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The same thing happens every year. By mid-summer people are complaining about the heat and don't want to fish. Most people are ready to stop this time of year before noon. That's why I am here, to share a secret with you about fishing in South Texas at night.
At night, it is of course cooler outside, but also the water cools down and those big speckled trout start to really move and feed. There is nothing like catching one of these big fish at night, when you can't even see them explode on your lure.
Here I will show you how to fish, where to go, and when to do it.There are many bad things that can happen while fishing at night if you aren't careful. For this reason you should never fish along at night-time. Here are some tips to keep you safe:
* Make sure you or your fishing partner are very familiar with the area and that all of your night time navigational equipment is fully functional.
* Wear personal floatation devices while driving the boat.* Be sure to leave a trip plan with someone back home.
* Plan your wade, where you want to start your first wade, to your second or third, you may not ever have to leave your first spot! HOW: Once you have arrived at your first location safely, make sure that your anchor light stays on. This will also give you some bearing and help getting back to the boat. Strap on a L.E.D. head lamp, they are a must. L.E.D. head lamps are readily available and allow hands-free, much-needed light.
Also, grab a chem-stick (glow stick), they activate and emit light when the internal ampule is broken and then shaken. Take a piece of monofilament leader material and tie it to the chem stick and hang it around your neck, behind you! What this does is allows your fishing buddy to see you when your back is turned to him, top-waters can be ugly at night.
This also makes a great back up if you should lose your battery power and they will last long enough (6 to 8hrs) to get you back to the boat. Don't stray too far from each other, stay within talking or yelling distance! You will need have have some top-waters that will silhouette themselves (dark colors).
I like throwing Mirrolure's she pup and she dog in black with a chartreuse head.WHEN: I prefer to fish in the time before, during and after a full moon because of the extra light it provides. If you are using a dark topwater lure it will stand out that much better to those predator fish. The key is to use what I call the "Donk's Tangler".
What you do is tie about a foot of line to the front ring on a top water lure, and then attach a dark-colored soft plastic lure on the back end with a very light fishing hook.Yes, it sounds crazy, but I promise it works. You work this rig just like you would any other topwater, but will get way more strikes on the trailing lure!
If you are using braided fishing line with this setup you will have even more sensitivity for when the fish strike.Major feeding times, according to Solunar tables, are a great time to fish. I use a 5 hour time-frame around what the tables call these prime times. It's no guarantee but has worked for me in the past.WHERE: When pursuing big speckled trout I roam around White & Black Bluff. This has worked well for me in the past and hopefully will help you bring in some big speckled trout as well. TIGHT LINES!
About the Author:
Captain Jim Onderdonk is a professional fishing guide who specializes in wadefishing for big speckled trout and redfish in Texas, and uses Brown Lures' salt water fishing lures. "Donk" suggests you try out some from Brown Lures for your next fishing trip.