Early Fall Speckled Trout

   Fall- that special time of the year when football kicks off, gumbo pots start getting pulled out, the weather man gives hope of cooler days, and anglers across Louisiana's coast start looking for shorter boat rides to find speckled trout. Well folks, Fall is about to make her grande entrance and with her will be some of the best speckled trout fishing of the year. If you can understand how to fish the Fall, you can fill up your freezer with fillets of beautiful Louisiana Speckled trout. Knowledge will lead you to more success than just taking the boat out and trying to be lucky or fishing “spots”. So, sit back, relax, and let me give you a few things that hopefully puts that $4 a gallon gas in your boat to good use by sharing the why, where, and how's of fishing Louisiana's Fall speckled trout transition. 

   So, Why are the trout moving from the outside waters to the inner marsh? Well, the main reason is the end of the summer spawn, but what determines the path they take? There are so many ways back into the marsh for fish to travel through. You can think of it as a highway system of sorts. The inner marsh bays and ponds are parking lots they want to get to. The small bayous are back roads. The bigger canals and passes are highways, and the outer bays and shorelines are interstates. Just like when cars didn't have GPS and smart phones weren't a thing, your dad would pull out a road map and plan a family trip based on a few things- easiest route, food, and places to rest. Well folks, speckled trout have things that determine their route back in the marsh as well. Whether its a point off a main entry point they can relax, a canal that travels straight to the marsh- like the MRGO in St. Bernard, or where they can get some food. Well, while the specks are making their move back into the marsh, there is also something very special happening this time of the year, and if you can find this one thing, it will be the factor that turns a day on the water into a memorable fishing trip!

  You see, the speckled trout transition just so happens to take place at the same time that white shrimp are moving from the marsh to the outside. Trout will look for paths to intercept the white shrimp for easy meals. How do you find where the shrimp will be moving to the outside you ask. Shrimp, as far as aquatic creatures go, are not good swimmers. They are dependent on tide and current to get where they want to go. During a rising tide, shrimp will cling to the bottom or anything they can hold on to so they are not dragged back into the marsh. During a falling tide they will drift with the current and tide to move out of the marsh. So, find water moving out on a falling tide with shrimp hitch hiking a ride and you will usually find fish. There are several things that can make your search for this easier. Looking at satalite images will often show where the water likes to flow through an area. I use google earth. Google earth also has a timeline feature where you can go back years and see where the old bayous and waterways use to be before the land eroded. As far a visual give aways on the water, there are two that will help you the most. Look for how water in an area is moving objects in the water. Crab trap markers and oyster pvc poles are great indicators, but perhaps the best giveaway for where the white shrimp are moving this time of the year are birds. Birds activily diving and grabbing shrimp is a dead give away, but dont pass up birds sitting on the water waiting. Even if you don't catch fish under sitting birds, remember that spot and come back when the tide is moving through that area. The birds are there for a reason. Not just any birds will do either. Look for those black headed gulls. They dont dive on water for no reason like some other bird species. 

  So, what are some of the tactics that can be used for these transitioning specks. Well, there are alot, but ill share with you some of my favorites. Number one has to be a popping cork with an artificial under it. This is often the most productive. Get your favorite popping cork with a good shrimp imitation under it and start reeling in the fish. I like Marker 54 glides and shrimplets, mojo shrimp, and good old DOA. Perhaps the most exciting way to catch specks is my number two- topwater. There is nothing like a topwater bite in the early fall mornings. Overcast days will even extend a topwater bite window for you. I like to use She Dogs and She Pups from Mirrolure. Third for me would be jerk baits. Jerk baits allow you to cover alot of water fast. Set you trolling motor speed and go to work. Mirrolure makes some great jerkbaits also. Just make sure to use one that matches the depth of the water you are fishing. Next would be the jighead and plastic. Make sure your jig weight matches the depth and speed of the water. The lighter the jig you can get away with the better. This last one I use if there are alot of small fish mixed in with keepers. That is the double rig. The double rig will help you weed through fish by catching two at a time. The trick is when you hook one fish, give the bait enough time in the water to catch a second one. You don't want to reel in right away.

  Well, I hope this helps you all out. Hopefully you have a productive Fall with short boat rides and great memories. If you would like to book a Louisiana fishing trip and make some fishing memories, call me at 985-277-9277.

Captain Shawn Mitchell

SaltyFrog Charters

Hopedale, Louisiana