You’ll need at least a 10 ½-pounder this year to join the group
Last year, only one angler managed to crack into the record books for the state’s Top 10 speckled trout.
And before Jason Ellender landed a 10.65-pound monster in Sabine Lake in March of 2013, the last time someone squeezed into the Top 10 was in 2004.
Considering the number of anglers across Louisiana’s coast who fish for specks, that’s pretty remarkable.
In fact, only five Top 10 fish have been landed since the year 2000.
But a quick peek at the list, compiled by the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association, shows that seven of the biggest fish were caught in the months of April and May.
So while many dream of reeling in that first 5-, 6- or 7-pounder, check out the rarefied air these 11 guys experienced when they boated a double-digit speckled trout.
To crack into the state’s Top 10, you’re going to need slightly more than 10 ½ pounds this year.
According to the record books, the next six weeks are when it could happen.
Good luck.
Louisiana’s Top 10 Speckled Trout
Weight Angler Location Date
1. 12.38 Leon Mattes Lake Hermitage May, 1950
2. 11.99 Kenneth Kreeger Lake Pontchartrain Jan. 1999
3. 11.24 Jason Troullier Rigolets (Lake Borgne) Sept., 1999
4. 11.16 Timothy Mahoney, II Calcasieu Lake May, 2002
5. 10.81 Kevin Galley Calcasieu Lake May, 1997
6. 10.75 Randolph D. Green Sandy Point Aug. 1970
7. 10.70 Barry Terrell Calcasieu Lake May, 2004
8. 10.65 Jason Ellender Sabine Lake March, 2013
9. 10.63 John Kaparis Unknown May, 1979
10. 10.50 Dudley Vandenborre, Jr. Lake Pontchartrain April, 2002
10. 10.50 Ed Sexton Venice April, 2000
Source: Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association, as of March 25, 2014
