# Tips and Techniques for using Black Salty Baitfish and Croakers for Speckled Trout



## Steve Walko (May 12, 2005)

* I wanted to contribute some interesting techniques and tips to use while bottom fishing with Black Saltys and Croaker. *

*These baits present aspects that parallel each other so it is important on how you rig your terminal gear. I will address various ways to hook them to create optimal types of presentation. Also tips on sensing the pick-up, and setting the hook.*

* The first aspect of fishing them is the most important. Trout must not feel any resistance when it picks up the bait or it will spit it out. I have done research not only by having over 35 years of personal experience, but also by using input discussed with many guides for many years from Port Arthur to Brownsville, who have countless hours on the water. The overwhelming majority prefers use a Carolina Rig to let the line slide through the weight so that the Trout feels no resistance upon picking up the bait and swimming off with it. The reason that the Trout pick-up and swim with the bait is to enable it to flex and pass water through their gills to promote the movement of the bait down to their gullet. You do not want to pin the bait on the bottom with a heavy weight, as Trout will feel the resistance when they pick it up, and expel the bait.*

* Carolina rigging is easy to do. First thread a sliding egg weight onto your line. Chose only enough weight to get the bait to the bottom. Use weights as light as 1/8thoz. Use up to 1/2oz. for deeper water or swifter current. Remember you only want enough weight to get it to the bottom without making it so heavy that the Trout will feel resistance. *

* Next, thread on a small bead then tie on a #5 to#7 dark colored swivel to the end of the line. You want to use a low visibility 20-30lb monofilament leader. You don't need to use any kind of wire as it only adds more weight for the baitfish to have to swim with, and has problems with kinking and twisting. Due to mono's lighter weight the baitfish will live longer and is virtually invisible especially if you use one of the new fluorocarbon lines. The length of the leader is mostly a personal preference but most like lengths of 12" to 18" inches.
*

*Many Guides and myself have their own preferences on types of teasers to thread on the leader before tying on the hook. I prefer clear glass crystal faceted beads together with chartreuse, hot pink, or fluorescent orange beads. The crystal beads reflect sparkles in the water that simulates the scales on the side of the Saltys and Croakers. Chartreuse, pink and fluorescent orange are also good colors that emulate a live shrimp.*

*Hook preference will vary depending on the size of the bait. For smaller baits using a #5 Kahle or Croaker hook is the norm. For larger baits use size #6 of either style. Guides like Capt. Jim Onderdonk have shown a preference to the red, "Bleeding Hooks," as a testament to their success. Hooking the baits will also vary. Hooking above the anal fin is the preferred method. You can also hook them below the dorsal fin, above the eyes, and through the roof of their mouths.
*

*I also like to use #4 or #2 Gold Treble hooks. When a Trout hits a sizable baitfish they usually ingest it headfirst. I believe this is instinctive. The sharp fins of most baitfish will fold down so they don't get caught in its throat while being swallowed. I have seen the direction of baitfish countless times in a Trout's stomach to know this to be true. With these I hook the baits above the eye sockets. I find that this decreases the wait time on setting the hook due to the fact that the Trout are hitting the hook first. This also keeps the hook off of the bottom when snagging is a problem and still enables the bait to swim. When free lining them at the Jetties I prefer this method. *

*There are different techniques to use while fishing with live baitfish. One way is to cast out and let the bait get to the bottom. Keep all your slack out of your line, lightly jig up with your rod tip, and then let it settle back down. Keep the tip high so that when you get a pick-up you can lower it down at the same time as you press your free spool. With your thumb very lightly on the spool, you can let out line as the Trout swims off with your bait. Wait at least five seconds before engaging the reel, taking up slack, and setting the hook. This method will keep the Trout from feeling any resistance and it will continue to swallow the bait. A Trout may swim as much as 10 to 20 feet in this short amount of time while swallowing the bait. That is why it is so important for it not to feel any pressure.*

*Another way to fish them is to cast out and after the bait hits the bottom, place the rod in a holder if fishing multiple poles. Take all the slack out of the line. Then pull out enough slack to let the line bow downward to the water in a long under slung arch. This will give the fish approximately 10 feet of line to pull before it gets tight. Here again it will feel no resistance for the first few seconds as it swims off with the bait.*

*As I mentioned earlier I like to free line Saltys and Croakers at the Jetties. This method also works well in the bays. Trout do not always feed on the bottom, and have no reservations about hitting them on the surface or anywhere else in the water column. It just depends what the conditions are and where the baitfish are located that they are feeding on. *

*I will address fishing the Black Saltys and Croakers by free lining, and under Popping corks in my next post.*

*Tight Lines!*

*Steve ><((( )))Ü> www.texasrattlinrig.com*


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## Boat Plug (Apr 5, 2005)

*Black Saltys*

Thanks for the tips Steve

have not fish with B.S. yet

capb


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## reel love (May 21, 2004)

thanks steve, great post.

michelle


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

like the post but fish them different on the upper coast. number one is a black salty can't compare to a live croaker when fishing with finfish. we use big trebles at times but mostly use single hooks(kahle) in size 3 to 5. also we do some carolina rigging but also fish them texas style(hook and weight). when the tide goes slack we dredge them behind the boat with split shot. when doing this use a leader or the bait will twist your line.


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## Steve Walko (May 12, 2005)

Capt. David,
Please post some more info on how to rig using the Texas rig set up. Also, did you mean to use a swivel while dredging? At times especially when fishing in swifter tides where it tends to roll your bait, using a swivel to keep line twist to a minimum is an excellent idea. Have you used Black Saltys much? I have been fishing them side by side with Croakers and have been pleasently surprised at the results. There probably is no better bait than live croakers as you stated but it gives an option when Croakers are hard to get and when keeping them alive is nothing short of a labor of futility without an oxygen system. A good thing about the Saltys is that they are easily kept alive with just a inexpensive bubbler. If you have some tips for keeping the Croakers alive and any other tips on fishing them please share them with us. I believe that no matter how much anyone knows about fishing we should always keep our minds open to new and/or better ideas. Looking forward to a follow up post from you. Thanks!


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

texas rig slide the weight directly on your line then the hook. as long as were not drifting the bait does not twist. if you purchase good croakers than an air pump like you use with a fish tank only in 12v works great. have used bs just not impressed.


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## jabx1962 (Nov 9, 2004)

Capt. David..what part of the coast do you live?...


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## pkredfish (Jan 14, 2005)

Heres how I rig mine. I put a split ring in the nose ring of the bait of choice and tie directly to the split ring. When retreiving it I pump and reel at the same time, a couple of times during the retreive I will stop and let the bait sit. This is when the trout seem to like it best. I will change up variations of the bait till I get the one on that they are wanting. Hope this helps.


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## ROOSTER REDCHASER (Feb 25, 2005)

Here is how I rig mine.................

oh, I forgot.............I don't!

Artificial or bust!

LOL


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## Naterator (Dec 2, 2004)

*haha LOL!!!*

was waiting on that as i read through the thread Rooster!! right on!!

...also, no offense to the poster, but you may want to consider not advocating letting the fish swallow the bait before setting the hook?? perhaps you may want to let some of the fish go? I know, I know, a foreign concept to the croaker soakers!!! hahaha JK!!...sort of...


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## Steve Walko (May 12, 2005)

As you will realize if you read the post, I prefer hooking the baitfish above the eyes. This enables you to set the hook more rapidly thus decreasing the chance of hooking the fish any deeper than the mouth. Also the Khale and Croaker hooks are designed like a circle hook to set themselves. Very rarely are the fish hooked any deeper than the mouth. Having used these techniques for Trout fishing with baitfish I know that it takes longer than the 5 seconds stated to get the bait down to their gullet. This post was meant to be informative for those who seek information and ask questions about live bait fishing, not to re-hash live bait vs. lures. We release many more Trout than we keep, and as with lures or bait, the mortality rate for either is unestablished on released fish. I fish with lures as much as live bait, and use whichever the situation dictates. I have taken live bait with me and ended up releasing it at the end of the day after never using one.
Keep It Reel! Steve


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