PRODUCT REVIEW: KELLEY WIGGLER BALL TAIL SHAD

We’ve all heard the expression, “Fishing lures are designed to catch fisherman and not fish.” And while most of that holds true, some lures, and their design, are true fish catching machines. So when I moved to San Antonio, TX in 2013, I was quickly introduced to a locally produced bait called Kelly Wigglers, and told that this bait flat out catches fish. Unfortunately for me, that was the extent of my experience. In the 3 years I waded the TX flats, not once did the line peel off my spool with a Kelley Wiggler Ball Tail Shad attached to the other end.

Actually, it wasn’t until I moved to Florida and fished the Indian River Lagoon, that I even considered throwing a straight tail soft plastic jerkbait. This is due in large part to the abundance of docks, mangroves and grass surrounding many of the local flats. Additionally, super clear water and pressured fish have made me reconsider many of my formally written off techniques, in hopes of truly tricking one of these monster trout into eating. That’s not the point of my product review though, the takeaway I’d like to leave you with is a sound breakdown of Kelley Wiggler’s most popular baits, the Ball Tail Shad or “BTS”.

SIMPLE YET UNIQUE

The BTS, by design is truly nothing visually spectacular. “Minnow shaped” on the front, the body carefully tapers to a rat tail earmarked with its signature BB-sized ball on the end, hence “Ball Tail Shad.” The concept behind the ball is it gives the tail of the bait that little extra movement when twitched or retrieved. This is achieved due to the friction it has with the water column, and the wiggle caused by the displaced water, thus enticing more strikes from wary trout.

5" Kelley Wiggler BTS - Laguna Pearl

COLORS AND CONTEXT

So, before I get into my breakdown of the BTS, I have to provide a caveat that this review was done solely on my dime. Baits were not provided for free or for “field testing”, but purchased by me because I’d like to see if they produce firsthand.

Bone Diamond, Mansfield Margarita, Honey Gold

My approach to choosing colors was to stay natural as possible for the majority of my purchase and choose one way “off the wall” color for fun. That said I chose 3 natural colors: Bone Diamond, Laguna Pearl and Mansfield Margarita. My one off the wall color was Honey Gold, based off a DOA color, and local producer of big trout, called Copper Crush.

After receiving my shipment, I quickly noticed that all plastics were neatly placed in the bag, with the tail straight. This is a key component for me, especially when the key feature is the tail. By not having a straight tail, means it’s useless to me in the confidence department, since I have visions of a bait spinning or helicoptering down the water column.

The second feature and most important I noticed was the clarity of the baits color pattern. The colors subtly bled into one another, yet looked precise and natural. Certainly something I would’ve expected for 7 plastic tails for $4.99.

Lastly, I was interested in their durability yet pliability. On the bag, it says, “The TOUGHEST soft plastic on the Gulf Coast”, and although I’m interested in bait longevity, I want to see if they compromised natural bait movement for plastic hardener. Again, at first glance it looked like a nice mix of the two…more on the durability piece later.

TAKIN’ ‘EM FISHING

Less than 2 days after getting my shipment, I donned my wading gear for a local flat that produced numbers of nice quality trout a week earlier. The key to this spot was making long cast due to the super clear water. The bottom contour I was fishing was a “dead end” under water trough that centered itself onto a clean sandy flat outlined with Florida’s tangly mangroves. I chose to throw bone diamond on a 1/8oz jighead first since it was the most natural of the 4 colors. Less than 3 casts into my trip I caught a beautiful 18” trout.

        

Here’s where this applies to my product review. Due to the bait density, I actually lightened my jighead  to a 1/16oz to ensure I got the slow sink effect I was searching for. That said, I never sacrificed my cast ability despite going lighter. In other words, these baits cast very well, and will not spin when thrown. Additionally, when fishing I used very short quick twitches between long pauses to produce the erratic movement and the slow sink of the bait produced something the fish were agreeable too. I did mess with shorter cast to visualize the bait moving through the water and what I had envisioned was confirmed. The only issue I had initially was threading them straight and dead center to the lure. I did experience some spinning initially, but after careful placement of my jighead, the spinning ceased.

1/16oz Norton Screw Lock

DURABILITY

This particular day, I probably caught close to 20 trout up to 23”s using both of the colors I threw; Honey Gold and Bone Diamond. Again, I paired them with the 1/16ozNorton Lure Black Nickel screw lock jighead and I used 3 tails, 2 Bone Diamond and 1 Honey Gold. I would have only used 1 soft plastic if it wasn’t for small jacks and my intrigue in other color patterns. In other words, this bait, if paired with a screw lock, will last 20+ fish. The only tender spot I noticed on the lure was on the back of the bait, which is earmarked by the word “Kelley”. After 5 or so fish this area would tear some, but it didn’t affect the baits performance.

"Chewed Up"

PRO’S

• -          Packaged properly
• -          Great fish catching colors
• -          Above average durability (if fished on a Screw-lock jighead)
• -          Great castability
• -          Easy to fish, especially finesse fishing
• -          Great action

CON’s

• -          Will spin if not threaded on hook straight
• -          Tendency to tear at the hook exit point when fighting a fish

SHOULD YOU ADD THEM TO YOUR ARESENAL?

I would highly suggest giving these a try. As mentioned in my introduction, regarding lures attracting more fisherman than fish, the simple design of these baits surely won’t turn heads, but they flat out catch fish. After now having multiple successful trips under my belt, my only regret is I wish I would have had them in my tackle arsenal 3 years ago while wading the Lower Laguna Madre. In hindsight, its okay though, I’ll just have to continue to introduce these FL fish to a tried and true Texas bait and hopefully the fish follow suit of the infamous slogan about EVERYTHING being bigger. Seriously, though, if you are considering buying some of these baits, I highly recommend them and hope they produce for you like they did for me.

Tight Lines and God Bless,

Chris

For More Information Visit 

www.kwigglers.com

Below the Surface (Guest Blog: Keith Morrisson)

“Nobody’s ever going to believe this now!”

It’s not generally a thought you want to cross your mind, especially while fishing. Personally, I have used this to describe more than just fishing, like the time I ran a mile in 5 minutes and 28 seconds with no witness to verify the stopwatch. Or the time I found myself face-to-face with a manatee in Pensacola Bay without a camera. Though the phrase is limitless and common, in this moment it describes one of the greatest moments in my angling career and the reason I’ve eased over the threshold between avid and fanatical.

Unfortunately, this thought crossed my mind as I watched the biggest trout I had ever caught simply flop off my measuring board and disappear into the calm dark water below. Even more fitting was that it took place just as I reached for…you guessed it, my camera. My range of emotions went from pumped and excited, to being slightly bummed about watching a rewarding photo-op literally just flip away. My inexperience fed my curiosity, because two nights before, in the same spot, I caught a personal best speckled trout at just over 24” along with several others around 20”. In short, I stumbled across a productive pattern and wanted to know why. Questions like, “Why was my approach working?” and “why was I suddenly catching bigger fish?” fueled my approach. So with a headful of questions and even more anticipation, I managed a way to calm myself down, and carry on with what would become the single most epic night of trout fishing in my angling career.

It was April 23, 2013 and I was fishing one of my favorite springtime areas for targeting trout on dock lights. There is typically very good tidal movement to keep the predators and prey active, and an abundance of dock lights relatively near one another. Those factors combined with an abundance of bait and clean water leads to plenty of opportunities for bites.  Additionally, I do most of my fishing out of a kayak. That night I was using my Hobie Revolution 13, a very fast and stealthy watercraft. Stealth is a factor often neglected by anglers but I have repeatedly found it to be absolutely crucial. Anyway, back to the story.

While fishing around dock lights, I have a habit of always trolling a Z-man paddlerZ on a 1/8 oz jighead. About 30 minutes into my night, after catching 3 or 4 small trout, I notice my trolling rod doubled over as I moved from one light to the next. Not expecting such a big bite, an epic tug-of-war ensued. I could hear the fish thrashing on the surface, frantically trying to shake free of its unknown fate. I could only hope my knots and equipment would allow for me to see my adversary. The deep head shakes and line-peeling runs was no match for my Shimano Stradic and St. Croix rod. After an intense fight, I carefully pull the biggest trout I’d ever caught onto my measuring board. Excited and nervous, I’m elated to see the fish’s tail land just beyond the 25” mark, easily my biggest to date. So to capture the moment, I turn around to grab my phone from my dry box directly behind me. In that brief moment, and those that fish out of a yak know, the fish goes wild. In the blink of an eye all I see is a spotted tail splash back into the water. A bittersweet moment; to see a great fish swim away strongly but without getting the proof I longed for to earmark such an accomplishment. Thus leading to my opening statement.

 Regardless, the excitement worked me up - another personal best speck! I could barely contain myself! Besides being completely distracted, I kept reflecting on if I was ever going to top that catch, and honestly didn’t know what to do next. “What do I do now?” I thought. In that split second, literally the water spoke to me and it came in the form of dozens of jumping mullets. It was an unusual amount of mullet, easily enough to distract me from my previous heartbreak. I realized I was in a school of something feeding so I grabbed my rod with a white Z-man PaddlerZ and went back to work.

20 minutes go by with zero to show for my efforts. “How is there nothing underneath these mullet?” I ask myself. So with careful approach, I astutely eased back towards the dock lights with hopes of a tight line. I place a perfect cast right under a bright light hanging high above the water. One pop off the bottom and I feel the THUMP.

My reel sings and as the fish nears, I see a flash. Immediately, I think redfish, but a few more cranks and the proper operation of a headlamp reveal something that looks like a trout. Could it be? There’s no way that’s a trout. It’s huge! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Yes, another monster speck! And honestly, this one put to shame the one caught just 30 minutes before. In an effort to not make the same mistake twice, I carefully got her in the net and onto my measuring board….28.25”! An absolute giant and like nothing I’d imagine catching that night. Mesmerized and nervous, I ease her over the side for a healthy release, and promptly send out about 10 text messages to excited friends. “No way I can top this!” I think to myself, so with a content heart, I decide to call it a night.

To get back to the ramp I have to go right through the same spot that I caught my first big yellow-mouth of the night. So with mullet jumping all over, as if to say “Cast Here!!” I decide to follow their advice and make a few more casts. Quietly, I glide my kayak into the area and begin methodically casting in every direction. About 5 casts later I am absolutely dumbfounded when my jig gets slammed again; THUMP! Immediate drag burst…It’s on!!! More surface action and huge head shakes let me know I hooked yet another gator trout! In disbelief, I question the purpose of such good fortune. “This can’t be possible!” I think to myself, but sure enough I hoist another 27.25” into the net and onto the measuring board. So with a quick snap of a picture I make my final release of the night.

To be honest, I’ve always been the curious type. I’ve even been compared to an engineer with my approach to mechanics and this is no different…I wanted to know the why and how of things: Why were those fish there? What were they feeding on? Will they be there long? Obsessed by my success, I wanted to know everything. So, the following days were spent with my nose in a notebook, filtering through my pictures recording every 20”+ trout I caught 6 months prior to that night. Fortunately for me, I participated in an online tournament where anglers accumulate points for every trout over 20”. So with plenty of pics and valid evidence, I begin my log, which ranged from dates, tides, moon phase and weather conditions. 3 days later I’ve created the most valuable tool I possess for trout fishing and it already contained 6 months of information, but that’s not the striking point.

You see, for me, somewhere between the start of my fishing journey, I realized that my “hobby” has now become my “obsession”. What started out as an ordinary night of fishing dock lights, quickly turned in to a trip that fueled a fire in me that will burn for the foreseeable future. I’ve heard and read that speckled trout fishing is all encompassing, a passion that extends way beyond rods, reels, knots and lures, and after that night I understand. So through the lens of introspection, I encourage each of you whether you’re a novice or a troutmaster, to examine the pursuit and never give up till you find out what’s below the surface.  

Tight Lines Everyone,

  Keith Morrisson

Somewhere in between…

Fishing is divine, from vibrant serene sunrises to the witness of predatory natural instinct, it’s hard to argue that time on the water isn’t time well spent. It’s no wonder that as I sit through 11 o’clock church service, I can’t help but think about the wind, tide and trout on the flats. Actually, I’m so captivated in my thoughts that I become numb to my kids restlessness and the preacher’s words sound more like a Charlie Brown teacher soundtrack. Until, the dial of sharpness and clarity return from the stereo in my mind, I connect the dots of the message with my fishing endeavors. In short, my mind was in the church pew of my Ranger Banshee Extreme being christened by the glare on the water and the dew settled on my console. Despite being isolated in a place where I should be paying attention, I’m lost in a lowcountry paradise replaying scenarios and estuaries like a Netflix original.

One of those places I often drift back to is “The Burned Down Camps” in Port Sulphur, LA. For those familiar with that estuary, can attest to its productivity, and since we had a camp on Martin Lane in Happy Jack it was virtually in my front yard. This spot rests on the Southwest corner of Bay Sanbois, and its productivity is solely dictated by the tide and its range. Another key feature about this spot is the multitude of lonely pilings often utilized as perches for area seagulls and pelicans, but better suited for a Southern Living cover. Story has it, that this was once a thriving community and judging by the outline of the foundation left in the receding marsh, you can tell it was nice. I can only imagine rewinding back to when it was operational, but my memory device stops around 1997. Around this time is when my little flatboat started bellying up to its submerged oyster bar, to order thumps from hungry speckled trout, courtesy of a Smoke H&H Stingray Grub.  As I became a year round regular, I figured out that it wasn’t just jigs that produced here, but a variety of baits targeting the entire water column. In fact, if it wasn’t for this spot, I would have never received the education of embracing the tide provided in its crisp cool pages earmarked with southerly breezes and mosquito bites. However, despite all the success I’ve had at these camps, one trip stands out above the rest.

On a cool, calm, overcast November Sunday is when I earned my first communion in patience and my confirmation of fishing the entire water column, in the church of the LA delta. Unlike other trips, I just so happened to be alone, but that was only fitting. As I carefully navigated my way through Secola Canal, which empties into the northeast corner of Bay Sanbois, I couldn’t help but feel like I was easing into a foreign land. Not only was it still dark, but the fog was so thick, that it felt like I was knifing my way through a pillow of cotton. I remember wiping my face to remove the accumulated dew from my eyebrows, and praying that the little black track was accurate on my glowing GPS. Despite running that route close to a hundred times, the passing crab traps and random pilings took on a whole new life especially at quarter throttle. Fortunately, I made it unscathed, but the eeriness still lingered. Feeling somewhat uneasy, simple tasks like easing the trolling motor into the water, and picking up my rod and reel, were greeted with surfacing porpoises and a choir of laughing seagulls. Additionally, the rush of the water cresting around the camp pilings indicated a persistent incoming

tide, which was forecasted to turn an hour earlier. Having previously been productive on a high incoming tide, my experience told me that a top water bait cast down current would draw a strike from the trout sitting on the ledge, but like they often do, they had a better idea. Unfortunately, my darting top water drew no interest, except for flipping mullet nearby. It was almost as if they were mocking the robotic swimming motion of my top dog and making recommendations on how to become more attractive. Listening to their advice I switched over to a 3” Avocado H&H Cocahoe on a generic 1/4oz jig head and imitated the same approach I had with my topwater offering, but yet again come up empty.

Now completely discouraged and an hour into my trip with zero to show for my efforts, I feel like giving up, but the one shred of hope I have left, leads me to reposition the boat and try a different angle. This angle would allow me to cast up current of the flat and work my bait back to the ledge, capitalizing on the movement of the tide to present my bait to the fish. Having never done this before, I cast my bait into the unknown. Struggling to retain contact with my offering, I increase the speed of my retrieve, and lift the angle of my rod to a more vertical setting, incorporating slight dips to ensure my bait doesn’t become a permanent feature of the bottom contour. After a few casts of uncertainty, sweet redemption surfaces, shaking her head indicating her disagreement with the potential outcome earmarked for a Coleman 48.  With consistency, trout after trout submit to the same, but the purity in my approach and education reconciled me of my gluttonous sin. Also, the rain starting to get heavier, further ensured my baptism into becoming a more versatile trout fisherman.

Moving forward now almost 20 years, my growth as a trout fisherman, hinged on the education I received that day at the Burned Down Camps. I realized that day, that the tide was too heavy unlike previous times that produced. In other words, my baits casted down current paired with the lighter jighead never made it to the strike zone, but that’s hindsight.

To me that trip was spiritual. And it was only fitting that it happened on a Sunday in the church that I still find myself mentally attending. Now being separated by a thousand miles, and thousands of trout, I find that my journey as an angler and a person started somewhere in between the top and the bottom of the water column.

Have a good fall everyone…God Bless!

Chris

One Last Thing: Info for Buying your Next Trout Rod

Being a fisherman and writing a fishing blog has presented some incredibly unique opportunities for me to learn things and meet new people. One of those experiences happened less than 48 hours before I left the great state of TX to the sunny beaches of Florida. What I’m referring to is the once in a lifetime invite to come “hang out” with the guys, most notably Caleb and Victor, at Laguna Custom Rods headquartered out of Katy, TX.

All lined up

So without any hesitation, I drove the 2 ½ hours east from San Antonio to learn about the rods we often overlook as trout fisherman. During my visit, I not only saw an awesome operation but I got to gain a better appreciation for the process of buying a new rod. After my visit to the Laguna wharehouse I got a chance to sit down with Captain Caleb McCumber, enjoy some Midway BBQ and talk about some of the specifics he looks for in a fishing rod. Below is the outcome…

What is the first thing I should consider if I’m in the market for a new rod specifically for targeting speckled trout (Baitcast or spincast)?

The first questions you should ask yourself is where and how you intend to fish?  For instance am I intending to fish Baffin Bay with small paddle tail swimbaits on 1/16^th oz jigheads?  Or will I be targeting bigger fish with super spooks?

Method of fishing, your location, and whether you are a wade fisherman, shore fisherman, or boat fisherman should play a heavy role in your decision of what rod you should choose.  If you use more than one of these methods on a regular basis, you may find that owning multiple rods designed for each application may be best for you.

Do you find that rod actions, that are labeled the same, differ between brands? If so, why?

Absolutely.  I’ve read and continue to hear the saying that, “a rod is a rod,” “they are all the same” or “all these custom builders get their blanks from the same place”.  In short, that is simply not true. 

Now it is true, there are SOME builders that order from the same blank manufacturers, and these are typically your smaller custom rod building operations. That said the majority of your “bigger” custom builders have their own mandrels, which is the device used to build the blank.  These mandrels, paired with the manner in which the graphite is applied and the amount of graphite used determines the overall action of the rod. While very few builders build their blanks in house, they are getting a blank that is unique to that builder.  You can walk a fishing show and clearly see this if you know what you are looking for.  Pick up a Laguna Solo, then go to the other builder’s booths and try to find a matching blank.  It just doesn’t happen.  The same can be said for other builder’s rods as well. 

Other than aesthetics, do you feel that having quality rod components play a large role in catching fish?

One thing I’ve always stressed is that the need for a super sensitive rod depends on the situation.  For example, if the bite is on and the fish are aggressive and slamming the baits, the need for a sensitive rod is irrelevant. When this is the case, I typically hear the opinion “I can catch them all day on my unbreakable fiberglass rod using monofilament”.  Sure, that’s true, sometimes….

Not to take anything away from the generations before us with a long, heavy, fiberglass rod, and mono.  Those guys certainly had to be on their game to pick up finicky fish, and they were, obviously! 

But, is there a need to hunt deer with a musket anymore?  Not really. You can if that’s what you truly prefer, but today’s technology now gives the angler the advantage. As a result, why not invest in a quality rod with quality components? You’ve already done so with boats, tackle and other equipment.

To further the rationale, there have been MANY true trophy fish that were detected by a slight change in the weight on the line, or that tiny “tick”.  Was that grass or a fish? By having a quality rod paired with braided line, you will be able to distinguish the two. Additionally, I see no reason to risk missing the fish you have dedicated so much time and effort to chasing.

On the flipside of trying to catch “the one”, there are the guys that want numbers.  There have been times, which I find myself drifting deep summer structure.  One example that comes to mind are the reefs of Galveston Bay.  We often throw ¼ oz to 3/8 oz jig heads paired with paddle tail soft plastics (Down South Lures or Matrix Shad), typically something with good action. This works great because the method in reference is letting the bait sink, then short hopping, or slowly bouncing them on the lower half of the water column. 9 times out of 10, the bite is going to be a subtle weight change.  The reason I believe this happens is because the fish sees a wounded, barely live bait and sees no reason to exert unnecessary energy.  So rather than an aggressive strike, the fish will mouth or slurp the bait, giving you a split second before the fish spits it back out. But once again, a sensitive rod paired with braid gives you that edge in detecting those subtle bites independent of presentation, location and time of year.

What do you find is the most overlooked aspect of choosing a new rod?

I personally believe the most overlooked aspect is the fact that there are high quality rods available for the same price as the rods on the shelf at your local big box sporting goods store.  For instance here at Laguna, we have a line of rods (Liquid series) that retail for $159.99, that rival many of the big box stores $250+ rods.  We’re not alone either, Waterloo is another company that makes a nice rod in the same price range as well, and absolutely zero impact to quality.  So, before anyone goes to Academy or Bass Pro Shops and settles for something commercial off the shelf, because they don’t think they can afford their local custom builder’s prices, I encourage them to explore the market!

Personally, what do you look for in a good trout rod?

Personally, I prefer a Laguna Light Wader II medium action with a fast tip for just about any style of fishing.  I will throw 1/16^th oz jigs wading with Marcus Canales down at Baffin Rod and Gun, all the way up to super spooks with that same rod.  Donnie Macha, a close friend of mine, who I attribute to teaching me to fish a corky, catches trophies consistently year round on a Wader II.

My second “go-to” rod is a Laguna Light Texas Wader I.  This is a relatively new rod with a pretty

Capt Caleb with a healthy trout

cool backstory. In short, this rod was dreamed up in the parking lot of Fishing Tackle Unlimited a couple years ago.  Chris Williamson, the president and head builder of Laguna, Captain Kevin Cochran, and me were discussing the need for a true corky rod.  Kevin and I were discussing how in the winter months the guys with a slightly more moderate (slower) action seemed to be doing better with corky’s. Kevin came to the conclusion that the faster action was giving the bait to much of a sharp twitch, rather than a more subtle wobble that the slower rods were providing.  As a result of that guidance, Chris spent the next month or two developing a new prototype that I was lucky enough to test in Baffin estuary.  Results were absolutely staggering…Kevin, Chris, and I landed several trout over 27” and up to 32”.   Weeks later another trip produced equally as well, with another couple of fish over 27”, a few 29”s and a slob just under 31”. Long story short, the Laguna Light Texas Wader I was born for slower subtle presentations for those winter TX trout.

In the less impacting, but personal preference category, I like a split grip. Many of the TX Rod companies, like Laguna, Sarge and Waterloo have been offering these for years. My rationale for a split grip is to reduce the overall rod weight, which is key for wade fisherman. Even more detailed, I prefer a 7” split grip which is about ½” shorter than the standard, mainly because it keeps the rod butt out of my shirt/waders when working a lure.

Do you use traditional or spiral wrap guides?

I prefer spiral wrap guides.  Several years ago, Chris started putting the spiral guides on the then new, Castaway Skeleton rods, and despite the concept being around since the 1940’s, they drew a bunch of blank stares at the store. But here’s why I feel they make the difference…they increase sensitivity. Additionally, it also provides a smoother weight load when fighting a fish, keeping the line off the blank, and sort of cooperating with the natural twist of the line.  I also believe that by having spiral wrap guides, it reduces wind knots while fishing braid. That alone is worth the consideration!!!

Is it better to buy a custom or a boxstore rod? Why?

Custom.  100% custom.  As mentioned above, many custom builders offer a rod that is the same price as what you will pay a box store for a mass produced product with little quality control and little thought that went into the blank.

Waterloo and Laguna both have a great line of affordable rods, that compare to mid to high end box store rods ($159 or higher).  For example, Waterloo has the “Phantoms” and “Salinity” which can be found at many local retailers in TX.  And Laguna has the “Liquid” that is quickly becoming one of our top sellers, both on the website and in store fronts. The biggest selling point for us is that the Liquid gives you a quality custom build, with superb sensitivity, strength and durability for the same rod you find in Box Store X that was mass produced in another country.

Lastly, when you buy custom, you are helping your/our neighbors.  Whether it is Jimmy at Waterloo, Chris at Laguna, Sarge at Sarge Customs, and the list goes on. Its keeps our money local to our community and who better to build rods for fisherman than those people who wade the same waters

Me, Victor and Caleb

we do. For me the choice is clear….

In closing, whether you’re new to trout fishing or looking to become a more polished angler, the act of buying a rod that meets your intent is a daunting task - one, I even struggle with from time to time. But hopefully Capt Caleb’s words/advice above make your next selection that much easier.

I want to publicly thank Laguna for the insight into their operation…I truly appreciate it guys! Oh and Caleb, next time I’m back in TX, lunch is on me bud! :-)

Tight lines and God Bless everyone!

Chris

Alive or Artificial?

It’s safelight in South Louisiana, and as most fisherman would attest there’s something magical about the dawn of a new day. Like that of a roux as a base for a good gumbo, this period of low light is a beautiful blend of the butter of endless possibility and the flour of angling anticipation – just add hard work and attention to detail, and the base of your day is set. So it should be no surprise when the methodical “walk-the-dog” cadence of a topwater gets rudely interrupted by the predatory instinct of a speckled trout. Especially, when the backdrop is the sun cresting over a spartina field, earmarked with a subtle point and a strong incoming time. In short, it’s the sight most lure enthusiast live for.

Fortunately for me, I’ve been blessed enough to witness the aforementioned. Actually as I type this, I can’t help but reflect on the Delacroix estuary during the mid 90’s.  A time when I was more familiar with our route to Black Bay versus the maze of roads connecting Metairie and New Orleans.  Places like Lonesome, Stone and Snake Island were more a part of my daily conversation than Nirvana’s Smells like teen spirit or Michigan’s Fab Five.  And short of the few late spring fronts that pushed through, the azmuth of our old 17’ Weldcraft, “Git’ da’ net”, rarely waivered from the larger bays that fringed Breton Sound. It was where the trout were and we weren’t far behind, except we took a slightly different approach at catching them…the artificial way.

A limit of beautiful SE LA trout

Whether it was soft plastics or topwater baits, the array in which we targeted speckled trout knew no limitations. In fact, it was why we fished, my dad especially. Part of the fun for him was knowing that he just fooled a living breathing creature into eating something most unnatural. To him it was art, and the marsh was his easel. Each careful stroke he’d make with his rod expressed his intent on the other end, and depending on the fishes reaction, he’d vary his expression. He wasn’t always like that though. In his younger years, even as a young father of 2, live bait was the name of the game. Besides standing in line at the local marina’s, he could be found pulling a test trawl using whatever his efforts yielded. He even went as far as fabricating a bait well out of marine grade lumber, carefully measuring every inch, in hopes that it would carry the bait of the day on the transom of his boat. It was what he knew and what he taught us, and despite the 10-year gap between me and my brother, I wasn’t pardoned from his former ways. Until that one day in the mid 90’s I previously mentioned.

That outing started just like all the ones before…in line, to fill a white bucket full of Serigne’s finest live shrimp, as if we were in a school cafeteria serving line. And like many times before, our imagination of catching trout on artificial lures became quickly overshadowed by the “reality” that they could only be caught in large quantities, using live bait. Fortunately, what we didn’t know, is that this day would mark our last trip to a baitwell and Iron Banks would be the setting.  

Learning to fish a jig

For those that have ever fished Iron Banks, know its reputation for trout fishing. For everyone else, take my word that it’s everything you’d look for in a spring trout fishing spot. It has subtle depth changes, points, coves, oysters and man-made structure, plus it’s on the outer cusp of the LA Marsh. So after failed attempts at catching anything other than hardheads at Lonesome and Stone Island. We set a directional heading across the slick calm seas for Iron Banks. After a few minutes in the trout fishing mecca, our efforts yielded a spiny, grunting pathetic thing that was so distant from its crispy, thin fried cousin, it made you wonder if they were ever in the same catfish family. 

My biggest FL trout so far - 26.5"

Fortunately, that was the last straw, and the removal of a kahle hook and a cork gave way to a 1/4oz jig head and a plum/white H&H Cocahoe Tail. Over the next two hours, as we flipped trout over the gunnels we became born again with the cool salty water coming off the shaking head of a recently boated fish. Our 50 trout soaking in an ice chest proved that fishing was more than standing in a line, it was a sport that rewarded thinking outside of the box.  No longer did we wait at the bait tanks, instead we left a little earlier and fished traditional spots in unconventional ways. From Storm Jointed Thunderstick’s over submerged oyster reefs to mini Rat-L Traps in the bays out of Myrtle Grove, the arsenal to what we fished knew no boundary in versatility, and the trout rewarded our creativity and perseverance.  It’s a mindset that adopted us and our passion for getting the next bump, became forged in loyalty to the artificial way. In fact, it’s been 25 years since “I’ve touched the stuff,” and figure if they don’t want to eat my plastic offering then they weren’t worth catching anyway.

So, as we continue through the unbearable heat of summer, a time of year when long dark runs and live bait become the benchmark. I encourage you to save the live shrimp for a po-boy and tie a loop knot over a Top Dog versus a palomar over a kahle. Instead of forking over fifty dollars in live bait, invest in the knowledge you’ll learn by purchasing a few jigs, corkies and soft plastics. Save that 30 mins, you’d spend waiting in line and instead get set up a little earlier than the rest of the fleet. What you will find is that the sport of fishing and its surroundings will mean more than the artificial

façade of success, live bait manifests. The sound of flipping bait will auto tune itself to your brain and the decibel level will take over the competing music blaring from the wet sounds a half a mile over. The gentleness of a current cresting around a point will overshadow the slamming hatch of a live well. And the acute eye of a set of birds working on a school of bait will offer way more clarity to success than any report posted on social media.

In closing, don’t give in to the instant gratification that the “live bait” mentality harbors. Instead, focus your fishing lens on becoming a better angler, and relish at the opportunity to replicate nature so perfectly that it draws a strike. If you’re anything like me what you’ll find is yourself becoming more alive by simply fishing something artificial.

It feels good to be back…Tight Lines and God Bless!

Chris

Wild Bill and SJ's Adventures: Lipped Jerkbaits

Spring fishing 2016 has been a tough one on Mississippi Gulf Coast. The wind’s been blowing since February and salinity, unlike most years, has been held down by tremendous rainfalls. It’s times like this where time on the water pays big dividends.

Over the past year Jimmy and I have been fishing a myriad of spots from the Rivers to the Bays,nearshore and offshore. We’ve even explored a range of temperatures, as well as tidal conditions (high and low). All that said, one thing we’ve noticed lead to our consistency is our versatility.

To say we enjoy jig fishing is like saying Green Bay enjoy’s football. We love it. However, one bait we’ve both gained a lot of confidence in, when fish aren’t responding to a jig, is fishing a lipped jerk bait, more specifically a Rapala X-Rap. The X-Rap is a suspending jerk bait, but there are many other version. In this picture at the top is a KVD Strike King Version, 3 rd from the top is a Rapala Flat Rap, followed by a Yo-Zuri “L” Minnow. In addition to this line up is the Rapala Shadow Rap, which is quickly becoming my favorite. What we’re finding is that we are getting great reaction strikes, mostly on the pause due to the sink rate.

KVD, X-Rap, Flat Rap, L-Minnow

Shadow Rap's

 They can be fished a number of ways, but we find 2 different methods to be consistently effective. The first is to crank it down to its rated depth, then you can either straight retrieve with a “slow roll” cadence or twitch, twitch, twitch and pause – what we’re finding is that most strikes are coming on the pause. We try to let the fish tell us how long they want the pause, sometimes its brief and sometimes we let it sit for over 3-5 seconds. The second method is to cast it out and twitch, twitch, pause – twitch, twitch, pause – all the way back to the boat. This is designed for fish higher in the watercolumn.




One example of how effective jerkbait fishing can be is a spot we regularly fish. Typically these fish will respond to a jig, but we got on a week stretch, where they wouldn’t touch a jig and instead all they wanted was a jerkbait. It never failed, everytime we hit that certain stretch you could just about count on at least one stud trout hitting a X-rap or Shadow Rap every time. So as we progress into the spring/summer patterns, keep these techniques in the tool box and always remember to remain versatile. I can say without a doubt, the more time you put on the water the better fisherman you will become.

Stay Salty,

Wild Bill and SJ Adventures
www.wildbills-fishin-blog.simplesite.com

Seeing is Believing…

Throughout the pursuit of my formal education to complete my Master’s Degree, I’ve always been taught to never start any form of written communication with a direct quote. Fortunately this blog is neither academic and it is certainly not formal. So when “stop doubting and believe” was mentioned recently, I couldn’t help but embrace that concept, and apply its meaning to my fishing endeavors.

However, before I mention the author of the aforementioned quote and the context in which it was discussed, I’d like to give some insight as to why I believe it relates to the art of fishing.

"Is it the arrow or the Indian?"

On a recent trip down to the Lower Laguna Madre, I got a chance to reconnect with friend and Texas trout fishing legend Capt Mike McBride.  In addition to me, I also had the opportunity to bring my close fishing friend and blog contributor, Kyle Perry, as well as my Dad, or in Mike’s case (Pee Paw or Paw Paw) depending on the mood he’s in. My Dad and I have been fortunate to fish with Mike and testify to the Big Trout magic sprinkled in the waters surrounding Port Mansfield. Kyle, on the other hand, has not. Since moving here in 2013, I’ve been fortunate to call the Laguna Madre my “home waters” and have been the recipient of increasing my personal best trout 3 times (more on that later). Beyond that, I’ve opened my aperture to fishing certain conditions, outside the regimen I’ve grown accustomed to since my childhood fishing trips in the Louisiana Delta. In short, since moving to Texas, I’ve learned the “Art” of fishing.

So as we pull into Capt Tricia’s driveway on Baffin Drive, we’re greeted with a warm embrace and 6 Styrofoam containers of comfort food intended for a Tapas style dining experience which included Blackened redfish and boiled crawfish.  Like 2 years before, which was our last face to face meeting, the depth of conversation never skipped a beat. The stories shared by Capt Tricia and Capt Mike, leave you to ponder at how I became a privileged citizen to a front row seat of two Troutmasters – humbling to say the least. As a lifelong student of the sport, it was the class you’d never want to end, but fortunately you remind yourself that you are fishing with these 2 for the next 3 days. So walking into the deer laden streets back to the room wasn’t half bad.

Loaded up

As we wake up the next morning after a restless night, we stepped outside like we’ve done so many times and notice not a breath of air. It was completely calm and those that fish S. TX know that is a rare feat. It was so calm, you could hear the coffee percolating, which just so happened to be the perfect prescription to start our fun filled fishing addiction. On the idle out between fuel and cigarettes, you notice an unwelcomed buzz around the marina, especially for an early April Monday morning. However that negative thought of Googin’s plowing through the trout feeding grounds quickly diminishes to the inspiring work of a Heavenly produced sunrise, only possible by the Man upstairs. So as we reach the last camp on the canal, Mike does his infamous cattle call whistle and commands the 250 ponies pushing his Haynie into a full gallop.

Capt Tricia's 11.75lb fish - CPR'd

At our first stop, Mike explains the situation – a handsome little drop off into about 5’ of water with sand/grass lumps rounding out the contour. So as we’re directed we line up and after about 10 minutes are awarded with a superb early morning bite with fish up to 27”s. After about an hour of catching trout after trout, we decide for greener pastures and go seek out the Lower Laguna Megatrout, except we never found her. Actually, for the next 3 days she eluded us, but we know she’s out there. Not only did we see her as we’re cruising the crystal clear flats, but Capt Tricia’s images of her 11.75lb’er she caught and released less than a week earlier validate our claim. So in a roundabout way, I’d like this to steer us back to my opening quote…”Stop doubting and believe.”

As Thomas did in the upper room, he didn’t have the heart to consciencally believe what he couldn’t physically see.  It wasn’t until Jesus ordered him to touch his hands and side when he finally admitted to his short sidedness. The same applies to fishing. We know those giants are out there, we’ve seen them. One glance at social media, blogs or other fishing forums and you’ll know they exist. Beyond pictures, some have been even more fortunate to hold such a specimen.  In short, they are out there, we just have to believe we can catch them. More importantly, we have to step out of the infamous “comfort zone,” shelf what we think we know and super-size our order of humility and hard work.

I’ll leave you with an example. Growing up, I was always taught that while fishing in SE LA, the water had to be clean or “trout green” to catch large numbers of trout. Although, it’s true to some extent because of the tannic waters that surround the delta, I’ve opened my aperture to how dirty is too dirty, particularly in other states or other fisheries. So when I moved to TX, dirty water was something I steered away from and focused more so on the sand/grass mix on the Upper Laguna, simply due to my fishing upbringing. Although I had moderate success in the beginning, the “Art” of fishing Texas eluded me. It wasn’t until I heard the same story from 2 years earlier by the same guide about how he believes that turbulence created by wind driven water presents the most ideal situation for Giant trout.  “Don’t just fish dirty water on purpose Chris - fish dirty water with purpose.”

         

So as we slipped over the gunnels on our last wade, Dad and Kyle were incredibly skeptical. It wasn’t the clear/green pretty stuff we’d been wading for the last 3 days. It wasn’t the knee deep/bait flipping everywhere kind of water that had produced MegaTrout’s smaller kin or crazy Uncle Redfish that no one likes. This was the watered down YooHoo version, and Mike and I’s chalice of confidence was overflowing due to our success in water just like this. “This is where legends are born” Mike and I are thinking. As opposed to the 2 doubting Thomas’ next to us that can’t see their bait 3 inches down. Looking back though, you can’t blame them. A lifetime of instruction and failed attempts to produce in these waters will challenge even the most mentally tough

.

Mike's 10.5lb - Watered Down YooHoo

Although this attempt ended like so many other attempts in “dirty” water with nothing to show for our efforts. I can’t help but encourage you to continue to explore new possibilities, whether that's off colored water, offshore reefs or wadefishing. As Mike says, “Fishing is cool, because everyone’s interpretation and purpose are different. Mine is certainly different from most, because I get no greater thrill in this world than watching a giant trout shake her head, or admiring a band of pelican’s working a school of bait. I love being out there. Whether its win, lose or draw its doing something we were programmed to do. So next time you back the boat in, I encourage you to take it all in. After all, “Blessed are those, who don’t see, yet still believe.”

Tight Lines and God Bless!

Chris

The Day that "Never" Happened...

It’s overcast, and the fibrous limbs of the crepe myrtles in front of my childhood home on 977 Athania Pkwy are stretching like rubberbands due to their top heavy canopy. It also doesn’t help that the Greater New Orleans area has just been hit by an unusually late spring front which is accompanied by 20 knot north winds. But like most young adults, fostered by a brazen/bulletproof attitude, I utter the following, “Hey Pops, you want to go wade the surf tomorrow?”

441 Martin Lane

“I’m not so sure Son,” he replies in a “are you crazy” undertone. “I think the wind will have the water too low and dirty, and what little incoming tide we have, I don’t think will come in because of the stiff north wind.”

“But that’s the thing Pops, the winds out the north and although it’s pretty strong, it’ll be laying down by tomorrow afternoon, which means if we have clean water, the only place it will be is on the beach,” I said confidently.

“Man, I don’t know buddy. I know you want to fish since you just finished finals, but this might be a little much.”

“C’mon Pops, its Thursday in early May. Think about it, the full moon is Saturday and we’ll have the whole place to ourselves, since most everyone else will be in school or at work.” “You know as well as I do that it’s that time of year, when those wall hangers start roaming the beach.”

Like my pop often does when he wants to go but doesn’t agree he says, “It’s up to you Son…if you want to go, I’ll go, but just to be with you.”

As if I just won a pot at the poker table, I say with a calm exterior, “I’ll hook up the boat…let’s go make some memories…don’t forget the camera.”

As we departed for 441 Martin Lane in Happy Jack, LA. The orange groves and Roseau cane that line highway 23 looked like recent casualties to an infant hurricane season. And as if branches on the ground weren’t good enough, the smoke stack at the BP Plant in Myrtle Grove ran parallel to the highway.

When my dad see’s the smoke stack, he says, “Man I don’t know.” But I quickly downplay its negative indications by saying, “but look where its pointing…offshore.”

“Alright,” he says begrudgingly, “but if it’s blowing like this in the morning, you’re going by yourself.”

When we finally reach the camp, we launch the boat and pick it up in the sling under the camp and put the charger on the trolling motor batteries. Although it was uneventful, we couldn’t help but don another fleece and accelerate our actions to get into the warmth of the camp.

That night I was anxious. I remember questioning my sanity and hoping that I made the right call, and although he’d never admit I think my dad was just as anxious. I could hear him tossing and turning, which is pretty unusual. So instead of sleeping till the alarm went off I woke up and started the coffee pot.

“What’s the verdict?” I hear coming from the dark hallway.

“I don’t know pops, I haven’t looked…sit tight and I’ll let you know.”

As I opened the side door which faces south, I couldn’t help but notice the chill followed by a quick gust that wrapped around the corner of the porch.

“Damn dude, it’s still blowing, but it’s still out the north. One thing though…its cold!”

“Well,” he pauses, and I’m thinking he’s going to go back into the room. “Looks like we’ll have to wear waders! Let’s go get ‘em”

Rejuvenated by his response, I pour a quick cup of coffee and head downstairs to put the boat in the water.

As we idle down the canal, we talk about which route we want to take and it becomes evident that Grand Bayou to Tony’s canal, then down Bayou Huertes to the back levee canal is the best and safest way to get to Chaland Pass. Although it’s a longer route, 40 mins in total, there is very little open water, except in No Mans Land, but if the water’s low the back levee canal can be very tumultuous due to shifting sandbars.

As we anticipate, No man’s land is a little choppy but not too bad, but our good fortune ran out as we had to push off of 3 sandbars on the back levee canal which made us about an hour late to the spot. However, once we turn the corner and see the laid out Gulf, we notice something in the distance we didn’t expect to see…a Hunter Green Back Country Flats Boat, and a single wader in the barely present breakers on the right side of the pass.

When we saw the boat, it was as if the joyful patience balloon busted and a flame thrower of disgust ingnited in the boat.

“Are you kidding me,” my dad says, “Who is sicker than us to come out here on a day like this.”

“I don’t know, but I say we park next to him and work toward the pass.”

As we’re getting the boat situated, we notice Darren Angelo, a local marina owner, walking back to his boat.

The Second Set of Breakers

“How’d you do?” we ask.

“Redfish,” he says, “I got my five already and I’m going in to check on the Marina.” “Good luck guys, I thought I was the only crazy person out here to be fishing in this,” He chuckled.

Excited that fish are present, and a fading outboard earmarked for Delta Marina in Empire. We start chucking MirrOlure Top Dog’s at the second set of breakers, and in short order, both baits explode as if cement just fell from the sky. To prevent our lines from tangling we start doing the redfish tango, since these bruiser redfish are hitting two at a time, and I glance to my right and say, “this is going to be a great day Pops.”

He agrees and for the next hour we witness each other’s Top Dog getting assaulted, until…the artillery from the redfish turns into a more subtle kinetic…big trout.

Chaland Pass

Our fortune changed when a 20” trout inhaled my plug and joined my 5 redfish in the fish basket, but it didn’t stop there. My dad and I spent the next 5 hours in 55 degree weather, walking the dog and wading the surf, catching trout up to 7lbs. By no means was it every cast, but the decreasing north winds and the gentle incoming tide turned the water into the infamous trout green, and the image of my chrome sided, blue back Top Dog darting side to side, falling behind the white water of a breaker and seeing a swirl as the wave subsided, never leaves my thoughts. Unfortunately, I hope it never does, because as my dad went to capture the end result with a picture, the battery in the camera wasn’t so much up to the task, but that’s ok.

#24 - Chrome w/ Blue Back

It’s been slightly less than 14 years since this trip, and although little has changed in my angling passion, a lot has changed in my life. As I reflect on those earlier trips through the lens of wisdom, I’m glad the camera didn’t work. The memory of standing next to the boat in the surf with a red fleece on next to my dad admiring the 46 huge trout and 10 reds we just caught on topwater, is way better than 100 likes or shares on social media. It’s a trip we bring up every now and again, but its bonding to know that he’s the only person that cherished it as much as I did. I remember him laughing when we got on plane after we pushed off our third flat, and he remembers my voice shaking after I caught my first 7lb trout.

So as we move into a world that seemingly gets faster, I encourage you to forget about the social media post and savor the moment for what it is, with the people you love.

For me the negatives, seared into my memory for this album are simple. A father and a son, two trout fishing fanatics, 3 sandbars, early May, Chaland Pass, 46 trout and 10 reds lying on the blue carpet floor of the boat on a day that “never” happened.

Tight Lines and God Bless.

Chris

Been Wading the Surf for a long time now