Seeing is believing

Say the words “sight fishing” and a few thoughts that immediately pop into your head are “tails” “clear water” and “shallow”.  None of the previously mentioned words conjure up thoughts of the upper coast of Texas, sight fishing is a lower coast activity and can only be done down there. Well if you subscribe that line of thinking then you have either have a rude awakening coming or you are cringing at this article because you have already figured out how good this style of fishing is and just didn’t want to share it with anybody. Well regardless of which group you belong to hopefully the next few paragraphs will help you take advantage of this style of fishing because it is one of the most exciting methods of catching fish that I know of that doesn’t involve dynamite. Let me warn you though, once you start chasing fish like this it becomes highly addictive so by all means proceed with caution.

Now the classic scenario for the sight fishing enthusiast is a white sand flat with patchy areas of grass that break up the background and clear water. These conditions do no exist in my world, the bottom is dark and the grass is thick but we do have clear water contrary to popular belief. The biggest myth about the upper coast is that the water never gets clear; this is not true by any stretch of the imagination. The problem with the upper coast is that we don’t have the background or contrast that shows how clear the water really is. On a white sand bottom it’s easy to see the difference because everything jumps out at you from a white background. Flip the colors around and things get a little more challenging, your eyes have to be convinced that you are looking at a dark bottom and not muddy water. The first time I have a client throw a spinnerbait or a spoon in this kind of water it’s funny to see their reaction as they cannot believe that water is actually that clear.

Once you have gotten past the whole “I can’t see in the water” problem it’s time to go to work. Unlike our neighbors to the south the upper coast fishermen have to read a little more water in order to be able to see their fish. Everybody loves to see that big red stand on his head and wave that blue tinted tail in the air as if to say “over here”. Tailing fish are the top of the list for the sight caster but they are not the only target. Knowledgeable sight casters will take full advantage of fish that just give away their position with a slight ripple or push that changes the surface of the water just enough to pin point their location. Being able to see these subtle signs is made much easier from an elevated position lie a casting or poling platform. The elevated position allows one to see farther into the water by cutting glare and light refraction. It’s always fun to put a new angler up on the poling platform for the first time and let them see just how much better the view really is, especially when you are looking at fish.

 Speaking of looking at fish, quality polarized glasses are an absolute must if you are going to sight cast, you almost can’t do it without them. I recently started wearing a new brand called “Bajio”, pronounced bah-HEE-oh and is the Spanish word for the shallows. So far I have been incredibly pleased with all aspects of the glasses, they are light and comfortable with ridiculously clear lenses and fantastic polarizing qualities. There are plenty of great brands out on the market to choose from but the most important choice is to be sure and have them when you fish. Without a good set of polarized glasses you can almost forget about seeing the fish and you can count on having a nasty headache at the end of a day from staring at the surface of the water. Polarized glasses are easily one of the most important pieces of equipment you can take along on a sight casting trip.

Another crucial piece of equipment is lure selection, for not only this style of fishing but this particular area. The majority of the time I am back in the shallow marshes we throw topwater plugs and we throw them for the simple fact that it’s just a whole lot more fun to see these fish come to the surface and kill a plug. Smaller offerings like the She Dog, Spook Jr, Skitterwalk Jr, or Spittin Image seem to do the best because they are the perfect size and imitation of the shad and mullet that are so thick in these backwater lakes. The only drawback to these smaller plugs is that the really big redfish, fish in the 12 to 16 pound range tend to take the plug so deep that you really have to be careful removing it from their throat in order not to injure the fish. Now there is one more lure that probably provides the ultimate rush and most vicious strikes you can imagine, the Stanley Ribbit. This soft plastic frog rigged weightless and thrown into the nastiest grass can draw incredible strikes that are heart stoppers to say the least. If you have never seen a redfish come up through a mat of grass and destroy a plug you don’t know what you are missing, it’s incredible.

 On the subject of gear we must also include line and that is where the upper coast folks may have an advantage over their south Texas neighbors. Back in these brackish water marshes line size doesn’t seem to matter as much as it does on those super clear flats where fish can see everything. I have been throwing Suffix braid in a variety of sizes both with and without fluorocarbon leaders and it doesn’t seem to spook the fish. Monofilament in 10 to 12 pound test also works well provided you are not in really thick grass where these fish can pull off or even break off given half a chance. Fishing braid tends to work best in the thicker areas by allowing you the ability to put more pressure on the fish and pull them out of the cover. The ability to land these fish quicker also helps out in the summer months because you can land the fish sooner and release it instead waiting for the fish to play out causing extra stress and making it much more difficult to revive in the warmer water. For those reasons I am sold on the braid for this type of fishing.

 There is one more area that we must cover in order to make this journey complete and that’s casting accuracy. For many saltwater anglers there isn’t much of a need to really super accurate with your casts because much of the time we are throwing out into wide open areas just covering water. Our freshwater fishing brothers and sisters are much more target oriented than those of us who stay in saltwater. Becoming an accurate caster is important because an off line cast can spook a fish in the blink of an eye. The ability to accurately present a lure or work a stretch of shoreline is critical to being a successful sight fisherman. Nothing is more frustrating than working the boat into position to get shot a good redfish and having an errant cast blow the whole deal, everyone in the boat feels the let down including both the caster and the guy on the platform. By practicing your casts at known targets and distances you can greatly increase your chances of success. .

I hope I have dispelled some of the myths about sight fishing on the upper coast and I hope that sometime in the near future you get a chance to experience it for yourself. Far too few anglers from our part of the coast have ever gotten a chance to chase fish like this and experience the thrill that this style of fishing offers. Give it a shot because it’s well worth the effort.