A Rod for Hard Core Surf Anglers

THE LATEST IN A LINEAGE OF LEGENDary surf rods from St. Croix, Seage delivers superior-level construction and technology to anglers demanding the longest casts, and the hardest hooksets, in the most adverse conditions.

• Constructed with newly engineered SCII carbon fiber that is both stronger in flexural strength and lighter than its previous formulation.

• Crafted strategically placing ART and Veil reinforcing technologies increasing strength and impact protection.

• Built with proprietary FRS technology.

• Off-set ferrules on two-piece models deliver one-piece performance.

• Sea Guide® Hero Hi-Grade guides with slim aluminum-oxide rings and

SS316 stainless gun smoke frames.

• Sea Guide® NPS reel seat with integrated black hoods.

• X-Flock covered slim diameter handles.

• Winn® comfort-focused foregrips.

• Medium-light power models have 50/50 split grips, all other models have 70/30 Split Grips.

• Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish.

• 15-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.

• Designed in Park Falls and handcrafted in Fresnillo, Mexico.

Baitcasters have somewhat of a “pendulum e ect” when a lure encounters resistance from pulling against the round, rotating spool. e line on spinning reels falls freely and has much less resistance. is can make a di erence on spooky sh who want lures to fall straight down, or when shing down certain kinds like the aforementioned rigs and drop-o s.

Fishing straight up and down is much easier with spinning gear and allows you to keep closer contact with your lure or bait in deeper water. at means you will “feel” the bite be er and have a be er chance of hooking sh when they’re in the nicky mode. e 6’ 6” Medium RIFT Jig Spinning

Rod is perfect for tackling snapper, grouper and other sh up to 35 pounds.” e best popping cork shing is done with braided line and the last thing you want on a braid is a backlash. at usually means scissor time. e St Croix Medium/Heavy Fast Legend Tournament Inshore Spinning is a perfect rod for this practice with both the backbone for hookset and action for working the cork.

Popping Corks: ere are more red sh and speckled trout caught on the Gulf Coast on popping corks than with any other method. Some use live shrimp while others prefer so plastics but either way popping corks are undeniably e ective.

Braided line with a uorocarbon leader is a deadly combo for bay-dwelling species and the ability to deliver it con dently hundreds of times a day gives spinning the nod over casting tackle.

HE ANNUAL CCA-Texas State of Texas Anglers Rodeo (S.T.A.R.) tournament kicks off Memorial Day.

Anglers all along the coast take to the water with renewed fervor in hopes of catching a tagged redfish or a big black drum, gafftop or sheepshead.

While it’s always advantageous to fish out of a boat, these species in particular are within easy reach of not only kayak anglers but those bound to the bank.

This year we thought we would draw up some strategies that might give those fishing from kayaks, shore or wading only an edge.

THE OLD GOLD SPOON: It’s certainly not a darling of the modern fishing social media world, but the gold spoon is hard to beat for redfish. Every serious angler should have one in their tackle bag.

Redfish love them and they are easy to cast long distances. If you’re in a kayak that means you might be able to reach that redfish school that is just beyond your paddling ability. For landbound anglers and waders, it o ers the chance to cover much more ground than a standard so plastic.

SHOOTING DOCKS: For kayakers, this is an incredibly underrated strategy. You can get close to docks and even into zones other anglers can’t, so try using a spinning rod (works be er) to shoot a

¼-ounce jighead with a piece of shrimp under docks.

Why?

Sheepshead!

Big sheepshead love docks, especially old ones with lots of barnacles and you might be surprised with the size of the ones you catch.

SLIMER CITY: Ga ops have cred among Texas anglers because of S.T.A.R. It’s certainly not for the layer of slime that crawls up your line when catching them.

Shorebound anglers should focus on areas of the ship channels where there are lots of oysters on the shore. Ga op love reef areas and when you have a shoreline reef, and it drops o quickly, there are usually plenty there in summer months.

It should come as no surprise that a sh that can create a slick just by swimming, is a sucker for chum. Bring a sh basket and mash up shad (menhaden) or bring cans of jack mackerel to put in there. Punch holes in it and see an Exxon Valdez-style oil slick appear. It’s amazing people eat that stu and it’s amazing how it works luring in slimers.

PARALLEL THE RIPRAP: A beautiful thing about kayaks is, you can get them right on the edge of rocks, unlike when shing a berglass bay boat. Find some riprap in the channel on a high tide, get as close as you can to the rocks and shoot down them in parallel fashion. Reds run along the edge of those rocks to feed on crabs and mullet. A lipless crankbait is a great way to score but don’t overlook topwaters. ey can also produce.

BUOY DRUM: Kayakers can score on big, slot-sized black drum (and likely a few oversized monsters) by targeting buoys in the ship channel. e ones with the most barnacles are the best and if you nd one near a li le inlet or slough that’s even be er.

Fish a drop-shot rig on the bo om with a peeled, dead shrimp for best results, If you can get them, ddlers crabs are killer too.

TARGET SEAGRASS OPENINGS: Sandy spots in the middle of seagrass are great spots to score on slot reds.

Chunk a so plastic or a live shrimp in these spots and nd your rod bent with a spot-tailed freight train on the other end.

On the Middle Coast, kayakers have more access to these locales due to no motor zones. And yes, there are lots of reds in these areas.

TIDAL RIPS: Tidal rips are a common place for offshore anglers to fish for pelagics like king mackerel and wahoo.

When you see a line of current that has dingy water on one side and clear on the other, you have found one of these rips. They are most common in the channels but can also be found in bays, especially on the southern end where the tidal pull is strongest.

Take a live mud minnow or finger mullet, rig it on a wide-gapped hook and put a 1/8-ounce split shot above it. Let it drift with the current and you have a great shot of catching reds as well as speckled trout.

Try both sides of the trip, as there are times when for whatever reason, fish will be on one side or the other. Reds don’t mind dirty water so don’t always think it will be on the clean side.

In a kayak, you can effectively troll these areas and that’s a great way of covering lots