Hooked Up Designs Magazine September/October 2017 | Page 35

wade along a string
of islands near
the western shore.
“The big trout like
to get close to those
cuts on the outgoing
tide where the baitfish stack up.” Trudging through the soft
mud, Ed took note of a chain of baitfish looping around the
shallow pocket. “Watch closely, they’ll hide in these mul-
let schools using them as cover while feeding on the crabs,
shrimp, and sand eels they kick up.”
Seconds later, he spots an extra-large shadow trailing to
the right of them, and makes a quick cast in front of the
shadow where it inhales his lure. “Fish on,” he says, as an
enormous gator-sized trout thrashes to the surface. “Luckily
they don’t fight as hard or jump as much as they do in the
wintertime,” he said, as the big fish practically swam right
into his hands. With a tail that was partly missing, Barrera
estimated the huge trout to be well over 30 inches in length,
if the rest of it were intact. “That’s how we do it in Texas,
Ed!” he said, as Ed happily hoisted the huge fish up for a
photo.
hookedupdesigns.com
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

HOOKED UP
35