Here are 4 rules he follows to put his customers on huge schools of speckled trout in March and April.
Capt. Marty Lacoste with Absolute Fishing Charters says if you’re shopping for speckled trout from now through spring, he knows the places to shop and the rules for successful shopping.
“The speck action has already begun and it’s only going to get better as we move farther into March and April, as the cold water warms and the bait shows up,” he said.
“All the signs point to an early spring. We’re already finding trout in a spring pattern so if the rest of winter stays mild we’ll have some outstanding action the next few months in the big lakes,” he said.
Lacoste says he’ll concentrate his efforts in Lake Mechant and just south of it, at four focal points.
Rule #1
“Look for birds,” he said. “The shrimp show up as early as late February in mild winters, but either way they’ll show up by March.
“That means the birds will be following and feasting on them from above while the trout maul them from below. We’ll sneak into the fray and cast double rigged plastic minnows on ¼ ounce jigs, tight lined, and haul in the specks two at a time.”
Lacoste says to look for birds over reefs and the mouths of bayous draining into any of the big bays.
Rule#2
Some of the best fishing will occur where water is draining from the marsh into the lake.
“Fish the mouths of any of the major bayous where they pour into Lake Mechant, and fish it on a falling tide,” he said. ” Same bait, double rigged, tight lined. Don’t be fancy, just cast out and slowly retrieve. Don’t bounce it or twitch it, just reel it in and the specks will slam-dunk it.”
Rule #3
“Fish prominent points where you see current,” he said. “It’s always good if you see shrimp jumping, which means fish chasing them. But either way, try a good current line when you don’t see birds.
“In shallower water I’ll fish a single rigged Matrix shad, again, just cast and retrieve. I will occasionally use a cork, but this time of year we do 90% of our fishing by just casting out and using a slow but steady retrieve. In shallower water, just use a single rig so you don’t hang up on the bottom. In water 3 feet and over, cast double rigs.”
Rule #4
“Fish reefs— We often see birds over the reefs, but even when you don’t this is the time of year the trout will forage over them, and your single rigged plastic minnow on a ¼-ounce jig will provoke the bite,” he said.
As for conditions, Lacoste says you can catch fish on any winds, but west winds are the worst because they muddy up the water, and it’s preferable if the winds are 10 MPH and under. And he says his favorite Matrix colors for spring are Glow, Green Hornet, Avocado, Shrimp Creole and Purple Haze.
