suggest that fish populations would suffer severely if proper measures in reduced limits were not enacted. Way to go TP&W, PRO ACTIVE approach for sure.

Over the next few weeks as we start to see some much colder water temperatures, I would suggest looking at shoreline scattered shell points and small reefs in ALL of our area bay systems. The drains/creeks mouths of most all of our back lake areas will also be very productive during periods of FALLING and INCOMING TIDES. Water movement allows for optimal feeding periods and easy access to bait. Reds typically dominate the bite, but our larger trout are present and will use these areas to feed up. I am looking forward to seeing how the winter trout bite plays out in the winter of 2025.

To clear up some confusion. Jay Ray and I are guides in ROCKPORT. It is true that we spend JANUARY and FEBRUARY in PORT MANSFIELD. Jay Ray is ONLY in PORT MANSFIELD in January and February. I have some CLUB MEMBERS and OUT of STATE anglers (which believe it or not are FISHING CLUB MEMBERS) that I fish a few weeks in December as well as March but for 8 1/2 months of the year I am fishing in ROCKPORT, and I always will be. I fished some throughout the year in Mansfield but will not repeat this in 2025. YOU MUST BE A ROCKPORT CLIENT/FSIHING CLUB MEMBER to qualify for winter days in PORT MANSFIELD and these days are few and far in between to be totally honest.

By the first part of next week after only the second true cold front of the year, it will be CUSTOM CORKY and TEXAS CUSTOM'S DOUBLE D time. We saw really good results with these suspending types of lures in mid-DECEMBER after our first major front but a two-week major warming trend that actually allowed for CHRISTMAS time WET WADING hindered the CORKY BITE for us. Still caught a few here and there of course but not the real Corky bite that many wish for. ROCKPORT TACKLE TOWN has a complete inventory of ALL of the CUSTOM CORKY/TEXAS CUSTOM'S and MIRROLURE PRODUCTS that I use and have confidence in, so stop by this weekend and load up on the best lures on the market before they are gone.

PEARL HARBOR, GRINGO, PISTACHIO, PLUM NASTY, CROWN ROYAL, BOOGEY MAN and BAY MISTRESS still my favorite go to color patterns for the MIDDLE to LOWER TEXAS COAST. In the SOFT PLASTIC category the MIRROLURE LIL JOHN and LIL JOHN XL are my go to baits and I tend to use the XL SERIES way more than the smaller version. WATERMELON/RED GLITTER, MOULTON, GOLDEN BREAM, JUNE BUG, PURPLE DEMON and OPENING NIGHT are extremely effective color patterns. I use the TEXAS CUSTOM'S JIG HEADS of course and love ALL the different colors we offer. Watermelon/red glitter is my favorite. We make silver, black/gold glitter and chartreuse/blue glitter as well. I am a 1/16th ounce guy but NEVER discount using heavier heads when WIND and CURRENT are preventing you from getting the lure down into the proper strike zone. Jsut last week on COPANO REEF I went to our 1/4 oz. head when faced with having to cast into a stiff wind and an incoming tide. The 1/4 oz allowed the lure to drop quickly into the strike zone, cast farther and create more feel. Worked like a charm for us.

Thanks for continuing to support everything WATKINS, I certainly appreciate it.

Blog Date: 2024-12-24

I wanted to wish all of you a MERRY CHRSISTMAS. Hard to believe that 20 24 is on the back burner and we will be ringing in 2025 in less than a week. I am seeing some significant improvements in trout fishing in Rockport on the weeks that I have been fishing Rockport versus Port Mansfield, especially since we have received some cooler weather, and the crowds have slowed somewhat. This week I fished Copano and St. Charles Bay and we did really well on numbers of trout ranging from 16 to 21 inches. I actually found trout on both shoreline drop-offs (secondary drops not primary). With little cold weather in the forecast until like January the 5th I think we can expect to have cool nights, warm days and winds out of the SE until the approach of our next frontal system. We need some rain and colder weather but no pro-longed periods of subfreezing temperatures for sure. If MOTHER NATURE will give us two more winters without a fish kill, we will be back to normal, I hope. We need as strong of a population of ALL of our bays residents in order to have a sustainable percentage of survivors that can rebuild the fishery. The lower the population the lower the survival percentile.

It is CUSTOM CORKY time so IF you are not stocked up you better get out and pick up some before trout tournament season starts in early January. Best color patterns for me have been the following, PEARL HARBOR, BAY MISTRESS, OS PEARL HARBOR, PISTACHIO, GRINGO, SEA GRASS. PLUM NASTY, CROWN ROYAL and of course DOUBL BUBBLE. The same color patterns will also work in the CUSTOM CORKY SOFT DINE series and the TEXAS CUSTOM'S DOUBLE D series. I love the DOUBLE D series when I am fishing windy conditions where larger mullet is present and active. Some of my best days on the water last winter my fish were caught on DOUBLE D's Don't be afraid to purchase the XL series, The larger bait swims extremely well and cast like a dream. In the SOFT PLASTIC department, I am still throwing the MIRROLURE LIL JOHN and LIL JOHN XL series of soft plastic. I personally prefer the XL SERIES. Productive colors have been GOLDED BREAM. WATERMELON RED GLITTER, MOULTON, OPENING NIGHT, PURPLE DEMON, JUNE BUG and BLUE MOON. Don't forget to couple all of your soft plastic with TEXAS CUSTOM'S jig heads in 1/16th, 1/8th or even 1/4 oz. Watermelon red glitter is my go-to but the BLACK GOLD GLITTER, CHARTREUSE BLUE GLITTER and of course PURE SILVER.

I have days left open in JUNE OF 2025 so I hope to see some of you in Rockport this summer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and thanks for your continued support of everything Watkins.


Blog Date: 2024-12-08

It is hard to believe that we are closing in on the end of the year 2024 fishing year. Life as I get older; I am 67 years old today, truly flies by. Yesterday I was leaving Port Mansfield heading home for the spring through fall season and today I am once again updating my club members and my Blog site from Port Mansfield. Nice dreary damp day here right now with air temperatures hovering around the 62-degree mark as a daytime high and we had an early morning low of 51 degrees. Over the past three nights we have experienced some of the coolest temperatures of this new winter period and this WILL get the trout in the proper mood for us. As bait decreases the larger trout begin the "FEEDING UP" process and creates long periods of feeding, which increases our odds of getting a bite from some of the truly special fish in ALL of our Texas Bay systems. Depending on the bay system in which you fish, the size of the trout will vary but it is a fact that the best trout in every system have a consistent pattern of being caught in the winter months. Just scroll through the social media pages and make a note of the clothing and the background in the photos. It is my thinking that most will be of anglers fishing in waders, wading jackets and the daytime condition's will include grey overcast skies and maybe even water less than pretty. There is no doubt that from about Thanksgiving through April are my most favorite times of the year to target that small percentage of larger trout in our trout fishing population.

For the record, I am fishing from November through March in Port Mansfield and then back to my home waters in Rockport in April through the end of October. My trips in PORT MANSFIELD are 3-day trips at my rental house in Port Mansfield. ALL lodging, food and of course me guiding you are provided. By reserving 3 days I can allow each group the luxury of picking the best 3 days of that week and I can provide a true learning experience as well as the opportunity to catch some really special fish in one of the last true speckled trout meccas in the world. All trips are CATCH and RELEASE on trout and I prefer that clients release all fish. A few reds can be kept for a meal or two if that is a must for the group. Call or Text me for pricing for the Mansfield gig and then my pricing for the Rockport trips are listed on my website.

I have very high hopes for our growing trout population in Rockport. We are seeing significant growth in the over-all trout population in the ARANSAS BAY COMPLEX. If we can continue to limit the oyster reef destruction by further regulations and buyback program for oyster licenses through the TP&W, we could really see an increase in our water quality and a decrease in the erosion of our barrier island shorelines. Reefs are baffles and filters, and ALL of our oyster reefs have been terribly impacted by over oystering in the past 5 years. Aqua Culture (Oyster Farms) in our bays is the answer I believe. I eat the BLACKJACK oysters that local owners David and Debbie Mimms own and operate, they are tremendous. If we can get another winter without a killer freeze and some rainfall in the spring. we should start to see some much better trout in our mult-bay system. I am excited about our future no doubt.

There is no doubt that fishing pressure will continue to grow so the fact that we know this, we need to be pro-active and adopt the attitude that we only need to keep a few fish when we need fish for the table. KEEP LESS, FISH MORE!!!

i HOPE THIS FINDS ALL OF YOU WELL AND HAPPY AS 2024 GROWS CLOSE TO AN END.

Blog Date: 2024-11-20

I am hoping all of you are enjoying a good and prosperous year as we begin to close out 2024. The fall season has been more like summer in the temperature department and as of this morning we have yet to have a serious cold front. We did have a front move through this morning and local weather forecast is for mid-50's to lower 50's tonight so maybe we are finally going to see a decent drop in water temperatures and hopefully as the NE winds drop off the tides will begin to fall. In 47 years of fishing, I cannot recall having tides this high for this long. As tides drop, we will see a concentration of bait fish and game fish along bay area shorelines and shallow flats from Port O Connor all the way to Brownsville.

We have yet to see a winter pattern come into effect, but we are getting closer with the passage of each frontal system.

IF you have not stocked up on your Custom Corky and TEXAS CUSTOM favorites, its time. Rockport Tackle Town has all your tackle needs in stock so go by and see the good people there. Some of my favorite products are MIRROLURE, BASS ASSASSIN, CUSTOM CORKY, TEXAS CUSTOMS, WATERLAND CO SUNGLASSES, SOUTHERLY and 6TH SENSE. Take a look at the TEXAS CUSTOM/CUSTOM CORKY T-shirts and hats that Tackle Town has in stock. Miss Linda also has some very nice CUSTOM CORKY DENALLI SHIRTS in stock. Jay Ray and I love these shirts and appreciate Linda stocking them for all of us. These go fast so get yours the next time you're in Rockport.

CLEAR WATER COLORS for Texas Customs and Custom Corky are a must. PISTACHIO, PEARL HARBOR, BAY MISTRESS, PLUM NASTY, TRUTH, SEA GRASS, GRINGO. OS PEARL HARBOR and CROWN ROYAL. Dirty water colors are, TEXAS TURNIP, BOOGEY MAN, TOXIC TIDE, DOUBLE BUBBLE, GRINGO, SEXY SHAD and BRWON TIDE.

Mirrolure LIL JOHN XLs are a favorite of mine. WATERMELONG/RED GLITTER, GOLDEN BREAM, CHICKEN, PURPLE DEMON, JUNE BUG, OPENING NIGHT, MOULTON, BLUE MOON are always good choices. Couple your soft plastic with Texas Custom's 1/16th or 1/8th oz jig head. Jig HEADS AVALIABLE in SILVER, CHARTREUSE/BLUE GLITTER, BLACK/GOLD GLITTER and WATERMELON/RED GLITTER.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING


Blog Date: 2024-11-10

Fall refuses to give way to winter. 84 DEGREES here today in Rockport and water temperatures still right at 79/80 degrees. Nights are cooler no doubt, but daytime temperatures are keeping our water temperatures warmer than normal for November. Nothing in the forecast to indicate that we will be cooler this week but hopefully by Thanksgiving we will be seeing some colder temperatures.

With a drop in AIR and WATER temperatures we will see a decrease in tidal levels. Tides remain super high from P.O.C. to Port Isabelle. When both water levels and temperatures drop, we will see much better fishing, especially in the trout department. As the bait fish migrate to deeper waters and some even to the Gulf, we will see a increase in our Custom Corky/Soft Dine/Double D bite. These lures represent a size that trout especially prefer which is 3 to 5 inches. Tackle Town, Waterloo, Roy's Bait, Anglers Anonymous, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, Jecos, Westican and many others have all the Custom Corky's colors in stock so I recommend loading up before its too late.

Hope to see some of you on the boat and other around the dock or on the water.

Blog Date: 2024-10-27

I am sitting here in PORT MANSFIELD drinking coffee and thinking about the next three days on the water with my next group. Last week in Rockport we had a pretty good week, catching some nice legal sized torut along with a few upper slot trout as well. Tides were very high but have no receded to a more normal level for the fall session. Rain is in our forecast for the latter part of the week. We need the rain for sure and we need some cooler weather. I love the fall and winter fishing, definitely more challenging in the cold but it is still my favorite times of year. As smaller bait fish begin to migrate to the Gulf and the protection of deeper bay waters, only the larger mullet and Menhaden are left in the bays. It's true that trout and reds will often eat large mullet. More times than not however, it is not out of want to but out of necessity. We have all heard about "CORKY SEASON" and many believe that it is only a wintertime pattern. Far from true as I know many that throw them year-round with great success. The reasoning for the big increase in bites on the Corky is its size and shape. The Original Paul Brown is mullet shaped, and the Fat Boy series is Shad shaped. Both are less than 5 inches and the average size mullet or shad that trout prefer is 3 to 5 inches. The decrease in the numbers of small bait fish is the reason behind the increase in activity with this style of lure. Same can be said about the Mirrolure Mirrodine XL and the TEXAS CUSTOM'S DOUBLE D series of lures.

I wanted to let all of you know that NOW is the time to start buying your favorite color patterns in the CUSTOM CORKY and CUSTOM CORKY SOFTDINE series of lures. Production is limited and certain colors get hot and can disappear from the shelves in a hurry. Tackle Town, Waterloo Outfitters and Roy's Bait and Tackle have good supplies in stock right now so you might want to get started on making sure you have all that you need.

I can't believe that October is almost gone and November here. Time definitely flies when we get older or maybe when we stay active, its one or the other.


Blog Date: 2024-10-24

The trout bite in Rockport has picked up to a nice and predictable level for me the past couple of weeks. No doubt we are seeing some seasonal bounty due to cooling in temperatures, but I am optimistic that our catch and release efforts and the new TP&WD Trout regulations are helping rebuild our trout fishery. I actually caught a 28 plus inch fish this week and one two weeks ago as well. The best news I think is that I am seeing some quality trout in more areas and still encountering lots of small trout just about everywhere I am fishing. IF we can get through this winter without a freeze and some rainfall, I think the FALL of 2025 will be even more improved. Give us two winters without a freeze and we will be getting back to even better than normal due to the 3 trout limit with 15"to 20" size limit.

I will be bumping back in forth between Rockport and my second home in Port Mansfield in November and December and then in Mansfield for all of January thru MARCH of 2025.

Blog Date: 2024-10-01

Much cooler the past couple of mornings but heating throughout the day creates water temperatures that reach 86 degrees and air temperatures that reach the low to mid 90's by mid-day to early afternoon. I am seeing some more consistency in our bite with the cooler weather pattern that come with the weak fronts that we are experiencing right now. Tides remain high and will continue throughout our Fall equinox period. Rain coming this weekend with a weak low-pressure system that is predicted to form in the southern Gulf of Mexico. We can always use the rain, so I hope we get a few inches this week. Cooler to colder weather is coming and the best trout fishing of the year with it.

Big thanks to Craig Bunk, John McDowell and KYLE Krauss for their support this weekend and their hard work while on the water. I am going to try harder to be more thankful by mentioning my terrific clients in my Blog and Updates.