Welcome to Part II of my Texas Marsh Fishing Addiction. In case you missed Texas Marsh Fishing Addictions Part I, where I discussed schooling trout and gator trout, make sure to get caught up. In this section I’ll talk about flounder and, my personal favorite fish, red drum (or redfish).
Saddle Blankets
Flounder pounder! The best method to finds these guys are jigging an 1/8th ounce jig head on the bottom. What is jigging? In simplest terms, jigging is the act of bouncing your lure up and down just above the bottom. Sand bars and shelves along drop offs tend to produce the best results. My go to has been H&H lures co or Down South Lures. I also recommend walking around your pier and jigging slowly off the bottom, you will be surprised.
But let’s face it, if you want flounder, get yourself some coffee or energy drinks and a group of 2 or three good buddies. It’s time to go gigging. The best to way do this is with a flounder boat, which is an experience of its own. You get to see the ecosystem the Texas Marsh possesses through an entirely different lens.
Another method is stalking through the sandbars using a gig and a flashlight or spotlight. I recommend Jerry’s LEDs and a lightweight barbed gig; aluminum is the best because you will get tired from walking. But once you are on ‘em, it’s awesome! But watch out for those stingrays. Remember that you’re in their territory and they don’t like to be stepped on. Refer to TPWD for dates on season openings because it fluctuates from certain periods of the year.
Redfish
My addiction, my forte. Gets my adrenaline pumping experience every time I hook one of these bad boys. There is nothing like drifting the back lakes for redfish. It’s you, your boat, the rod, and the fish. Let the game begin. You’re probably thinking, “redfish? What the heck… this guys just soaks bait”. Catching redfish using bait is a common method because it’s usually quite successful, as redfish can be lazy eaters. I’m not ashamed to admit that I do resort to this method when I have inexperienced fishermen on my boat.
But ok, enough with that easy, get your rod, a slip weight, a circle hook, a bag of fresh dead shrimp or sardines and get to soaking. I’m talking about hopping on the tower of my 18 ft Shallow Sport Classic and drifting in 10-14 “ of water in a 8-15 mile an hour wind gazing at the flats through my green mirror costas searching for what I call “pumpkins in the patch”. Once you see those broad orange shoulders, you know it’s game time.
Cat and Mouse
Can I taunt or trick this fish? Placement of the lure is critical. Not right on him because he will spook. But not too far out because your drag might reach his swim line. I try to aim for 2-3 feet in front of where I think he will swim and meet my lure. Basically trying to intercept his path with my bait. Increase or slow down your reel speed to find that perfect spot of where you think he will inhale that lure.
The Fight
BOOM! My favorite part, and a big part of why I call it Texas Marsh Fishing Addictions. You see that redfish engulf your lure and button hook the opposite direction. The drag on your reel singing as you pull that rod tip up to keep control of this brute. You remind yourself to be patient and stay in control. Once he’s at the boat, don’t rush the net. You usually only get one shot at netting these suckers. Net from the bottom to the surface, take the hook out, and offer the redfish a team Yeti sponsorship.
Tackle for Reds
I recommend a 1/16th ounce jig head with 14-16” of leader on a lightweight barrel swivel. The lighter your setup the better because you are fishing in such shallow water. Take my advice unless you want to be pulling grass off your jig all day. A fast reel is also recommended, all my reels have at least a 7-1 gear ratio. Finish your rig out with a 4” soft plastic. Down south lures, hogie, H&H, and Z man have proved effective. Purple chartruse produces year round success… I remember my father only throwing that, and it was rare for us to come home empty boxed.
