Capt. Paul Braly and "Seine Net" - A Saturday morning to remember

By Captain Paul Braly

I love to go fishing with Paul Braly Sr., who earned the nickname "Seine Net", and also happens to be my Dad. My grandfather taught him how to become a great surf fisherman, and if you are caught fishing behind him, you'll understand how he got the nickname, because he hardly leaves any fish for those around him to catch, since he normally snags them all.

My dad grew up on the Gulf beach, fishing mainly with bait, and maybe a speck rig every once in awhile, but doesn't care much about bait these days, when it comes to stocking a cooler full of fish and then call it a day. I make certain to stay close behind him when we are wading together down the same shoreline, so that I might have a chance of landing a fish.

This foggy, Saturday morning, we carefully headed to our fishing hole. We started casting the shoreline, opting for a Pink Hologram Devil Eyes with TruLock 1/16 oz jigs as our rig of choice. It didn?t take but a few minutes of wading until we came upon some 18-20" trout and Dad, sitting next to me, hooked into a monster after the fish nudged the lure three times first. We grabbed a photo of the 7 pounder before we put him back, unharmed.

We went back on our way up the shore and hit a few more 2 pounders before an airboat ran up the shoreline and into a lake up in front of us. That gave us the sign to move on so we headed back to the boat and got underway again. We hit our next spot about 8:15 and with about half the fog lifted now we could let our guard down and quit looking over our shoulders every time that we heard an outboard motor headed our way.

This time, I got the first strike that felt, for a bit, that I had outdone "Seine Net's" earlier trout, but I ended up having a redfish on the end of the line. That was the beginning of a 20 cast run that ended up giving us 11 more redfish between us and we hadn't even moved 50 yards during the whole thing. Our arms sure hurt though after it was over horsing in that many redfish.

My brother was coming in from Irving for Christmas and always wants fish for the occasion, so we ended up keeping 6 redfish and 5 trout, even though we released the 7 pound trout, earlier. We don't keep many fish on our normal fishing trips but my brother was going to get his favorite this year.

The amazing thing is (and I'm not just saying this) we only used one lure each all morning. Try catching 5-6 redfish back to back per person on any other soft plastic and see how many you go thru. We got home around 9:30am just in time for some honey do's so I guess next time I'll keep Sr. on the water longer.

About the Author:

Captain Paul Braly is a Texas fishing guide who targets speckled trout and redfish along the Gulf Coast using fishing supplies from Brown Lures. Paul suggests you try out some wade fishing supplies from Brown Lures for your next fishing trip.

Wadefishing at night with Topwaters

By Captain Jim Onderdonk

The same thing happens every year. By mid-summer people are complaining about the heat and don't want to fish. Most people are ready to stop this time of year before noon. That's why I am here, to share a secret with you about fishing in South Texas at night. At night, it is of course cooler outside, but also the water cools down and those big speckled trout start to really move and feed. There is nothing like catching one of these big fish at night, when you can't even see them explode on your lure. Here I will show you how to fish, where to go, and when to do it.

First of all, NEVER go out alone! Many things can happen while navigating waterways after dark and or while wade fishing! Here are a few safety tips:

* Your fishing partner should be aware of the aware of the area you are fishing in and your surrounds.

* Wear personal floatation devices while driving the boat.

* Be sure to leave a trip plan with someone back home.

* Plan out your trip, including your first several fishing spots.

HOW: Once you have arrived at your first location safely, make sure that your anchor light stays on. This will also give you some bearing and help getting back to the boat. Strap on a L.E.D. head lamp, they are a must. L.E.D. head lamps are readily available and allow hands-free, much-needed light.

In addition to the headlamps, get some glow sticks as well. These are the type that activate and light up when you bend/crack/shake them. What you do is tie the glow stick to some string and hang it like a necklace, draping down over your back. This will also help to prevent boaters from coming too close, and keep your fishing partner from hitting you with a lure. Worst case scenario, it can also be a good emergency backup light to get to the boat. While wading, don't get too far apart.

WHEN: I prefer to fish in the time before, during and after a full moon because of the extra light it provides. If you are using a dark topwater lure it will stand out that much better to those predator fish. The key is to use what I call the "Donk's Tangler". What you do is tie about a foot of line to the front ring on a top water lure, and then attach a dark-colored soft plastic lure on the back end with a very light fishing hook.

I know what you're thinking, but just try it and you will be surprised. Work it the same way you would the top water. The fish will hit the soft plastic every time! I like to fish with braided line (Power Pro), it allows you to feel what you can't see. You will know when you have a hook up!

Major feeding times, according to Solunar tables, are a great time to fish. I use a 5 hour time-frame around what the tables call these prime times. It's no guarantee but has worked for me in the past.

WHERE: White Bluff, Black Bluff, East Kleberg Point, Alazan bay and the Tide Gauge Bar have produced numerous, night time wall hangers. This method has been very effective for me, as I am sure it will be for you. Remember keep just what you will eat! Until next time, SEE YOU ON THE WATER!

About the Author:

Captain Jim Onderdonk is a professional fishing guide who specializes in wadefishing for big speckled trout and redfish in Texas, and uses Brown Lures' salt water fishing lures. "Donk" suggests you try out some from Brown Lures for your next fishing trip.