There is a lot of wade fishing all along the Texas coast. I have fished spots from Texas City to Corpus Christi and I have my favorite spots selected and the best times to fish them. I learned how to wade fish from my friends in Kemah/Bay Cliff.

The fishing we did there was the bay type around old pylons and piers. It was excellent for specs, flounders and reds. I caught flounder so big they wouldn't fit into my net. We also waded the Texas City dike. All these places are great, but my favorite is catching a calm day with green water in April at Quintana Beach at Freeport.

Although you fish with the sharks on the best days, I haven't ever heard of anyone being bitten.

There are two distinct types of wade fishing water, the bays and the surf.

The bays are great because you don't have to deal with the waves. The surf you do and sometimes it is a drag. However, in the surf you really never know what you may catch.

Wading Attire: The first thing to get is a life vest! I have had experiences where my life jacket may have saved my life. The scariest one was at the Texas City dike. I was at the end and about up to my chest fishing. There at the end the big ships go by and when they do they draw the water out like a rip tide as they pass. It comes back in when they have passed. I was fishing when the water started rushing out. It pulled me off my feet and out 40 or 50 feet. For some reason I held onto my rod. Luckily I had on a vest!

A big floppy hat, or cap is also must. The ones that flop over your ears are best. They are not very "cool" looking, but it will keep you shaded. Some also have a tie or strap that goes under your chin to keep it from washing away if you get hit by a wave in the surf.

Sun block for your face, ears, arms is another must. You may not always catch fish, but you will always catch some sunrays. My friend John from Dallas wears a thin white longsleeve shirt, I usually wear just a cotton tee.

Long pants are another must. They can be a little uncomfortable, but will keep jelly fish, man-o-war, hard head spines, and other salt water creatures from giving you an easy welt or cut. John has a pair of white painter's pants he wears. Old jeans are fine too.

A great pair of wading shoes are almost always old tennis shoes. You can buy a cheap pair for $5.00 at most Wal-Marts or K-Mart. Socks are fine and they help keep the sand from between your toes for a while.

There are boots and leg guards to protect you from stingrays. They are a good idea, some places a great idea, but I have never purchased any. Remember if you don't wear something similar to leg guards, always slide your feet when you are walking to protect you from experiencing a stingray.

Wading Gear: Worming rods again do a great job. A 6' or 6'-6" stiff rod with a good bait caster (Ambassadeur 6500- 5500 is my choice today) is perfect. I use 20# test and rig up with a small treble hook and weighted popping cork (the plastic type with a rattle being my favorite.) They have a great nylon belt that has a pvc rod holder and a stringer spike holder. It works OK, but I'm not sure belt loops aren't just as good for connecting your gear to your body.

I have switched from a floating stringer to a foam ring with a net basket. They are super easy to use and work great. The stringer works fine, but this is definitely easier and sometimes with a stringer you may have a shark steal a fish from it.

(Last year while fishing the surf I had a Black Tip shark take the tail off a perfectly good 4 pound spec. I had to slap him off with my rod before making a hasty retreat to the shore.)

The bait bucket has to have a good lid that shuts and stays shut. There is nothing worse than fishing the surf with your bait bucket door open and losing all your shrimp. Especially if you are catching fish.

The net is also an important selection. The one I fish with now has an elastic cord that retracts when not being used.

And last but not least, a good pair of needle nose plyers or hemostats are a must. Attach a cord to them and stick them in a pocket. You will catch something that you do not want to stick your fingers into its mouth.

Bait and Tackle: The first bait of choice is live shrimp. They are always a sport fish bait. The biggest specs and flounder have come from artificial baits, but live shrimp are a must.

Put a small treble hook under a weighted popping cork about 24"-36" to start then adjust to the individual depths around you.

I usually head hook through the black dots on the shrimp's head, but you can also tail hook them. I throw out and real in after "popping" my cork by jerking the line slightly. The depth of your bait can determine a lot so don't be shy about moving it up and down.

Switch to artificials when the fishing slows down or if you run out of live bait. The preferred bait seems to be rubber shrimp tails or touts in oil or chartreuse. These can be fished off the bottom like a worm, bump it off the floor or swim them with a jerking motion to make them look like a shrimp swimming and hopping through the water.

Also carry a few Mirro-Lures in your pocket. They have floating top waters and weighted ones. The colors vary. Gold and silver spoons are also great. They don't get used as much as they used to, but they are a staple for any salt water tackle box.

There are also lots of new baits including Rattle-Traps that are becoming popular. There is a white with red tail rubber Coho minnow that knocks them dead.

Your vest should have several velcroed pockets that can carry a variety of gear while wading so you can change around what you are fishing. Also check your line often. Remove it as it gets frayed and shredded.

Fishing: Wade fishing can be very peaceful and relaxing. I have waded for miles, for hours, in a bay among pylons or in the surf along the shore. I love to watch the sun rise over the horizon while standing in the warm water.

I recommend letting people know where you are going if you don't go with a friend. Bring some drinks and some munchies.

I also recommend some towels and some large trash bags to sit on if you need them. Maybe bring a change of clothes like a pair of shorts, T-shirt and thongs. Usually green water is the difference in catching lots of fish. Not that dirty water won't produce, but the green water is always best.

Lots of people have incoming tide, outgoing tide preferences. I prefer a moving tide. Incoming fish are coming in to look for bait. Outgoing fish are eating on their way. Ask your friends and the local bait shops where to wade in your favorite area. There are guides that can take you out wading. The Texas coast offers many, many excellent choices. Just pick one and start fishing.

Don't forget to slide your feet!

I can sit back and day dream the hit of a big speckled trout, pulling my popping cork under, setting the hook and the pull of a great big fish.

I love to fish!

T.J.Greaney
Publisher
Country Line Magazine
Austin, Texas

If you would like more onfo on this article, email me at:

For details, email: countryline@juno.com

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