Even though Hurricane Ike slammed the Sabine and Galveston jetties, they're still in good shape -- and two of the best combo-fishing options for trout and redfish on Texas' Upper Coast.

The great thing about the Galveston jetties is that you can walk them. The most popular is the south jetty. I've fished both the north and south Galveston jetties since I was a kid. Ditto that for the Freeport jetties. You can walk both the Galveston and Freeport rocks, which is why they are so popular among Texas saltwater anglers. Usually the Gulf side of these jetties is the best option.

If you plan on walking the rocks, you have to plan ahead. Everything has to be packed in and packed out. What I like to do is load my gear up in a daypack. That includes water, food, tackle and, of course, a camera. (Send some of those pictures to Texas Camera Corner, 2250 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 110, Marietta, GA 30067.) And it's all out of the way for easier fishing. I use a Kelty pack that's got plenty of storage pockets and comes with a wrap-around waist support belt. That's very important for back support.

The problem with walking the rocks is that you've got to keep your fish on a stringer, and keep them in the water. And if you really get into them, you've got a load coming out. That'll usually draw quite a bit of attention, which is a pleasant problem.

A silver spoon is tough to beat when fishing the rocks. But I'll usually pack in a small selection of lures that includes a couple of Super Spooks in bone or mullet color patterns, a chrome She Dog, and six 1/4-ounce jigheads. They can be rigged on soft-plastic tails. I like Assassins or Stanley Wedgetails in white/chartreuse, smoke or red shad. The Wedgetails are good in water that's a little sandy because of the tail vibration.

Deep-diving cranks are also good to use along any jetty. That's how most of the redfish pros fish the rocks. And it's how the FLW tournaments have been won along the Sabine jetties for the past two years. You can fish the deep-diving crankbaits fast and deep, and thus cover plenty of water.

Live bait is also very deadly along the jetties. Free-lined live shrimp are the best baits. Rig them on a No. 2 treble hook. It's usually best to pinch on a single lead split shot about a foot above the hook. That keeps the shrimp down in the water column. Free-lining is easy. Simply flip the live bait in the water and feed out line. This is a good technique because the current will move the bait deep and parallel to the rocks.

The latest fad for fishing the rocks is to rig Berkley Gulp! on a bare hook and free-line it along the rocks. The scent of this soft-plastic lure is incredible. Anything in the ocean will eat it, especially trout and redfish.