By employing a very certain kind of inshore knowledge to land a wall-hanger.
Catching Big Speckled Trout
There is something about having a big speckled trout in your hands, especially here in Louisiana.
So you can imagine my excitement the other day when Mike set the hook on a true hammer.
My blood started flowing when I saw her, and almost had a heart attack when I realized there was no net in the boat!
I quickly threw my rod across the deck and got on my stomach with arms stretched out.
I grabbed her around the neck, with fortune favoring my bold move as we both breathed a huge sigh of relief when she safely made it over the gunnel and inside the boat.
The picture above doesn't do her justice, nor the experience, as pictures tend to do.
Anyways, we immediately put her in the livewell to give her a breather while we grabbed the Boga.
She stretched it to the six-pound mark, not a hair less, not a hair more.
I know it's only six pounds, but in Louisiana that's a big trout and it was certainly Mike's personal best.
After mulling it over (and appreciating her beauty as we gazed upon her in the livewell) he decided to let her swim, a decision I respect.
Maybe she'll grow to become a state record. Maybe not.
Why and how did Mike catch this trout?
- a little luck
- understanding of trout biology/behavior
- locating "trout green" water with a lot of bait
- good boat drifting with trolling motor and drift sock
- good lure selection
- irresistible presentations achieved with more power and control over the lure
Lady Luck handled #1.
I handled #2, 3 and 4.
Mike nailed #5 and 6.
Get the full breakdown of how Mike did it in this sequel blog post covering:
- which color worked
- the jighead size
- type of fishing line
- the technique used
Enjoy, and be sure to comment below if you have any questions!
Why and how did Mike catch this trout?
- a little luck
- understanding of trout biology/behavior
- locating "trout green" water with a lot of bait
- good boat drifting with trolling motor and drift sock
- good lure selection
- irresistible presentations achieved with more power and control over the lure
Lady Luck handled #1.
I handled #2, 3 and 4.
Mike nailed #5 and 6.
Get the full breakdown of how Mike did it in this sequel blog post covering:
- which color worked
- the jighead size
- type of fishing line
- the technique used
Enjoy, and be sure to comment below if you have any questions!
No live bait. I pretty much fish with artificial lures only.
The area we were fishing was uniformly deep.
Actually, it’s warmer here in Louisiana. I just looked and the water temp in Apalachicola is 66 degrees, but 72 in Grand Isle.
Thanks for commenting.
Devin are you guys fishing deep holes with live bait? I assume the water temp is pretty much the same as it is here in Northeast Florida. Specks are still a bit sluggish and striking pretty much at opportunity.