Schools, Flats & Jetty Bulls

Lower Laguna Madre

Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

WITH JULY AND AUGUST in mind, it’s time to break out the big gear and make sure it’s ready to rock n’ roll for big tugs and lots of them.

Bull and slot red sh will make their way to the inlets in search of easy meals. Once you put a pa ern on these sh it can almost be like clockwork when they are gonna show up to the party.

I personally prefer an incoming tide or even be er the back end of the incoming tide when the inlets have had time to get clear with cool ocean water in them. Dri ing skyline jigs weighted circle hooks with live (preferably) or dead bait in or out of the inlet along the rock drop o s can and should produce big numbers of giant bull reds.

Another preferred method is a “power” drop shot rig or bottom rig with the weight on bottom and a hook about 2 feet above with preferred bait. Other times I will drop heavy jigheads with baitsh mimicking plastics or weighted D.O.A. shrimp. ese areas can get saturated with other boats during weekends and holidays so it’s best to size up the gear one or two notches in order to stop these bruisers from popping o in other boats’ anchor lines, propellers, etc.

August brings calm days, more opportunities, big sh, and one of my favorite… chasing red sh schools! On glassy, calm days a preferred method is to cruise the ats looking for herds of red sh creating wakes as they move over the shallows. ey’ve had all summer to get consistent and stay in their pa erns so this tail end of that should still hold.

My preferred method once I spot the schools is to get down-path of these sh and use my Minn Kota trolling motor to get my clients and myself in perfect casting position. Once we’re on the sh I use the trolling motor to stay along side/parallel to them, picking them o until they’re on to us. Preferred bait is a 1/8 oz jighead and your favorite so plastic. Good stu !

CONTACT CAPT. BARRERA:

Email: CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com

Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

Lower Coast Hotspots

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: Between ICW Spoils

GPS: N 27 17.392, W 97 24.51 (27.2899, -97.4085)

SPECIES: Founder

BEST BAITS: Mud minnows, best w moving tide or west, south, or southwest wind; dawn-morning, dusk-night

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Mud minnows, best with moving tide or west, south, or southeast wind; dawn-morning, dusk-night

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: East of Palms

GPS: N 27 19.116, W 97 23.609 (27.3186, -97.3935)

SPECIES: Founder

BEST BAITS: Finger mullet, best w moving tide or west, south, or southwest wind; dawn-morning, dusk-night

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Finger mullet, best w moving tide or west, south, or southeast wind; dawn-morning, dusk-night

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Color Change

GPS: N 26 10.429, W 97 12.7589 (26.1738, -97.2127)

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: The deeper water further south, 3-4 feet deep. Also the water has more color, greener.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Long Bar

GPS: N 26 8.592, W 97 14.2249 (26.1432, -97.2371)

LOCATION: Port Mansfield

HOTSPOT: Community Bar

GPS: N 26 35.144, W 97 25.644 (26.5857, -97.4274)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, ballyhoo; topwaters early, soft plastics in white/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, red/chartreuse.

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Look for the “trout green” water.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: El Realto Bay

GPS: N 26 15.354, W 97 18.4649 (26.2559, -97.3078)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: In July, you should be fishing further south with live croaker, always looking for the big trout.

LOCATION: Middle Ground

HOTSPOT: Mouth to Gladys’ Hole

GPS: N 26 48.691, W 97 28.592 (26.8115, -97.4765)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics in red/white, limetreuse, pearl/chartreuse.

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Use soft plastics around the edges of the Bar for trout and redfish. Fish slowly in deeper water.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield

HOTSPOT: Gladys’ Hole

GPS: N 26 48.723, W 97 29.4769 (26.8121, -97.4913)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: White/red plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Drift soft bottom along ICW

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: When you put a chatter weight and a live croaker together you have a win-win situation.

LOCATION: South Bay

HOTSPOT: Grass Flats

GPS: N 26 1.399, W 97 10.5606 (26.0233, -97.1760)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Skeeter Walker, Super Spook, or Corky

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Use topwater lures, but not broken backs