Captain Todd Casey of South Padre Island is one of the best at catching redfish, and he is about to reveal his secret bait.
"I got a Serrano pepper and a little number four hook, and we are on a school of reds here, and we are going to see if they will eat it," said Casey.
Casey moves to the bow and casts his pepper out in the direction of the schooling reds.
He then begins reeling the big green Serrano in like it was a topwater lure, and it doesn't take long before a redfish pounces on the pepper.
"This one is not happy," said Casey.
The line is zinging off Casey's reel as the hefty red makes a run.
"That must have been a hot one," said Casey.
Soon Casey works the red to the boat and expertly brings the fish aboard.
"Jalapeno redfish," said Casey.
The redfish is over the 28-inch maximum limit, and after admiring the glistening fish for a moment, Casey releases it.
He then re-peppers with a jalapeno and promptly catches another.
"I had a guy fishing with me from McAllen one time, and he had a little lunch on the boat … a sandwich and a few carrots, and we were hitting a school like this one," said Casey.
"I had an empty jig head, so I just put a carrot on there and threw it in the school and hit it, and so I decided to try different stuff. That is how the jalapeno thing was born."
And nothing says South Texas like blazing sun, hot peppers and some sizzling red fishing.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT