The reason so many wade fishermen come to Port O’Connor is that on any given day you stand a very good chance of catching a stringer of reds and trout. Plus, there are many miles of isolated flats. Photo by Robert Sloan

The bad news about fishing Port O’Connor is that you’ll need a boat, or a guide to get around. Accessing the bays requires a boat and a good bit of knowledge of how to reach some of the best wade fishing areas.

The good news is that the bays around POC are wide open and spread out for many miles. Regardless of how many boats are on the water on any given day, boat transportation can take you to wade fishing areas that don’t get too much traffic.

I’ve been fishing the POC flats for over 40 years. And during that time I’ve found some excellent areas that are rock solid perfect for wading.

On a high tide you can wade fish along shallow flats up near the shoreline for tailing reds. Or you can fish along deep water drops for a combination of trout and reds. On a falling tide you’ll do best by working jigs in the deeper water. I say jigs because that’s usually the most productive lure as the sun gets higher in the sky. My go to jig is a 5-inch Yum Houdini Shad in either camo or watermelon/black flake. But early and late I’ll almost always be fishing some sort of topwater plug along a flat where it drops off into deeper water. That’s when I’ll use a small topwater plug like a bone or chartreuse/silver colored Bomber Badonk-A-Donk. This is a 3-1/2 inch, ½ ounce topwater lure that’s a killer on trout and reds.

Wading the surf is a very good option during the summer months. And one of the best surf fishing options is located from Pass Cavallo for about 20 miles west along Matagorda Island. On a calm day this is one of the finest stretches of beach that you can wade along the entire Texas coast. A great lure in the surf is a Super Spook in blue/silver. Other great options include a jointed Bomber Long A in silver/chartreuse or silver/blue. If the water is super clear with lots of baitfish you’ll want to go with a Badonk-A-Donk in silver/blue, silver or shad.

The only glitch when fishing the POC surf is that you have to keep a pretty good eye out for sharks. There are some big ones running along Matagorda Island. And they aren’t shy about claiming their share of trout from a stringer.

The bay shoreline from Pass Cavallo and east towards the Port O’Connor jetties offers a few miles of excellent wade fishing. It’s all hard sand bottom. At times, during the late summer months, this water can be gin clear. That’s when long casts with small jigs will fool more trout and reds. A 2 to 3 inch soft plastic rigged on a ¼ ounce Bomber jig head is usually best in this water. You can also rig up with a lighter jig head for a slower fall.

When the water gets real clear on the shallow flats at Port O’Connor long casts with downsized lures are a must. For example, I like to fish the ultra-shallow lagoons and estuary areas in Mule Slough. This is a great area to find reds, lots of them during the summer months. But the water can be super clear. That’s a situation where slow wading and long casts are mandatory. Reds are super spooky in clear water that’s no more than a foot deep. That’s a good time to tie on a clear Tiny Torpedo. You don’t want a lure that’s going to make a big splash when it hits the water. That’ll spook reds every time. This is when a 1/8 ounce gold spoon rules.

When wading the flats my favorite rod and reel combo starts with a 6-1/2 foot Sarge custom rod seated with a compact baitcasting reel that’s spooled with 12 pound test Silver Thread line.

It’s no secret that Port O’Connor has been discovered. It’s not unusual to see a hundred boats or more running the flats on any given weekend during the summer months. But, even at that there is room for escape, especially when you hire a good guide.

For great wade fishing trips give me, Capt. Robert Sloan, a call at 409 782 6796 or email sloan288@aol.com. The web site is www.hightailangler.com.