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John N. Felsher's Speck Fishing Adventures
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While many anglers wait for spring to chase big speckled trout,
persistent anglers can often find excellent action when cold weather keeps
all but the hardiest sportsmen at home.
In the winter, anglers probably won’t catch boatloads of trout, but they
might catch a few lunkers. During a two-week period one January, Capt.
Allen Singletary of Reel Men’s Sports charter service and his guests caught
four trout weighing more than 8 pounds, seven topping 7 pounds, 12
breaking 6 pounds and “a slew of fish over 3 and 4 pounds.” He fished at
Calcasieu Lake south of Lake Charles, La. Singletary’s nephew, Miller
Flynt, caught the lunker, a 30.25-inch whopper weighing 8 pounds, 4
ounces.
“About 10 minutes before my nephew caught his big fish, he caught
and released a 27.25-inch fish,” Singletary said. “On that same day, we
also caught a 27.75- and a 27-inch fish. I never keep trout over 5 pounds.”
Later in the spring, a 30-inch trout might weigh more than 10 pounds.
Trout spawn several times between April and September. Before spawning,
female specks swell with roe, increasing their weight significantly.
“Generally, a big trout full of eggs gains a pound per inch,” Singletary
said. “For instance, a healthy 26-inch speck should weigh about 6 pounds,
a 27-inch fish should weigh about 7 pounds, and so forth. A 30-inch fish
should weigh about 10 pounds, but that’s not always the case. Fish put on
a lot of weight before the big spawn.”
For hot action in cold water, fish slowly, methodically and subtly. Frigid
temperatures decrease the metabolic rate of cold-blooded fish. They don’t
eat as much or as often, but they do eat. During cold weather, a big trout
might only eat one big meal every few days and won’t expend too much
energy to grab it. Trout might not chase baits as far or as fast in icy water,
but they might snatch targets of opportunity dancing in front of their noses.
Use smaller, less flashy baits and keep them near the bottom.
Since big trout mostly feed upon finfish, use slowly sinking or
suspending baits that resemble dying baitfish. In cold water, a MirrOlure
Catch 2000 or a Series III in chartreuse or mullet combinations works well.
A Dorky Mullet or other soft, slow sinkers also work. Drifting soft plastic
baits with little or no weight also work well, especially during a falling tide.
“I like to use a MirrOlure MR 19 suspending bait,” said Capt. Anthony
Randazzo of Paradise Plus Guide Service in Venice, La. “Just pull it about
two feet and let it stop. It works better as a ‘dead bait’ than anything else.
Fish hit when it pauses.”
Cast these baits over holes or reefs and let them sink slowly, almost
tortuously. Occasionally, twitch them to generate a little excitement, but don’
t create too much commotion or movement. Almost like a bass angler
drifting a wacky worm near grass, let these baits hang in a trout’s face as
long as possible. If a trout thinks it can slurp a filling meal with little effort, it
might smack it.
“Play around to see where the trout suspend,” Singletary said. “Crank
the bait down a few times to get it to the right depth and let it suspend at
that level. Sometimes, we do a steady retrieve, but very slowly.
Sometimes, we just twitch it or slow-roll it like fishing a spinnerbait for bass.”
In winter, fish often seek sanctuary in deeper bayous, canals or
channels. Just one or two feet of depth change might mark the difference
between no fish and a limit. North winds drive water toward the Gulf of
Mexico, draining many ponds and shallow bays so fish congregate in
deeper holes. Even in the middle of winter, though, a few warm days or an
extraordinary high tide could bring fish back to the bay reefs. A reef in
three to six feet of water makes an excellent place to throw suspending
baits.
Fish often hold tight to cover in cold water. Hard structure from pilings,
shells, concrete or rocks absorbs heat from sunshine, radiating that warmth
into the adjacent water column. In addition, fish might feed more actively at
midday or on a warm afternoon than at daybreak. One or two degrees of
differences in temperature on a cold winter day could create just enough
warmth to spark action.
For booking trips, call Singletary at (337) 497-1029 or Anthony
Randazzo at (504) 656-9940. On line, see paradise-plus.com.
persistent anglers can often find excellent action when cold weather keeps
all but the hardiest sportsmen at home.
In the winter, anglers probably won’t catch boatloads of trout, but they
might catch a few lunkers. During a two-week period one January, Capt.
Allen Singletary of Reel Men’s Sports charter service and his guests caught
four trout weighing more than 8 pounds, seven topping 7 pounds, 12
breaking 6 pounds and “a slew of fish over 3 and 4 pounds.” He fished at
Calcasieu Lake south of Lake Charles, La. Singletary’s nephew, Miller
Flynt, caught the lunker, a 30.25-inch whopper weighing 8 pounds, 4
ounces.
“About 10 minutes before my nephew caught his big fish, he caught
and released a 27.25-inch fish,” Singletary said. “On that same day, we
also caught a 27.75- and a 27-inch fish. I never keep trout over 5 pounds.”
Later in the spring, a 30-inch trout might weigh more than 10 pounds.
Trout spawn several times between April and September. Before spawning,
female specks swell with roe, increasing their weight significantly.
“Generally, a big trout full of eggs gains a pound per inch,” Singletary
said. “For instance, a healthy 26-inch speck should weigh about 6 pounds,
a 27-inch fish should weigh about 7 pounds, and so forth. A 30-inch fish
should weigh about 10 pounds, but that’s not always the case. Fish put on
a lot of weight before the big spawn.”
For hot action in cold water, fish slowly, methodically and subtly. Frigid
temperatures decrease the metabolic rate of cold-blooded fish. They don’t
eat as much or as often, but they do eat. During cold weather, a big trout
might only eat one big meal every few days and won’t expend too much
energy to grab it. Trout might not chase baits as far or as fast in icy water,
but they might snatch targets of opportunity dancing in front of their noses.
Use smaller, less flashy baits and keep them near the bottom.
Since big trout mostly feed upon finfish, use slowly sinking or
suspending baits that resemble dying baitfish. In cold water, a MirrOlure
Catch 2000 or a Series III in chartreuse or mullet combinations works well.
A Dorky Mullet or other soft, slow sinkers also work. Drifting soft plastic
baits with little or no weight also work well, especially during a falling tide.
“I like to use a MirrOlure MR 19 suspending bait,” said Capt. Anthony
Randazzo of Paradise Plus Guide Service in Venice, La. “Just pull it about
two feet and let it stop. It works better as a ‘dead bait’ than anything else.
Fish hit when it pauses.”
Cast these baits over holes or reefs and let them sink slowly, almost
tortuously. Occasionally, twitch them to generate a little excitement, but don’
t create too much commotion or movement. Almost like a bass angler
drifting a wacky worm near grass, let these baits hang in a trout’s face as
long as possible. If a trout thinks it can slurp a filling meal with little effort, it
might smack it.
“Play around to see where the trout suspend,” Singletary said. “Crank
the bait down a few times to get it to the right depth and let it suspend at
that level. Sometimes, we do a steady retrieve, but very slowly.
Sometimes, we just twitch it or slow-roll it like fishing a spinnerbait for bass.”
In winter, fish often seek sanctuary in deeper bayous, canals or
channels. Just one or two feet of depth change might mark the difference
between no fish and a limit. North winds drive water toward the Gulf of
Mexico, draining many ponds and shallow bays so fish congregate in
deeper holes. Even in the middle of winter, though, a few warm days or an
extraordinary high tide could bring fish back to the bay reefs. A reef in
three to six feet of water makes an excellent place to throw suspending
baits.
Fish often hold tight to cover in cold water. Hard structure from pilings,
shells, concrete or rocks absorbs heat from sunshine, radiating that warmth
into the adjacent water column. In addition, fish might feed more actively at
midday or on a warm afternoon than at daybreak. One or two degrees of
differences in temperature on a cold winter day could create just enough
warmth to spark action.
For booking trips, call Singletary at (337) 497-1029 or Anthony
Randazzo at (504) 656-9940. On line, see paradise-plus.com.
Speckled trout in cold water may
require slower, more subtle tactics
require slower, more subtle tactics
Capt. Lynn Pridgen of Inshore Adventures shows off a speckled trout
he caught while fishing in the Mobile River ship channel near
Mobile, Ala.
he caught while fishing in the Mobile River ship channel near
Mobile, Ala.
