Well after fishing in the last future pro tour event and getting out about five times in the past two weeks, I think I’ve got some information that you guys will find helpful. All my fishing has been done out of Buckley cove. I have spent a ton of time in 14 mile slough but I haven’t made it much further than Empire Tract.
To start off with, you need to be throwing top water in the morning. I have been using double bladed buzzbaits and a Heddon Super Spook in the lake fork shad color. The buzzbait excels around the tulles and close to floating grass because you can keep it fairly weedless. I have been throwing the spook over grass flats at high tides so it won’t get hung in anything. I have also heard that big poppers and prop baits are working to.
Next up, you need to have a frog tied on. I prefer the popping style frogs because they are extremely easy to walk. I use the River 2 Sea popping frog in the dirty white color and the Dean Rojas popping frog in the midnight walker color. You can pretty much throw these all day right now, the bite seems to turn on and off threw out the day. While you can throw them over slop and heavy cover, I have had more luck walking them down the tulles or along weed lines.
Other producing baits for me have been shallow crank baits and flipping jigs. The KVD 1.5 in chili craw is what I have been throwing. Throw them along levees that have grass growing about 6 feet away from them and fish in-between the levee and grass line, they have not been producing many quality fish but have gotten me some pretty good numbers. One of my bigger fish baits has been the Dirty Jigs flipping jig. I’ve been using a ¾ ounce in black and blue trailed by a Strike King rage craw.And of course, remember to have a drop shot with a Roboworm Fat Straight Tail in Margarita Mutilator tied on.
Good luck and tight lines, Nick Lynch