Days of Easy Fishing

with Captain Eric Gonsoulin

Wade Fishing All Year Round

I don’t think wade fishing could have escaped me. I believe me ending up as a fishing guide that focuses on wade fishing with artificial lures was fate. And it’s all thanks to my dad. I remember being around three or four years old when my dad carried me on his shoulders, and we waded sand flats to chase redfish with a golden spoon. I think having that early experience, wading along the water until we’d hook a fish, really stayed with me. I recall my dad giving me the chance to fight fish by giving me the rod and letting me face my own battle. Since then, I have been hooked on that kind of fishing. Until today, I still get to fish with my dad, and I’m thankful I get to do so.

Those memories with dad have inspired me to teach others how to catch fish the same way. I am a wade fishing with an artificial lures-only guide year-round. I like to focus on teaching clients how to be better anglers and how to fish based on the signs that Mother Nature gives us each day. My favorite thing about fishing is that I get to take on Mother Nature. I enjoy strategizing and planning that it entails because Mother Nature doesn’t make mistakes. So I have to make the extra effort to understand how fish interact with the environment. I love showing clients how to grapple with this fact because it is rewarding and fun. Another plus is that I get to see people improve as anglers and see them have an easier time next time they go on a fishing trip with me. That’s part of why I’m a fishing guide.

Since I emphasize a particular fishing technique, you might be curious what fishing gear an angler like me prefers to use. Usually, my rod is a 6’6 baitcasting rod with a 7:3.1 ratio baitcasting reel with a 30lb braided fishing line tied to a 4ft 20lb monofilament leader. As far as lures go, I have a very basic setup. I throw a lot of MirrOlure plastics such as the Lil Jon XL and Provoker on a 1/16 oz 2/0 jig head, and I throw a lot of MirrOlure topwater and Texas Custom Lures Double Ds in the summertime. I occasionally throw the topwater in the winter, but I trade the Double Ds for the Texas Custom Lures Custom Corky lineup of its Corky soft suspending twitch bait. My preferred colors vary depending on water clarity. Either way, I am not a very big proponent of selling lures based on color. I believe that the fishing area and understanding what those fish are doing in that area trumps the idea that ‘you have to throw a certain lure to catch fish.’ 

Almost every trip I have, guys and girls catch fish using soft plastics, topwater, Double Ds, or suspending twitch bait. It’s all about understanding why the fish are where they are and presenting your lure in a way that sets up well for them based on how they are set up in the area. As long as you know how to observe and adapt in whatever fishing spot you’re in, you might bring home much more fish and even larger fish if you use other helpful fishing tips. There aren’t always days of easy fishing, but being aware and making proper adjustments make it seem that fishing isn’t all that complicated.

A lot of fish species are fun to catch through wade fishing. My personal favorites are speckled trout (sea trout) and redfish. I primarily target these fish species when the conditions warrant or clients request them. What draws me to target trout is the nature of how hard it is to consistently catch the bigger fish of their species in the upper-class level, which is less than 5% of their population. Trout are ambush predators that are very sensitive to predation and condition changes, which makes them unique to most game fish in a lake, river, or bay. Deep water nearby is a must for these fish, not necessarily meaning that the larger fish will use the deeper water, but they always like to have the option. The bigger fish of their species can absolutely be found in the shallower water as opposed to the smaller slot-size trout can be found out deeper, depending on the tides. Trout are also amazing white fish to use in any of your fish recipes as their meat provides a mild flavor. 

Redfish are a different story. They are more scavengers and opportunistic feeders than ambush predators like trout. By nature, they are heartier fish than trout and less sensitive to condition changes. They are also shallower water fish, sometimes shallow enough that their backs are out of the water, and do not require deep water access as much as a trout does. This is what makes them a terrific target for a wading angler. Redfish would much rather roam the grass flats year-round than lie in wait for their prey to pass by.

A lot of fun memories are flooding back to me as I go through my favorite things about catching fish through wading. The rich waters of Corpus Christi, Texas, where my fishing charter, Trophy Tails Fishing, is based, have seen a lot from clients and me over the years of fishing trips I have done. All the trips I’ve done have been enjoyable for me, but I remember a recent one that stands out: 

Several guys from the East Coast went fishing with me, and several were first-time wade fishers. We not only had a great two days of fishing, but these guys were some of the easiest, most coachable guys I have had. Half of my job is assessing an angler’s abilities and setting them up in areas that will work best for them and their chances of catching fish — and these guys just made it easy. They listened very well and could easily see the signs I was talking about when certain things happened, like why a mullet jumped from a pothole, how to identify the structure they got a bite from, and how to duplicate a pattern. Aside from these guys making my job very easy and enjoyable, the fish absolutely let us put it on them as well. We had a great few days with several trout around the 24-25” mark and one trout that surpassed the 28” mark and was 7lbs! Those are the fish we are after.

Those kinds of experiences make my days of fishing so much more pleasurable. I want to continue to provide that enjoyment to those who book with me and Trophy Tails Fishing. You can visit my charter’s website, Facebook page, and Instagram if you want to know more. Let’s head out to the water, have fun, and hope for an easy yet fulfilling day of angling!