Downsizing for Speckled Trout | OutdoorHub

One of the difficult points of speckled trout fishing is having to regulate to quickly altering circumstances. This spring we’ve seen no scarcity of adjusting climate. Excessive winds, barometric strain swings, and drastic drops in temperature have speckled trout anglers guessing right here in Southeast Louisiana.

I just lately made a visit to Lake Pontchartrain the place I discovered myself making an attempt to place collectively a sample after experiencing a “no-bite” morning. I’ve to confess that I wasn’t stunned by what I skilled after a chilly entrance that handed by the day earlier than. We’ve been experiencing temperatures within the higher 70s for the previous week and the speckled trout chunk has been on hearth in Lake Pontchartrain. However with the current temperature swing of 30 levels, the trout appear to have shut down. On this morning I attempted every part: totally different colour baits, jigging, tightlining, reside bait, and even trolling, however the trout simply weren’t having any of it. By 9:00 A.M. I used to be confronted with the dilemma of quitting early and saving the day, or persevering with to attempt to determine these fish.

I selected the latter and commenced rummaging by my deal with field for one thing totally different. Then it hit me! I noticed a small 2.75-inch plastic shad that I used for crappie fishing. It was a Lil’ Tuffie Swimbait made by Rambling Angler Outside. The bait resembled a silverside minnow completely, so I threaded it on and motored down the canal to seek out my subsequent spot.

I came across a small ditch within the marsh with water flowing out of it. There wasn’t a lot floor motion so I didn’t count on a lot. I casted into the blending line of water and let the drop-shot rig sink. I then slowly reeled in and bam! I waited all morning to really feel that thump and there it was! I set the hook and landed a 13-inch speckled trout. After tossing it into the ice chest I solid out to the identical spot in the midst of the mouth of the small ditch and repeated the strategy of barely shifting the swimbait.

As soon as once more I felt a thump and landed one other 13-inch speck. I sat in that one spot and caught 15 speckled trout (and a number of other others which I tagged) and it was all because of a easy change in lure dimension. The tiny swimbait which served primarily as a crappie fishing lure, did the trick and saved my journey. The downsizing was all that was wanted to entice the lackadaisical trout to chunk!

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award profitable out of doors journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith electronic mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com