# "The Re-Wade Code"



## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

With the predawn light being cast down the tapering shoreline, we could see that this particular fishing site offered all the proper signs for success for as far as our eyes could see. We proceeded to anchor, and set out on our first wade of the day. Before we knew it we had ventured close to one-half mile from our point of entry and had gathered almost a third of our daily limit of Trout and Reds. We retreated to the boat for refreshments and then began a second wade covering the exact same path as that of our initial session. As I have previously written in columns past, there is absolutely no reason for you to seek new grounds if the area you happen to be fishing is currently producing for you. We made two more long distance wades that day covering the exact same piece of real estate each time. These copy-exact tactics rewarded us with scores of Trout and Reds by the end of our dayâ€™s trip.

The technique of wade fishing offers many advantages over other forms of angling. A wade fisherman can cover a lot of real estate in a much more stealth-like mode above that of the drift fisherman who many times is plagued by unsolicited internal and external boat noises, erratic drift patterns, and the often uncontrollable forecasted shadows upon the advancing fishing area. A wade fisherman also has the luxury of working the chosen shoreline or reef in whatever pattern selected. The wader can effectively work those otherwise hard to reach areas, and can elect to walk as far as desired. A point of interest Iâ€™d like to convey here is that the wader should not be overly concerned with ending up too far from the boat during any one wading session. If you do happen to cover a great distance on your initial wade and have consequently found the bite, you have now been successful at staking out your claimed wading territory for the remainder of the day. And we all know how helpful this could turn out to be on some of those more than busy and crowded weekend days. Make your way back to the boat and begin again down the same path as before.

Closing out this edition, I wish to remind everyone that we are now adding video files to many of the daily trip photos located in the Photo Gallery section of the BFL website. Take a moment to look at some of the videos and then let me hear from you. Your comments and feedback are what enable us to drive continuous improvement toward the totally enjoyable Bay Flats Lodge customer experience. Remember to practice CPR, â€œCatch, Photo, and Releaseâ€, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Redsâ€¦Guide Chris Martin, Port Oâ€™Connor/Seadrift regionâ€¦

www.BayFlatsLodge.com
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Photo Credit Captain Jason Wagenfehr


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## Capt. Chris Martin (May 22, 2004)

*â€œReading Tidesâ€ After the Storm*

As I rolled over the bridge located on Bay Avenue that overlooks San Antonio Bay. I couldnâ€™t help to notice the old tire gauge completely showing out of the mud; this only meant one thing. Todayâ€™s storms had the middle coast water ripped away from its grass shorelines, especially with winds coming out of the north. When tides are lower and water temperatures drop, you should concentrate on deep water. I personally like to fish deep shell located in San Antonio Bay. The spoil bank area reefs located along the Victoria barge canal are holding good numbers of trout. When the wind picks up and your unable to venture into San Antonio Bay, concentrate on wade fishing scattered â€œvisualâ€ reefs located off the Victoria Barge canal.

Normally, the points or ends of these reefs hold deeper water and passing baitfish. I prefer to wade fish in three feet of water. The wind and current combined, keep the baitfish moving around the reefs. You will find â€œwarmâ€ soft mud off these reefs in deeper water. This is what the trout are looking for. The trout have the best of both worlds. Which is a warm soft bottom and moving bait! I use a 1/8-ounce jig head when wade fishing the VBC reefs. When you have very little wind, you might try using a short top water plugs. I like to retrieve my plugs with an erratic fast action motion, and then make sudden short stops. I will repeat this method until I get a blow up. If youâ€™re looking for a trophy trout you will need a lot of patience during the next few months.

Best color plastics that have worked for me are (limetreus), (fire tiger), (pumpkinseed chartreuse), and (red tide saltwater shad). If you want to drift the backcountry when the tides are low work areas like Pringle Lake deep pockets and Long Lake between the duck blind structures. Keep your drifts very short when working low tides. Concentrate on reading the water for bait fish or moving slicks. This time of year, you can rely on brown pelicans feeding on small baitfish. Set your drifts up in front of working pelicans and throw plastics either rigged under a mauler or a 1/8-ounce jig head. Again, the same colors listed above work well in the back lakes. With low tides, you will have red fish holding tightly together. Once you get into the reds while drifting, slip over the anchor and slowly get out of the boat. Always keep a wheedles gold spoon in your pocket for this occasion. Several times last week we caught double digit numbers of large reds while using this method!


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