This is that time of year when you better plan your fishing trip for trophy trout or redfish. Luck has a lot to do with it, but don’t leave anything to chance. If you are prepared, the odds will be in your favor.
Clothing is essential. Dress in layers, so as you can peel them off as the day’s activity and sun heats up. Neoprene waders are needed to block the frigid water temperature. Usually, you can wear soft cotton sweats and thermal underwear to block out additional chill from the water.
Lure selection should be that of larger deep running plugs. Examples are the “Corky”, She Dogs by Mirrolure, Skittle Walkers by Rapalo and the Baby Spook. Top water lures can sometimes jump-start your heart with their erratic actions, causing “blow-ups” as you retrieve it. Switch to a deeper plug as mentioned earlier.
Remember, almost every large trout is going to be a female. The males don’t grow as big, nor do they live as long as the female.
Interesting enough, the odds of catching large trout or reds in the winter are reasonably good. The fish are more sluggish from the cold, but the larger ones are more active feeders.
In the winter, the larger fish are more tightly schooled. You may find larger trout running with their smaller friends.
Come spring and summer, the bigger specs tend to shy away from schools. They travel in small pods, maybe six or less. Often, the larger fish are loners.
Try fishing at night under the lights. People with bayfront property and pier owners can catch a good many big trout and reds by rigging overhead lights to beam down on the water. The lights attract a lot of bait and with the bait comes the game fish. Usually, the bigger trout will be more active around the fringe of the lights.
To use live bait, selections can include small piggy perch, croakers or mullet. Using live shrimp, place this bait under a popping cork about three or four feet deep.
In the winter, areas that may produce larger trout and red catches are around deep holes, where there is a minimum of current. Large ship basins and areas adjacent to the ship channel where there are dead ends are good places to catch fish. Offitt’s Bayou, Moses Lake and Clear Lake, to name just a few.
During the spring and early fall, work the fringes of salt grass marshes early in the morning or late in the evening on a spring flood tide. By the way, these times coincide with the trout spawn periods. The trout’s roe is dropped in the vicinity of tall grass. As soon as the eggs hatch, the young fish use the grass for food and cover.
What a lot of anglers may not know is that trout are cannibalistic. After the spawn, they return to feed on the young trout. I remember my grandfather using small trout (six-to-eight inches long) as bait for larger trout. Of course, that was before the minimum size limits were in place.
For obvious reasons, the best way to catch the above mentioned is with a licensed, professional guide. It is their business to follow the movement of the fish. They often have a few special techniques to entice the larger ones.
A point to keep in mind about the big ones. They are extremely easy to spook. The reason for their size is their awareness and caution. If you fail to keep this in mind, you will obviously never find one on the end of your rod. Most fishermen in search of large trout will wade fish, using boats simply as a means to reach the fishing grounds. This method allows them to approach these areas with a minimum of noise. Make your cast so the bait strikes the water with as little fanfare as possible.
Pay close attention to what’s happening in the water. Be aware of baitfish activity. Any activity will aid you to catch that trophy speckled trout.
Remember: Structure, bait, and water movement will result in good catches of large speckled trout and red fish.
Presentation and Patience. Sounds easy. Just try all winter and you will be rewarded. Best bet this time of year has been the soft plastic Assassins, or the Stanley Jigs. Use em’ right on the bottom in that mud area or near shell reefs.
As always, the best time to go fishing, is any time you can.
See ya’ll on Galveston Bay.
Capt. Paul Marcaccio
