Fish Math 101

Speckled Trout

When you fish an area that you're familiar with and know where the oyster beds and grass are, or where the current lines show up when the tide is going in or out it's not so hard to find specked trout when they're in that bay or big pond. But when you're new to a place it can be a long hard day without some type of method. I have several ways of finding trout that may not work 100 percent of the time but it'll increase your odds tremendously if you're either new to an area or haven't had much luck lately. There are several ways to locate speckled trout. Below are several methods that I've been very successful with.

1) Trolling bays from bank to middle and vice versa and casting ahead

2) Trolling along the shoreline a long cast away from the bank alternating casts towards the shore and then away from the shore

3) Casting to points of moving water

4) When drifting in the wind have your anchor ready for when you start catching fish so you don’t drift on top of the school and spook them off

5) Fish cuts and bayous where they meet a bay or intersect with another canal or bayou

6) Rips in the water or current lines

7) Look and listen for feeding specs

In an open bay without islands or structure

In an open bay I find trout are more often away the bank then near it. That doesn't mean don't try near the bank but don't spend too much time trolling along the bank if you're not catching fish there. There are 2 ways of approach when there's no bayou or canal, just a long bank with not much to go on. Drive your boat a cast away from the bank... If you have a trolling motor, troll along the bank until you're away from the path that you just ran your boat in. Once you think you're far enough away from the spot you killed your motor where you would have spooked the fish, start casting towards and then away from the bank while trolling parallel with the shore for about 50 yards or so. Alternate casts, one towards the bank and the next towards the middle of the bay. After about 50 yds turn your boat to face the middle of the bay and troll straight out. Casting forward left and forward right. If you don't have a trolling motor start the method at the bank where the winds will drift you in the direction you want to go. When you get a couple of bites, slip in your anchor quietly and fish that spot until the bites stop. Then proceed as you were. If you don't get any bites after about 75 yds, fire up your big motor and try the same method further down the shore.

When it's windy have your anchor ready!!!

There's one thing worse than having a tough day catching fish...That's when you're having a tough day, finally find a school of fish, but the wind drifts you right on top of them and spook them away. When there's wind ALWAYS HAVE YOUR ANCHOR READY to slip quietly in the water. Regardless of where you're fishing, once you get a few bites, slip your anchor in as quietly as you can, and as soon as you can. Don't wait until you're a cast away from the thick of the fish if you can help it. It's best to start casting at the edge of the school because you can always let more anchor rope out if necessary.

Fishing Islands

When you have good tide movement, either coming in or going out, fishing small islands or the points/ends of the marsh or beach can be one of the easiest and most consistent places to catch trout.

When you see the current pushing against the end of an island of the end of the shore, THAT's where the the trout usually are. The baitfish are being forced by the current against the island which makes it easier for the trout to find their meal. Park your boat a cast away (very quietly) and cast a few yards before the end of the island. This is where a popping cork rig has an advantage over a tightline because as your bobber lands a few yards before the end of the island, let it drift with the current. When it gets to the feeding fish it's going down. You can bet that your next several casts will be going down at that same spot.

When the bite slows at that spot start casting in different spots but don't move your boat until you're sure that the fish have moved. There's a good chance they moved further off the point or something similar. If the bite has completely stopped and the water depth allows, putter your boat to park as close the the point/islands end where you were just catching fish. Park there and start casting away from the island. Islands are always eroding away so under the water that point is still evident. There's a depth change from the point of the island and sometimes up to 50 ft out from the point. So try to picture in your mind’s eye, the contour of the eroded island underneath the water. The baitfish are still getting pushed against that little hump under the water and the same scenario is going on under the water that was helping you locate catch fish at the point of the island above the water.

How to speed up a deep water bite

One of the easiest ways and fastest ways to catch trout is with a Speculizer in shallow water. But in deep water a Speculizer won't always work. Unless...you get them to feed towards the surface.

This is how...If you're in 10ft to 20 ft of water and you're fortunate enough to have some live bait (shrimp or minnows) with you, I’d start fishing on the bottom with the live bait. As you start catching, the fish will start competing with each other for the bait. As time goes on while you're catching and they compete with each other for the food they start moving upward towards the surface. At some point you may notice they hit your bait before it made it to the bottom. That's when you grab your rod with your Speculizer tied on and start casting it where you were casting the bottom rig. Give it some single hard pops to get the fish's attention towards the surface. Soon after you should be watching the bobber go under cast after cast. You may ask, “why would I change baits if I’m catching on just about every cast?” It’s because you'll start catching the trout at an amazing rate. I’m talking every 1 to 3 seconds after it hits the water. The reason it's important to catch fish at as fast of a pace that you can is because you don't know how long the bite will last.

Easy Breezy

One of the most satisfying ways to spend the day fishing when I just want to relax and not worry about filling the box up but I do want to eat fish that night is to simply position my boat a long cast away from the shoreline and alternate casting towards the shore and then to the outside. Then troll along the shoreline and repeat. This technique is probably the most consistent when it comes to catching fish and although you can sometimes get on a school of either specs or reds and catch all you want, for the most part you’ll catch a good relaxing day’s worth of fish without worrying about whether you’re in the best spot or if you’re gonna get your limit by the time you have to go in. It’s a no brainer and is definitely one of the most popular methods.

Tips and tactics - choosing a productive pond for redfish

    When fishing a new area for redfish, I'll pull out a map to determine where my next stop will be. Incidentally, I never go anywhere without a map on board. I believe that an ideal redfish pond is one with numerous openings or mouths. These ponds will generally hold more fish. Find one on the map and chances are, you're going to be on the fish.

    Another feature to look for is the presence of big water nearby. This will increase the odds of finding fish. For example, there's an area called Four Corners in Port Sulphur. This is a series of ponds and drains that is surrounded by four canals that lead to a series of big lakes and bays. But "first-timers" BEWARE! This maze of ponds, drains and tiny bayous make it very easy to get lost.

    Exploring new areas is a great way to find new redfish ponds. When in areas such as Four Corners, where it is necessary to travel through a network of bayous, always carry markers. This simple tool may keep you from getting lost. An empty plastic bottle with a six-foot string attached on a five-ounce weight will usually do the trick. Drop one end on the main bayou just before the marsh breaks into little grass islands. Then, keep putting one in each time you get out of view of the last one. In Four Corners, I have carried as many as eight markers in at one time. Also, most GPS units are no good here because the tiny waterways are often too close together to differentiate one drain from another.

Speculizer redfish techniques

    When fishing for reds, I find that a few hard pops is enough to get their attention. Since they have a tendency to be either alone or run in pairs, constant "pops" will spook them off. If I feel like there are reds in an area, I'll use what I describe as a shuffle, or the "Dean Roath technique." Holding your rod tip high, 3 or 4 very quick twitches of the rod tip sounds like a school of minnows or shrimp fleeing for their life.

    This can also work great for specs so like anything else, try an assortment of pops and twitches until you find the recipe they want for that day.

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