Pro Tips: July 2008

July, what more needs to be said when this month is mentioned among lure enthusiast. This is especially true if you're a trout chaser. Add to this the want to catch upper-slot trout and you might find yourself scratching your head at the end of a long hot day. I actually have many trout anglers that book me during the month of July and August knowing it is a tough stretch for catching quality trout on artificial baits. When asked what I do I simply reply that I head for the bars. Those that know me understand that I am not referring to a saloon. Can't say that I have honestly ever spent much time in one but I have spent countless numbers of days and nights on shoreline and mid-bay sandbars.

July is a month when the winds lay and the tides drop along the Texas Coast. These two conditions allow knowing anglers; of which you will be after reading this article, the ability to capitalize on these conditions and put yourself in some pretty darn good trout waters. One of the things I have preached to my boys about fishing these sandbars is the simple fact that for more than nine months the weather conditions prevent anglers from putting too much pressure on such areas.

Wind is the major factor, it is simply too windy about six months out of the year to fish these unprotected bars. In the winter, the water gets too cold and the trout start looking for shallow mud. So even when the conditions are right, the trout are often absent. Right now is when you need to take advantage of the bar scene. For the past five months there have been MAYBE five or six days when the winds would have allowed us to actually get out on the bars and fish.

Water clarity does not have to be great; in fact it can be down right dirty as long as the bait is present. Along most of the Texas coast the sunlight can penetrate deep enough to allow for some submerged grass growth. Submerged grass, active bait, tidal movement and deep water access for mid-day sulking periods makes the bars extremely attractive to upper-slot sized trout. In my portion of the world, tidal movement is a key ingredient for a successful morning of bar hopping. In some areas to our south, tidal movement is not as critical simply because tidal flow is minimal due from being so far from a gulf pass.

With all the pieces of the puzzle in place it is time to discuss your tactics for fishing such areas. I wade about 99% of the time and I feel this is the best way to fish the sandbars that have water depths that allow us to comfortably go to work. I am about 5' 7" so if I can wade, so can the majority of the rest of the men in the world and a lot of you ladies will be safe getting out as well.

I like to position myself a little offshore of the actual crown of the bars and work the perimeter, casting to shallow grass beds or guts early and then working the deeper beds and edges of the drop-off as the sun rises higher. Bigger trout will stage right on top of the bars UNDER the bait or ON TOP of the grass beds themselves. Edges of guts created by tidal current and wind are maybe one of my most favorite structures along the bars I frequent this time of year.

It is important to make mental notes of bottom contour and the severity of the drops and humps. My feet become my eyes and over the years I have associated the colors of the water with the water depths. Deep green to almost blue is the deepest, green is mid-range stuff, sandy green is more shallow, clear to white is down right shallow and black, well that be the grass.

Casting to all of the above mentioned areas is an absolute must. Be sure to pay attention to where the strikes you receive originate, without this knowledge it is almost impossible for you to repeat the process. This process also sets up the pattern for this bar as well as others that are in the same area. What's good on one is probably good on similar bars on any given day.

Another attraction is the simple fact that many anglers overlook the bars due to a lack of navigational markings. Many anglers also fail to read and interpret each type of structure. This most often results in one simply fishing the drop-off along one side or the other. More times than not this will lead to poor results which leads to lower confidence. The less confidence you have the less time you spend fishing, less time fishing is usually equal to fewer fish, and this leads to the sandbar never getting the attention it deserves.

I spend the majority of my time on sandbars this time of year whenever the conditions will allow. I catch lots of good trout on these bars and I catch them on every type of structure on the bar at various times of the day. Mid-day for instance is one of my favorite times to fish the shallow grass beds along these bars. Upper-slot sized trout will many times cruise to the shallowest structure during mid-day hours hoping for an easy feeding opportunity. The lack of water depth over the structure shrinks the strike zone, making it easier to capitalize on opportunity. Two of my lifetime best trout have come mid-day and on just the type of bars and structure we are discussing.

What to throw? You know me, I am an odds player and I go with two types of lures, Bass Assassins and slow-sinking MirrOlures. Now before the topwater chunkers get all swelled up, this is just what I have the most confidence in. I know plenty of you have more luck and confidence in the surface approach. That said, I like the 5" shad Bass Assassins and the suspending Catch 5, Catch 2000 Jr, 38MR, and the new MirrOdine baits from MirrOlure.

I want to make it as easy as I can for the fish. I am of the opinion that big trout like it easier than the young and eager portion of the population. Why is it that we can always catch 14-inch fish? Well the way I see it, they are trying to eat their way up the food chain. Bigger trout like it easy, trust me.

I like light-colored baits for this type of fishing. Bone, silver, clear and any combination of these colors will work. Most of the bait around the sandbars will be mullet or menhaden. These baitfish have lots of shine as they move through the water. Glinting is what I call it. As a mullet or menhaden swims it twists from side to side allowing its scales to reflect, thus showing a glint of silver.

Get your lure of choice to work erratically enough to glint from time to time and you're dancing the right steps. You can actually see the mullet glint and the gills of the trout flare as she inhales the baitfish on calm clear days. In most instances there are no surface clues to this type of feeding. Only a keen and attentive eye picks up the flash and the glint.

I remember my early days fishing with my dad on Lap Reef in Copano in July. This underwater sight happened so many times in a morning that you could not count them all. Silver spoons with yellow bucktails were the weapons of the day and boy were they effective. Can't say that I have thrown a spoon and a bucktail for trout in many a year. Stupid is as stupid does!

As our water temperatures rise our windows of opportunity will surely be decreased. What makes the bar scene so attractive to me is the fact that the trout; once settled in on the bars, will not leave as long as the food source remains reliable. They will move from shallow structure to deeper structure but that is about it. It makes good sense that we should spend as much time in these areas as we can if we are intent on catching better trout. I have always been a student of fishing where fish live, its more predictable.

The next time you find yourself not catching fish on one of the many other types of bay structure, head for the nearest bar and have yourself a look. You might be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fish you catch.

May your fishing always be catching. Guide Jay Watkins