Target jetties for spring reds

Chester Moore, Jr.
The Orange Leader

April 02, 2009 06:09 pm

— Anglers looking for serious redfish action should focus their attention to the Sabine and Cameron jetties.
Over the last couple of weeks the redfish action there (especially at Sabine) have been red hot with the Texas side of the rocks producing limits on calm days. Runoff has had an effect on water clarity but for the most part the reds have not minded especially for anglers fishing with live bait.
Target the deep holes at the end of jetties where there is strong current washout as the reds congregate there in large numbers.
If the deepest holes are inaccessible, you should back off and look for dips in the rocks. These dips are indicative of small spots slightly deeper than the surrounding water and that is where the drum will be. Another sign to be on the look out for is vegetation growing on the bottom of the rocks. These areas hold many small crabs, which big reds like to dine on. If croaker is not available, I use blue crab. Broken in half or fished whole, crab has a long hook life and is irresistible to the big red that catches a whiff of them.
The boat cuts are also great spots, particularly on a strong, moving tide. Avoid fishing right in the mouth of the cut, as boat traffic is heavy. Instead, back off and fish a few dozen yards away and be mindful of the tides. Tidal movement is a necessity and it really does not matter, which tide you are fishing as long as it is moving.
Use a live mullet rigged on a circle hook attached to a Carolina rig.
Using live mullet means most smaller trash fish will not bother the bait and the circle hook virtually guarantees a lip-hooked fish. That in turn virtually guarantees a live release of the fish. Anglers should not be afraid to use large live bait. I have caught reds on the Texas rocks using foot-long mullet and croaker.
If it is slot-sized reds only you are looking for lipless crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap are good to throw into these are as are soft plastics that drop slowly like a Stanley Wedge Tail. These lures allow you to cover lots of water and are proven red getters.
Another good choice is a DOA Shrimp fished on the bottom and crawled at as snail pace.
There have not been any strong reports of trout at the jetties yet but that should start happening soon. Spring is in the air and our favorite fishing holes are starting to turn on. I for one could not be happier.
Now if the wind would just give us a break.
(To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him at cmoore@fishgame.com. You can hear him on the radio Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI or online at www.klvi.com.)