Gulf Coast Fisherman Magazine Vol 39 No 2 - Spring 2015 | Page 27

Rattle ‘Em Up (Continued from page 22.) loud rattle with a live bait or soft plastic rigged below it is another effective option for springtime winds. The added weight of the cork makes casting in the wind much easier, and keeps your bait stationary in the water column a lot longer, leaving it in the strike zone. The line of corks made by MidCoast products are heavy and durable, producing a loud sound when chugged through the water that fish can’t resist. My favorite in the MidCoast line-up is the Evolution. This cork is shaped like a traditional popping cork and has a wire running through it with a weight on the bottom to keep it upright while floating in the water. On the wire there are a few beads that make a sound similar to a rattlesnake when shaken. The round, cupped top of the Evolution makes a popping sound similar to that of a surface feeding fish. When yanked on the water’s surface by the twitching of a rod, the high-pitched rattles get the attention of gamefish. If using a soft plastic under a cork is preferred, scented baits work better when the water clarity is poor. Baits like Gulp! Shrimp or a Z-Man scented jerk shad, can be dynamite when rigged on a jig head under a loud, rattling float. Other Noisy Options When using live bait, another effective option is to use a Carolina rig with a rattling weight. The chatter weights made by Texas Rattlin’ Rigs are shaped like an egg weight, but are made of a hard plastic and filled with ball bearings, or BB’s. The BB’s within the weight make a loud, rattling sound when the weight is hopped through water, calling in surrounding fish. The jig heads made by Rockport Rattler will turn any soft plastic into a versatile fish catching tool when gale force winds have churned up bay waters. The rattle chambers on these jig heads bring soft plastics to life, giving them sound as they twitch through the water. Rigging one of these jig heads under a popping cork can be a deadly combination, as well. One more thing to consider when fishing during strong winds is fishing line. Two types of line, monofilament and braided line, rule today’s market. Some prefer mono while others prefer braid. Although monofilament has been around a long time, I would suggest using braid. Braided line has almost zero stretch, making it ultra sensitive, so anglers can feel the slightest of bites when winds make it hard to stay in contact with th