Corpusfishing.com

chrisnatca · Finger Mullet Joined: 18 Jun 2018 Posts: 11

I've got a green fishing light off my dock on Padre Island. Tonight, there were at least 12-15 nice sized trout swimming around the light. They were definitely in a feeding mood because I saw them chasing pretty much any little bait fish that wandered into the light.

I threw several different lures at them. Topwater, soft plastic paddle tails, glow in the dark DOA shrimp under a popping cork at a couple different depths, even a silver spoon.

I got a couple of looks from the trout, but no solid bites in about an hour of fishing. Virtually every cast would end up with at least one trout following my lure back to the dock, but they just wouldn't hit it.

Any tips for fishing the lights?
_________________
http://afishoutofwater.org

ziacatcher · Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 9:17 pm Post subject:

Like you said they're after little Bait fish. Like they say in fly fishing match the hatch. In the picture are four of the lures that I used consistently, including tonight, and have been catching the heck out of the trout and even some redfish. The jig heads are 1/32 ounce. The jig head pictured is for size comparison and it's 1/8 oz. I rig them up like spec rigs. They have also been hitting green and white clousers

TroutSupport · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:47 am Post subject:

Not to toot my own horn, but try the TSL grasswalker in the lights.. I didn't design it for it.. but it will pull out the better fish out of the lights. Dont walk it in the lights though just slow reel it.

Outside of tooting my own horn, I agree with Zia, small shad body style baits are great. the more natural and small the better. Also if they are skittish, try casting at your deck from the side.. don't walk out on your deck or if you do be super super quiet. Loose the popping cork, go stealthy.

Johninaustin · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 1114

Try the smallest white spec rigs. Tip them with a tiny bit of fishbite.

bulldog1935 · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:47 am Post subject:

I'm with Tobin here. Bone Diamond Glow.
We fished these last Nov on our dock at Arroyo and slayed specs.
I got up every morning before the rest and fished the last hour before first light. They cast forever.

Our light drew schoolies overnight. Retrieving the lure from the edge of the light a half-dozen nursery trout would try to eat it on the way in.
Then right in front of your face, right at the dock, 4 or 5 schoolie specs would make their arcing shot at the lure. As soon as there was a hint of daylight, the were gone.
We didn't keep any 14-1/2" Arroyo natives, and put back dozens of them. The lures are also tough - Think I fished the same one all 3 nights.

Slow twitch on the rod and just take up the slack with the reel crank.
The lure is neutral density and hovers at its depth in the water column.
A 1/8-oz swimbait hook will get it down a few feet.

I've also sight-fished big specs to 23" over the green canal lights with the smallest wildeye shad. I'm a stealth wizard and was watching the action closely.
They will not hit a lure with any vertical motion. Jig it to their depth, then walk the dock with the lure to maintain side-to-side motion, put it front of their face, and they will eat it. If you don't have glow, blue is the next best thing in the dark.

Procure or a similar bait poultice is also good to keep the smell of us off the plastic and make them hang on.

If you want to duplicate water-column hovering on a fly rod, use what I call a slime line - neutral density or intermediate sinking line. Count it down 5 or 6 seconds - vary your countdown to determine where they're hitting.
Slow retrieve with small Unweighted jig-type flies.
If they're not eating, vary the retrieve to see what might turn them on.
And if you let it get close to the bottom, you'll may get reds, drum or flounder.

If you want to catch them on live shrimp, the best rig is a small mansfield mauler - clicking cigar cork - 3-4' light mono leader and a 1/0 Kahle hook.
The smaller the shrimp the better. Give it a click every now and then.

You need light spinning tackle to throw this light rig. UL even XUL is best if you're ready for big fish on XUL tackle.
This is a 7-1/2' Japanese salt XUL, I have a couple - will throw 5g, protect 3-lb test, and a strong butt to turn large fish.

this is the same rod I use with the small wildeye shad

ziacatcher · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 11:07 am Post subject:

I'm going to have to experiment tonight after I get back from refereeing volleyball.

Texican · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:27 pm Post subject:

My PB trout (25+") was caught off a lighted public fishing area right before sun up on a cream colored lil' fishie just like the one in the very bottom of Zia's picture. It was rigged in in tandem on an ultra light spinning rod.
_________________
"Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail." - Kinky Friedman

PS: Screw you Photobucket!

ziacatcher · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:29 pm Post subject:

Just got in from my dock. Had one of Tobin's Pearl lures rigged up and made five casts. Had a couple look at but no bumps or hits. Switched over to my tandem Little Fishies and First cast I get a double hook up a 16 and 13 inch trout. Fish scattered so I jumped in the hot tub. Went back out made another 5 cast with Tobin's lure and again nothing. Went back to my little fishies and caught another fish. Then the mosquitoes got so bad I thought they were going to pick me up to carry me away. Sorry Tobin tonight Little Fishies wins. Tomorrow might be a different story

chrisnatca · Finger Mullet Joined: 18 Jun 2018 Posts: 11

Thanks for the tips everyone. I got some of these little DOA lures and a speck rig. I started catching fish immediately. Got these two keepers. Could have caught more if I'd felt like staying outside, but the mosquitos were awful.

It definitely seems that the trout prefer the smaller lures. At least in the light they do.

[img]http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h42/chrisnatca/20180918_080845_zpso7r7c8z8.jpg.html[/img]

[img]https://photos.app.goo.gl/jvn4pQZa97wGQTV38[/img]

[img]https://photos.app.goo.gl/qTEU1qTdWiHTFWiX6[/img]
_________________
http://afishoutofwater.org

chrisnatca · Finger Mullet Joined: 18 Jun 2018 Posts: 11

Well, those pics didn't work. Trust me. I caught fish.
_________________
http://afishoutofwater.org

bulldog1935 · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:00 am Post subject:

spec rigs work - my dad has caught every possible mixed species double combination drifting the flats with them.
We were mixing them in at Arroyo and I got a spec + snook double.