The summer of 2015 will go down as the best speckled trout fishing in the past 20 years.
In the month of May, speckled trout began showing up around Grand Isle to spawn over the shallow oyster reefs, sunken islands and the surf. Local fishermen have been catching limits of bigger than usual speckled trout.
On recent trips to Grand Isle, the quality of speckled trout caught has been incredible. Fishing with Hunter McDonald and Wesley Brown, we caught 150 speckled trout in two days. Of the 150 trout, 30 were in the three- to four-pound class. Success occurred on a tide range of one foot, light winds, plenty of live shrimp, clear water, being in the surf, and fishing the high tide change.
“Most people dream about making a fishing trip for speckled trout like this. To make a cast with a live shrimp and see the cork disappear is exciting.
Then to get the fighting action from a big speckled trout puts a big ‘Kool-Aid’ smile on your face when you get the fish in the landing net,” Wesley Brown said. “Our rods were rigged with number four treble or kahle hooks with a live shrimp 24 inches under a cork.”
When the action would slow down, I threw a tandem ¼-ounce avocado and champagne pink matrix shad. I would catch two at a time when the action picked up.
The areas fished were in front of Fort Livingston, Elmer’s Isle surf, the cut in Caminada Pass, the rocks in Caminada Pass, the surf and the rocks in front of Grand Isle and the surf of Grand Terre. Dropping the anchor before the third sandbar enabled us to throw back towards the beach and work the troughs between the second and third sandbar.
One of the most popular baits has been the Mirrolure suspending twitch bait numbers MR22-21 and S20MR-21. These baits should be thrown out, count to 10, reel in the slack, and jerk the rod sideways, reel in the slack, and jerk sideways.
This will keep the bait in the trout’s strike zone. Between jerks is when the strike will occur. According to Kurt Fleming, local Grand Isle resident and speckled trout fisherman.
“We have been catching big speckled trout during the winter and spring months, Fleming said. “Speckled trout have shown up at the beginning of the spawning run, which started in April and will last all summer. Limits and some big speckled trout will be caught this summer.”
Make sure to have live bait, shrimp, small croakers, or baby mullet in case artificial is not working.
“This is the best speckled trout fishing in 20 years,” Kurt said.
The three main suppliers of live bait on Grand Isle are Coastal Baits, (985) 787-3740, Bridgeside Marina, (987) 787-2418, and the Sanddollar Marina, (985) 787-2500.
The daily creel limit for speckled trout is 25 per person with a 12 minimum length.
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