Targeting trophy speckled trout isnโt for the faint of heart according to Next Level Fishingโs 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 shouldnโt 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 โget these trout hot, hungry, bothered.โ 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 โwho knows whatโs going to happen. Tomorrow any of that can change.โ Castro sets out to cover some new ground and catches a 22-inch, four-pound trout in three-and-a-half feet of water. โGod, these fish are just hammering it,โ he mutters right before reeling in another one.
How to Target Trophy Winter Trout
โListen to your apps, butโฆtake them with a grain of salt,โ Castro advises. It was โsupposed to actually be a bad day of fishing, believe it or not.โ
On this day, he is drawn to the entrance of a cove. โWhat caught my attention was some of the bait that was flaring up,โ Castro explains. His fish finder chirps as the fish swim underneath the boat. Castro fishes โclose drop off, aggressive contouring up to about three feetโ using a Corky lure. Rather than counting, he fishes by feel.
โItโs 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.โ
Castroโs final tally for the day includes a bunch of four- and five-pound trout, all measuring between 22 and 25 inches in length. โJust solid winter trout,โ he says with satisfaction.