Fishing With Live Bait & Lures In The Texas Marsh [Fishing Report]
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
We’re fishing with live bait and lures in the Texas marsh in this one!!
Our trip to Bay Flats Lodge over in Seadrift, Texas earlier this year was an absolute blast!
The Operations Manager Capt. TJ took us out on the water for day 2 of our trip and we got on some fish immediately.
Take a look!!
Bay Flats Day 2 [VIDEO]
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Before Luke and I could even get a line in the water, Capt. TJ had already hooked into a huge trout.
Our main objective was to hop in the water and do some wade fishing with artificial lures then make our way back to the boat for some live bait action later on.
While waiting for the fog to rise, we got a first-hand lesson from Capt. TJ on how to actively fish with piggy perch.
Piggy perch are small finfish popularly used as live bait in Texas.
Once we were able to get into the water and start wading, I tied on the NEW Mulligan Lure.
It is a good balance between a small and a large bait presentation and casts an absolute mile.
The bait tends to be a bit larger this time of year.
From where I was positioned, the wind was pushing all the bait up against the shoreline and around a point.
The point provided a perfect little ambush spot for predatory fish to sit in and attack.
We continued to wade around this little marsh area we were in and each time we looked over at TJ on the boat, he was reeling in a super nice fish!
So we decided to jump back in the boat with Capt. TJ to check out some other marshes and spoil islands nearby.
The idea here was to cover more ground with the trolling motor in search of hungry fish.
For the entire trip, Capt. TJ was fishing with live piggy perch and CRUSHING it which got Luke and I to try them out ourselves.
We were rigging the piggy perch using a 5/0 Khale hook through the belly and out the other side.
The retrieve and presentation are fairly simple for this fishing as well.
All you need to do is lift your rod tip up to keep the line tight and make sure you twitch the rod enough to keep that piggy perch croaking and causing a scene in the water.
Then, hang on tight for that bite!
Shortly thereafter, Luke reeled in the biggest trout of the day on a live piggy perch.
We picked up and moved to a different spot to fish the afternoon bite.
The bite was a bit slower but we managed to pick off a few fish.
How To Rig Piggy Perch
There are a couple of different sizes of Pigfish.
The ideal size is somewhere between 3-4 inches.
To rig these fish, have the tail pointing away from you and slide the hook point near the rear of the fish out through the bottom.
Capt. TJ uses 5/0 Kahle Hooks when fishing with Pigfish.
If the Pigfish are on the smaller side, you can bump down to a 4/0 size hook.
And you can go up to a 6/0 hook if the Pigfish are extra large.
How To Retrieve Piggy Perch
Try to face downwind and cast the Pigfish out in front of you.
You want to be able to feel the line in your hand because this technique requires free-lining the Pigfish.
Once you cast the bait out, hold your rod tip straight up in the air and every once in a while give the rod a few aggressive pops.
The objective is to erratically pop the tip of the rod which makes the Pigfish start to grunt.
When they start to grunt and make noise, that is what attracts fish and triggers strikes.
You don’t want to drag the Pigfish across the bottom.
Just give the tip of the fishing rod a few quick twitches.
If you get a bump, you’ll feel more of a thump down in the bottom of the rod.
Slight taps on the tip of your rod are just the Pigfish getting nervous on the end of your line.
When you feel a bite, the fish is going to try and pull away.
Move your arms and the rod down with the fish to create tension in the line and then set the hook.
This gives the fish enough time to have the Pigfish in their mouth.
If you set the hook right as the fish hits the Pigfish, you’ll put it away from them every time.
Conclusion
It was an amazing time down in Seadrift with the folks at Bay Flats Lodge!!
Fishing with piggy perch is an excellent way to trigger quick strikes near flats, spoil islands, or marshes.
What other questions do you have about our trip to Bay Flats Lodge??
Please let us know down in the comments section!!
Finding The Fish Help
In order to help make sure that you are targeting the right areas based on the latest feeding trends and upcoming weather forecasts, make sure to use the following 3 resources because they will save you a ton of time.
1. Weekend Game Plans (updated weekly)
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2. Smart Fishing Spots Platform (updated every 15 minutes)
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3. Community Reports (live feed)
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Sure was a fun trip!!!
Great Video, I think I’m gonna go visit Bay Flats Lodge when it gets warmer.
good job. One question, is a piggy perch the same as a Pin Fish?
Piggies and pin Perch are different. The piggies are normally preferred because of the noise they make. But pin perch can also be good bait at times.
Thanks so much Anthony!! And no, piggy perch (or Pigfish) are a different species.
In Florida Sportsman there was a story on how to use these fish. I remember getting pins and not catching anything. Then I learned how to hookem so they swim away from you! Great story as always from Salt Strong! You guys rock! Thankyou for your products. Your reporting is easy to understand and is a great help! Merry Christmas.
Yes! They’re quite an interesting bait to use! Thanks for watching Joseph!