Fishing: Titanic Trout

by Whitewater 22 Nov 19:31 UTC

Author's selfie with a bonafide 30-inch Texas trout....realeased, of course.

Titanic Trout

If youre a Gulf Coaster or have an inkling to escape from the north, arguably the best speckled seatrout action is about to happen and will continue into the winter months.

By Noel Vick

Speckled trout addicts know its trophy time. Redfish remain abundant, too, even after their greater oceanic migration. Remnant flounder are on the feedbag as well, but check your regulations, as some seasonal closures are in place. And if you like tangling with those Jurassic-sized but uneatable black drum, its on 30-plus pounders.

From Texas South Padre Island, through Corpus Christi and Galveston, and around the horn of Louisiana to about Gulf Shores, Alabama, the following intel will serve as a guide.

That would be an eater.

THE SCENARIO

This is mullet country, and to some extent, menhaden, too. As I write, throngs of young-of-the-year mullet (finger mullet) are motoring for the Gulf of Mexico where theyll winter. Recently, I saw a channel so clogged with mullet you could fill a bucket with a pond skimmer a smelt net for Yankee readers. Itll stay that way for a while, too, with temperatures remaining as high as they have been.

Scores of migrating redfish are following their lead, too. Jetties have been hot, anglers jigging or bottom rigging live mullet and fresh shrimp. And quite frankly, big live shrimp are scoring more strikes. Some black drum mixed in, too, but most of the trout steer clear of the heavy current and melee.

Jetty fishing for myriad species can be excellent in the fall and early winter. The paper hands (temperate weather anglers) are largely gone, abating that elbow-to-elbow ridiculousness, leaving abundant space for the hardcores their beach carts, coolers, and multiple lines spread liberally.

Personally, Im not a jetty guy, much preferring adjacencies to the jetties with similar current conditions but not the flocks. Ill sacrifice numbers for peace. But thats just me.

But if youre into titanic trout, scrap the jetties and search inside waters.

Bonus black drum found milling with the trout. "Deli cut" one, removing the red red meat when frying with trout. The strips are delicious.

SPECKLED SEATROUT

Well just refer to them as trout, like the locals do and it saves me typing. Unlike redfish and flounder, trout prefer the inside waters in the winter, some fish even reentering from the Gulf. They tend to school more as well, aside from the supertankers theyre largely loners or assembled in pods. Occasionally, however, committed anglers will discover a wintering hotbed, which they never speak of.

Once surface temps fall out of the 70s into the 60s their preferred range the bite electrifies. Getting them to take properly presented offerings isnt generally a problem, either, once fish are located. Theyll eat

Winter is time to pocket pick pick a pocket and work it. Trout begin concentrating on depressions, mostly abandoning the featureless flats where they formerly ranged pursuing nomadic schools of baitfish. Their foraging focus has switched to bottom-hugging baitfish, such as croaker, piggy perch, and pinfish, as well as small ribbonfish and left over mullet adult mullet dont necessarily join the finger mullet migration back to the Gulf. Locate those tasty 6-inch range mullet and trout wont be far away. But dont waste time casting around enormous breeder mullet.

A so-called pocket can be a mere 1- to 3-foot change in depth. Waders will know when theyve hit one. Typically, too, pockets are associated with changes in bottom content. For example, a gravely footing will dip and get clayish or muddy thats a promising area. Softer bottoms better hold heat, too, which becomes increasingly important as winter wears on. In general, sand is boring and youre better off fishing gravel and soft bottomed blends.

Whitewater Sun Protection Fishing Glove

Steeper matters as well. Most of my 26-inch and over winter trout have come off hard edges, areas where 2- or 3-feet gets to 5-plus in a hurry. Cant tell you how many of those mega-trout munched coming off the deeper water onto the lip. Man of them Ive seen inhale the bait at my feet.

Channels also come into play. Dredged channels offer the depth and softer substrate winter trout prefer. One of my best kayaking spots is a long channel with a busy boat landing at the head that eventually opens into a major bay. Boats will blow past enroute to sundry spots in the bay while I hold fast in the channel, absorb wakes, and pluck away at trout that favor the softer, deeper channel and all the foodstuffs it offers.

Equally as explorable are canals, including the ones with wall-to-wall housing, as winter boat traffic is next to nil. Depths are favorable. The bottom is soft. And baitfish are typically plentiful. Pick a promising one and fish it to the back. (Canals are also excellent nighttime targets if there are illuminated docks.)

Pay attention to tide, too, with incoming superior to outgoing in the winter. If fishing channels, look for cuts that create some current with a slack water tail. Trout will move up out of their wallowing areas when the water moves and the entire food chain triggers.

In bays without current cuts, low tide presents an opportunity to locate those pockets, adjacent flats sometimes being only a foot or two deep. Note them. Oftentimes, trout associated with those holes become active as the water rises.

Weather-wise, cold fronts are the key. Incoming fronts are often associated with small-craft-advisory gales, and unfishable. The day after, fishing can be good, but Ive found that the second day after a system comes through can be wicked good.

ALWAYS release titanic trout, only harvesting those legal slot fish.

FEEDING THE FISH

Gone are the days of burning a stickbait or jigging at Mach 5. Think big, slow, and deliberate. Monster trout are inclined to ambush from a stationary or slightly mobile posture. Moreover, theyre centering on larger, singular morsels versus chasing schools around.

Soft plastic swimbaits and specialty trout jerkbaits get the nod. With swimbaits, its a simple chunk and wind. The methodic paddling stirs their souls. Patience is crucial, too. Dont get antsy ripping baits to cover water faster. Keep slow rolling.

Swimbaits to consider are Z-Mans DieZel MinnowZ in 4- or 5-inch, Ever Greens new Last Ace 140, and Strike Kings Rage Swimmer. Seemingly nonsensical, I go to freshwaters Northland Fishing Tackle for the accompanying jig head. Dare you to find a better saltwater swim jig than their Mimic Swim Jig.

Another style thats gained traction are these bloated-body soft jerkbaits with a bulb on their tail. Pure Flats Slick and Slick Jr. are Gulf coast assassins. And Im anxious to try Z-Mans new similarly shaped Big BallerZ. Buoyancy is a perpetual advantage of all Z-Man baits, which is particularly important for fishing slow in shallow water. Their formula is virtually indestructible, too.

Ill save rods, reels, and line for the next round