Made my last trip to LBDN for this year. Fished last Tuesday-Sunday. Fishing was fairly good. Best night was about 15 fish which included 5 over 28 (ALL still swimming). Had one night where we only had 1 fish (although it was 29.5 and probably about 11 pounds). All other nights we had 8-10 fish with mixed size. It was nice to be able to have a few eaters mixed in with big ones. Water temp was still 42-45 depending where on the bay. I think it will only get better when those temps drop a little. All fish caught on lead and stick baits 22-30 feet of water.
I know the fishing has not necessarily been as good as in the past and many have their views on why this is the case. Based on the number of people I saw fishing versus the last 5-10 years, there aren't as many people fishing the area. I suspect it is based on the opinion that the fishing is bad. Sure, I have had my fair share of 25 fish nights, but 8-10 fish a night with several fish over 28/29 inches is NOT bad. I'll be back to the area. The local merchants are always welcoming and accommodating. I wish I could be back over the next two weeks. It is my opinion that you will see those 25 fish nights with plenty of big ones as the water temps drop.
Glad you had a good trip, and some decent weather also. Some years back when I fished the fall season quite a bit harder than I do now, the "magic" number seemed to be 39 degrees and below for the big migration. Late afternoon into evening fishing also picked up. I'm not a die-hard night fisherman, and now have some vision problems that add some more difficulty, so the 2-3-4-5 o'clock bite was one that I looked forward to. I agree with your thoughts on the possibility of good fishing left this year, although the cold snap on the way may make the ramps a little more of an adventure. Looking forward to getting a ride in your new boat when we can work it out, talk to you later, Frank