Fishing for Speckled Trout is a staple along the Texas Gulf Coast from Sabine Pass to Prot Isabel. Speckled Trout, or simply Trout as I will refer to them for the remainder of the article, are the most popular Texas inshore game fish. They are a challenge to catch, excellent table fare, and are in abundance in all of the Texas bay systems, as well as at the beach and Gulf of Mexico. Trout can be caught in many different ways, with various techniques. However, for the purpose of this article I will outline the basic methods, gear, techniques, and bait utilized in catching Speckled Trout in Texas waters. This is essentially a primer for the novice and beginner Trout fisherman.
Let’s begin with selecting your gear; you will need a rod, reel, line, and various terminal tackle to fish for Trout. A word of caution, Trout fishing is addictive, and so is stockpiling gear. However, all you need is a few quality pieces of gear to get started. Your reel can be either bait cast or spinning reels with a smooth drag rated for 10-20# line.
Popular bait cast reels that are durable under saltwater conditions include, but are not limited to Abu-Garcia 5500 C, Shimano Citica, Abu Revo SX, Shimano Cruxis, Diawa Sol, and Diawa Coastal. Spinning reels that are popular in Coastal environments again include, but are not limited to Shimano Sedona 2500/4000, Shimano Stradic 2500/4000, Diawa Sol, Diawa Regal, Abu Garcia Cardinal, and Mitchell 300. These reels start at $50 and go up.
Rods start at the same price and go up as well. Good rods are for Trout fishing are between 6ft & 8ft long. Personally, I prefer a 6′6″ rod for wade fishing and a 7′ rod for boat fishing. 8′ rods are more suited to pier and surf fishing. Rods should be rated for 8lb to20lb line and between 1/8oz to 5/8oz weight. A “Good” Trout rod is the rod that feels good to you. There are many manufacturers of quality rods such as Shakespeare Ugly Stik, American Rodsmith, Castaway, and Falcon to name a few. A good way to select a rod is to choose the reel that suits you the best be it spinning or bait casting. Then go to your local sporting goods store and pick out a few rods in your price range that feel good in your hands. At this point you can go to where the reels are sold and ask to see a demo reel of your choosing and try it on the rods you have picked out.
Once you have a rod & reel selected it is time to fill it with line. Usually you can have this done at the sporting goods store, or you can do this yourself. I like to fish 10# PLine CX, however anything between 10lb and 17lb line that can fit a minimum of 125yards of line on your selected reel will work great. When spooling line or having it spooled it is important to make sure you leave a 1/16inch gap between the edge of the spool and the spooled up portion of line on both spinning and bait casting reels. This ensures maximum cast ability while minimizing tangles and backlashes when casting. Now that we have selected a rod and reel, and we have spooled it with line, we are ready to discuss terminal tackle.
Terminal tackle is the term for items that you attach to your line such as hooks, weights, sinkers, corks, and lures. When looking at all the terminal tackle available to the Trout fisherman it is overwhelming. I will only cover the basics to get you started. As you progress in Trout fishing you will find which terminal tackle works best in your area. I will cover 3 popular variations of live bait rigs, and I also will touch on just a few artificial lure techniques used catch Trout along the Texas Gulf Coast. First you will need a couple of 3in. popping corks, a package of ¼ oz & ½ oz egg sinkers, and a package of 20lb barrel swivels. You will also want a small spool of 20lb fluorocarbon or 30lb mono for making leaders. I also suggest getting two kinds of hooks; one pack of 2/0 - 4/0 standard hooks (octopus, live bait, o’shagnassey), and one pack of 4/0 or 5/0 croaker hooks. In the next paragraph I will discuss how you will utilize these supplies to catch Trout, but for now let’s continue on with some basic artificial lures used to catch them.
There are a vast array of artificial lures to use catch Texas Trout, however, we will stick to three types of lures that are easy to use and build confidence. The easiest to use and most versatile lures are soft plastics such as Bass Assassins, Cocahoe Minnows, Norton Sand Eels, and my favorite, Texas Tackle Factory Killer Flats Minnows. You only need 2 packs of soft plastic lures; one dark color like pumpkin/chartreuse or plum/chartreuse, and one light color like pearl/chartreuse or liquid shrimp.
The second basic lure and a favorite of generations is the ¼ or ½ oz silver spoon. While there are many manufacturers of spoons, I find that you just can’t go wrong with a Johnson Sprite or a Johnson Silver Minnow. Spoons are some of the oldest and most proven lures on the Gulf Coast, not only for Trout, but for almost all other species in the bays and surf too.
Lastly you will want to pick up a couple MirrOlure 51MR hard plastic lures for winter and surf fishing for Trout. My favorite colors include: chartreuse, black/gold/orange, baby speck, pink/silver, black, and chartreuse/silver. The lures outlined are all you will need to learn the basics of Trout fishing with artificial baits. I would suggest using live bait rigs for your first few Trout fishing trips to maximize your catching potential or at least to locate the fish before switching to lures.
Lets talk about the bait and rigs used to catch Trout. We will start by discussing two main rigs used to present live bait to Trout. First we have the popping cork rig, which is used to suspend your chosen bait at a certain depth. To make a popping cork rig, first tie a swivel on to the end of your main line; then tie on piece of your leader material between 18in. & 24in. long to the other end of the swivel; now tie a hook to the end of your leader line. Finally, to complete the popping cork rig, attach the popping cork about 4in. to 6in. above the swivel. You now have a completed popping cork rig ready for bait.
Let’s move on to the next rig used to present live bait in heavy currents and on the bottom, the fish-finder rig. The fish-finder rig is similar to the popping cork rig and equally as easy to put together. First you take one of your egg sinkers (1/4oz for shallow water or light current & 1/2oz for deeper water or moderate current) and slide it up the main line. Then tie a swivel to the main line which will act as a stopper for the egg sinker. Now tie a piece of leader material about 18in. long to the other end of swivel, and finish it off with a hook tied to the end of the leader material. These two bait rigs will allow you to fish a variety of bait in many different applications in your pursuit of Texas Trout. While there is a variety of bait available to catch Trout, let’s narrow our focus to three main baits used throughout the Texas Gulf Coast.
The big three baits used to catch Trout in Texas are shrimp, mullet, and croaker. Each of these baits can catch Trout, but each have some trade offs as well. Live shrimp are great bait, but they are not very selective. Shrimp are also frail bait that does not live a long time once hooked. There are two good ways to hook a shrimp. The first is through the bottom of the tail and out through the top, about 1/2in above the base of the tail spine (works best with the fish finder rig). The second is to hook the shrimp in the head behind the horn, but in front of the black spot in the head. Whatever you do, do not hit this spot in the head, as it is the shrimp’s brain. Hitting it will kill the shrimp making it less desirable to Trout. Trout prefer to feed on live prey. This method of hooking the shrimp through the head works best with the popping cork rig. Live shrimp fished with the popping cork rig have probably caught more Trout than any other rig mentioned. That said; mullet is great bait for Trout as well. Generally you will catch less undesirable fish such as Hardheads, Croaker, etc. when fishing mullet; however you may catch some Redfish or Flounder. The mullet you want to use for Trout fishing are live “finger” mullet. Mullet will also live longer and take a couple of strikes in most cases. They also tend to work better for me in the cooler months. Mullet can be hooked either through the tail or above the anal opening. I mostly fish mullet on a fish finder rig; however, you can hook them through the lips and fish them with the popping cork rig. In the warmer months, usually June thru September, I like to use croaker fished over deep (6ft+) open bay reefs. Croakers are great bait for catching larger Trout in the summer months along the coast. Croaker are not the hardiest of baits, and definitely costlier than the previous baits mentioned, croaker live great once on the hook. I caution you not to put too many in a live well or it will significantly increase their mortality rate. I find it best to hook them above the anal opening for using them with fish finder rig. When using them with a popping cork rig I like to hook them about 1/2in. in front of the dorsal fin. I also modify my popping cork rig by increasing the leader length to 3 or 4ft depending on how deep the area is where I am fishing. This sums up the big 3 baits used for Trout, some other live baits are shad and pinfish. And now let’s put all this into play.
Presentation of your bait is the key to catching trout. This is even more crucial when using artificial lures to catch Trout. We should begin our outline of presentation with the simplest rig to fish and work our way forward to the more complex. The fish finder rig is the most basic way to present bait. Cast your bait out; let it sink all the way to the bottom; reel in the slack line until your line is tight, now you are ready to wait for a strike. Once you get a strike or tug on your line, set the hook. The popping cork rig is not much more complicated to use. Begin by making your cast; letting the bait settle; then reel in the slack line, now make a swift short hook set like movement once or twice and let the bait settle a few moments(30 sec - 2min); repeat this until your bait dies or you get a strike. Notice that I began with live bait presentations. This is because live bait is the simplest and most productive way to catch Trout. For the beginner I would definitely recommend starting with live bait to build confidence and hone your trout locating tactics before stepping up to lure fishing.
Lure fishing is more challenging and can often times prove to be more frustrating. Nonetheless, we are up to the challenge right. Catching trout with a lure bares a certain intrinsic reward. Unfortunately there is some debate about the quality of the catch based on the method used to catch the fish. Don’t get bogged down in this debate, because it doesn’t matter how you catch a Trout, they all taste the same at the table. When fishing lures it is important to match the color to the water clarity; dark colors (Black, Gold, Glow an exception) for dirty water; bright colors (Blue, Chartreuse, Copper) for stained water; Light colors (Pink, Silver, Whit, Clear w/ Flash) water. When lure fishing, I like to use a 20# fluorocarbon leader as it is invisible in any water clarity and very tough(Trout have teeth). I prefer black 20# swivels and snaps so they are small and less likely to spook any fish away from my lure. Tie a swivel to one end and attach it to your line. Then tie a snap to the other end, so you can quick change your lures. Now we’re ready to make those lures come to life.
Let’s begin with soft plastic lures. Select a lure/jig head combination based on water color and strength of current and depth. I use 1/16-1/8 oz. jig heads for light to no current and depths up to 4ft; 1/4-1/2 oz. jig heads for deeper water and heavier currents. Cast your lure out; let it sink; then reel up the slack; now pop your lure by tugging your rod from a little past 2 o’clock to 1 o’clock. You will use some variation of this action for most of your soft plastic presentations. In the winter when water temps are cold, you will just subtly tug your line with a long pause then reel your slack up and repeat or just cast out and slowly but erratically reel your line in and repeat. In the spring and fall you may want to give your line a few tugs, not more than 3; then let it settle; reel in the slack and repeat. For summer fishing repeat the spring technique, only speed up your retrieve rate. Now that we have covered the soft plastics lets move on to spoons. Select a spoon based on the same criteria you would use to select soft plastic/jig head being mindful of color and weight. You can work a spoon like a soft plastic, and it will be effective. However, I like to utilize a different a different technique I learned a few years back called the “push pull” technique. The push pull technique is simple and has been very productive for me. Begin by making your cast; then let your spoon sink to the bottom; now reel up the slack in your line; the “push” is when you push your reel handle down to the lowest setting; the “pull” is when you pull your reel handle to highest position; repeat this by swiftly pushing, then pulling to gain a rhythmic movement; you will want to pause for a few moments then begin again until you need to recast. Be mindful of water temperatures, pausing longer and slowing down your rhythm in colder water and shortening your pauses and speeding up your rhythm in warm water. The final lure we need to cover is the MirrOlure 51MR. You need to select a lure based on the water color since they are all the same weight, and will sink at a rate of 1ft per second. The 51MR can be effective with the “push/pull” technique to impart a swimming action in the lure or worked with a soft plastic action to imitate an injured baitfish. However, my favorite way to work the 51MR is the “count down technique”. The “count down method” is to count out “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand…” letting the bait sink to the desired depth before you begin your retrieve. Once at your desired depth give the lure one to three subtle twitches; then count down again; keep repeating this until you need to recast and begin again. The 51MR is the perfect mullet imitation. While there are other lures that imitate mullet, the 51MR has been around a long time and has proven itself over & again. The 51MR is also a fantastic lure for the surf, and in colder months fishing deeper holes in the bays. In the winter you can “count down” in deeper water; then give a few “push/pulls”; let the lure settle then begin again; continue and repeat. With all the lures and tactics covered above you are now ready to chase Trout all over the Texas coast. Let’s combine some of this information and put it to use on the water.
For the purpose of this article we will cover fishing from land-based structures such as the beach, pier, jetty and bank. You do not need a boat to catch Trout you only need to locate them from a land-based structure. Trout like cleaner/clearer water, meaning the cleaner and clearer the better. They also relate to structure and current. Keep in mind that Trout want to catch a meal without expending any more energy than necessary. They will sit in a gut or behind a sandbar facing into the current and wait on the bait to come them. Trout are very sensitive to presentations and will not usually hit bait that has an unnatural presentation. Always cast into the current and wind or at least at a right angle. This will ensure your bait moves through the water in a natural manner. Remember when you are fishing to look for signs of predators. If baitfish are scattering away from an area you should key in and make a few casts in that general area. This is an obvious sign as well as “nervous water”, an area with a different surface texture from the surrounding water. This “nervous water” usually indicates some under water structure or a concentration of baitfish under the surface. Either way you should make your presentation by casting past the nervous water and working you lure or bait back past the area, but a little to the down current side to ensure you don’t snag your line or spook any baitfish. Be mindful of where you are casts, always survey the area you are fishing to key in on structure such as reefs, grass, rocks, etc. and make your presentation accordingly. Structure is home to baitfish as it allows them to hide from predators. Predators like Trout hang around the structure to get an easy meal. As the baitfish change locations throughout the seasons, the Trout follow the food source.
Let’s talk a little about how Trout relate to the changing of the seasons. In the Spring Trout start to move into the shallower water and can be found in the passes, around the jetties, in the surf, and on shallow reefs in the bays. During the spring the baitfish move from deeper water 5-6ft to shallower flats 1-3ft in the morning as the water warms and then back out to deeper water in the late evening. The Trout will follow them through the day picking up a meal here and there. As the water warms up in the summer, the Trout’s metabolism increases and they feed more and become easier to entice with artificial lures. This is especially in juvenile Trout. In the Summer Trout are pretty much everywhere: the surf, passes, jetties, all over the bays; especially deep shell reefs in the bay when day gets hot (croaker territory). Trout feed in the shallow very early up until about 9am when the water begins to warm, and then they move off to deeper water to keep cool. The Trout will stay in the “shade” of deeper water until just before dark when they will move up into the shallows until morning. In the fall when water temperatures are the most temperate I consistently find Trout in 2-4ft of water until the pressure and temperatures drop. Then they will generally move off to 6-10ft of water until temperatures warm up again. This pattern will continue on until winter sets in on the coast. Once winter settles in Trout will generally be in deeper water 6-10ft moving up on mud slats and near shell bottoms where the water warms faster. Also look for guts and reefs near by and any baitfish activity is usually a good sign. On the coldest days Trout will cluster up in the deepest holes around and conserve energy by feeding on large (6″) mullet that are easy targets (sluggish, sick, wounded). Remember, it is crucial in winter to work your baits slower than paint dries, meaning you really can’t work it slow enough.
Let’s close with where we can catch some Trout. Piers, Jetties, Beaches, & the banks of the bays are all suitable places to catch Trout. Bank fishing is very common, free, and productive. You can go to local parks, some boat docks, and public boat ramps (most of the piers at the ramps are no fishing). There are also several “open” areas around the coast to fish. Usually some of these areas will have a pier you can fish on, or you can visit a “pay” pier. Piers are good places to fish as they themselves are structure, and they can get you out into deeper water or near other structures such as guts and reefs. Piers are also good at night since most are lighted which attracts the baitfish bringing in the Trout. While the beach and jetty can be a little rougher terrain they make excellent Trout fishing spots. Both areas hold a large concentration of fish. Most of the trout I catch on the beach or the jetties are hardier. Mullet and mullet imitations make good bait for Trout fishing along the beach or jetty. The beach is large and expansive; however you can maximize your potential by fishing key areas such as baitfish, points, deep guts etc. It is important to also look for the greenest or clearest water available on the beach as well as the jetty. The jetties are also large enough that you should key in on certain areas. You also don’t need to try and fish the deepest areas since the baitfish use the rock structure of the jetties as cover to hide from predators such as Trout. This should provide you in enough information and technique to go out and catch some Trout. Please be safe and respectful of others while you are fishing. I would also recommend carrying a first aid kit, some pliers, and a cell phone. Now go catch some Trout.
Biography: My name is Shannon Payne, aka TX_Sportsman, and I grew up on Galveston Bay in San Leon, Texas. I am the son of a second generation commercial fisherman. I grew up on a shrimp boat trawling the Houston Ship Channel. I have fished with my family my entire life from inshore to offshore. Since High School I have worked on the water in various ways from refinishing Teak & Mahogany interiors & decks on sailboats and sportfishers to being 1st mate on a Sportfisher(50′ Goldwing) for 2 summers. I have been a avid duck hunter and wadefisherman since I was 12 years old. When I turned sixteen, I started taking trips to Matagorda & Corpus Christi to fish for trout & redfish. Recently I have been surf fishing for large drum and Sharks, as well as some Beyond the Breakers kayak fishing. I will always progress to new and different techniques and types of saltwater fishing. My present goals are to catch a 9lb+ Speckled Trout and a 7′+ Shark from the beach. In 2008 I plan to focus my fishing on the surf & target sharks more specifically; I also plan to do some kayak fishing in the late summer and fall searching for large Trout. I will always fish and hunt, as that has been ingrained in me since I was just a boy, searching for new techniques, targeting new species, and new person best’s.
