3/31/2010

Bay Fishing With Bait 101, 3rd in the series of articles

Calm Summer Mornings to Windy Afternoons – Croaker & Piggy Perch

This is the 3rd in the series of articles written for the average bay fisherman who wants to use bait. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in the bait house on a summer morning and hear a customer ask “What are they biting on?” after which a slow drawl from Ron would follow “Been bite’n on croaker” and an excited “I’ll take a couple of dozen of those!” would shoot out of beginner croaker fisherman’s mouth. I can’t help but wonder what those 24 croaker will go through during the day! Hopefully after reading this article the croaker and the fisherman will have a more pleasant day! For example: a three person charter I’ll take anywhere from 12-18 dozen baits and this could be the difference between 4 fish or 40 fish!

Now some fishermen ask what is best Piggy Perch or Croaker that can be a tricky question. Croaker actually show up at the bait shop earlier (May) than Piggies (June), so that is an easy choice in the beginning of the summer. Wherein lies the problem, determining when and what size the Piggies are when they become productive as fishing bait. I start using piggies as early as possible and sometimes for more than a month after they show up at the bait shop I’m still buying both. Because of their size croaker are stronger swimmers for deeper water but the Piggies doubled up in the shallower sand pockets can be awesome fish catchers!

Let’s get down to the rigs I prefer when fishing these baits. I always use 20# fluorocarbon leader tied to the main line, I do not use a swivel because I believe it is in the way, snags more grass and is more visible. As with most live bait or lures I use a loop knot at the terminal or hook end.

Leader – Easy, I use only 20# fluorocarbon! The leader length should be about 18” give or take. It should be long enough to were the knot does not have to go through the eye when casting which prevents longer casts.

Hooks – 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 6/0 Gamakatsu or VMC Kahle hooks depending on the size of the bait.

Corks – I predominantly use Cajun Thunders. On lighter wind days the old Mansfield Mauler could be an option too. I even save old corks for those days that the Redfish don’t want a lot of sound!

Cork Colors – I always start with two primary colors, pink and chartreuse. Most of the time you will find Redfish like one and not the other and the same for Trout…however they may be hitting both or you can select the color depending on when you are fishing an area more conducive to the fish you expect to catch.

Knots – I use a line to leader knot instead of a swivel. The only time I use a swivel is when fishing the bait on the bottom using a weight because at times I need a longer casts on the calm shallow flats. I tie a loop knot at the Kahle hook for more realistic movement.

Accessories - Beads are not as important in this type of fishing but can be used. If you’re going to try beads the general rule of thumb is to start with small beads and at least one rig without a bead. Really make sure your buddy’s is fishing the bait properly before ruling out any combination! Sometimes going to a larger bead when the water is very muddy or stirred up makes a difference!

Now that the terminal gear has been laid out it's time to talk about presentation! The cast should be made in an arch and slow the bait down just before it hits the water to make a softer presentation – then allow the bait to swim to the bottom (allow 1 second for every 2 foot of water) otherwise you’ll stress the bait by having to swim against the tight line. Occasionally, especially with a third or forth cast of the same bait you might have to flick your rod tip to wake the bait up to swim down. You’ll probably notice a bird swooping down to get the bait at this point! Darn Birds! Once that bait is down where the fish are you’ll need to flick the rod tip about every 10-15 seconds, this does a combination of things 1) It gets the bait to react so you can tell how lively it is 2) It pulls the bait away from it’s prey thus enticing a strike 3) It will keep the bait from burying in the grass or shell. The flicks are more of just whipping the tip of your rod from a 10 O’clock to 12 O’clock position in a manner that only moves the bait several inches at a time (when doing this on the flats fishing sand pockets you don’t move the bait too much or you grass him up and have to recast).

Hook Set - This style of fishing requires that you feed line to the fish in a manner that he doesn’t detect tension on the line and the perfected Bass angler hook set (Bill Dancing) will lose you a lot of fish! The proper way to hold the rod and set the hook is to:

Spinning Rod

1) Hold a spinning rod at 12 O'clock with a slight bow in the line while waiting on a strike.

2) When you feel the thud of a fish drop the rod tip as the fish is taking the line, remember to keep the same slight bow in the line. If and when the fish stops running with it you must immediately (I mean immediately!) flick the rod tip back to the 12 O’clock position and be ready for it to come back, which it usually will! Sometimes you have to do this 3 or 4 times before he really swallows the Croaker or Piggy and makes the longer run.

3) Reel up to set the hook and when you feel the weight of the fish firmly lift the rod back to the 10 O’clock position.

4) Keep good pressure on the fish to get him up to the surface and into the net, Trout like to shake their heads and regurgitate the bait and if you are fishing the rigs there are a lot of snags if you let the fish stay deep.


Bait Caster

1) Hold a bait casting rod and reel at about 10 O’clock position with a slight bow in the line and be ready to free spool during the run (works better for this type of fishing).

2) When you feel the thud of a fish drop the rod tip as the fishing is taking the line keeping the same slight bow in the line. If and when the fish stops running with it you must immediately (I mean immediately!) flick the rod tip back to the 10 O’clock position and be ready for it to come back, which it usually will! Sometimes you have to do this 3 or 4 times before he really swallows the Croaker or Piggy.

3) Reel up to set the hook and when you feel the weight of the fish firmly lift the rod back to the 10 O’clock position.

4) Keep good pressure on the fish to get him up to the surface and into the net, Trout like to shake their heads and regurgitate the bait and if you are fishing the rigs there are a lot of snags if you let the fish stay deep.

Locations

I use Croaker and Piggies when fishing the bay oil rigs, deeper bay oyster reefs, outside bay islands and channels with deep water access to grass in about 3-5 foot of water. I also use these baits on the flats in many capacities such as fishing sand pockets or even right in the grass itself. In the flats on a windy day putting a Piggy 12” – 20” under a Cajun Thunder can be killer when nobody else has had a good bite, keep the bait fresh, they don’t last long casting under a cork (expensive but effective)! I even use a cork sometimes when I’m anchored up fishing pot holes and grass just for something a little different!

Special Techniques

Here are some special tips to work these baits in the areas I mentioned, after time you’ll be adding your own special touches that work for you or your fish, whatever the case may be!

Double up your small baits in the flats, it keeps them from burying in the grass.

Cut the tail on the bigger piggies in the flats so they don’t bury in the grass and they put off a sent.

When the bite is slow try varying techniques double your bait (smaller), try piggies, try croaker.

Sometimes the Redfish and Flounder love a Piggy/Croaker combo (usually smaller Piggy)!

The Piggy doesn’t have to be alive under the popping cork in the flats for Redfish…but I like’em that way.

I have caught some great fish on piggies big enough to keep the cork under while fishing in the deeper areas off the flats, especially on busy days that may have pushed the fish off the flats.

The Piggy or Croaker have to be lively has hell in the deeper bay; they also must swim toward the bottom!

After a morning of Trout fishing in the deeper bay come back to the flats to throw some of your weaker and smaller baits into pot holes for some Redfish action. This is good because they can’t bury in the grass as easy!

I never really use croaker under a popping cork but I might try it one day! Use your imagination!

In closing remember that nothing about fishing is set in stone, pay attention, vary your approach and find what works! If fishing gets slow after a couple of good catches I find that the angler gets a little pumped and not letting the fish run enough!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and remember if you don’t eat it release it and try to release all big Trout especially over 25”…get a picture it will last longer, preserve some fish for our kids!

Bay Fishing With Bait 101 Series:
  1. Five Major Types of Fishing
  2. Windy - Popping Cork & Shrimp
  3. Calm Summer Mornings to Windy Afternoons – Croaker & Piggy Perch

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master)
fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy'
361.563.TUNA(8862)cell
Email: scott@fishntexas.com
Web Page: www.fishntexas.com

3/23/2010

Jerry Yguerabide Great Black Drum Catch

Congratulations to Jerry Yguerabide for winning the Drum Run tournament at Clem's Marina. He pulled in this monster 44 lbs and 43 inch Black Drum. He was using softball size crab to catch this beauty. http://tales.justgofishin.com

3/13/2010

Bill Elias Sheepshead Catches at Port A Jetty

At the Beginning of Spring Break and visiting from Peshtigo, Wisconsin, Bill Elias pulls in a nice Sheepshead at the Port A Jetty. Bill say's that using really stinky dead bait is the trick today. http://tales.justgofishin.com


Mario Quiroz's Nice Sheepshead Stinger

Spring Break starts off with some Sheepshead catches at the Port A Jetty. Mario Quiroz shows a nice stringer of Sheepshead caught on live shrimp.

Mike & Logan Simmang's Sheepshead Stringer

Not a bad way to start off this awesome weekend of Spring Break. Father and Son outing at the Port A Jetty for a little fishing. Mike & Logan Simmang visiting from Floresville TX, caught this nice stringer of Sheepshead on Live Shrimp. http://tales.justgofishin.com

3/09/2010

Bay Fishing with Bait 101

Windy - Popping Cork and Shrimp
2nd of 5 Articles

This is the second in a series of articles written for the most bay fisherman who would like to know a little more about approaching a day of fishing on the water. Let’s imagine you are arriving at the marina on a Spring morning and the wind has been blowing since before you sat down for breakfast at that the local cafe, a solid 17 knots! Not to worry this is a typical day down on the middle Texas coastal bend, you have to learn to adjust your strategies or have an empty fish cooler at the end of the day! A couple of the most important decisions you'll make is what type of bait you decide to buy and the way you will present it to the fish. Your presentation will be decided in great part by the weather and time of year!


Shrimp and Popping cork is a great way to fish 8 or 9 months out of the year on windy days (Fall, Winter and Spring)! This style of fishing is used by only a few old school guides, it seems there is a contingent that has become opposed to teaching their customers how to cast, work the bait and set the hook…Not Me! Let me have a day of my clients casting over a day of anchoring up and casting for them! I have spent a lot of time working with the young and old alike, for example the 70 year old Yeager’s, yes the nephew of Chuck Yeager and also a war fighter pilot, were able to catch a whole bunch of fish during an afternoon half day trip this Spring. I like my customers to fish, this is a great style of fishing, even for children! There are times when the anchor up guys catch more Redfish however they haven’t let their customers touch a rod other than to hand them the rod and reel when the fish is on. Now don’t get me wrong there are days when that is productive and I’m forced into that type of routine also, however the good catch on those days are limits of Reds and a couple of Drum maybe…Shrimp and Popping cork good days are limits of Reds, near limits of Speckled Trout with maybe a huge Trout RELEASED, a couple of Drum and a ton of fish in between!

Now this is going to get the attention of any stray lure aficionados reading this, consistently successful Shrimp and Popping cork fishing is more technical than any lure I know! Here are some of the things I have learned over the years of doing one of my favorite styles of guided fishing:

Corks – I predominantly use Cajun Thunders, however on deeper reefs Rattle Corks work well. On lighter wind days the old Mansfield Mauler could be and option too. I even save old corks for those days that the Redfish don’t want a lot of sound!

Colors – I always start with two primary colors, pink and chartreuse. Most of the time you will find Redfish like one and not the other and the same for Trout…however they may be hitting both or you can select the color depending on when you are fishing an area more conducive to the fish you expect to catch.

Leader – Easy, I use only 20# fluorocarbon! The leader length when fishing the flats should be just above the grass you are drifting over, I keep varying lengths available to change on the fly. Leader lengths are increased when fishing the deeper bay which I seldom do using this style of fishing.

Hooks - #2 or #4 laser sharp trebles depending on the shrimp size. I have found smaller to medium size shrimp work better than the big ones. The larger shrimp do not work under a popping cork, you might as well save them as an appetizer with the corn battered Trout!

Knots – Use an improved clinch knot from the line to the cork. Do not use a snap swivel, it makes the cork lay over! I use a loop knot to the bottom of the cork for quick changing leader lengths and loop knots to the treble hook for more realistic movement.

Accessories - Beads are a VERY important part and sometimes not a part of the rig all together! The general rule of thumb is to start with small beads on most of the rigs and at least one rig without a bead. Really make sure your buddy’s is fishing the bait properly before ruling out any package! Sometimes going to a larger bead when the water is very muddy or stirred up makes a difference!

Now that the terminal gear has been laid out it is time to talk about presentation! The cast should be made in an arch and as the cork is floating down flip the bail on the reel over by hand to make a softer presentation – pop the cork once or twice immediately after it hits the water…did I say immediately…I meant it…I believe that is a major key to being effective! I start out the day by popping the cork (learn to pop it WITHOUT moving it toward the boat) in about 5 second intervals on windy days pop it more! Remember that even on windy days Redfish may not like a lot of popping so alternate presentation to find what works.

This style of fishing isn’t like bobber fishing for perch, so the perfected Bass angler hook set (Bill Dancing) is worthless here! The proper way to set the hook is to:

1) Hold the rod at 10 O'clock during the retrieve (only making up the line as boat drifts to the cork)

2) Drop the rod tip when the cork goes down

3) Reel up to set the hook

4) When you feel the weight of the fish firmly lift the rod back to the 10 O’clock position

If you follow the actions listed above you will get fish in the box! You'll also want to learn to stop the bait within a couple of feet if you don't feel the weight of the fish and pop the cork if it comes back to the surface, you don’t want to keep reeling the bait out of the strike zone! Remember the retrieve is a steady reeling, if you let slack get in then try to catch up you will not even come close to realizing your potential catch at the end of the day!
Article 1 reference

Capt. Scott McCune (USCG Master)
fishntexas.com with 'The Saltwater Cowboy'
361.563.TUNA(8862)cell
Email: scott@fishntexas.com
Web Page: www.fishntexas.com

3/08/2010

Ed Jackson's Oversize Black Drum Catch

Ed Jackson of Pittsburgh, PA caught and released this nice black drum at Clem's Marina & Pier Saturday night March 6th. He was using crab for bait. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Black Drum, 40 inches, Approx 35 lbs
Remember Ed Jackson Redfish catch at Port A Jetty of October of 2008?

Jennifer Cole's Bull Black Drum Catch

Jennifer Cole of Canyon Lake caught and released this nice oversize black drum at Clem's Marina Pier Saturday night March 6th. This was a good fight as she held on to bring this monster in. http://tales.justgofishin.com

Black Drum, 39 inches, 29 lbs

Travis Taylor's Bull Black Drum Catches

Couple of nice big fat bull black drum caught at Clem's Marina Saturday night on their pier. Travis Taylor of Canyon Lake, Texas caught and released these nice black drum monsters. http://tales.justgofishin.com



 Black Drum, 38 1/2 inches, 26 lbs

  
Black Drum, 40 1/2 inches, 37 lbs.

3/04/2010

Jim Fritts Oversize Black Drum Catch

Very Nice Oversize Black Drum Catch at Clem's Marina by Jim Fritts. Black Drum was 39 1/2 inches and about 40 lbs. Sweet! http://tales.justgofishin.com
 

3/01/2010

Baffin Bay Rodeo 2010

Friday night started off with BIG Fat Juicy BBQ Hamburgers for all teams entered in the 2nd Annual Baffin Bay Rodeo at Bluffs Landing. Roger Viar provided instructions for the anglers for the next couple of days.

 

Roger Viar's Team had Breakfast Taco's ready to go for the anglers. On a cold morning these really hit the spot! Nice touch.

Baffin Bay Rodeo began Saturday morning at dawn with a field of 45 teams going for the $15,000 prize money on the line. Weather had very favorable conditions Saturday for wade fishing. Sunday provided changing winds as they anticipated a new front on its way to the Laguna Madre. 


Weigh-in Masters were Chuck Ford and Jimmy Lindsey of the Texas Parks and Wildlife. They had their hands full while trying to handle these feisty large speckled trout. Have you ever tried to get an accurate weight on a trout flippin & floppin everywhere? These guys did great!

 

  

TAMUCC Fisheries Ecology Lab
Laura Bivins and Megan Robillard perform a simple procedure as they insert a tracking device in the belly of 10 speckled sea trout that were caught by the Baffin Bay Tournament anglers. Each fish received a green tag on its back for easy identification if caught by an angler again. The tags have printed instructions of what to do with the fish if caught. Their request is that you release the fish back to it's habitat. 
 
 
 
 

These tagged speckled trout will be monitored to watch their migration and to test their mortality of the catch and release. Lots of great information available on their website at Fisheries Ecology Lab. We hope you'll take the time to learn about there great work here in the Texas Coastal Bend.



Saturday's Fishing Results:
 
1st: David Rowsey, John Gill, 16.12lbs
David Rowsey with Days Largest Trout, 8.12 lbs.


2nd: Robinson and Prince, 14.40lbs

 
3rd: Tansel Bacsi and Oktay Basci, 24.70lbs


Sunday's Fishing Results


1st: Robinson and Prince, 14.16lbs

 
2nd Jay Ray Watkins, Glen Hornsby, 14.00lbs
Jay Ray Watkins with Days Largest Trout, 7.66 lbs


Michael Larue and Chris Jamail, 13.38lbs

This was a great competitive fishing tournament with just a few hundreds of a point differentiating the final results of all the anglers. Just an awesome week!



2010 Baffin Bay Rodeo Champions

 
 1st Place
Robinson and Prince, 28.56lbs


2nd Place
David Rowsey, John Gill, 28.42lbs

  
3rd Place
Tansel Bacsi and Oktay Basci, 24.70lbs

This years Baffin Bay Rodeo was just Awesome!!! There were some Great Competition, Great Anglers, and a great team at Bluff's Landing that really made 2010 a great year!!!
  
Check-out all the other Pictures JustGoFishin captured:

Friday's Captain Meeting and BBQ


Saturday Morning Launch


Saturday's Speckled Trout Catches



Sunday's Speckled Trout Catches


Baffin Bay Rodeo Winners


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