Grew up bass fishing in North GA, I am new to this area and saltwater fishing. I have a boat and have access to the waters around the causeway bridge in Corpus Christi. I have drifted across the flats south of the causeway bridge to Pita Island as well as Nighthawk Bay. Fished in the early moring and afternoon. Thrown live shrimp with limited results for small trout and jackfish. Thrown live croakers and pinperch with no results. Also various artificials such as Swim baits, plugs and gold spoons with no results. Haven't caught many nice trout or any reds. Sure is frustrating. Do you have to sight fish in clear water? Also if in an area and don't get a bite, Should I move because there are no fish present? I'm hoping that there is somebody that can tell me what I'm doing wrong. I would sure appreciate it.

Georgia,

Let me preface this by saying I'm not familiar with the Corpus area so I don't have a lot of spots for you. In clear water, always use a flourocarbon leader.

I'm assuming you've done the obivous things like: buy a Hotspot map, talked with bait camp operators for fishing spots, etc. If you haven't take care of these first. These tips are for saltwater fishing in general.

1. Tide - Go get a copy of Gulf Coast Fisherman and read the tide information for the West Gulf. Fishing is always, always, ALWAYS better on a moving tide. Plan your trips when you've got some tidal movement because slack tide produces hardheads and small fish.

2. Drift fishing. Find a like flat, oyster reef, drop off or trout slick. Tie on a drift anchor onto your boat, run your trolling motor and let the wind take you to the fish. The best all around bait for drifting is probably live shrimp under a popping cork or Alamed float. If your on a flat, cast to the pot holes (the white areas where there is no grass. Once you find the fish, throw out a mraker bouy to come back to. The down side to this is anything that swims except for mullet eats live shrimp.

3. Fishing the birds. Do not use live bait for this. Use 1/4 ounce jigheads with tout tails, norton sand eels, cocahoe minnows, etc... Take binoculars on the boat and scan the horizon for diving seagulls (not terns or liearbirds). Run the big motor to within 200 yards of the birds then close in with the trolling motor. Cast into the birds and hold on. If your carching small fish, switch to a heavier jighead 3/8 ounce. The big ones are on the bottom. These fish are spooky so stealth in approach is a must! Fishing the birds is a lot of fun but it's unreliable and not available everyday.

4. Croaker Soaking - Croaker fishing works best when you are anchored. Don't fish croaker under a popping cork! To rig a croker, tie a swivel on the main line of your reel. Below the swivel, tie on a 20# test mono leader about 24" long. Next tie on a croaker or Kale hook. Add a split shot to the leadee about 10" from the hook. If your in a strong current or really deep water, add an egg sinker 1/4 - 1 ounce above the swivel. You want the croaker to be able to move/swim around frantically.

5. Bay Wells - You'll have your best luck with croakers fishing some structure. A good place to start is by finding an oil or gas well in the bay. they all have a very large shell pad that acts as reef and draws all kinds of fish. Anchor up current of the well and throw your croaker up under the legs. Let it sink and leave your line in free spool (this works best with an open faced reel that has a clicker like an Abu Garcia or Shimano Corsair). Set out 2-3 croakers at one time. When a fish hits it, count to 5 before setting the hook. You can also fish shrimp around the rigs with a "free shrimp" rig. This is the same as above but only use a small split shot on the leader and set the hook as soon as you feel the strike. You don't want the shrimp on the bottom.

6. Croaker on the flats - Anchor the boat up current of some likely potholes. Cast your croaker directly into a pothole, count to 5 before setting the hook.

7. The jetties - Your not far from Port Aransas. The jetties there are awesome! This is dangerous fishing for the inexperienced. You may want to go with a friend on your first trip. Make sure you get a jetty anchor before you go. Make sure your boat is anchored before turning off the motor.

8. The surf - Always a great option for wading. If you take your boat, make sure you anchor out of the swells.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you do.

Really good points by Whitey. Locations you've said are good ones, it might be presentation or the terminal tackle you're using.
Might suggest you try further south from Pita, the area from Pita to the Humble channel towards the shore of the King Ranch shoreline. Don't go too far out about 400 yards, drift towards the shoreline, don't be afraid to get shallow, reds will gang up there close to the shore. once you get real shallow, just trim up the motor and putt you self out to deeper water. Don't worry if one drift doesn't do well, move S or N 300-400 yards and try again. As the water warms in the summer, try the same area but move about 3/4 miles out and drift the hole itself. Called Bearcrafts hole.
Nighthawk can be hit or miss. Same thing work an area and move N or S a bit, and try again.
Craokers/piggies, try the scattered grass islands in about 3-4 of water along the King ranch shoreline From Bird Island to Pita. About 300-400 yards out from shore. Free line these buggers, #20-30 fluoro leader 2-6 foot, tied with a blood know or the easy Tie-fast knot(tool is at Academy)2/0-4/0 Kahle hook. Cast out let the boy swim, feel the hit give 5-10 seconds set the hook.
Try drifting the Boathole, use the Alameda rattling float, 2 foot leader, #1-2/0 Kahle hook. Snap the cork every so often, ,reel in the slack, snap it again.Cork goes unde,REEL in the line until it's tight, set the hook. Too many folks see the cork go under and set the hook, got to have the pressure, so the hook will hook in the corner, top or bottom of the mouth.
Might also suggest you use soft plastics, shrimptails, Assassin style, Sand Eels, etc, with 1/8 jighead. Pop them off the bottom or slide and pop, use in 3-6 foot of water.
Don't fish clear water down there, find the slightly off color(trout green) water. Really clear water makes for light clear line, long casts, and good positioning of the boat. Trout green is still good and dirty water Alameda with a lot of big snaps. (The Alameda became so popular when the Brown tide came in in early 90's or so, it's really good for off-color water)
Email me if you wade and I'll give you a good spot close to the JFK, if you don't wade you can drift it with the right wind. Or Anchor.
Hope this helped. Good Luck.

One other thing. When your drifting and throwing the shrimp under the Alameda float, TOO said reel in then set the hook. He's right but don't ever quit reeling in fast a speckled trout. 9 times out of 10, once their hooked the run right for the boat. Most other fish run away from the boat. I've lost a ton of fish trying to use the samuri hookset then there wasn't much tension on the line and I thought the fish was off. Once you slow down the reeling, the fish spits the hook.

TOO/Whitey...do you use a Kahle hook for live shrimp or just for croaker?

Whitey, You mentioned the jetties are very dangerous for the not so experienced. What kind of dangers and what precautions should one take when fishing around the jetties?

I use a Kahle Hook for shrimp. You almost always hook them in the mount and it's a lot easier to unhook the fish than a treble.

One other thing, I started using Power Pro line and found that my hook-ups are a lot more consistent in freshwater without the stretch of mono. I'm going to the Chandeluer islands next month and I'll be fishing Norton Sand Eels with Power Pro on my spinning rod.

PS - I'm thinking about changing my handle from Whitey to "PimpforthePowerPro"

Whitney/TOO - Thanks for the great tips. I'm ready for the weekend right now. I'm going to try those techniques. I've spent to much time not to have hooked up with a Texas Red.

I've got to start proof reading my posts or not hurry so much.
R, I use a Kahle kook for any bait fishing, free-lining shrimp, croaker/piggies, under an Alameda, at the jetties under the "TOO's Famous Jetty Rig",
Blanco is correct, keep the line tight, often trout will swim towards you, IME, reds will usually run to the side, trout generally do the head shake.
My input only, jetties should be fished with a boat with someone experienced in jetty fishing from a boat for the first few times. Never pull the anchor until the engine is running, if the motor conks and the anchor is pulled you'll wash up onto the rocks and ruin a boat. Granite doesn't give. Also there are big dawg ships coming in and out, you need to aware and looking.
As for trout slicks, they are oily sheeny slicks on the surface of the water. If your down wind of the slick you'll smell watermelon, really! This is regurgated feed from trout and sometimes gafftop. get up wind and drift through the slicks, if wading work up current and fish there. Remember the current can be going one way and the wind another, the slick will float down current. In the Laguna the wind is will move the slicks more so than the current. Other places close to passes or cuts can have the slick moving up wind.
BA1, the above of Wh's and mine are basic precautions needed just to not crash on the rocks. If you plan on jetty fishing, buy the jetty anchor, it's called the mightymite, kinda like a grappling hook. It's weighted and has bendable prongs. You anchor along the rocks and when done, you START the engine, tie off to a cleat and pull the anchor up by using the motor. After you clear the jetty area, you bend the prongs back into shape. belive this is the web site www.mightymite.com
GM, what type of boat do you have? If you can get fairly shallow, I'd suggest that you motor to the flats N of the JFK. about 200 yards from the JFK on the west(left) is or was a pole off the ICW. Marks a channel from the ICW to the Boathole. About 2' deep maybe 3'. bit of a ridge right before getting in the channel from the ICW, clear that ridge and putt down a few yards. On the N side of that channel is a bed of grass and then the flats. slide the boat up on the grass edge and secure the anchor. Get out and wade down wind. If you got a SE wind you can cast a good distance down wind. Use an Alameda, and put your leader at about 8-10 " depending on the tide. You'll be in about knee to mid-thigh deep water. Grass will be growing up and the shrimp needs to be right at the grass. Cast toward any grass line potholes, color change, different grass, etc. Pop and let sit, pop and let set, about every 10 seconds. Reds roam the flats and will nail that shrimp. I use a 7' spinning rod, a Shimano 4000 series reel, and 10-12# line. 20# fluro leader. A real blast! reds running in skinny water taking drag, making a rooster tail! In May you might find more keeper trout there than reds, but summer? It's a blast. It's a bit muddy just slide your feet. If you don't wade get into that channel w/a SE wind and you can drop and pull anchor straight down that channel. Anchor cast a long ways work the area. pull the anchor, drif a bit, anchor again, cast. Should nail some reds. Best time is evening until sundown. Or day break. You can see the channel as you come over the JFK on SPID heading to CC. Look towards the boathole and you'll see the channel as darker water. Best to see this channel up the JFK with polarized glasses at noon time.
Another area is the spoil islands north of the JFK to the east of the ICW slowly drive into the area, anchor and cast towards the islands. Top dog's work well here. Don't be afraid to cast into 1' of water, work the cuts, and especially the potholes. Good Luck.

Thanks for the tips TOO, I fished the jetties about a month ago for the first time, I made sure we were anchored down with two anchors and we werent drifiting into the rocks. It was kind of rough when we were out there and I was a little weary about being close to the jetties. I guess as long as your anchored donw real well you will be alright.

Thanks alot fellas
BTW the anchor link is:
http://www.mightymiteanchors.com/

Thanks, R. That's it! Have heard folks swear by them, haven't heard anyone swear at them.
BA-1, I don't know much about jetty fishing from a boat, but I do know you want to be close to the rocks, that's the supermarket for the trout and reds. I've posted it before, but last August, Rogue Wave and I saw the biggest trout I'll ever hope or deserve to see. We had seen some 36" reds being brought down the jetty that folks had caught. I was catching piggies for redfish bait and had a trout as big as those oversized reds come up and bite my hooked piggy, which was caught on a #8 perch hook. That trout was State record material, and for sure a truck and boat. Absolute monster. Thought it was a huge red at first. Thing was, it hit the piggy two feet from the edge of the jetty rocks. Maybe 3' from my toes. What a fish! I've been thinking on how to catch one like that this year on the jetties, and I've got some ideas. They're out there.

TOO. let's not start up that monster trout STORY again. I've heard the story from you and Rouge Wave..... Sounds truthful......

There is just somethiong about this monster from the deep.???? LOL

GeorgiaMarine - I started this saltwater fishing last year. Slow start. TOO knows, he helped me understand the little things about this sport.

Be patient. That Red will hit. He'll move you left and right and be a good fight. The Trout will softly take the bait and head at you. You will think that you lost it... No. I have never not caught a fish when saltwater fishing. I have been saltwater fishing and not caught one of the big three (trout, red, flounder). I have also watched the guy next to me (10 yrds) catch fish and I got nothing.

As we all say and was told to me again this past weekend by a fellow wader - that's why we call it fishing not catching.

Scottie

PS - TOO, check your email.

Thanks Again for everyone's advice. T - I know where you're talking about. I get a bird's eye view everyday from those orange and white airplanes ya'll see flying overhead.

I have an 18' aluminum custom center console my dad and I put together a few years ago. I can drift across really shallow water. We didn't install a transom lift however, and the motor sits pretty deep compared to the water needed to float. Thats usually good exept the wind down here makes the thing a virtual sailboat.

I am going to spread the word about this forum. Its great. I don't know what my wife would think if she knew that I had all these great tips that are only going to keep me away from the house longer.

I lost a mighty mite anchor at the galveston jetties last year. we were anchored in one spot close the the end of the north jetty for 8 hours. We were hauling in the gafftop (we absolutely filled a 120 qt igloo) and the blacktip sharks.

When we left, I followed the directions and backed down on the anchor for about 15-20 minutes. I must have had the shaft wedged in the rocks cause it wasn't moving. It's still the best jetty anchor out there!