point me toward the big trout

[pcbayou]

Hey, Charles, better late than never. Things have been a little better this year for some reason. A lot of the trout are precisely 14 and 5/8 inches, which means they pinch to 14 and 15/16th. But there have been more 18- to 20s mixed in, which makes 2 nice filets.

I'm going to try Capt. Roy Ray's recommendation tomorrow if the weather allows. He's on the "Panhandle Outdoors" show on the Fox channel, which some of you may pick up around the Bend. He swears by Fish On SS Minnow baits, on a jig with an 18-inch to 30-inch leader, depending on the water depth. He sure catches a lot of trout on his videos.

[Flint River Pirate]

I'm going to try Capt. Roy Ray's recommendation tomorrow if the weather allows. He's on the "Panhandle Outdoors" show on the Fox channel, which some of you may pick up around the Bend. He swears by Fish On SS Minnow baits, on a jig with an 18-inch to 30-inch leader, depending on the water depth. He sure catches a lot of trout on his videos.

Capt Roy Ray has a fish trap full of farm raised trout under his boat and a diver to hook them on his jig. That's why the videos are so good!

[pcbayou]

I'm shocked. He seems like such a nice, trustworthy man on TV. Maybe I could hire one of those divers ...

Not much luck with the Roy-recommended lures this weekend (or with the weather, for that matter). Where did that wind and "moderate" chop come from?

[lordsfisher]

I'm a former fish and game, marine biologist, so I'm fascinated by big trout. I've only caught two over 5 lbs. Of course that's not bad considering I go fishing once every three years. ha From Louisiana research, "Large trout also have very different food habits than school trout. Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As trout become larger, their diet shifts toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullets; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout. The key to catching large trout is to fish where they are and use big baits." That matches my experience with big trout and the posts here.

Once I took a friend who caught a 6 lb trout east of the Lighthouse. He really wanted to keep it, but I misread the regs and made him toss it back (my first mistake). Oops. Later, I looked at the regs more carefully and saw in fine print that one over the slot could be kept. Second mistake: I pointed it out to him the next day! These regs are so complicated, a person should take their attorney along for any legal interpretation. ha

Question: Do you think Louisiana is better for specks and reds than the Big Bend?

[jsuber]

If your catching a lot of shorts, move. Those fish have been hanging out together since they were born. There may be a big one around but unlikly cause you wouldn't hang around a dove field on the end with a bunch of kids and neither would a big trout hang out with all those little trout that are faster than him and eating all his food. He's gonna be some where that he can eat once a day and eat something bigger. Like at a creek outh or near an Oyster bar. I like using topwater to seek out big trout becasue I can cover a lot of wat3e4r with it, but I also like to throw and leave out a Popping cork with a Gulp shrimp or DOA about 15-18 inches below it. Just sitting works pretty good sometimes. Up north they use cut mullet when its cold. THey catch the mullet at a place called the hot ditch and then soak them under a cork for up to eight hours to catch a 30" Trout.

[CROCKER]

BIGGEST TROUT I HAVE EVER SEEN HAD 3/4 OF A 14-15" TROUT IN HIS MOUTH. THE SMALL TROUT HAD TAKEN A WHITE GULP AND WAS COMMING TO THE BOAT WHEN BIG MOMA ATTACKED. GOT BOTH TO THE BOAT AND WAS UNABLE TO NET THE BIG ONE. SHE WAS LAST SEEN HEADING SOUTH OF AUCILLA.

BEEN TO LA ONCE, MY BROTHER HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF TIMES. YOU WILL NEVER, CONSISTANTLY CATCH THE NUMBER OF REDFISH ANYWHERE. FIRST DAY, 8:00 - 2:00, 33 REDFISH. ALL UNDER 9 LBS. 2ND DAY, 8:00 - 2:00, 22 REDFISH, ONLY 2 UNDER 15 LBS - TWO BIGGEST WERE 30LBS. THEY WERE ALL CAUGHT ON FLY DIDNOT MATTER WHAT COLOR. MOST OF THE BIG ONES WERE CAUGHT 3' IN FRONT OF THE BOAT.

WE DID NOT CATCH ANY TROUT, SOME OF THE FISHERMEN THAT WE TALKED WITH CAUGHT A LOT BUT NOTHING IN THE 18" AND OVER RANGE.

COCADRIE, LA. - SHOULD SOUND FAMILIAR IF YOU FOLLOW THE RED FISH TOURNAMENTS

[tilldawg]

I would say it depends. What time of year, what stage of tide, what time of day, what stage of moon?

All of the above greatly affect where the big trout are.

For instance right now, the big trout are schooled up in many shallow bays that have hard, dark bottoms (oyster & rock). We caught 12 over 25" in three days last week around Steinhatchee and we saw alot more. Caught most of these fish on 1/8 oz jigs with Gulp Shrimp. They would not touch a topwater or a live pinfish (go figure).

By the way, I have caught more trout over 25 inches on this rig than any other and I have caught a bunch over the years. Topwater plugs would be my second choice of baits just because I enjoy them so much and they work real well at times. Another great bait for me lately has been is a weightless, weedless rigged Zoom fluke in white or white ice. This is a great bait when they are warry like on real calm days. Shinner tails or live pinfish are great big trout bait when fished under cajun thunders.

Like another poster said, figure what structure they are relating to at the particualr time you are fishing and you catch them. This is the most important thing and it varries throughout the year, tide stage and day.

Here a few pictures of some big ones:

http://www.s686.photobucket.com/albums/vv227/tilldawg/

That is free website for photo storage by the way.

Here are a few from last week on my boat (24-26 " range):







Here is the largest trout I have on film (a 30" trout). Unfortunately the biggest one I have caught was not captured on a camera because I forgot my camera that day and we released the fish.

[Jumptrout51]

if you fish live grab some grunts 2-3 in razor top fin but letr dangle 2-3 ft water,popping bobber 2-3 ought circle if you miss let it sit they shred first eat later,watch for sharks they will smell what your cookin up

Where the hell you been? We have missed your stupid remarks.

[birddog]

Can't see the pics tilldawg.

You must be a registered user to view images!

[Reel Cowboy]

Can't see the pics tilldawg.

You must be a registered user to view images!

Must be something we either should see or want to see.

[tilldawg]

I edited the post above since you guys did not want to register at photobucket.

[BrogensDuck]

A friend of mine had a very simple rule about catching big trout:
"If you want to catch big trout, go red fishing." There seems to be some merit to that.

[Reel Cowboy]

A friend of mine had a very simple rule about catching big trout:
"If you want to catch big trout, go red fishing." There seems to be some merit to that.

Sounds like Ty Smith but I think for the most part it's true.

[FlatCrazy]

My very limited experience with big trout has come from using big live baits on very light line and small hooks. Most of the biggest trout I have caught have been late in the summer/early fall using the very big white baits or LY's...when they are hand size or larger. I think we may have a little more fishing pressure over here in and around Panama City than you guys have in the big bend area. Light line (6-8 lb mono) and small wire hooks make all the difference.

But I agree with the posters above that most of the biggest trout I have caught using artifical lures were caught back in really skinny water chasing redfish. I know I have seen some real hogs that I could not get to eat while sight fishing.

[birddog]

I edited the post above since you guys did not want to register at photobucket.

Great pics and fish, tilldawg.