Get That Fishing Edge on the Texas Coast

I always preface my comments by saying this is what has worked for me and by no means is this the ONLY way to catch fish. Each of you should hone your observation skills and spend as much time as you can in the areas you have confidence in. Familiarize yourself with the places you fish so that you will know where you are and where your next "target" is no matter what the conditions are.

Grass lines are the first to come to mind. I see many areas on the south shoreline of Baffin Bay, the Meadows and 9 Mile Hole where the grass just runs out or stops growing in very shallow water. Most of these areas transition from dense shoalgrass to white sand bottom. The contrast is very visible especially on clear sunny days.

Depth changes are another area to look for in addition to the shallow water grass line changes. These can be a very subtle change as the grass goes from dense to very sparse while only changing in depth a few inches. This transition is harder to spot but can be very productive as redfish love these areas. It provides few hiding places for the crabs and other species that redfish feed on, so you will usually find some quality fish hanging around these areas.

I like to start out with a fast-steady retrieve looking for a reaction strike. If you get fish that follow your lure in but just won't hit, you may need to vary your retrieve. A very fast retrieve with occasional pauses or a "wave" retrieve which involves a steady rate with raising and lowering of the rod tip can be effective. There is no single right way to work your lure so experiment and vary your retrieve. Just make sure you remember what it was you did that triggered the strike.

Potholes are another one of my favorite grass line features. These are often small, but sometimes can be several feet across, so be looking for both sizes. Smaller baitfish love to hang around the edges where they can keep an eye on the openings, so there is usually a bigger fish somewhere nearby waiting for the surprise attack. Some times these edges are smooth, but often in Baffin Bay they are steep and rocky, with the rocks sometimes reaching out past the surface and then going deeper than you are tall. This is another situation where some old-fashioned Bass fishing tactics can come into play. Key on these areas and work around the edges, but be careful to not lose your lure on the rocks.

I've always been an advocate of slower to moderate retrieves on soft plastic fishing lures like Devil Eyes by Brown Lures. Short, quick hops in varying combinations with pauses in between have been my bread and butter ever since I started seriously fishing saltwater. It's one of the things I brought with me from Bass fishing. A Texas rigged worm on a 1/4 oz. or less bullet sinker was definitely a go to lure for me. That style of slow bouncing has carried over and worked very well for me. I use this tactic when fishing potholes and rocky dropoffs. It seems to give the fish plenty of time to focus on the target and hopefully, with just the right twitch or jerk, you can trigger an aggressive strike. Again, vary your retrieve and REMEMBER what it was you did that triggered it.

With the birds already moving around, and the weather being very cooperative I'm looking forward to a solid winter fishing season. If you are looking for an exciting outdoor adventure give us a call and we'll hook you up.