Clear Water (and Not So Clear) Fishing Strategies
As I sit to write this article a mild cool front with NE wind and slightly cooler air has pushed its way into the Coastal Bend. The temperature is finally beginning to feel a bit like fall. Not too much going on in the tropics at present, but we are definitely still within the peak period of hurricane season. I wish we could get some tropical rainfall without the hurricane force winds. We still need rain in Rockport and of course Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon still need tons of rain to regain positive lake levels. Our bays would also benefit greatly as well, so here’s hoping for moisture without any damaging weather conditions.
Fishing has been challenging lately in the Aransas Bay Complex; larger trout are feeding at night and staying deeper during the day. While there's no shortage of smaller trout, catching bigger fish has proved difficult for me, even though I frequently spot them near shallow areas, especially around certain moon phases. Grinding usually works, but I've found that moving faster and covering more water can help because only a small percentage of trout are actively feeding. I struggle with this style of wading but am always aware for its need. I would still recommend stopping when you receive a bite or catch a fish of the size that you are looking for.
My sightings of larger trout lead me to believe that more times than not there are more than one in the area where a good fish is caught. Clear water systems can show us these types of things and should always be logged into one’s memory bank. I know a lot of great fishermen that struggle mentally in super clear water. This is normally due to them being confident in the somewhat colored or even murky waters of the bay systems they fish regularly. Most of these systems are north of POC but one would also have to include areas in Baffin and the Alazan systems. I have little problem in either type of water clarity due to having had great success in just about all water conditions imaginable during my career. I will go on record and state that I believe truly big trout are easier to catch in off-colored to downright dirty water versus the air-clear stuff.
In the dirty water, the angler needs to have taken good mental notes as to the whereabouts of the bottom structure during periods of cleaner water conditions. In many of the bay systems that hold dirty water most of the time, bottom grass can struggle to grow due to a lack of sunlight penetrating to the bottom. In these cases, I believe in fishing the edges along shorelines where hard bottom comes together with the softer bottom. Many times, this is located along the shoreline's primary drop-off. Some areas along the west shoreline of East Matty would qualify for this pattern. Well, at least the last time I fished in this area it seemed this was a pattern that worked for me.
Locating and establishing areas where bait is consistently present is also a key ingredient to locating and catching fish. I do like the fact that shallower, dirty water decreases the strike zone and allows for a stealthy approach from the truly large trout that live in these systems. I believe that it is a must that anglers approach and move slowly, and fish deliberately when encountering dirty water trout. I continue to be amazed at how shallow a 30-plus inch trout can be and we never see them. In my guiding nowadays I get to fish for these trout more often than I did in my earlier years.
Long wades without bites for many clients is something they only think they want to do. During many of my days in the earlier years I could see the group slowly but surely begin to move too fast and not concentrating on every cast. Luckily, quite often there are a few redfish in the area that provide some action and excitement that keeps us in the game.
The head game as I like to call it is huge in the dirty stuff. I always try to reinforce the thought that a lifetime-best trout could come on the next cast, so staying mentally focused is the key. The best of the best fishermen just setup and ease in, and allow the bite to develop around them. And they never lose focus.
I throw one of four types of lures in this type of situation. A topwater is always a good choice, although as I have said here many times it’s not my go-to. I like the Texas Custom’s Double D and Custom Corky Pro Series and Soft Dine. Mirrolure’s Lil John XL is my go-to but you should always be prepared to downsize to the Lil John series. The newest addition to my wading box includes the 6th Sense Party Paddle. And, you’re right when you say, “Hmm, Jay’s never been a paddletail guy.” Nonetheless this lure has been working great for me, producing some solid trout in 2025.
When fishing clear water, I tend to believe I need a longer leader. I’m also a believer in long casts, coupled with a slow approach, and tons of patience. The bonus to fishing clear water is the ability to see the bottom structure and pick each piece of structure apart with our casts.
You must understand that presenting a lure to a fish holding on a piece of structure is not always easy. In order to gain the fish’s attention, we must cast at various angles and cut the edges of the points of the submerged grass beds. This allows the lure to meet the bottom structure in a manner that is favorable to the fish. Same is true with casting to potholes. It’s the front and back edges of potholes where the strikes come from. As anglers, we must know where these strikes are being received and then duplicate the cast in every pothole.
Clear water conditions allow for a tremendous learning experience if we will embrace the opportunity. Clear water allows us to see all the many different types of bait fish that trout can eat, giving us an opportunity to mimic the size and shape of the bait fish with our lures. Right now, in my area, both trout and reds are feeding predominately on pinfish. This calls for something with a gold flash and a size of about 3 to 4 inches at the most. Yesterday I watched redfish pushing through the grass and eating perch as the perch spooked into a pothole out in front of them. This is a terrific example of a mental picture that you need to be able to replay in your mind even when you are not seeing it.
I like clear-bodied baits in clear water. This does not mean the lure is completely clear, just the material from which the body is made. It also has glitter or a hologram pattern printed on it. The glitter or hologram has the color and it's that small glint or flash of color that draws the strike.
I am also a fan of a clear bodied soft plastic with a chartreuse head versus the chartreuse tail. Some color patterns are not offered without a chartreuse tail so there are cases where I throw that but prefer the head to be chartreuse. If, chartreuse is the draw to the lure, why would you want it on the tail where there is not a hook. Predators know what drives the bus.
One of my very best days in my whole career was 47° with light wind and clear water. I caught every fish on a Plum 5” Bass Assassin with a 1/16 ounce 2/0 short shank hook. It turns out that Plum, Watermelon, Root Beer, White, and Black are dark colors that work very well in clear water, couple these with a 1/16 ounce chartreuse jighead and you’re going to catch some fish.
Other notable clear water colors that I find to be affective are Cajun Croaker-Pistachio, Bone Diamond, Opening Night, and Pink. I am not a huge fan of bright pink, preferring more of a soft pink with silver glitter. Three years ago, there was a stretch in Port Mansfield where pink was the only color I could catch fish on for about two weeks. Didn't matter the brand of lure, it just needed to be pink. Just so you know, trout see pink as silver and chartreuse as orange, according to Dr. Stunz.
Other unusual facts about trout’s vision; they have “color blindness” for green and red – both appear gray. So, I guess watermelon red glitter is really seen as plain old gray. Interesting, huh? I think many times the longer I fish the more I have to learn.
I am excited about our upcoming fall and winter fishing seasons. Despite the rough spot I have gone through the past couple of weeks, I am seeing positive signs that with cooler temperatures due in a few weeks we will see a resurgence in the trout bite and the quality of trout we are catching. Shrimp are pouring out of the back bays right now and when we find them shallow, we are seeing some better action.
I remember a mid-October cold front that dropped water temperatures into the low 50s years ago. It was cold enough to shock the white shrimp, and they fell to the bottom but did not die. As I waded, I could feel them thumping against my waders. Once we got shallow over some clump shell, I was able to see them, hundreds of them. Fishing stopped and shrimping began. What a great fried shrimp dinner I enjoyed. All the trout and reds we caught had long whiskers sticking out of their mouths that day. For the record, it was not the best of bites either.
I hope you enjoy some great fall conditions and good fishing. Remember to keep only what you need and release the rest.
May Your Fishing Always Be Catching! Guide, Jay Watkins