"Probably tonight redfish will start coming in through Cedar Bayou," Aransas County Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. said. Mills grew up in a fishing family but has never been much of a fisherman.

The buffet continues below the surface. About two months after Cedar Bayou reopened, Hall went fishing there. His first three casts caught two reds topping 25 inches. “I’ve been talking to CCA ...