Sight Casting for Specks texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout “There she is,” whispered Capt. Steve “JR” Ellis as he poled us silently across a knee-deep grass flat. “Check that pothole - 40 feet at 2 o'clock. She's right there on the edge, lying on the bottom.” My eyes traced the imaginary line Ellis had drawn with his instructions. Sure enough, right at the edge of the sandy bowl-shaped depression was a dark green “log.” I quickly cast an unweighted 5-inch Stanley Wedge Tail Minnow a few feet beyond the pothole. As soon as the retrieve brought the bait across the edge of the grass and over the sandy bottom, I dropped the rod tip and allowed the lure to fall. Just as the bait kissed the bottom, a quick jerk of the rod angled it back toward the surface. That was more than the “log” could take, as it quickly rushed forward and inhaled the Firetiger Wedge Tail Minnow in one quick flash of yellow mouth and bright red gills. The “log,” of course, was really a nice sow speckled trout. And, as she sped away against the screaming reel, I complimented Ellis on his vision. “Nice eyes,” I shouted back to him. “I need to get a pair like that.” From his perch atop the poling platform Ellis gave me a rough price estimate. “All it takes,” he said with a laugh. “Is about 20 years of guiding over 200 days a year. Until then, just let me spot them for you. It will be easier.” There is some truth to Ellis' quip - experience makes everyone better. However, there is no need to wait two decades before learning to spot fish as sight-casting targets. CAN YOU SEE THEM? Certainly there is nothing more frustrating for an angler than to have a guide spotting fish every few feet only to be unable to see what he is looking at. How do they see what you can't? Experience certainly is a factor, but there are several other helpful hints that can help you get a pair of “trout eyes.” For starters, use your eyes while on the water. This sounds overly simple, but it is not. All too often, we get in the habit of gazing towards the horizon while casting like a machine, fanning the water and hoping for a strike. While blind-casting is certainly productive, try “seeing into” the water while you are fan casting. Slowly you will begin to pick up features such as bottom contour, grass, and, yes, even fish. Like anything, looking for and seeing fish gets easier with practice. And, in the meantime, you can even make your blind-casting more productive by picking out subtle changes in the bottom contour and composition that your fishing partners may be overlooking. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Obviously when sight-casting, you are looking for fish. However, there are certain key elements that can help you see the fish you are after. Trout, and snook for that matter, are very difficult to see on the flats due to the dark green coloration of their backs. They are most easily spotted over sand bottom, or in sandy potholes, where their dark backs contrast against the light bottom. Whether you are searching light, sandy bottoms and potholes, or looking for fish over darker bottom composition such as mud or grass, it is important to not try and see the whole fish at once. Instead, concentrate on shapes. Oblong shapes floating above the grass often materialize into lazing trout. At times, objects other than fish will at first glance look like trout. However, any suspicious shape should be watched for movement. And, if you are unable to tell if the object is a fish or a pile of grass, go ahead and cast. Another key to watch out for are quick flashes in the water. These flashes are not always trout. Often times they will be mullet, pinfish, or ladyfish. But, they are fish. Trout will sometimes mingle with ladyfish and can be picked out of the pod. As far as mullet and pinfish go, where you find them, you often find trout. So, when a silvery gleam catches your eye, train your sight on it to establish what it is. If it is a baitfish, study the immediate area thoroughly. Sometimes you won't see the fish at all, but rather a physical difference in the water caused by the fish. A rippling surface, “nervous water” or a V-shaped wake are sure signs of fish. When they are spotted, concentrate on trying to establish what is causing it. If there is a disturbance on the surface, the cause of it won't be far below. Again, there is no need to study to long. The most important thing to determine is the direction the fish is swimming. Once that is established, a cast can be made before the fish is identified as a trout, red, mullet, etc. Likewise, fish will often disturb the bottom, especially in shallow water, while moving. Look for “mud spots” that arise from the bottom from the beating tail of a fish. This “muds” can be caused by a variety of fish species, including mullet, redfish, black drum and trout. Usually the mud spot left by a trout is less dense - more “whispy” - than that trailing a thick bodied redfish, drum or sheepshead. If you come onto a flat with a lot of mud spots, keep your eyes scanning. If fish are continuing to form “muds” just before you can see them, try slowing down and moving more silently. TRICKS AND TOOLS Now that you know what you are looking for, take into consideration these pieces of equipment - and advice - recommended by the pros. Tools Glasses - An absolute “must have” for sight-casting on the flats. Sunglasses should be polarized to help reduce the glare and allow your vision to penetrate beneath the water's surface. The slicker the surface, the more glare and the more valuable glasses become. Although most offshore skippers wear glasses with grey lenses, amber or vermilion lenses provide the best bottom contrast for use in shallow water along the Texas coast. Hat - A billed hat is a must to shade your eyes, allowing you a clearer field of vision. It is helpful to select a hat with a dark underside on the bill, as sun rays can reflect up from the water, down from the bill and into your eyes. A dark bill will absorb the rays and prevent  sight-fouling glare. Tricks Wave windows - “If the water is too calm, the glare makes it almost impossible to see into the water,” said Ellis. “So, you actually won't a light chop or riffled surface when you are sight-casting. When you have that, you can actually use the front of the wavelets like little windows to see down below.” Elevation - “When you are trying to work the potholes and sight-cast to fish, you got to get up high to see everything,” suggested Ellis. “Get on top of a poling platform, casting platform, console or cooler - anything that will get you higher above the surface. Not only does this allow you to see the fish better, but you are also able to track your lure much better during the retrieve.” Keep your eyes moving - “Never concentrate on one spot too long,” Ellis said. “You won't see big trout unless they move. If you are concentrating on one spot too long, you may miss some other movement nearby.” Shoot first, ask questions later - “If you even think you see a big trout, throw at it,” advised Ellis. “Unlike hunting, where you have to make a positive i.d., in this case, if you hesitate you may miss the best shot of your life.” LURES AND FLIES While many of the standard plugs, jigs and flies that are typically thrown by Texas bay fishermen will work for sight-casting, others won't - or worse, are counterproductive. A basic rule of thumb for sight-casting is don't get too big and don't get too noisy. In fact, sight-casting for trout is often more productive with a fly rod, but anglers skilled with light spinning gear can be effective as well. Of course, big and noisy are relative terms. Baits up to 5 inches can be productive if they can be presently silently. A good choice for such a detail is the 5-inch Stanley Wedge Tail Minnow rigged weightless and weedless with a worm hook. This bait rigged in this manner not only gives a large profile, but it can be presented silently and sinks extremely slow, meaning it can be allowed to dangle in front of a trout for a temptingly long time. The combination of size and seductively slow sink rate makes it one of the best choices when targeting larger trout. Another bait that sinks slowly and can be effectively cast to sighted trout is the DOA Shrimp. The ¼ ounce model is heavy enough to cast accurately, yet has a tremendously slow sink rate. This bait is most often productive when allowed to free drift across a trout's line of sight, rather than being actively retrieved. This lure should be considered the “go-to” bait when fish get finicky. Soft-plastics can also be effectively worked when pinned on jig heads. However, for the purpose of skinny water sight-casting, any jig head over 1/8 ounce should be avoided and, for the most part, 1/16 ounce heads are preferred. Norton Bull Minnows and Sand Eels, Cocahoe Minnows, Wedge Tail Minnows, and Bass Assassins are some of the most popular choices for this type of fishing. Topwater plugs and spoons can produce results as well. However, when using these baits, it is necessary to cast them beyond the fish and retrieve them back over them, rather than casting toward the fish. Finally, a wide-variety of flies can tempt trout when sight casting. In fact, sight casting is on bay fishing discipline where fly rodders actually hold an advantage over conventional tackle anglers. Skilled fly anglers can usually be more stealthy and accurate with their presentation. Good fly patterns include Deceivers, Clouser Minnows, bendbacks, Wejebe's Spanish Fly and East Cut Poppers. Regardless of whether you choose fly or conventional tackle, sight casting for trout is an exciting pursuit that can be enjoyed throughout the lower and middle sections of the Texas Coast. However, if you hope to take a trophy while sight casting, you must learn how to look for them. After all, when sight casting, you can't catch what you can't see. texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout