Most waders look for areas with firm, sandy bottoms to ensure solid footing.
After all, it’s nice to know you’re not going to sink up to your armpits when you least expect it.
However, there are some anglers at Calcasieu Lake who believe that the really big trout prefer to get over muddy bottoms during the winter.
“It’s just a theory,” said Guy Stansel. “But some people think the mud warms up quicker in the winter when it’s cold, and that the big trout will get over the softer mud to warm up.”
Stansel doesn’t like walking in mud when wade-fishing, so he shies away from soft bottoms.
“From what some of my friends have told me, the mud can be up to your knee, but it’s generally just a little softer,” Stansel said. “It’s the kind of soft mud where you’ve got to keep moving because you might sink up to your elbows if you stand still very long.”
Unfortunately, if you think you might want to go looking for some soft mud to wade, Stansel said this kind of bottom would not come into play during April because the water will be warming up.
“It’s only a winter thing,” he said. “And as far as I’m concerned, you can have it all to yourself next winter. I don’t like walking in it, so I don’t fish it.”
