In April, Lake Charles’ Brian Windsor found some great quality trout in Calcasieu Lake. High numbers of speckled trout over 12-inches were also reported.
Brian Windsor of Lake Charles was elated at what he found when fishing for speckled trout in Calcasieu Lake in April.
A couple of weeks ago, the 32-year-old angler was scouting locations for an upcoming charter when he ran into some quality speckled trout.
“I caught and released a limit of speckled trout in each of three locations I was scouting before that charter trip,” Windsor said.
“I left Turner’s Bay and went west on an incoming tide and pulled up on a point that showed baitfish schooling,” he said.
The angler ended up catching and releasing a limit of 15 trout weighing between a pound and 3 ½ pounds.
The angler then left the area and wound up in a small cove on the western side of the lake and began a series of casts with a topwater plug (chrome-black Heddon One Knocker). He ended up catching a few decent trout including a 4-pounder.
“I was dogwalking it sorta fast and steady and reached another limit which I released,” he said.
Another limit was later taken and released in another cove on the west side of the lake to include a 4 ½-pounder.
“I am seeing more and more quality trout on the lake, some real chunks,” Windsor said.
The next morning, Windsor spent his second day of scouting casting the One Knocker and also a pink-gold Super Spook.
“I was fishing again in that small cove in just 2 feet of water,” he said. “I didn’t catch as many trout on the second day but ended catching and releasing two 3-pounders and another great trout weighing 6 ¾ pounds taken on the pink-gold Super Spook.
Good action through June
The angler is of the opinion that the quality trout action should increase on topwaters and suspending plugs through June and into early July if high rainfalls from storms do not occur in the estuary.
Windsor’s locations to find these trout include all the coves on the western side of the lake including West Cove, and the flats on the east side of the lake near Turner’s, French Settlement and Deatonville.
The angler is also hoping that the slight northerlies that occurred in April will continue as he expects action could heat up on the Beach between Holly Beach and Sabine Lake – an area that can hold a multitude of trout to include fish of quality.
As for tackle, Windsor uses a medium-light Daiwa spinning rod, a Daiwa Fuego LT spinning reel filled with 20-pound Daiwa J-braid. He attaches his lures to a 20-pound Berkley Big Game monofilament leader.
Besides using the lures noted above, Windsor will also cast MirrOlure Soft Dines and Steve Brown Broke-back Corkys.
Launches to reach the areas mentioned above include Spicer’s Marina on the west side of the lake, Hebert’s Landing on the east side of the lake and Calcasieu Point Landing (east side).
Windsor guides for Hackberry Rod & Gun and can be reached at 337-762-3391, or by calling him directly at 337-884-9748.
