Some trophy trout have started to show up at Calcasieu Lake. Capt. Jeff Poe of Big Lake Guide Service (337-598-3268) caught trout up to 8 pounds a couple of days ago, and he said a friend of his caught a 9 1/2-pound lunker that was 29 1/2 inches long last week. Turner’s Bay is one hotspot, but Poe said the entire lake is producing.
“We’re catching a bunch of good fish by working plastics, jointed Thundersticks and Catch 2000s over oyster reefs in 2 to 6 feet of water,” Poe said. “The Sand Eels have been working great, but we’re also catching quite a few on salt & pepper/chartreuse tail Sting Ray Grubs.”
Poe said anglers should be able to find some good fishing holes by keeping an eye out for mullet. He said they can be seen flipping a little bit, but mostly he’s just been seeing them moving in the water.
“I took my fly rod out the other day and had a ball with it,” Poe added. “I caught quite a few on slow-sinking flies like Decievers and Clouser Minnows. I was fishing the same spots, but I just felt like throwing the flies. I wound up catching just as many as I would have on the plastics or hard baits.”
A bonus in the trout schools is the opportunity to limit out on redfish without even having to move. Poe said he’s picking up redfish on the same lures about every fifth or sixth fish.
He said the reds have been around 18 inches – just right for the grill. However, there are plenty of throwbacks, and a 5- or 6-pounder might show up every now and then.
“The trout are what’s really amazing, though,” Poe concluded. “We’re catching plenty 16- to 18-inch fish, but we’re also catching a good many 4-pounders with a few of those mules thrown in. The best thing about it is that this kind of fishing should last throughout the winter.”