Let’s Tackle A Problem by Mike Scott

For many fishermen, what type of tackle to use when fishing in the Gulf waters of South Texas can be a problem. When I was young, I went through every conceivable tackle arrangement. I tried on the bottom; slide corks, free lining and numerous other techniques to get the catch I wanted. Some were productive and some were not.

When using live bait, the best results I have had is in water corks. Water corks are clear, plastic corks that get their buoyancy by holding water. They have a plastic insert that can be pulled open to allow the amount of water you need given the conditions of the day. You never need a sinker when you use these corks since casting is achieved by the weight of the water. This allows the fisherman to free-line his bait below the cork.
Place a barrel swivel at the end line past the cork and attach your leader material to the swivel. I like a number four single barb hook connected to the leader end. 

The advantages of the water cork is that it extends your casting ability with the weight of the water, your line rides freely through the cork and the float of the cork can be changed with different conditions. Your bait is free to move about just under the transparent cork, which creates high game attraction.

Now, with the wind to your back, the bait will tail out about 45 degrees under the water and does a little dance for the fish. This attraction is only increased with additional wind or your popping action. I have found no better rig to land the big reds and trout in South Texas waters.

Captain Mike Scott is a retired Texas Gulf fishing guide and commercial fisherman.  As Mike puts it "I have probably lost more fish than most people have caught."  Please feel free to contact Mike for any fishing questions through AlphaLane or by using his site email in our search page.  Use Mike's CID which is 119 or simply search on category 'fishing'.

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