Super Fluke Rig

Last year my friends at Saltyshores turned me on to these Owner Twistlock hooks. As far as I know, Owner offers sizes 1/0 and 2/0 unweighted, and sizes 3/0 and up in weighted or unweighted. This is why I use the pinch on sinkers. The Zoom brand Super Fluke Jr. is size that I prefer for throwing with my G. Loomis Escape spinning rod, and this is the set up I've been using for redfish, bass, snook, trout, and more. Don't be fooled by the weight. It's only 1/32 oz. I still pinch one on for sight casting in shallow water, and it's what gives the bait good action.

Rigging is easy. I twist the cork-screw wire into the nose of the soft plastic all the way, and just to the point where the hook can swing in line with the bait. Then I position the hook to the side of the bait in order to visualize the point of entry through the body. Push the point of the hook through the split belly of the bait. The point of the hook is now just above the dorsal side. About 1/8'' should be buried back into the dorsal side to become weedless; not deep, but very shallow. This is not a Texas rig and the point should not be burried deep in the bait! Your rig also should not deform the bait. Now add the pinch on sinker using needle nose pliers but don't over pinch it. I sometimes just add them on with my fingers. The weedless bait should look like the one above.
I recommend light spinning tackle, as you would use for bass. I also recommend about 15" of mono leader tied on between the bait and main line (whether you use braid or monofilament on the reel). I use power pro braid, so to avoid breaking my leader or rod, I set my drag so that I hear it give a little at the hook set and on a hard run. Bass assassins and other soft plastic designs work well, just as long as they have that split belly feature. Good luck!

Mustang Island Sight Fishing

Mac Mather and I took a short trip to Mustang Island a few days ago. The plan was to cruise around in the zodiac and look for jacks, king mackerel, or maybe tarpon. However, the wind was-a-blowin'. We abandoned that idea and agreed to check out one of my usual redfish haunts. Nothing on the grass flats or sand, but we found fish in the mangroves. In four hours, and in about a foot or less of water, we caught sixteen redfish and a two black drum. Then we began to loose the preferred angle of sunlight for sight casting. We headed toward the Packery Chanel jetties for any justification to launch the zodiac. There was none. I settled for casting a sinking line on the eight weight, and managed to play a few ladyfish. The only photos we ended up taking where of a different kind of lady altogether. Well, would you have rather seen another redfish portrait? Besides, this was Mustang Island.
The next morning Mac and I got off to a slow start. It might have been the good food and cocktails at the Seafood & Spaghetti Works restaurant in Port Aransas, or just that we're getting old. I'm sure that it was restaurant. Again, we agreed to fish the same shallow water as the day before. This time of year the preferred angle of sunlight begins around 9 or 10 in the morning. So, first we enjoyed a good Mexican food breakfast and then headed out. The tide was a little higher than the evening before and the fish were not in their assigned seats. It was a slower start but we won a few tug-of-wars before we had to get on the road. The last battle, and on the sand part of the flat, was with a large ladyfish. If you're ever fly fishing for redfish and you see one of these, cast at it! kind of funny that we never launched the zodiac after draging it 175 miles down there. The only disapointment of the trip was that I slacked on the fishing photography, but it was still a great trip. No fish (or bikini ladies on horseback) kept, just admired and released.