Texas Grass Fishing Tips To Increase Your Success

Fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre can be one of the most rewarding, and difficult, fishing experiences in Texas. This region in South Texas is home to a wide variety of game fish species ranging from speckled trout and redfish, to flounder, tarpon and snook. What makes this area so unique is the over-abundance of sea grass that can be found throughout the bay system.

The Laguna Madre is full of sea grasses that are home to many marine creatures. The flourishing algae on our part of the coast has made a major impact on the success of our fisheries. The sea grass beds are not only home to marine life but also serve as structure and ambush points for our local fish species.

In other parts of the Texas coast getting hung up in grass is not a major problem, but down south where the grass beds can be found in a variety of species and cover over eighty-five percent of our bay system can be a good thing and a bad one at the same time. A major dilemma for anglers that are not used to fishing the lower part of the Laguna Madre is to keep a soft plastic fishing lure off of the grass.

The species of grass named Thalassia testudinum (aka turtle grass) in particular is all over the place. This turtle grass is a favorite for holding fish, but can also be the most challenging. Whether you are an experienced angler or not, trying to navigate this grass can really ruin your day with frustration if you aren't prepared for it.

The key to being successful in this situation is to keep your fishing lure just above the grass, which can be easier said than done. It is difficult but you want your lure to stay in this important "strike zone" at all times for the best chance of catching a fish. The trick is to keep your rod tip at a forty five degree angle (or higher in thicker grass), and the retrieve is equally important.

This next step can be the hardest to learn, but will make a huge impact on your chances of catching a fish. The key is to keep the lure constantly moving when you are over these grass beds so that it stays on top and doesn't fall down into the grass blades.

My technique is based on constant motion. My lure is constantly moving up and down thanks to non-stop action by the rod tip. Other people prefer to use a pop motion two or three times and then let the lure drop which can work as well. My method works for me, but can definitely wear your arm out by the end of the day.

This may take a lot of practice, but it is very important to keep the lure constantly moving so that it doesn't get hooked in the grass. Pay attention to those fishing around you and see if they are getting hooked on grass. Watch the angle of their rod tip and how fast they are retrieving, this can give you a clue as to what you need to be doing. Remember, practice makes perfect, so feel free to experiement with various angles, retrieval speeds and other techniques, and maybe in time you can be an expert in fishing soft plastic lures over grass beds.