Top Water Trout

LeeRoy Gonzales of LG Outfitters fished the Arroyo City area in July of 2009.

We were targeting Red Drum and Speckled Trout on Top-water and Soft Plastics.

As usual, we started early in the day in hopes of some really hot rod bending action.  We covered the flats and fished the drop offs in search for the first fish of the day.   

The conditions were good, we had 15 mph winds out of the SE, the typical wind direction, and we fished moderately stained grey-green water.  The surface grass was to a minimum so things were really good.   We picked up a few fish on the drop-offs and the cuts but we were targeting bigger Reds and trout so we stayed on the move.

Anglers Note:

The ticket today, for making our fishing show for television, was to keep moving around.  We probably fished 25 areas as we worked hard to find some fish of caliber.  The big finish for the day came along a flat adjacent to the ICW and a long barrier island complex.  The fish were visible by standing high on LeeRoy’s console and looking for long dark objects in the water.  We were, amazingly enough, able to see Tailing Trout !!  Not tailing reds, these were Speckled Trout of caliber eating down in the seagrass in 1-2 foot of water.  The tails were not out of the water but the fishes head was down and the tails were definitely up.  We caught 7 great fish at the end of our video shoot and all were seen before we casted to them.

Contact LeeRoy at---- 1-956-371-0220 or by visiting him at LGOutfitters.com--- and he can put you on some really smoking artificial bait fishing too.

Thanks for your time today and We’ll see you on the water !!!!

Dave

Arroyo City w LG Outfitters – Hot Summer Topwater Fishing

 LeeRoy Gonzales and I fished the Arroyo area in South Texas after Hurricane Alex made its pass thru the area.  The water levels were almost 2 feet above normal and some of the water was chocolate milk in color.  None-the-less, we hit the water in search of some Rod-Bending Action.

The Arroyo City area is 20 miles from Harlington and I flew in from San Antonio to fish with LeeRoy. We knew that conditions would be tough with the influx of freshwater, the dirty water and some high winds but we also knew that some of the water may be better in clarity than other areas.  That was our goal, locate the clear water and focus on that water for our presentation of artificial baits.  

As we ran thru the Arroyo and neared the bay we found that the water quality improved immensely. In fact, as we traveled North, the water was better and better.  We fished some open water and picked up some 16 inch to 18 inch trout but they were a solo here and a solo there.  Covering water was the real trick.  We drift fished the entire time we fished.   Really we found nice water, moderately stained, not brown and muddy and…………we covered water on the hunt for fish that were feeding.-

Anglers Note:

LeeRoy and I fished predominately with Top-Water lures.  They are generally most effective early in the morning or late in the evening.  Fish will be more aggressive during these times of the day. Since they will have to come up to the surface to take the bait, it requires a walking the dog approach.  We use the slack in the line to make the fish take the bait.  An erratic reeling technique combined with a popping motion in the rod tip and slack in the line,,,,, will make the bait switch back and forth on the water.  I prefer the rod tip low, only a few inches from the surface of the water so I can get the action that I want and have room to set the hook by aggressively moving the rod from the 5 o’clock position to the 12 o’clock position.  Knowledge is power on the water. 

Notice the picture of the Super Spook Jr. that “was” chrome and black,,,,,,that is my lucky lure,……I have probably caught 40 fish on that lure.  I have changed out the hooks twice and it is basically now a bone colored lure…..The Bomber lures in the center of the screen were very effective too, see the 26 inch Redfish that could not resist the mullet looking top-water.It’s all about changing it up to find out what works.  Arroyo City in the valley is my favorite place for throwing artificial lures.  You should try it soon, you will be amazed.

Contact LeeRoy Gonzalez of LG Outfitters Guide Service at 1-956-371-0220,,,,,,and he can put you on fish too.

 Thanks for your time today and…………………I’ll see you on the water !!!

Dave

Corpus Christi to Baffin Bay – The Long Run

Rich Gidrey and I put in at Billings Bait Stand in Corpus Christi at 6:30am in search of big Redfish and big Trout.  That is exactly what we found.  We knew that Baffin Bay would be the best target for a smoking hot fishing trip.

We had Tony D, our main cameraman on board to capture the event on Video for our up-and-coming Television Season.

 Our plan was to work the rocks and submerged barrier islands.  We used Live Croaker and Live Piggies and kept them alive on Oxygen in two separate live wells.  These baits are in season now and they are not that hearty.  Oxygen is a must.

We caught 6 Trout over 26 inches and the largest was 27 ¾.   We also caught over 30 keeper trout.  The big girls, sow trout, were released to fight another day.    The total on Reds was 5, but they were really big.  Largest was 33 inches. 

The ticket was structure and it usually is !!!!!

Anglers Note:

All in all the best fish were caught just where you would expect them to be, in and around structure.  We found that the prime targets were potholes adjacent to the submerged sea-grass, drop-offs, rocks, and the edges of submerged islands in 3 foot or less of water.

The ticket was to keep the bait from swimming down.  We used a technique of light pops of the rod to pull the bait up off the bottom or out of the grass.  This popping technique also makes the bait emit a grunting or croaking noise into the water.  This draws in the strike.  We used 40 lb braded line, remember there are rocks with sharp edges, and kept close contact with the bait.  You can feel them, braided line transmits the bait action, fluttering around.   Then you will feel a thump or a tightening of the line.  Our technique was to keep the rod tip high, when you feel the thump or a tighter line, bow the rod tip to the waters surface.  If you continue to feel line tightening, either let him run a bit or immediately set the hook.

Rich and I smoked them today.  This episode will air on television soon.  Stay tuned for our announcement of the time and television station for our new season. 

As we always say-------Thanks for your time today and I’ll see you on the water.

Dave 

May Fishing – Port A and Baffin Bay

The Inshore Fishing Crew was on the water in mid may searching for Redfish and Trout.  We fished the Port Aransas Area with live shrimp and found that the area was loaded with baitfish and birds working but the game-fish were illusive.

We covered a lot of water searching for the hook-up.  We tried drop-offs, ledges, points and grass-lines.  The ticket proved to be the flats with very well exposed pot-holes.  The shrimp was not really the ticket.  What worked for up on great red-fish was the Skip-Jack that we caught earlier in the day.  Skip-jack are also called poor man’s tarpin since they jump and tail walk as you fight them in.  They are excellent cut bait and casting a chunk into a pothole using a Carolina Rig with a size 5 Mustad style croaker hook proved to be the magic trick.

Day two of our fishing excursion was into Baffin Bay with life Croaker and Piggies.  The fishing was on right from the start.  The rocks of Baffin Bay, specifically the Badlands were on fire.  We caught trout in numbers and the biggest was 24 ½ inches.   The trick here was no leader and simply a size 5 Mustad style croaker hook.  Cast the bait as close to the rocks as possible and let the croaker do the trick.   Keep the rod tip high and pop the rod 2 times every once in a while.  We used 30 lb. braided line for sensitivity and kept in contact with the bait at all times.

Thanks for your time today and we’ll see you on the water.

Dave