Catching trout in the big bays and outside waters isn’t for everyone, and not every angler has a nice large bay boat to overcome choppy seas.
The fantastic news is that there are still plenty of fish on the inside that can make for some exciting late-spring action, Capt. Travis Miller said.
“May is a cool month because you can catch fish both inside and out,” he said.
Miller focuses on areas like Sister Lake and another popular lake when targeting specks inside during the month of May.
“Usually we have a southeast wind in May, so I fish a lot of the east side of Lake Mechant,” he said. “I focus on those cuts coming into the lake: the mouth of Deer Bayou or the mouth of Bayou Raccourci.”
One of the keys for success is having a falling tide, he said.
“If I am fishing the marshes and lakes, I really like a falling tide best because it is pulling the bait out of the marsh,” Miller said.
He said not to get too discouraged if you look down and the water clarity is poor.
“Usually clean water is the key, but you can’t give up on an area because the water is dingy,” Miller said. “Now, if it’s chocolate milk, I wouldn’t fish it.
“If you can see your trolling motor a little bit, then I would say fish it. If you know the fish have been there, then give it a glance.”
Miller uses lighter-colored Matrix Shads when the water is clear and darker colors when the water is dingy. He tries both tight-lining the baits on ¼-ounce jigheads and fishing them under corks.