to the beach between the sandbars, and you can toe your way out to thigh- to waist-deep water along the inshore drop-off. Abit of breaking surf is an ally. The lifting waves and rolling whitewater provide cover for roaming schools, and the turbulence helps oxygenate the water. Also a plus, the recurring break- ers mark the shallow sandbars. Watch the lines of surf and you know exactly where to stand. Con- versely, if incoming waves abruptly back off, you know a “hat floater” gut awaits. But these channels usually hold the most fish. Using the surf as a soggy road map allows the tuned wader to stay safe and locate action. The sand bottom of the beachfront surf is virtually snag-free. You really have to be unlucky to get hung up and break off out there. This open arena is a happy contrast
to the unforgiving
rocks. For this reason, many veteran surf waders prefer mullet-type sub- surface plugs for big trout. Heavy spoons are another tradition- al favorite, and with good reason. The compact metal spoon has superior bal- listics. Covering water improves the odds of finding a school, and the surf wader often is casting into or across an onshore Gulf wind.
Of course, soft-plastics tails on typi- cal 1/4-ounce jig heads are great for mixed-bag action, but you do give up a few yards per cast (as an advantage, the large single hook is safer to work with when landing and un-hooking fish amid rough surf). Live bait is a great call in the surf, much easier to drag a bait bucket
40
down the bar than across the rocks. And the rolling foam helps keep shrimp frisky. You either can free- shrimp or rig a shallow cork. The downside to live bait is that riff-
raff such as tiny croakers and hardhead catfish can be an on-going annoyance. And, just as a school of trout moves within reach, you are down to your final “whiskers and eyeballs” in the bait bucket. For this reason, the savvy surf wader should tote a few backup spoons or jigs in a secure pocket. The open beach has other disadvan-
tages. First, fish are not everywhere. The arena is vast and schools are rest- less. Keep moving and looking for signs of action. And wading the surf can be danger- ous. The sand bottom is firm and (nor- mally) reliable, but the angler ventur- ing beyond the inshore water always should don a proper flotation vest. Underline this warning anywhere near a free-running pass. Sooner or later, the hard charger will lose contact with the bottom; either you bumble over a drop-off or a “sneaker” wave knocks you down. It’s easy to panic when tossed and thrashed and tangled up in tackle. The idea is not to swim to Cuba. Angle with the flow, always aiming inshore;
firm footing
usually is only a few yards away. Travel as unencumbered as practi- cal, but don’t forget a pair of needle- nosed pliers and a long 12- to 15-foot cord stringer. The surf stringer has a float on the far end. You slide each caught fish down the cord and near the float. This technique keeps you segre- gated from your flapping, bleeding
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bounty — not a bad concept when you consider that the successful surf wader is, in effect, slow-trolling for sharks. Attacks on waders are almost
unheard of in Texas, but hooked or strung fish occasionally are snatched. Use a long stringer and back away if a shark with real shoulders makes a pass at the float.
Hot summer water can be another drawback in the shallow belt of surf. The relative cool and low light of the “dawn patrol” almost always gets the best of it during July and August, so be prepared for a brutal alarm clock. Finally, the surf is fickle. A shift of wind or an increase in velocity can turn a green tide into a rubble of sandy chops. A sustained southwest wind blowing side-shore up the beach is a trip-killer. Watch the forecast and know before you go. Or shift focus to the nearest jetties.
The light-tackle angler on the Texas coast has an effective and inexpensive double play. And, one other thing: On the rocks or in the surf, the hard strike at the end of a long cast is one-on-one, main-line contact. On foot, each fish just seems larger than life.
Joe Doggett was an outdoor columnist at the Houston Chronicle for 35 years. He retired in February, 2007, but continues to write occasional guest features. He also is a contributing editor for Field & Stream, and senior contributing editor for Texas Fish & Game. Doggett's writing has been recog- nized by Outdoor Writers Association of America, Texas Outdoor Writers Associ- ation, Associated Press, United Press International, and the Houston Press Club.
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