Sinking Baits in Salt Water texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout As February rolls around, most serious salt water fishermen along the Texas coast are angling for trophy trout. Of course, there is good reason for this. The vast majority of trophy trout - including the current state record - are taken during winter's final month. Traditionally, trophy trout fishermen have flung large topwater plugs in search of their prey. However, over the past decade or so, slow-sinking and suspending plugs have slowly replaced floaters as the `go-to' baits for the majority of serious pluggers. But, like any lure, suspending baits aren't a guarantee for catching big fish. In order to be successful, anglers need to know which baits to choose and when to throw them. That alone can be a challenge, as there are a myriad of hard- and soft-plastic suspending baits on the market. Below is a list describing some of the most productive models, as well as a bit of advice on when, where and how to use them. 51 Series MirrOlure - Although it's made by a Florida company, the 51MR MirrOlure is a true Texas classic. As the legend goes, the company created the 51 Series because so many Texas wade fishermen were removing the eye hook from the top of 52 Series MirrOlures and placing them in the nose of the baits to make them run shallower. Whether that's a true story or not, the 51MR is ideally suited for wadefishermen working shallow flats during the winter. (As an aside, the Series III 51MR offers dual line attachments - one at the top of the head and one at the nose). 52 Series MirrOlure - The 52 Series MirrOlure is truly the original slow-sinking twitch bait. Both the 52M and 52MR (MR has a rattle) sink at a rate of one foot per second. These remain excellent baits to use when fishing deeper water (4-8 feet) for winter trout. 52 Series MirrOlures are particularly useful on the Upper Coast bays such as Galveston, where trout often pack into deep holes when the weather turns cold. Due to the top-of-the-head placement of the eye hook, the 52M does rise when twitched. When trying to keep the bait down near the bottom, it is helpful to pause several seconds between twitches to allow the bait to descend back to the desired depth. MirrOlure Catch 5 - One of two suspending twitchbaits offered by MirrOlure, the Catch 5 (S25MR) is most useful when fishing shallow water (3 feet or less). The Catch 5 offers anglers a unique, deep-bodied profile, which effectively imitates a shad. Anytime fish are foraging on pilchards or shad during cool weather, this should be considered one of the top baits for fooling them into biting. And, weighing in at 3/4 of an ounce, it has enough heft to punch through even the most stubborn winter wind. MirrOlure Catch 2000 - The original suspending MirrOlure twitchbait, the Catch 2000 has a slimmer profile than the Catch 5 and is better suited to fishing slightly deeper water (2 - 5 feet). It is also a better choice when fish are feeding on mullet or minnows as opposed to shad. Corky - The bait that started the entire slow-sinking bait craze along the Texas coast, the Corky (and the numerous imitations) is still an excellent big trout bait. Because of it's extremely slow sink rate, the Corky can be fished over very shallow flats. However, as has been said over and over, patience is the key to properly fishing a Corky (as is the case with most suspending baits, actually). Many anglers think the softer feel of the Corky, as opposed to hard-bodied baits, allows them additional time to set the hook. When fishing in slightly deeper water, most fishermen find it useful to bend the bait's `tail' down slightly, which causes it to sink deeper when twitched. Corky Fat Boy - Similar to the MirrOlure Catch 5 in appearance, the Corky Fat Boy is a great shad imitation. The Fat Boy is a great choice when wadefishing mid-depth flats or when the fish are feeding on shad or pilchards. Like the original Corky, the body of the Fat Boy can be bent and manipulated to cause it to react differently when retrieved. Bomber Suspending Long A - Often overlooked by Texas coastal anglers, lipped suspending jerkbaits are very effective. Bomber offers two sizes in their Suspending Pro Long A series - the 14A, which is 3 1/2-inches long, and the 15A, 4 5/8-inches. The primary difference between lipped and non-lipped suspending plugs is that the lipped versions dive below their suspending depths when twitched. This can be a benefit when fishing deeper water or flats with varying depth, but can be problematic when fishing shallows. When fishing lipped suspending baits over shallow flats, it is imperative to use a slow retrieve in order to prevent fouling on the bottom. That said, the Bomber Suspending 14A is an excellent lure when fishing clear water. Smithwick Suspending Rogue - Like the Long A, the Suspending Rogue is a lipped plug. So, like the Suspending Long A, it will dive when twitched or cranked. However, the advantage of the lip is it causes the bait to have a `wobbling' motion when retrieved. This makes it a much more user-friendly bait for those not accustomed to the nuances of imparting action to slow-sinking lures. But, again, it must be retrieved slowly when fishing shallows. However, the Suspending Rogue is a great choice for fishing around vertical structure such as docks and pilings. Texas Rattlin' Rig Chattertube - One of the more unique slow-sinking baits, the Chattertube is essentially a four-inch tube fitted over a rattle chamber. The swaying motion of the tube's skirt is often enticing to lethargic fish. This bait is particularly effective on fish lazing in potholes. If there is a downside to the Chattertube, it is that it's fitted with only a single treble hook. Therefore, anglers need to be plenty patient when setting the hook - make sure the fish moves off with the bait before rearing back. But, on the plus side, the Chattertube has a rear eye that can either accommodate a second hook or be used to rig the baits in tandem. Tsunami Jointed Cork Lure - One of the larger slow-sinking twitchbaits, the Tsunami Jointed Cork Lure also has the added action of the jointed tail. Because this is a big, deep bodied lure, it is a load to throw. But, it is an effective lure when fish are feeding on big baitfish. If you've got enough gumption to throw this bait all day long, you'll more than likely be rewarded with a few memorable strikes. TIPS & TRICKS Essentially, all slow-sinking and suspending baits fall into the `twitchbait' category. As the name implies, these baits are meant to be `twitched.' This is accomplished by using a series of sharp twitches of the rodtip. When fishing for finicky or lethargic fish, it is usually helpful to follow each twitch with a pause. The more lethargic the fish, the longer the pause should be. Although slow-sinking and suspending twitchbaits have gone a long way to replacing topwater lures as the top trophy trout offering, they haven't made topwaters completely obsolete. In fact, one of the tricks I learned from Capt. Bruce Shuler of Port Mansfield's Get-A-Way Adventures Lodge is to use the two types of baits to compliment each other. In short, if fish are `swirling' at topwater plugs, but not aggressively attacking them, toss a slow-sinker into the exact same spot. The fish will most often connect on the followup bait. One problem that can occur with these slow-sinking baits - especially along the Lower Coast - is they won't sink! This is usually due to an elevated saline level. However, there are a number of ways to combat this problem. When using hard-bodied plugs, commercially sold adhesive `dots' work well to add extra weight. Weight can be added to soft-plastic lures by pushing nails into the body cavity. Or, another time-tested trick is to wrap wire around the hook shank. This will work on either hard-bodied or soft-bodied plugs. Again, most of these baits are `lifeless' when not being actively retrieved. And, it can take some time to learn how to make them move properly. But, anglers using the soft-plastic varieties can cheat a little by bending the body of the lure to one side or the other. When bent, the lure will dart much more drastically. This can be beneficial if you're having trouble getting the bait to move as much as you'd like. Be careful, though, as often times finicky fish don't want too much motion. But, regardless of which model you may choose - or how you may choose to work it - it's safe to say if you are serious about chasing big trout, you should include a few slow-sinking and suspending plugs in your arsenal. Because, with February upon us, the time for big trout is now. And, when it comes to trophy trout, a sinking feeling isn't such a bad feeling after all. texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout