Grand Slam!

Gear Up for Family Fishing
Gear Up for Family Fishing
April 24, 2022
TEXAS FRESHWATER by Matt Williams
April 24, 2022

Choosing the Right Rigs for Reds, Specks, and Flounder

TF&G Staff Report

REDFISH, SPECKLED trout, and flounder are the top sportfish along the Texas Coast.

Catching all three in a day is often called the “Grand Slam” or sometimes the “Texas Trifecta”. Either way, it’s a celebration of great fishing in some very productive bays, estuaries, surf, and jetty systems.

Anglers pay keen attention to detail on the lures they use for these three species, but not as many give equal attention to rod choices. Pairing the right lure with the right rod for the right species can make a world of difference.

Here’s our breakdown of top choices for combining all three key elements of fishing gear.

Redfish

Of the three species, redfish are the bullies.

They pull hard seemingly from birth to breeding age, and they get much, much bigger than specks and flounder.

Although most areas outside of Venice, Louisiana have historically had few bull reds in the bays, that has changed. Oversized reds are seemingly showing up everywhere along the Texas Coast.

Spinning rods allow coastal anglers to throw long distances even in windy conditions which are common on the coast.

Spinning rods allow coastal anglers to throw long distances even in windy conditions which are common on the coast.
(Photo: St. Croix Rod)

St. Croix pro, Steve Lassard fishes out of a Hobie kayak in the marshes of southeastern Louisiana where we previously mentioned super big reds are abundant.

He said swimming jigs and grubs are a top choice. “I’m usually power fishing with ½- to 1-ounce Owner saltwater jigs and six-to-eight-inch grubs,” Lassard said. “My go-to setup is a St. Croix Mojo Inshore or Triumph Inshore seven-foot, heavy-power, fast action spinning rod with 50-pound braid.,”

For sight casting, St. Croix, Texas pro, Joseph Sanderson likes a seven-foot, medium power, fast action rod.

“Specifically, St. Croix’s Mojo Inshore with a 2500-3000 size spinning reel spooled with 20-30-pound braid is just the ticket,” Sanderson said. “I’m fishing shallow in clear water, so I’m throwing super light baits that are subtle and land softly.”

For catching big bull redfish in deeper water along jetty systems, Mojo Inshore spinning rods are the go-to choice.

Rigged with a heavy jigging spoon and fished vertically along the deep holes at the rocks, the seven-foot heavy/fast action is perfect for giving more than adequate backbone and a rod worthy of working a spoon. If you plan to cast along jetties, with the same lure, the seven-foot, six-inch heavy/fast action spinning rod is a better choice.

Speckled Trout

Speckled trout can require a little more subtle approach, and there are many favorite rod and lure styles. Although most agree on some real backbone for reds, anglers opt for everything from soft to stiff for specks.

Redfin Charters and St. Croix pro staff member, Capt. Justin Carter loves fishing for big trout with top-waters and suspending twitch baits along with jigs and swimbait combos.

Depending on the size of his jig, he’s fishing seven-foot, light power and seven-foot, six-inch, medium-light power, fast action Mojo Inshore spinning rods. He switches to the seven-foot, six-inch, medium power Mojo Inshore when throwing spinnerbaits or top-waters.

St. Croix’s Triumph series gives anglers numerous options for working a variety of lures.

St. Croix’s Triumph series gives anglers numerous options for working a variety of lures.
(Photo: St. Croix Rod)

Perhaps the most effective overall method of catching speckled trout is using soft plastics under popping corks. It’s nothing fancy, but it often outfishes everything else, especially when drifting over seagrass flats or fishing under feeding gulls.

A seven-foot, six-inch medium-heavy Mojo Inshore spinning rod is perfect for this application and also has enough backbone to bring in the likely bycatch of redfish and big gafftops.

Flounder

Flounder fishing is often thought of as a pursuit for the fall where you only fish live finger mullet or mud minnows. In reality, savvy anglers know flounder can be caught year-round. With no restrictions on fall harvest, more anglers are turning to spring and summertime for their flounder fishing action.

Texas Fish & Game Editor-In-Chief Chester Moore literally wrote the book on flounder (Flounder Fever) and has taught hundreds of classes on flounder fishing over the years.

He has several recommendations for flounder.

“I fish with curl-tailed grubs three to four inches, often tipped with a small piece of shrimp. When the conditions are on, and the bite is on, I want something that can get good hook penetration.

Flounder have a very bony mouth,” Moore said, “and many anglers miss them on hookset, so I use a medium-heavy spinning rod with 30-pound braided line.” He suggests the six-foot, six-inch medium-heavy, fast action Mojo Inshore Spinning Rod for this application.

Flounder have an extremely bony mouth so the optimal rod for them is something with some backbone.

Flounder have an extremely bony mouth so the optimal rod for them is something with some backbone.
(Photo: Chester Moore)

“You are making short casts when flounder fishing, targeting eddies around bayou mouths, docks, and stands of cane. A shorter, heavier rod helps get a good hookset on those fish,” he said.

If the barometric pressure is high, and the flounder are scattered, he switches over to something lighter.

“I will miss a few hooksets due to lighter gear,” Moore said, “but I catch more fish going with a two-inch curltail, or shad fished on 10-pound fluorocarbon line when the bite is soft.

“I might be making longer casts as well trying to find fish, so the seven-foot medium-light fashion action St. Croix Triumph Inshore spinning rod from St. Croix is a great choice,” he said.

Conservation Ethic

St. Croix and Texas Fish & Game support a conservation ethic for all fishing, but especially down on the coast where there are some major issues.

Releasing speckled trout after the 2021 freeze is not mandatory, but it goes a long way in helping the fishery recover. Letting flounder go to produce more of their kind is also important for the future of the fishery.

It’s our observation that anglers who pay the most attention to their gear and take their fishing seriously, also take their conservation seriously.

Spending time on the coast is always a blessing. Knowing you’re fishing with the right gear can give you the confidence to catch more fish and release those you don’t intend to bring home to the family.

 

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

Don’t Forget Surf Fishing

The Seage series of rods includes 12 two pieces spinning rods.
(Photo: St. Croix Rod)

St. Croix’s all-new tech-forward Seage Surf Series includes 12 two-piece spinning rods, handcrafted for unparalleled strength and durability in a slim and lightweight design. Seage models range from 7 to 12 feet with medium-light to heavy power. They retail between $210 and $380 with a 15-year warranty.

In addition to slim, lightweight performance, extreme strength, and rock-solid durability, surf anglers will notice an all-new handle design on new Seage surf rods comprised of X-Flock-covered, slim-diameter handles and Winn® comfort-focused foregrips which are minimalistic, sleek, and tech-forward.

X-Flock is essentially a textured shrink tube that St. Croix forms directly over the blank. This gives the handle a slim profile with a very grippy and tacky feel, combined with slight compression for added comfort.

The 12 distinct models in the all-new Seage Series lineup cover the most popular lengths, powers, and actions, as well as some new configurations surf anglers were specifically requesting.

Some of the seven-foot to nine-foot models were engineered and delivered to meet the unique needs of the Western coastal markets. Surf anglers there have been asking for new rods, better suited for smaller species, lighter lures, and fishing closer to the beach.

In Texas that translates to sand trout, croakers, and whiting which are popular, especially in fall and winter.

These smaller two-piece models give anglers the 50/50 splits they requested. At the other end of the spectrum, the new Seage Series also includes a 12-foot heavy power model that’s capable of bombing a full one-pound payload beyond the bar. Longer Seage two-piece models feature angler-preferred 60/40 or 70/30 offsets.

 

—story by TF&G STAFF

 

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