It's topwater time in Timbalier

By Chris Ginn - May 5, 2006 | Reader Format

Capt. Chad Billiot of Marsh Rat Guide Service (985-637-5058) has filmed two television shows among all the guide trips he has had recently, and he has found the speckled trout action between Leeville and the Timbalier Islands to be as good as it has ever been. Billiot hasn’t been pulling in tiny trout either. No sir, these fish have been 3 to 5 pounds.

“The spawn is in full swing,” he said, “and we’re catching trout like crazy when the storms will cooperate. We were catching a lot of fish on plastics a couple weeks ago, but the topwaters and sinking baits have gotten hot here lately.”

Billiot said he’s been walking a MirrOlure Top Dog early in the morning until the fish stop slapping at it. Once he determines the topwater bite has died, he switches to a MirrOminnow. You can tell it’s time to switch to it when the fish start half-heartedly hitting the Top Dog.

“That’s an awesome little bait,” he said enthusiastically. “It’s only about 3 inches and it’s real slender. It’s skinnier than a Catch 2000, and it looks just like a little glass minnow or finger mullet. The MirrOminnow is a slow sinker, so the trout can grab it easily. They’ve been literally pulling the rod out of my hand like I was fishing a live croaker.”

Billiot’s best bite has been over rock reefs around all the barrier islands. East Timbalier and Caillou have been two of the hottest spots.

“You can also do well around Caillou on shrimp baits like a DOA or a Speculizer,” Billiot added. “The shrimp have been heading south, and the trout have been staying right with them. My number one color is Opening Night. It looks so much like a big white shrimp that they just can’t stand it.”

When the weather has been too rough to fish the open water trout, Billiot said he’s been ducking into the little ponds and throwing black/chartreuse Bayou Buck spinnerbaits for some hot redfish action.