LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

Email Brian Barrera at CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com

Visit Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

Big Trout & Redfish

LISTEN: (2 Min, 22 Sec)

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY are both great months to chase big fish. I fish both, shallow and deep during these months due to somewhat inconsistent weather conditions. Some days it’s 75° and beautiful, others it can be 50° and blowing 20mph out of the north and you need to improvise. When fishing shallow I’m talking about sand/grass flats in the sub 2.5 ft range this time of year. While drifting these flats I absolutely love throwing topwaters, my favorite being the weedless DOA lures pt-7 in pink ice color. I have caught some of my biggest trout ever on that setup. If they’re not too keen on eating the top piece we’ll switch over to 1/8-¼ oz jigheads with our favorite soft plastics and get to work that way, dropping in and out of potholes with anything that has a chartreuse tail. The tides do run low this time of year so make sure you know the area you’re fishing in. 

Winter is primetime for targeting big trout and redfish in the Lower Laguna madre
(Photo: Capt. Brian Barrera)

Deep water strategies can be a bit more technical for me this time of year depending on the depth the fish we are targeting are hanging in. Are they in the bottom? Are they suspended somewhere near the middle in thermocline? Or are they up top?

If they’re on the bottom (which most are) in deep water (6ft plus) I tend to use a heavier jig because I don’t want the rate of current to be sweeping the bait too far from the location I cast it before it has the chance to hit the bottom. Usually a 1/4-3/8 with a 4” jerkbait.

If they’re in the middle suspended, I use a lot of suspending or slow sinking hard jerkbaits or weighted swimbaits that spend more time in the desired area, the strike zone.

If they’re up top in the water column that’s usually a good sign that they’re ready to party. If I see fish activity like bait chasing or surface blowups, I almost immediately tie on a topwater and get to work. I prefer a walk the dog style topwater but am not afraid of a popper one bit.