Jetty Jigging!

Maybe it’s a long career finally catching up; lately it seems my get up and go has done got up and went. What I’m talking about is my desire to make all-day wades on the flats in sweltering summer heat. Oh, I can still hang strong as ever when the water is running shirt-pocket-deep – great way to keep cool. But knee-deep for hours under blistering sun is no longer as appealing as it used to be. Unless, of course, the bites are frequent and the quality of the fish better than average.  

So, how can a diehard angler continue to feed his habit when the daily highs are crowding the century mark? Some hit the water just as the sun cracks the eastern horizon, spending only a few hours, and then possibly venturing out again toward sunset. This is a completely workable strategy but does not always align with favorable tide movements or solunar feeding periods. Fish on the flats don’t seem to like this kind of weather any more than we do. Success is too often hit or miss to justify the grind.  

Our strategy over the past several years for beating the summertime heat has evolved toward taking advantage of a whole other set of opportunities. We call it jetty jigging. Our targeted species are primarily bull redfish and feisty jack cravelle, not to rule out occasional encounters with king mackerel, or highly-coveted cobia. Some lucky anglers might even hook a tarpon, although landing one borders on impossible given the type of lures and rigging we typically use.

The best times for this type of sport coincide with new and full moon periods, when early morning incoming tides reach peak flows – the currents on in-between moons simply aren’t strong enough to ignite frenzy feeding. The action can be incredible as the bulls and jacks feed voraciously on a variety of baitfish – mullet, ribbonfish, and shad, mostly. Feeding frenzies erupt frequently as predators drive the bait to the surface while gulls, terns, pelicans, and even frigate birds swoop in for breakfast.  

One of the most incredible sights I ever witnessed was a jack cravelle slicing through a school of ribbonfish, flying several feet into the air with a hapless ribbon clenched crosswise in his jaws. I wish I had been filming it. I swear that jack looked like he was playing a harmonica.

Getting down to how we find our greatest success; we use mostly 30# tackle – medium-heavy to heavy-action rods and reels. Thirty-pound braided line is minimum; forty- to fifty-pound is better. First because the fish we are targeting are very strong, and second because the thinner profile of braid vs. mono helps keep baits tracking deep where fish will likely be holding when not blasting on the surface.

Another reason we opt for heavier tackle lies in the ability to quickly overpower the fish and accomplish healthy releases. The fish we are targeting are valuable broodstock, hence the emphasis on conservation. Long, drawn-out battles are invitations for sharks to grab a quick bite. Sometimes as much as half a thirty-pound fish. Shorter battles means the fish are easier to revive. The fish are more likely to survive and the angler gets back to fishing sooner. Holding the fish on a Boga Grip – right-side-up – while idling the boat forward is the best revival method we have found.   

A high-quality depth finder with clear bottom-defining capabilities becomes an indispensable tool. Quite often, after surface frenzies begin to fade, or perhaps never happen at all, aggregations of bait and large predators can be marked in deeper water. Deeper, as in 30- to 40-feet, and sometimes more. There are places within the Matagorda Ship Channel, near the inshore end of the jetties, where the depths can range 50- to 60-feet. No matter, they cannot hide from our Humminbird Solix.

The trick is to find the fish and then determine which direction they might be heading, or perhaps staged. It is then a simple matter to determine the depth and current strength to drop a lure into their midst. Sometimes this requires dropping the jigs a hundred yards or more up-current. Once the sweet spot is identified, engaging the spot-lock feature on your trolling motor is a great aid in obtaining additional hookups.

The rigging is fairly basic; about four feet of 150# mono leader. The old rule of thumb says the leader should be at least as long as the fish you are targeting. The pounds-test recommendation is a bit of overkill, intended more for avoiding breakoffs and chafing when lures hang on bottom clutter than subduing the fish you are likely to encounter. Our leaders have a Spro swivel crimped on one end and a heavy-duty snap for attaching lures on the other.

Our favorite lures are Spro Bucktail Jigs. Bucktail dressing mimics baitfish with incredible likeness when jigged vertically and with sweeping motions. The Gamakatsu hooks are tough and sharp – right out of the package. Depending current strength and depth being fished, we use either 3-ounce, 4-ounce, and sometimes even 6-ounce jigs.

Additional attraction can be created by rigging a large Z-Man swimbait such as the 7” DieZel MinnowZ paddletail or DoormatadorZ curlytail on the Spro Bucktail. Bright and dark colors work equally well. The proprietary ElaZtech material the baits are made of is tough beyond belief. They resist wear and tear like no other we’ve tried. A dozen or more large fish on a single bait is very common.

We typically rig a couple rods with various jig weights to accommodate whichever depths are being fished. Casting to surface frenzies can be accomplished with lighter lures, obviously. Getting down to fish that are suspended deeper calls for more weight. Either way, getting baits to the fish is essential. Time spent re-rigging when the bite is on is time wasted.

Perhaps what I love most is the short boat ride – about 10 minutes on average from Port O’Connor to the jetties – and it’s such a family-friendly outing. Youngsters get a kick out of seeing fish larger than themselves being landed and, once they are strong enough, put a rod in their hand. We do however recommend a tether on younger anglers, and also on the rod… to insure both remain in the boat. Another great aspect is the relative shortness of these trips. We leave at first safe light, and typically return to the dock between 9:00 and 10:00 am; or as soon as everybody aboard cries uncle. These are hard-fighting fish!

Weather is always a consideration but, generally speaking, any day with wind forecasted less than 15-mph, several days before and one or two following the new and full moon, late May through October, are good candidates. The moon dictates the tides, and strong tidal current is essential in this type of fishing. Learn jetty jigging. You’ll be glad you did.