Fishing Passes and River Mouths texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout Up and down the Texas coast, water ebbs and flows between our coastal bays and estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico. When these waters meet, they do so in natural passes, man-made cuts or river mouths. All of these confluences have similarities - but also differences. However, each of them can be extremely productive, especially during late spring, summer and through early fall. CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTIVE PASSES SALINITY In order for a pass to be productive, it must have the proper salinity level to attract fish. Rivers and river mouths are subject to becoming too fresh for specks and reds following heavy rains. However, as the fish push away from the freshwater draining through the river, they often congregate by other nearby cuts and passes, resulting in a fishing boon for those areas. So, while the passes holding too much fresh water may be unproductive, it may result in even better fishing in nearby passes with proper salinity. This phenomenon can also occur when the “upper reaches” of many bays become inundated with fresh water runoff from rivers and creeks. In some instances, the salinity levels are reversed. Areas like the hyper-saline Lower Laguna Madre are, as a rule, saltier than the Gulf of Mexico. Although the resident fish have acclimated to this high salinity, any upward spike in the salinity level can cause them to look for less saline water. This typically occurs during the heat of summer, particularly if there has been little or no localized rain and/or freshwater runoff. Under those conditions, the water becomes saltier than normal and the fish often seek the fresher water flowing in from the Gulf through either the Brazos Santiago Pass or the East Cut. WATER FLOW Rivers, cuts and passes all have water exchange with the Gulf and, thus, some sort of flow. However, the water flow in cuts and passes is entirely tide or wind dependent, whereas rivers will have some flow throughout the day (i.e., a river's current will resume its outward flow once the tide influence ceases). And, although many back bay areas can be productive even in the absence of water movement, success in passes is directly linked to flow. Since passes and cuts are the portal for tide movement in and out of bays, the flow is going to be much stronger there - at the point of exchange - than at any other spot in the bay system. Because of the greater intensity of flow, the tides also have a much more distinct impact on the fish in and around passes. When the water begins to move, the fish begin to feed. The direction of the current may determine where you fish in a pass, but without a flow, you are virtually ensured to find the fishing pedestrian at best. With that in mind, try to plan your pass fishing around the tides. If you don't have a moving tide, you will be better off fishing back in the bay. But, on the right tide, a pass or cut will likely be much more productive than the open bay waters. And, with a little advance planning, some tides and areas allow for fishing more than one pass - ensuring anglers get the peak activity at each location. NATURAL STRUCTURE Many natural passes, and some rivers which aren't dredged for navigational purposes, will have a variety of shell beds and reefs covering their bottoms and serving as a natural fish attractants. When scouting a pass to fish, look for such features and focus on those areas, rather than trying to blanket the entire length of the pass. More often than not, the fish will concentrate over these structures. Whereas, if you are fishing over featureless sand or mud, you may catch an occasional passerby, but may very well miss out on most of the activity. JETTIES/BREAKWATERS Most rivers and passes which are dredged for navigation are usually fitted with rock groins, jetties or breakwaters to protect the dredged channels. So, although their bottom may be swept clean, these tidal water interchanges are lined with some of the best fish-holding structure on our coast. In these areas, with the exception of the ledge where the dredged channel begins, there is little structure outside of the manmade jetties and rock groins, so it is best to concentrate on these. However, it is important to remember that jetties are constructed “pyramid” style for the most part, meaning the base will be much wider than the visible structure at the surface. Additionally, often times large rocks or chunks of granite were accidentally dropped during construction or have been moved due to excessively strong storm currents, resulting in solitary rocks often being quite a distance from the main structure. This is especially common on the outside (non-channel side) of the structure. When found, these isolated rocks are usually great fish magnets. TARGET SPECIES One of the great aspects of fishing passes is they attract such a wide variety of game fish. Relative to bay and nearshore waters, passes most often feature the most diverse lineup in a given area. All of the “traditional” Texas saltwater game fish - speckled trout, redfish, flounder - visit passes throughout the year. Although a representation of each of this species will be present year around, specks are most commonly found in passes from spring through early fall, whereas flounder and redfish are usually found in the highest concentration during fall. In addition, various passes up and down the Texas coast can attract a number of species, including sheepshead (spring), black drum (spring), shark (spring and summer), snook (summer), kingfish and Spanish mackerel (summer), tarpon (summer and fall) and jack crevalle (summer and winter). Other species, such as sand trout, mangrove snapper, whiting and croaker are also available throughout the year. TACKLE AND TECHNIQUE Most any inshore angler can fish passes and cuts with their typical bay fishing arsenal and fare just fine. However, since there is such a variety of species which can appear in passes, there are instances where more specialized tackle may come into play. Furthermore, at times conditions may dictate using heavier or larger lures than normal, even when targeting specks and reds. This, in turn, will require a bit stouter tackle than typically utilized on the flats. If one were to choose a single rod for light-tackle duty in passes, the best bet would be a 7-foot, medium action baitcast or spinning rod, paired with a reel capable of holding 200 yards of 10-pound test. True, that is a bit more line capacity than is usually necessary in the bay, but again, you never know what may intercept a lure fluttering along the tideline of a Gulf pass. Anglers wishing to specifically target some of the bigger bruisers which cruise through passes - tarpon, jacks, small sharks and kingfish, for example - will want to beef up their tackle selection a bit. A good choice for this pursuit is a 6 ½-foot stick fitted with a casting or spinning reel loaded with 225 to 275 yards of 12-pound test. For jacks and tarpon a 12 to 18-inch length of 35 to 50-pound test mono shock leader should be utilized as well. For kings and shark, a foot or so of wire leader is necessary. Of course, many anglers fishing passes along the coast are doing so with natural baits. Drifting finger mullet can produce strikes from a variety of fish, including specks, reds, kings, and tarpon. Fished on bottom, those same finger mullet are deadly on bull reds during the fall. Freelined shrimp are one of the best bets for stringing a load of specks throughout the spring and summer. Anglers looking to toss hardware in passes and cuts often turn back time when selecting an assortment of lures. Traditional offerings such as silver or gold spoons will tempt practically everything that swims through a pass. Ditto salty standbys such as 51 and 52 series MirroLures. Another old favorite - the Tout Tail - also remains in vogue in Gulf passes. Often times, strong currents favor slight profile baits pinned to heavy heads. Touts rigged on 3/8 ounce or heavier heads fit the bill in these circumstances. Those looking to throw something more modern can turn to baits such as the Stanley Wedgetail. Additionally, DOA Lures makes a trio of baits - the Baitbuster, Terroreyz, and DOA Shrimp - which are perfect for fishing passes. texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout