The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

“Don’t tell me you finally got on some trout wading,” I asked Larry

Dixon as soon as I climbed out of the truck Saturday afternoon. “Not a

chance,” he snapped back while still filling one leg of a pair of waders

with a water hose.“This always feels so stupid, but I don’t know of a

better way of finding leaks.” “I can’t remember which pair leaked the last time we were out and duck season opens Saturday.It’s supposed to be colder this weekend so I figured I better take care of the leaking problem.” By the time I finally tired out his lab, Sadie, repeatedly lobbing a well-worn duck decoy in the pool, he had discovered a leak in all but one of the four pairs he checked. “You would think, or at least hope, that one of the boys would take care of their own waders.Not in this

family!” Hopefully, Larry was right about the approaching cold front that is

supposed to usher in not only a stiff north wind, but significantly

lower temperatures as well.The last two fronts have just kind of fizzled

out and had little effect on the water stacked up in local marshes. Before that happens, we are also projected to get more rain and Lord knows the river and bayous are already muddy enough.The water that gets blown out of the back lakes and marshes will, however, be much clearer and warmer and that combination could do a lot for the catching. The only problem with planning a trip around targeting color changes and water pouring out of the drains is that this program is not exactly a well-kept secret.Because of an accompanying north wind that usually

renders the open lake off limits, it’s a horse race to stake a claim on

one of these small areas.Areas like Black’s Bayou look more like I-10

than a serene bayou! In the event that this front is as strong as advertised, the most

dependable bite will crank up a day or so after it has done its thing

and moved on.The lake will flatten out and the fishing pressure will

thin out with more water available. There should be more bird activity as the fish take advantage of the 24 hour buffet, especially on the outgoing tide.If there is truly an

improved trout bite to be had due to the weather change, the greatest

benefactors will be the wade fishermen. The trout are notorious for hanging out on the shallow flats close to deeper water much later into the day.In a perfect world, the shorelines will be down to the mud and the flats will become the new shoreline.An

incoming tide in the afternoon hours that ushers in more bait can be

just the ticket. Right now it is still hopeful speculation as to just how many trout are

still around to make all of this happen.If it doesn’t happen, it will

only add fuel to the theory that the trout population in Sabine Lake is

in serious trouble. In the event that the trout do show up, I urge you to keep only what you intend to eat without freezing any, as they not only tastes better, but

definitely need help rebounding.I love to eat trout, but I can force

myself to eat redfish court bouillon and stuffed flounder! While fishing live bait or even fresh dead bait is a Plan B at best for me, it shouldn’t be for folks that want to get their line pulled and don’t have much time to hunt fish.It should be Plan A for Dads hoping to keep their youngsters interested.Shad, mullet, and shrimp (live or dead) will attract anything from a six inch sand trout to an oversized red and fishing is all about getting the bite anyway.That initial “thump” is what fishing is all about.If that doesn’t do it for them you are not going to have another fisherman in

the family.Cheap or faulty gear is not the way to get them started.They deserve an

opportunity to win the battle once the hook is set and that is best

accomplished with a suitable rod and reel matched to the

challenge.Regardless of age, I would start them with a 6 ½ to 7 foot

spinning reel with a 1500 or 2500 model reel.The smaller number will

better fit smaller hands. The money spent on this combination is not wasted as it will last them a lifetime.Seventy-five percent of my customers from age 5 to 75 use that

set up. Getting them started is one thing, getting them started right is

another!