Using lightweight spinning gear and 6-pound-test line, we were throwing 1/4-ounce white jigheads with a root-beer-colored grub.

Hill usually stays with the white jighead year ‘round, under any weather and water conditions. During these warmer summer months when the water can be stained from tannic runoff, he favors gold or lighter colors for the soft-plastic grubs.

When working the potholes, keep in mind that where there is grass, the water is shallower. You should work the jig a bit faster to keep it from hanging up. The retrieve then can be slowed a bit as it crosses into the pothole, where there’s more depth.

When using a jig in grassy areas, hooking the grass can be a pesky problem. In these extremely shallow grassy spots, Capt. Hill suggested using a soft-plastic jerkbait since it can be fished virtually weedless. For the soft-plastic lure, the DOA Golden Shiner is his color of choice.

When casting the lightweight jerkbaits, the captain favors a longer 7 1/2-foot Loomis spinning rod for greater distance and uses 8-pound-test line. When the cast hits the water, Hill keeps the rod tip high, working the jerkbait across the surface in a “splishy-splashy” motion to imitate a frantic baitfish skipping across the water to escape a predator.

Then dropping the rod tip low, he continues to retrieve the soft bait in a sub-surface motion, as if the bait has tired or is injured.

Varying the speed of the retrieve increases the chances of a strike.

Since the trout were being especially cooperative, I next elected to test them on a fly. Unlike most anglers’ comfort level, mine is a bit higher with a fly rod than with spinning gear. On the water, I fly-fish 90 percent of my time, and my casts are generally more accurate. But with a spinning rod, I’m all over the place!

After explaining the situation to our guide -- and following his suggestion -- I tied on a tan Clouser Minnow to see if the trout would accept.

Having claimed some measure of expertise with the long rod, that morning I naturally managed to lose my ability to cast the fly rod, and attaining a respectable distance seemed out of the question.

But it didn’t seem to make any difference to the trout. The fish were taking my Clouser within 10 to 20 feet of the boat. I began outfishing my partner, who was still casting jigs!

Fortunately for me, Capt. Hill is an expert with the fly rod, and nearly 50 percent of his customers fly-fish. Hill has over 30 years of experience with a fly rod and has been guiding anglers since 1990. His patience and knowledge of fishing techniques comes in handy, especially if he’s guiding beginning anglers or novices.

Hill was quick to offer me tips for getting my fly out farther, and I appreciated that he accepts favorably those who prefer the long rod.

Since we had landed a number of trout successfully, our guide suggested that with our remaining time, we go after some redfish.