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How to Catch Speckled Trout at Night in Texas

Throughout a 200-mile stretch of Texas Gulf Coast, speckled trout are plentiful. Speckled trout fight ferociously on their way to the dinner table. To bring home these delicacies, know the various techniques, baits and lures that catch them, and select the appropriate light tackle. To fish for Texas "specks" you can charter a boat or head out into the open waters south of Texas in your own.

Things You'll Need

  • Buck-tail jig No. 4 hook size; (white, silver or black)
  • Bullet weight
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take your boat to deep water, five to 10 miles from shore. Look for areas that have deepwater reefs, drop-off points, swirling channels and strong currents that produce whirlpool-type eddies. When traveling along the water, use a fish finder to help with your search for schools of speckled trout.

      If you've hired a charter boat company, the ship's captain will have knowledge of location where speckled trout exist. Additionally, captains will assist novice anglers in the techniques of proper tackle, bait and landing techniques.

    • 2

      Drift the boat over locations where the fish finder has suggested pockets of speckled trout await. Position the boat so that it's not fighting against the current. Ship boat captains will drop anchor amongst various submerged structures and channels.

    • 3

      Build a "jig" rig, consisting of a single jig, such as a Buck-tail jig with a No. 4 hook size, and a bullet weight. Use strong colors such as white, silver and black, as these are natural colors of baitfish within Texas Gulf Coast waters.

    • 4

      Cast your jig within the strong current or alongside submerged structures. Let the jig sink to the bottom before you start the process of retrieving the jig. Every 6 inches to a foot, stop the jig and allow it to flutter downward; while it flutters ,move the rod tip up and down. This will create the illusion that the jig is darting within the water. Generally, speckled trout hit jigs as they fall.

    • 5

      Continue with the jigs retrieval until receiving a solid strike from a speckled trout. Be ready for a jolt that will occur quickly and bend your rod. If you're not ready, a speckled trout could strike and slip the hook, eluding any chance of being captured.

    • 6

      Yank the line on receiving a hard strike; this will jam the hook into the fleshy jaw area of the speckled trout.

    • 7

      Play the speckled trout; allow it to run. Give the fish plenty of line and utilize your drag while it struggles to get free of the hook. Employ a strategy of reeling in the line and then allowing the fish to run. This will eventually exhaust the fish to where it's unable to put up much of a fight. On noticing that the fish is not struggling as much as before, reel the fish toward the boat.

    • 8

      Guide the speckled trout's head into a fishing net. Using a net that is at least 2 feet in width, maneuver the fish to a place where you can get the net underneath the fish. Scoop the trout into the net. Lift the speckled trout into the boat and secure it before removing the hook. At this point, you can decide on whether to keep the fish or return it to the water.


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