Texas-rigged Trout texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout The Texas-rigged worm has been a favorite of bass fishermen since practically the day Nick Crème invented the “rubber” worm in 1949. Few folks realize it's been in use along the Texas coast for nearly as long. And, although its use is far from prevalent among coastal pluggers, it remains a productive way to take speckled trout and redfish in Texas bays. “Late spring and early summer is an ideal time to throw a Texas-rigged worm,” said long-time South Texas guide Capt. Chuck Scates. “Especially when you get a low tide and the grass is all `layed over' (the top of the water). Since it is so weedless, it is sometimes the only thing you can fish through that grass without getting fouled.” Besides it's weedless qualities, Port Isabel-based guide Capt. Steve “JR” Ellis says worms actually do imitate a natural forage item for marine fish. “I think it looks like a sand eel,” said Ellis. “And, it is awful effective when those fish are up on the sand or in sandy potholes rooting out eels and those little marine worms. It is one of the best baits you can use when big trout are lazing in potholes in kind of a lethargic state. In that situation, you just lay the worm right in the pothole with `em  and irritate them into striking - just like you would with bedding bass.” “It's also a great bait for when you have spooky fish in potholes,” added Scates. “At times when you have to cast beyond the pothole and slide the bait back through the grass and into the pothole, a Texas rigged worm can be awfully effective.” Not only do both guides agree on the effectiveness of Texas-rigged worms in salt water, they also point to the same source as being responsible for introducing them into South Texas' salt water environment - Capt. Freddie Petty of Laguna Vista. “We originally started fishing them back in the 70s because we were fishing such shallow water with lots of grass,” recalled Petty, who still operates a highly successful guide service on the Lower Laguna Madre along with his wife, Capt. Janie Petty. “At that time, there really weren't any weedless salt water baits, so we began using worms. Of course, we couldn't hardly find those or anything else way down here back then, so I started making `em myself.” “I've experimented with all kinds of colors back then, but most of the time, I'd use purple or some other dark color,” added Petty. Ellis agrees with Petty's color choice, adding that, although he typically throws purple or red, he will sometimes go with a bright color, such as chartreuse. Among today's models of worms, Scates says his favorite is the Culprit swirl-tail worm, while Ellis opts for a Stanley Wedge Tail worm. “The other great thing about this rig, is it's versatility,” Ellis stated. “By varying your choice of worm colors and the size of your weight, you can rig a worm to fish in practically any shallow water situation.” texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout