We've got a house rented on Copano bay with a lighted pier. Any tips you can give for the lighted dock fishing for this bass guy? Also any other good bank fishing spots around the area? Thinking about driving to Port A one day also. Is there any fish in the surf right now?

For the lighted dock glo with chartreuse tail is usually a good color. Any small tail on a light jig head should work. Shrimp on a popping cork too. It’s going to be a bunch of school trout with a few decent ones mixed in. Usually the bigger ones are at the edge where the light transitions into dark.

Plenty of bait available in Rockport about 10 minutes away. Have a cooler with an aerator. Hopefully the house you have rented is on the Copano Bay side not the Salt Lake side. We have rented several houses in Copano Ridge over the years. On several we waded straight out and caught trout off the drop out there. A few times the bay was too fresh and not holding any fish to speak of.

If the conditions are right the trout will be in the surf. Just need the wind to cooperate. Get there first thing. Work from the first gut out.

Out the back of the house it was first thing in the morning or later in the evening for the best. We waded out a ways to where we were about belly button deep and threw as far as we could.

You can see the drop on google earth. Fish work up and down it.

It was convenient. Just walk out there for a hour or two. Come back in for a few drinks and snacks and a nap.

You can see the drop here. Edge of the lighter green.

My son makes soft plastics. He has some that glow in the dark that he uses for fishing in the submerged lights around docks. Check out biteandfightangler.com and tell him his Pops sent you!

JR

If nothing else, there will probably be skipjacks (ladyfish) out there. They are a nuisance to adults, but a lot of fun for kids.

Smaller is usually better in the lights if you’re using articials. If you use live shrimp, just freeline them, no weight at all, and fish the edges.

Small is good. You also can’t give the bigger fish long to look at it. On shrimp I usually throw them on a popping cork where there is very little light from the under water lights. Throwing them on free line is good but it can be total trash fish.

If they are following close behind it they want to eat it. Sometimes it can help having the container that Gulps come in and dip it in the juice. Or put Fishbite on it.