# How to fish texas city dike



## acassidy (Jun 25, 2004)

Plan on bringing my son (14) who recently had foot surgery and can't go own in our boat for the next month to the dike but I have never fished the dike before. What is the best way to fish the dike. Live shrimp or dead shrimp? Do I use heavy weight on bottom or try to fish the surface. Thought of even bringing crab to fish for uglies or reds. Not really needing to fill the freezer but just have a rod bending in his hands.
Thanks for any helps. 
Archie


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

I'd like to help, but had not fish there in some time. If you were fishing without a boat I'd try one on the Galveston piers with your boy. I know I did not answer your question, but just saying.


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## adpostel (Jan 14, 2006)

If you had a light/generator setup, it makes things A LOT easier.... But live shrimp under a popping cork is pretty unbeatable for a line tug. You have a lot of species running through the Dike area. If it were me, I'd go all the way down to the end and fish the right hand side behind the guard rails, you'll know what I am talking about when you get down there. Live shrimp under a popping cork, with about a 3 foot leader should do the trick. Like I said, if you had a light setup, it will increase your chances at night. 
For the big uglies, or reds, you can get a "Redfish Leader" setup from Academy, I think H&H Tackle makes them pre-made in different weights. I usually use a 3.oz pre made redfish leader setup, comes with the hook and all..... They are packed individually in a small clear ziplock with yellow label. I'd just buy a few dead mullet and cut those up in 3 pieces, hook one on there and let it rip. Set your clicker and wait.... Make sure you are fishing during the tide movement, either in our out..... Hope that helps, good luck, and tight lines.....


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## AggieRedfisher (Jul 5, 2014)

Hard to beat those pre-made redfish leaders, just kind of expensive... I went to surfside jetty a couple weeks ago and lost about 10 of them, ugh.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

The pattern on the dike is when you 1st get there, empty out your truck and toss all the litter all around you Then crank up your favorite music in the truck, that has an according playing w/ a guy screaming aye aye ayeeeee!. Last get right next to guys who are not near anyone, cast over their lines and do your best to screw up their fishing.

Like I said this is the pattern... And you not guaranteed to catch much this way, but when in Rome.....


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## Fishin' Magician (Jul 17, 2012)

Muddskipper said:


> The pattern on the dike is when you 1st get there, empty out your truck and toss all the litter all around you Then crank up your favorite music in the truck, that has an according playing w/ a guy screaming aye aye ayeeeee!. Last get right next to guys who are not near anyone, cast over their lines and do your best to screw up their fishing.
> 
> Like I said this is the pattern... And you not guaranteed to catch much this way, but when in Rome.....


Lol. So true. Don't forget to let your kids run in the street.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

PVC pipe is a must.........bring at least 6 four foot sections


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## braidnhook (Jun 14, 2014)

Don't forget to bring at least 10 kids and 5 drunk buddies and then get them all to fish as close to the one person who looks like he may be having a good time or some kind of success.


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## mertz09 (Nov 15, 2009)

Muddskipper said:


> The pattern on the dike is when you 1st get there, empty out your truck and toss all the litter all around you Then crank up your favorite music in the truck, that has an according playing w/ a guy screaming aye aye ayeeeee!. Last get right next to guys who are not near anyone, cast over their lines and do your best to screw up their fishing.
> 
> Like I said this is the pattern... And you not guaranteed to catch much this way, but when in Rome.....


I witnessed close to this very thing about 3 weeks ago on a Sunday. Fished for awhile and decided to head to Galveston. Had not been in awhile and wanted to look around. Ended up at Sea Wolf and fished for a few hours. I caught a nice flounder and some croaker. Kept the flat fish and not the croaks. 
Now it cost $6 to enter the park and $6 to fish but that seemed to cut down on the vunables, riffraff and jackasses. Don't know if I will go to the Dike again on a summer weekend.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

The first thing to know about fishing the Dike is don't go on the weekend, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the most productive/ peaceful times to go. Second thing to know is to keep your rigs simple and cheep, because your gonna lose several. If your just looking for something to pull your son's line,go get a pack of 3-way swivels, some 4/0 circle hooks, and some 2oz to 4oz pyramid sinkers and make up some leaders with 30lb mono. By doing this you can make up a dozen leaders for $5 or $6. Just bait up with some fresh squid or cut bait and throw it out as far as you can. With this set up you will likely catch, redfish, gafftop, drum, jacks, or stingray. If your looking for trout, go pick up some Mid coast products Outcast corks, rig them with 2' to 4' of 20lb mono leader with a #6 treble hook with live shrimp. Good luck.


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## Croakersmoker94 (Jun 13, 2012)

Water bottle with 100yds of mono with a 4oz weight to a 3/0 hook


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## jampen (Oct 12, 2012)

That cork is tied on upside down...is that how you use it?


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## teamfirstcast (Aug 23, 2006)

Jampen.... that's how they are rigged. They are weighted on the bottom, tie both lines to the one top swivel. Allows for longer casts and a great popping action.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Wow! The Dikes has it going on! No wonder y'all like it for 2cool gatherings. The party has already started before you even get there!


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## jampen (Oct 12, 2012)

Interesting...I've never seen them that way. So there is no hole in the bottom where the lead is?


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

jampen said:


> Interesting...I've never seen them that way. So there is no hole in the bottom where the lead is?


Nope... You feel the bite before it goes down


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Don't leave valuable things in the vehicle while fishing away from the vehicle. Fish with an old beatup truck or car.


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Be very careful if you are wade fishing. Wading on the ship channel side of the dike is very dangerous!!


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

The rocks are not friendly. If he has had foot surgery I would not recommend it. Go to a pier.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Law Dog said:


> Be very careful if you are wade fishing. Wading on the ship channel side of the dike is very dangerous!!


and the Mosquito island. Wear life jacket always if wading.


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## acassidy (Jun 25, 2004)

*Thanks for all of the help*

Thanks for all of the help. Lots of great information here. Thinking about going there Wednesday. Hoping to keep my son on level ground. 
One question... Is my truck radio good enough of do I need to put big speakers on top of my cabin of my truck.
Thanks
Archie


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

jampen said:


> That cork is tied on upside down...is that how you use it?


You can cast them a mile and they don't tangle in flight or in the water even with braid. My report Sunday, every fish caught using a Midcoast Outcast.


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## 1MOFISH (Mar 13, 2014)

So what about launching your boat there? Come back to the ramp and find your windows shattered?


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Did the ole boy's catch anything? $ .99 Weighted styrofoam corks will do...fished about 4 ft. deep, good fluro leader, split shot and treble hook using live shrimp......south side behind the guard rail on the end. Sometimes they are there, some times not....Good luck


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## Jean Scurtu (Dec 6, 2011)

:texasflag
Nobody fishing at TEXAS CITY DIKE with artificial,just with live or dead bait???
Some years ago i was fishing night under light ,but with artificial and i was tired to catch to many sand trout and just one keeper trout fishing with artificial...

Now i am fishing just at ROLLOVER PASS because is better place and i must don't stay on the rocks and catching nice fish fishing just with artificial.


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## MEGABITE (May 21, 2004)

Here we go again. haha


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## FISHP (Jul 23, 2013)

Fishin' Magician said:


> Lol. So true. Don't forget to let your kids run in the street.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Please leave some dirty diapers on the beach, always appreciated.

Beach is also a great place for a tire bonfire, great time to be had.


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## 4x4Active (Mar 8, 2014)

Have not been at TCD for about 2 years now and wow.... Its still the same from all the post lol. It used to be free right how much now.


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## TranTheMan (Aug 17, 2009)

Muddskipper said:


> The pattern on the dike is when you 1st get there, empty out your truck and toss all the litter all around you Then crank up your favorite music in the truck, that has an according playing w/ a guy screaming aye aye ayeeeee!. Last get right next to guys who are not near anyone, cast over their lines and do your best to screw up their fishing.
> 
> Like I said this is the pattern... And you not guaranteed to catch much this way, but when in Rome.....


And watch out for your steps. Unlucky me, I stepped on some chit and had to leave my sandals there ... still mad every time I think about it.


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## minedude (Apr 29, 2008)

Best time to fish at the TCD is in middle of week. Week ends you better boat it, everyone there is feeding the fish so throwing arties is useless. As everyone says the partys are started on Friday and don't stop till sunday. Use to be a great place but since they started charging it seems like everyone has to go. If our taking your son take him down to Galveston or even over to Sylvan Beach in La Porte, its kept nice and clean and also their is a beach for the female counterpart. At Sylvan they also have a Bait shop and store.


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## Ethan Hunt (Dec 7, 2007)

MEGABITE said:


> Here we go again. haha


tell me about it....


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Take him to Pier 91 in Galveston.


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