Trout Action Turns Red Hot in Big Lake

Looks like the weather finally permitted good fishing action to break out in Big Lake -- or is that Big Trout Lake?

I had the pleasure of fishing with Capt. Guy Stansel of Hackberry Rod and Gun Club early this week. We put the hooks into a school of speckled trout in the 4- to 5-pound class. We released most of them except for the ones hooked so deeply that they probably couldn't survive. Trout hit so well that even I caught my usual limit of two fish. I also had one large trout straighten a jighead hook.

Guy and I mostly fished topwater baits. We enticed strikes with black and red, black and white, chartreuse and white or bone Top Dogs. We also saw hits on Super Spooks, Chug Bugs and plastics. Also try purple, solid chartreuse or red and white Top Dogs and similar colored Spooks, Spit'n Images or Slap Sticks.

The fish developed an appetite for Mr. Twister Exude smoky grubs dipped in garlic-flavor chartreuse dye. That's why I say we couldn't help but kill a few big ones that deeply swallowed our lures. They didn't fool around, gulping down those Exude baits a little too deeply and quickly. Also try Slimy Slugs or Cocahoes in avocado and red, purple and chartreuse, glow and chartreuse or solid chartreuse.

While Guy and I concentrated on larger fish with artificials, the other boats landed significant numbers of trout on live shrimp dangled under popping corks. Most of the larger fish hit topwater baits early in the morning.

Other boats in the Hackberry Rod and Gun Club flotilla returned with 34 trout over five pounds and several in the 7- to 8-pound class. Capt. J.Y. Constance landed the largest speck of the morning at 8.30 pounds. His fish hit a black and red Top Dog.

Constance landed a good fish, but he didn't keep the club bragging rights for the day. That honor fell to Steve Rector of Colorado.

Fishing with Capt. Travis Vincent, Rector landed a 32.8-pound redfish in about two feet of water along the western shoreline of Big Lake. Accustomed to catching rainbow and brown trout in clear mountain streams, he fought the spot-tailed beast for more than 20 minutes on 10-pound test line. The guides said that's one of the biggest redfish they have ever seen come out of the shallow Big Lake waters.

Look for clean water and good tidal movement. We happened to hit a good incoming tide driven by a brisk south wind that pushed plenty of salty water into Big lake. Hotspots include Rabbit Island in West Cove, Long Point, the Washout and Nine-Mile Cut.

While on the topic of Hackberry Rod and Gun Club, I never try to antagonize people with loaded guns, badges, those who sign checks with my name on it or people who put food on the table, (except for my wife, Sweetums, but antagonizing her is a contact sport worthy of an entire column on another day!)

In past visits to the club, I've been remiss in not saying thanks to the special ladies who work very hard to make delicious meals and then clean our messes while we go fishing. To Ruth Constance, Dorothy Deason and the other unsung staff members at Hackberry Rod and Gun Club or similar facilities, thanks for a job well done!

For those wanting larger fish, offshore anglers report good catches of big red snapper, some up to 20 pounds, at the platforms at least 40 miles from shore, said Mark LeLeaux of Lake Charles Tackle. Many people fish the Calcasieu Rocks. Fish drift lines with cigar minnows or pogies.

In fresh water, the action at Toledo Bend slowed to more predictable summer patterns. Lake conditions remain stable with the water level at about 171.03 feet. Surface temperatures range from the low to upper 70s.

Fish the grasses in about three to five feet of water in early morning with floating plastics, finesse worms or wacky worms. Hot colors include watermelon red, blue watermelon and kudzu. Also try Chug Bugs in Tennessee shad or chrome and blue.

Later, shift to Carolina-rigged plastics around deeper grasslines and points. In warmer weather, many anglers shift to smaller plastic finesse baits.

"My favorite lately has been a four-inch Berkley Power Craw in pumpkinseed or junebug," said Joe Joslin, a guide for Lake Area Marine. "Watermelon, cotton candy and purple passion are good color selections."

In heavy grass, anglers might downsize spinnerbaits to 1?8-ounce models instead of 1?4-ounce versions. Fish these with a fast retrieve. Joslin said.

River fishermen struggle to find bass on the Sabine and the Calcasieu. On the Calcasieu, anglers throw black neon, watermelon red or green pumpkin tubes or chartreuse and white buzzbaits. Fish the West Fork, the Houston River or above Ward 8 for best results.

At the Big Burns, bass action remains slow, but people catch many bream in the canals. Use natural bait or tiny tube jigs suspended from floats in the Superior Canal and tributaries.

When you catch that whopper, call the Felsh!