Just for a moment, put yourself in the shoes (OK, OK - fins) of a big speckled trout. You've been relaxing in a mud flat in the East Matagorda bay. Finally, what you've been waiting for comes to pass; the light starts to peek through winter cloud cover, warming the shallows where you've been waiting out the winter.
You start to move, cruising right along the flat until you see it - your favorite spot to feed. The patch of mud with its shell pad is a familiar landmark and you think back happily about years past when you would happily fill up on all you can eat shrimp and finger mullet. Your stomach immediately starts to grumble as you recall these feasts.
You get into your favorite spot, right where the shell bed meets the mud and wait. Before long, a tempting six inch mullet comes along, oblivious to your presence.
Before the mullet even knows what happened, you're drifting back to the bottom feasting on your first catch of the season.
Only a moment later you see another one; this one looks like it's wounded. An easy catch, you chuckle to yourself as you prepare to pounce.
Like a flash of lightning you're on the mullet and it's in your jaws - but this one seems to be stronger than you!
A forceful shake dislodges your prey, but somehow you're still being pulled upwards and you become too tired to fight back against the pull of that Boga caught in your lip.
"It's gotta be at least ten pounds!" someone exclaims.
Two other men surround your beastly exterior. Cameras flash.
Back in the water and exhausted from the escapade, you finally break free from the anglers' light hold.
While making your way back to the bottom, you can faintly make out someone saying "And that's why I like Corky Fat Boy lures." You're not entirely sure what that means, but you know you'll think twice before pouncing on a wounded mullet next time.
If trophy trout could have these feelings, they would know someone's dream had come true.
Once word of James Wallace's record breaking speckled trout got out with the fishing reports, fishermen immediately adopted Wallace's saltwater fishing lures of choice: Corky slow sinking soft baits. With a size roughly that of a topwater and imitating the wobbly motion of a broken-back, a Corky with a slow retrieve in the winter is nearly irresistible to a big speck.
"James Wallace really grew our business with that catch," says B&L Corky founder Paul Brown. "Once the word got out, we were sold out of each and every Corky almost instantly." Of course, Corky saltwater fishing lures are still the hottest item at this family owned Houston shop, as they have been since that famous catch.
One of the many experts who counts himself as a Corky fan is Port Mansfield guide Captain Mike McBride. These are one his favorite lures for specks on Texas' lower coast and along with a unique retrieval style, work wonders for this angler.
"Corkys are worked differently across the coast, but I try to pop the knot off, when I'm working Corky's while trying to keep up with the slack." Contrary to the popular belief of working Corky's "slower than slow", McBride works his soft baits aggressively. "The whole attraction of working an original Corky is unpredictable movements with the irresistible pause," states McBride.
Captain Jesse Arsola, Matagorda trophy trout guide says he also has his own technique for getting the best results with Corky saltwater fishing lures.
"When trout are aggressive they will nail anything; but when you have to work for them to bite, technique really comes into play."
"I use a counting system nearly every time I work a Corky. Count how long it takes for the Corky to reach the bottom. Vary how many seconds you let the Corky fall before yanking the slack out of the line. Find out which count you are catching your fish on. This gives major insight in knowing which part of the water column the trout are feeding on best."
Clear Lake tournament angler Captain John Havens prefers the Corky Devil in white, chartreuse or gold and uses a more or less standard retrieve.
"All you have to do is to make sure you keep in constant contact with the lure so you can tell when you have even the littlest nibble," Havens says. He lifts the rod and gives it one or two twitches before letting his lure fall, the only variation this expert angler uses in his retrieve.
You start to move, cruising right along the flat until you see it - your favorite spot to feed. The patch of mud with its shell pad is a familiar landmark and you think back happily about years past when you would happily fill up on all you can eat shrimp and finger mullet. Your stomach immediately starts to grumble as you recall these feasts.
You get into your favorite spot, right where the shell bed meets the mud and wait. Before long, a tempting six inch mullet comes along, oblivious to your presence.
Before the mullet even knows what happened, you're drifting back to the bottom feasting on your first catch of the season.
Only a moment later you see another one; this one looks like it's wounded. An easy catch, you chuckle to yourself as you prepare to pounce.
Like a flash of lightning you're on the mullet and it's in your jaws - but this one seems to be stronger than you!
A forceful shake dislodges your prey, but somehow you're still being pulled upwards and you become too tired to fight back against the pull of that Boga caught in your lip.
"It's gotta be at least ten pounds!" someone exclaims.
Two other men surround your beastly exterior. Cameras flash.
Back in the water and exhausted from the escapade, you finally break free from the anglers' light hold.
While making your way back to the bottom, you can faintly make out someone saying "And that's why I like Corky Fat Boy lures." You're not entirely sure what that means, but you know you'll think twice before pouncing on a wounded mullet next time.
If trophy trout could have these feelings, they would know someone's dream had come true.
Once word of James Wallace's record breaking speckled trout got out with the fishing reports, fishermen immediately adopted Wallace's saltwater fishing lures of choice: Corky slow sinking soft baits. With a size roughly that of a topwater and imitating the wobbly motion of a broken-back, a Corky with a slow retrieve in the winter is nearly irresistible to a big speck.
"James Wallace really grew our business with that catch," says B&L Corky founder Paul Brown. "Once the word got out, we were sold out of each and every Corky almost instantly." Of course, Corky saltwater fishing lures are still the hottest item at this family owned Houston shop, as they have been since that famous catch.
One of the many experts who counts himself as a Corky fan is Port Mansfield guide Captain Mike McBride. These are one his favorite lures for specks on Texas' lower coast and along with a unique retrieval style, work wonders for this angler.
"Corkys are worked differently across the coast, but I try to pop the knot off, when I'm working Corky's while trying to keep up with the slack." Contrary to the popular belief of working Corky's "slower than slow", McBride works his soft baits aggressively. "The whole attraction of working an original Corky is unpredictable movements with the irresistible pause," states McBride.
Captain Jesse Arsola, Matagorda trophy trout guide says he also has his own technique for getting the best results with Corky saltwater fishing lures.
"When trout are aggressive they will nail anything; but when you have to work for them to bite, technique really comes into play."
"I use a counting system nearly every time I work a Corky. Count how long it takes for the Corky to reach the bottom. Vary how many seconds you let the Corky fall before yanking the slack out of the line. Find out which count you are catching your fish on. This gives major insight in knowing which part of the water column the trout are feeding on best."
Clear Lake tournament angler Captain John Havens prefers the Corky Devil in white, chartreuse or gold and uses a more or less standard retrieve.
"All you have to do is to make sure you keep in constant contact with the lure so you can tell when you have even the littlest nibble," Havens says. He lifts the rod and gives it one or two twitches before letting his lure fall, the only variation this expert angler uses in his retrieve.
About the Author:
Captain Kyle Tomek is a Texas fishing guide who submits featured Texas saltwater fishing tips to Texas FishCast. You can submit Texas saltwater fishing tips through your Facebook account to Texas FishCast. You can share pictures and videos and tag your fishing buddies for everyone to see.
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