Fishing Tips For Potholes In The Lower Laguna Madre Grass Flats

As Captain Danny Neu says, a gold spoon is the perfect predator when retrieved cleanly over the top of a pothole.

Port Mansfield guide, Capt. Danny Neu is professional to fishing the endless grass flats of the Lower Laguna Madre. The waters he loves to fish most appeal to a variation of fishing styles.

All over the lower coast, there are circle-shaped sandy breaks which are typically surrounded by vegetation. It’s easy to spot these potholes, as they are usually known, especially when wearing polarized sunglasses. These structures resemble tiny versions of crop circles and are among the best places to find baitfish hiding out – and predators swarming in pursuit. Port Mansfield and other spots along the lower coast are rife with potholes among their miles and miles of grass flats.

“I have some of my best days in the late spring all the way up to early autumn, just wading or drifting the potholes,” Neu relates. The swarms of baitfish to be found in Port Mansfield’s grass flats draw many larger predators, making this an angler’s paradise. When Neu tells you so, you can count on his word more so than any number of fishing reports you may have read. According to Neu, sight casters also do very well in the area because of the clear waters of the Lower Laguna Madre.

According to Neu, fishing is at its finest when small baitfish infiltrate bay systems. “Piggy perch and pinfish cruise in and out of the pockets and make it easy pickins.”

The places Captain Neu prefers for his drifting and wading are the locations where he can actually spot the fish hanging out at the edge of grassy structures in wait for their prey. “When the water’s clear, the rest is easy. I just keep an eye out for baitfish on the move and slicks and I know exactly where to set up.”

Wading and drifting are both productive means to catching fish; choosing an approach boils down to personal preference.

“When I work potholes, I usually wade. I can really get in there and work every sandy patch one by one.”

One of the fishing tips Neu offers is to try wading when you spot a group of fish in the midst of feeding so as to maintain a good position, something which is much more difficult to do when drifting.

Casey Hardin is a biologist who has studied the sea grasses of the lower coast. He is of the opinion that potholes are formed because of substrates which are not hospitable for the growth of grass. However, he adds that regardless of their origin, potholes are a great place to stake out when pursuing redfish and speckled trout.

When Hardin is not studying the grass, he is fishing it. “On the Upper Laguna, some very beautiful shorelines exist; however, potholes appear less often compared to the Lower Laguna,” states Hardin. “I have actually grown accustomed to marking potholes I plan to fish on my hand held GPS prior to wading to ensure I am precisely fishing each and not passing any up.”

When the winds pick up speed, drifting can be something of a challenge, but one of the insider fishing tips when dealing with the flats and potholes is to drift in these conditions in order to spot good potholes for angling quickly.

“Trout and redfish go for soft plastics, gold spoons and topwaters, I find. When a weedless spoon isn’t working for me, I go for a red and white soft plastic instead,” adds Hardin. According to area fishing reports, suspending baits and lightly weighted jigs are ideal for working these grassy potholes.