Targeting trophy speckled trout isn’t for the faint of heart according to Next Level Fishing’s Chris Castro. The Texas angler and Kayak Angler contributor says it takes an obsessive eye to detail to land big specks with consistency. In this video, Castro shares his techniques to land trophies on the regular. Watch along to learn how, plus why you shouldn’t always listen to fishing apps.
Trophy Speckled Trout Lurk in Texas
Castro has his eye on three factors prior to setting out: air pressure, water temperature and the timing of minor/major feeds. The weather has been cold, but he expects a warming trend to coincide with a major feed, leaving the chance to “get these trout hot, hungry, bothered.” But the biggest bite ends up coming a day early in the shape of an impressive seven-pound speck.
The weather in Texas continues to be unseasonably cold the next day, but “who knows what’s going to happen. Tomorrow any of that can change.” Castro sets out to cover some new ground and catches a 22-inch, four-pound trout in three-and-a-half feet of water. “God, these fish are just hammering it,” he mutters right before reeling in another one.
How to Target Trophy Winter Trout
“Listen to your apps, but…take them with a grain of salt,” Castro advises. It was “supposed to actually be a bad day of fishing, believe it or not.”
On this day, he is drawn to the entrance of a cove. “What caught my attention was some of the bait that was flaring up,” Castro explains. His fish finder chirps as the fish swim underneath the boat. Castro fishes “close drop off, aggressive contouring up to about three feet” using a Corky lure. Rather than counting, he fishes by feel.
“It’s about presenting [your lure] in the correct direction and knowing how to wiggle and jiggle those fancy plastics to convince a 10-year-old trout that that lure is not part of the Matrix.”
Castro’s final tally for the day includes a bunch of four- and five-pound trout, all measuring between 22 and 25 inches in length. “Just solid winter trout,” he says with satisfaction.
