Keith Lusher 04.01.24
One of the crucial difficult features of speckled trout fishing is having to regulate to quickly altering situations. This spring we’ve seen no scarcity of fixing climate. Excessive winds, barometric stress swings, and drastic drops in temperature have speckled trout anglers guessing right here in Southeast Louisiana.
I not too long ago 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 shocked by what I skilled after a chilly entrance that handed by means of the day earlier than. We’ve been experiencing temperatures within the higher 70s for the previous week and the speckled trout chew has been on fireplace in Lake Pontchartrain. However with the latest temperature swing of 30 levels, the trout appear to have shut down. On this morning I attempted all the pieces: completely different coloration baits, jigging, tightlining, dwell 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 try to work out these fish.
I selected the latter and commenced rummaging by means of my sort out field for one thing completely 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 Open air. 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 anticipate 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 course of the mouth of the small ditch and repeated the strategy of barely transferring 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 attributable to 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 chew!
