Clear Water Calls for Clear Lures texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout Once winter settles in along the Texas Coast, water temperatures plummet. Most experienced anglers know cooler water affects fish inhabiting the flats. However, the lower water temperatures of winter also affect other organisms in the bay, which, in turn, affects fish, fishermen and fishing techniques. Ironically, it is the smallest of these organisms that most often has the biggest impact on winter flats fishing. When the bay water temperature goes south of 70 degrees, the myriad of microorganisms that typically populate the water column are greatly diminished. This reduction of suspended particle leads to enhanced water clarity. In fact, save a hard blowing wind, winter flats are typically `gin clear' up and down the Texas Coast. But, as nice as this water is to look at, it can be a severe handicap when attempting to approach spooky specks and reds. Fish swimming in such clear water are more readily available of anything that enters their environment. Under these conditions, fish can “get a better look” at artificial lures and flies. And, believe it or not, sometimes the best way to get these fish to eat is to give them less to look at. Winter water's the clearest Although some areas of the Texas coast experience good visibility throughout the season, every Texas bay experiences its clearest water of the year in the winter. This is far from coincidence. Many conditions impact water clarity. However, the three factors that have the most effect are freshwater, blooms (both plankton and algae), and wind. During the winter months, two of these three are greatly reduced and the third is sporadic. To begin with, winter is typically the driest season in Texas. Sure, there are `wet northerns' that blow through, but those rarely produce enough rain to create substantial runoff. So, with little or no freshwater runoff, the bays don't have nearly as much floating sediment in them, resulting in clearer water. Blooms are perhaps the biggest obstacle to `gin clear' conditions. However, the vast majority of blooms occurring on the Texas coast are temperature sensitive. Once the water cools below 70 degrees, most blooming algae and plankton dies off. Again, the result is clearer water conditions. Wind, of course, is a factor on the Texas coast 12 months a year. But, from late fall until early spring, hard winds are cyclical. A hard blowing northern (and the south wind preceding it) can certainly churn up the bay and cause the water to turn murky. However, there is usually a calm wind period of at least several days between fronts. In the absence of freshwater runoff and floating plankton and algae, the suspended sediment stirred by the winter wind usually settles within a day or two of the wind ceasing and anglers will find themselves back in clear water conditions. And, as an aside, many Texas bays have fairly large areas that are protected from the north/south blow. Those areas often remain clear even during the strongest of fronts. The clear difference Fishermen are fascinated by color. In fact, most anglers spend a great deal of time determining the best color to use in order to get a fish's attention under various conditions. However, although lures come in every color of the spectrum, natural prey items do not. Very few finfish - and even fewer crustaceans - living along the Gulf Coast are brightly colored. The vast majority of the prey items sought out by speckled trout and redfish are decorated in a manner that allows them to blend into their environment. And, particularly during their juvenile stage, many of them aren't colored at all. These tiny fish and shrimp are translucent, often appearing as clear `globs' with tiny black eyes. When the water is off-colored, predator fish usually have to rely on vibrations sent out by their prey in order to locate it. Under these conditions fishermen can often up their odds by choosing colors that help fish find their lures. However, when the water clears, these same opaque colors seem out of place and actually can reduce the number of strikes anglers get during the day. In order to up their odds on ultra-clear water days, anglers often need to go against their normal habit of choosing a `something they can see' and pick something a little less visible. Clear water arsenal Although clear lures can be very effective, they are also very specialized - meaning they are only useful in very specific circumstances, such as clear water. Therefore, not every lure that's offered in white, bone, red or black will be available in a `see-through' pattern. But, there are more than enough good clear plastic baits - both hard and soft - to fit virtually every situation an inshore angler will face along the Texas coast. Below is a partial list of saltwater savvy clear or near clear baits, along with a brief description of what circumstance each bait is best suited for. Heddon Swayback Spook - Anglers usually relate clear water fishing to `downsizing' baits. However, there are times, particularly in winter, when all of the available forage is full size. In clear water situations in which a big bait is necessary, the Swayback Spook is ideal. The Swayback design allows the bait to be `walked' with minimal effort - which is important when fish are looking for a delicate retrieve. Additionally, all of the Swayback Spook models are translucent, offering a subtle profile in clear water. Heddon Super Spook Jr - Anglers looking to use a smaller bait can hardly go wrong with a clear Super Spook Jr. This downsized dog-walker casts like a bullet, which is handy since long casts are often necessary under clear water conditions. The bait is also easy to work and the Feather Dressed version offers a dressed tail hook, which adds a bit of enticement for finicky fish. Rebel Pop-R - Most folks think of Pop-Rs as noisy baits. However, when retrieved by reeling slow and steady, a Pop-R will bubble unobtrusively through the water. When retrieved in this manner, the clear color pattern Pop-R can be extremely effective for fish on moderate depth flats. Heddon Torpedo - Sometimes it is necessary to make a little noise, even in clear water. This is particularly true when rafts of `finning' mullet are around. Although a clear bait is still best, it is necessary to make more noise than the nearby baitfish. This is when a Torpedo comes in handy. This prop bait can be `ripped' to cause a lot of commotion, or retrieved slow and steady when more moderate presentation is called for. Bass Assassin 5-inch Saltwater Shad Assassin - When an erratic action is called for, a Cajun Croaker color Saltwater Shad Assassin is the perfect bait. This translucent fleck color pattern has a subtle green back, can be rigged weedless and retrieved in such a manner that it darts over grass and falls into potholes. It's a great choice when fishing for `sunning' trout on the flats during winter. Texas Rattlin' Rig Salt & Pepper Tout - Touts have been popular on the Texas coast as long as anglers have been throwing artificial lures. This particularly color pattern, which is clear with a bit of fleck and a chartreuse tail, is especially effective in clear water. Because of its narrow profile, the tout falls quickly when rigged with a jig head, making it the ideal choice for probing the depths on clear water days. DOA Shrimp - Perhaps no other is as well suited for finesse fishing as the DOA Shrimp. When free-lined, it acts just like the real the thing. The silver holographic, near clear/gold fleck, and near clear/silver fleck work exceptionally well when freelined in potholes during the cooler months. Stanley Wedgetail - The Wedgetail is one of the easiest artificial lures to use - simply cast and reel. The Opening Night color pattern is a nice, subtle color pattern for using with finicky fish. This is a particularly good bait to throw when the water is clear and the fish are buried in the grass beds beneath. YUM Sweet Shrimp - Another great bait to freeline. The YUM Sweet Shrimp in poltergeist is a good choice when the water turns off ultra-clear. An added feature of the Sweet Shrimp is the scent chamber, which allows for liquid scent to be injected into the body cavity. At times, a touch of added scent can help spark a bite. Bass Assassin 4-inch Saltwater Split-tail Shad - When an ultra-stealthy approach is in order, a bone/diamond Bass Assassin Split-tail Shad is a good choice. The bone/diamond is essential a clear/silver fleck bait with a bone-colored back. The Split-tail Shad twitches and darts silently through the water - perfect for extra spooky specks. Of course, as was mentioned earlier in this article, these baits aren't for everyday use. They are most effective in very specific conditions. However, when the water clears enough to easily see the bay floor, throwing nearly clear bait can make a difference that is easy to see. texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout