In this episode of the Mudfish Adventures Podcast, Captain Scooby is joined by South Padre Island guide Captain Trae Peña and his dad Lupe—two anglers who've spent the last several years trading saltwater flats for a little freshwater adventure on Toledo Bend. What follows is a wide-open conversation about fly rods, redfish behavior, sunglasses, sunscreen, boat safety, fishing culture, and why the Mudfish rod has become one of Trae's go-to tools on the water.
Trae shares insights from 10+ years guiding the Lower Laguna Madre, one of the saltiest and shallowest bays in the world, where tailing redfish, speckled trout, and flounder hunt in knee-deep gin-clear water. He breaks down why accuracy, fast loading, and quick shots matter more than anything—and why the compact Mudfish rod has changed the game for sight-casting in ultra-shallow water. The guys dig into casting styles, fly design, how to "bully" big redfish and snook out from under docks, and what happens when a woolly bugger goes head-to-head with a school of reds (spoiler: not much).
From there the episode dives into gear talk—Costa sunglasses and lens color choices, the truth about SPF, dangers of cheap sunblock, breathable shirts, waders, and why your nose hurts when you pick the wrong pair of glasses. They also discuss responsible boating, water etiquette, new-generation mudfish rods, and why massive horsepower boats ripping the bays at 60 mph may be damaging the fishery.
Lupe jumps in with stories about camera work, switching to the new Mudfish scoping rod, and suddenly casting double the distance with zero weight on the line. The trio also cover fly patterns, including Trae's deadly "Krusty Krab" redfish fly, topwater poppers, and how different colors and foam shapes change the strike.
The episode wraps with conservation talk, Toledo Bend bass behavior, stocking efforts, client expectations, release ethics, and how Trae balances his guiding life with being a family man.
If you love fishing—freshwater, saltwater, fly, or conventional—this episode is packed with practical wisdom, hilarious stories, and expert insight from two fisheries a world apart… connected by good rods, good people, and good times on the water.
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