I'll use shrimp from time to time and they catch fish. One of the biggest reds I've ever caught was on a shrimp. But so are the smallest fish and trash fish. I hate catching hardheads.

I'll buy some fresh dead shrimp and use them to catch bigger bait fish like whiting and croker. A cast net for menhaden and mullet. Then rig them up and pitch 'em out. You might have to wait a bit longer but you're more apt to catch more solid fish.

If you have multiple rods then set some out with shrimp and others with live bait fish.

There are some strong currents running up and down, parallel to the beach. Don't try to swim bait out or swim one armed whiled carrying a rod in the other....Don't ask me how I know.

As for sharks, most people don't realize that bull sharks can live in fresh water and have been caught many miles inland. They frequent the shallows and the BAYS. I hear of many reports of wade fisherman in back bays that lose their stringers to bull sharks. It's the ocean, that's where they live. Tiger sharks, black tips, bonnet heads and several others are routinely caught in the surf.

One calm summer day I waded out to the 3rd sandbar, and yes I swam one-armed from the 2nd to the 3rd. Once there I was surrounded by baitfish. A school of baby Manta Rays were cruising around, turtles swimming by and I was catching fish. It was bliss until I looked to my right and saw three distinct wakes and three distinct dark colored bodies approaching me at a high rate of speed. Bait fish were showering out of the water just ahead them. My heart sank. A cold chill ran down my spine. I'd seen sharks do this before. They gotta be sharks and they're coming straight at me. No time to run. Nowhere to go. I knew at that moment my life was over and I was grateful to be able to go doing what I loved. Just feet from me they split off and went around me....dolphins chasing mullet. Woooo, that was a close one. I headed back to shore for a shot or two of "courage in a bottle".

Sorry, I didn't completely answer your question the first time. Depending on the gear you've got you can use fresh dead shrimp to catch whatever will bite it. Then use those fish (alive) to pitch out on heavier gear into the guts. If the surf is rough you need spider weights to keep it in place. Use 4/o or 5/o croaker hooks or circle hooks for the live bait and smaller hooks or even treble hooks for the shrimp.

With the bigger baits wade out to the second sandbar and then cast them into the next gut. If your really good at casting you might be able to clear the 3rd sandbar.

Walk back in and set the rod in a holder, tighten the lines and pop open a cool one. While your waiting you can experiment with some of the lures I suggested or catch whatever will bite on some of the shrimp you bought.

You can usually buy piggie perch and finger mullet or mud minnows at the bait shops too. But they'll need to be aerated in a live well to keep 'em fresh.

Also pick up some redfish rigs at the bait shop and put them out. They'll cover water with the current, increasing your chances.

Hope this helps.

Also, you can try free lining shrimp or using light weights for sheepshead down at the fish pass jetties on the north side of Mustang Island State Park. The pass is silted in but the sheepies will hold in the rocks at the end. The rocks only go out about 100 yards so it's not far to drag your stuff.

I wade the bays using topwaters and plastics. Still catch fish though with my rod. i wasn't trying to stir your pot brother, just givin my opinion and what works for me. I mean that's what this forum is all about.....

CCRed,
I'm sorry, I'm not offended at all brother...appreciate all opinions. Like I said, I'm not an expert on this and certainly not "the authority" on it...you gotta be doing something right because I never could keep my Academy Special rigs from rusting or corroding and I never could walk-the-dog on anything but rods made for that. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Like I said whatever works best, use it. Didn't mean to sound like I was snapping at ya'.

heres anouther tip for you waders....wear a life vest. i was once wading out at the end of sargent beach by the cedar lakes area and was in about thigh high water all around....till one step and *Bloop* a sharp dropoff about 8 feet deep and im not a very good swimmer.....i always wear one now. i dont care how silly i look wearing a life vest in knee deep water....better safe than sorry.

also my sister one time was out in a little bay in only about 6 inches of water and hit a softspot or sinkhole or whatever and dropped in to her waist in mud...not cool. im not sure if a life vest would help in mud or not but i dont think it would hurt

*bowing* THANK YOU Landpirate! Thank you thank you thank you! ... I swear, if I was any more thankful, my hubby would get jealous.

That's the kind of thing I've been trying to learn. I've spent a year and a half reading up on saltwater fishing, but only got to go once. Hopefully soon I'll be able to get out there again.

Your welcome...now easy my wife might be watching. She'd get jealous too then we'd have a heck of a mess on our hands. LOL.

Just use the basics and then fine tune it through trial and error. Eventually it all comes together and seems easy. Then other days you do everything right and can't catch a cold. I guess that's what keeps us coming back for more.

See it only took once and now you are hooked! That is what I love about it and since I grew up on the coast and now live in DFW area I am stuck with the long drive down several times a year. I am taking 3 guys that i work with down to Matagorda next month so that they may try out the saltwater for the first time....man am I gonna have my hands full.


Great job on you write up Land P. I am sure this will help many out including me.

The action on the third bar can be fantastic...even when there isn't any action on the second bar gut. If you are short in stature, if conditions are rough, and/or if currents pushing high tides, it can be diffficult to get there, but at times the action is well worth the effort.

We didn't used to wear them, but a life vest should always be worn if you are going to the third bar, even the second bar can be dicey at times. If a wave knocks you off your feet, don't panic, don't ever swim against the current...just go with the flow and ease back into wading position.

It's raw fishing out there, just you and the fish and you are in their element, on their home court. To me, its one of the most exciting forms of fishing we can do...and it is free and easily accessible. Just be careful out there.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned as a bait is sandfleas. I cut my surf fishing teeth over on the Florida panhandle (Pensacola area), and we would dig them up in various ways and use them to catch everything from blues, pomps, reds, and black drum. I know the type of sand down here is entirely different from what I'm used to so I don't know if it's even possible, but are there sandfleas down here? Oh, and I didn't mean to derail the post, just trying to help the discussion. Thanks

I've seen them for sale at the bait shops but never used them personally.

done the mud thing before just out from rollover but it went to my chest I had to use my floating game bag as like a giant snow shoe kinda thing to get out got really stuck and scared that time tide was coming in thought I was a goner

another way and this is what I do would be to buy or rent a kayak and pull your lines out with it much easier and you can drop your bait anywhere you want

The last time I went to the coast to surf fish(Jan. 09') I saw them for sale. I thought to myself, what kind of fish would eat that... rather have mullet as bait or crabs. Guy said afterwards they had been tearing them up using sand fleas. I'll try them next time.