It is February and we are still catching speckled trout in the shallow lakes and duck ponds around the fishing village here at Lake Hermitage. Normally this time of the year all the trout have moved out to the gulf for the winter and will not show back up until the water temperature gets back up to a warmer temperature. As you know this year we haven’t had a lot of really cold weather and I think the trout never left. We been running trips in between the cold fronts and are still catching some nice trout. Of course all the small trout have left and the bigger trout seem to have stayed in the shallow waters. We do not have any live shrimp that has come in the shallow waters as of yet, but it should not be long before they will have a lot more to feed on as the water temperature is getting warmer and warmer as time goes on. We been having a great time catching these big trout in the shallow waters as once the fish is on the hook all the action is on top the water because they can not go down. Remember we are catching these speckled tout in only two feet of water and all the action is on top of the water. Great action for a photo shoot not to mention all the good memories we are building with our customers.
As I said earlier we are about two to three weeks away from the live shrimp starting to show up and history shows it want be long after that the speckled trout will be following them in from the gulf. Take this opportunity to get all your fishing equipment services both the rod-n-reels as well as your boat and motors. The last thing you want is to wait until the early spring and on your first fishing trip out of the gate is for something to go wrong and put a damper on your chance to have a wonderful fishing trip. The trout will first start to show up near the barrier islands on the oyster reefs sometime in the month of March and progressively work there way in across Barataria Bay towards the shallow bays around the fishing village here at Bayou Log Cabins Fishing Lodge. Then once the egg sacks start to fill up with there off spring they will move back across Barataria Bay to lay there eggs near the barrier islands. The reason they do that is because the salinity levels are higher out near the gulf and the eggs will float better in the salter water and that gives them a better chance of survival. It is when the eggs sink to the bottom that they survival rate goes way down and that is because of all the bottom feeders we have on the inside waters. There they will spend the entire summer working the oyster reefs and broken islands for food while they lay there eggs and enjoy the many different types of food at there will. Always remember the main thing that drives the location of speckled trout is do they have something to eat. When you find the feed normally you will find the fish. This year is shaping up to be a wonderful summer season as the salinity levels are high and that is what they like to be in while laying there eggs. Many folks like to use corkers for bait while fishing for speckled trout and the reason is because they catch trout using corkers. However many people don’t know why the trout feed on corkers and just think it is a good bait to use. Well the truth is that speckled trout would rather eat live shrimp. The reason they catch trout using live corkers for bait is because the trout do not get along with corkers. The reason for that is because the corkers eat the trout eggs once she lays them. A lot of times a trout will strike a live corker and kill him and will not eat him. They simply do it protect the eggs and provide a safe area for there offspring. There are many other threats to the trout eggs however they can only control the predator fish that are smaller then them. The live ability rate from the speckled trout off spring is only about twenty percent of what they lay. The marine life is a very balance system and what we would think is horrible is really a well through out system and has survived for many years. We still must continue to grow in knowledge and learn more about the habits of our waters and the lives they contain so we can create better laws to help protect the supply for future generations. The laws of the human harvest is a very important factor to fit in with the normal food chain that occurs in the natural if we want to continue to enjoy being able to take our children and grandchildren fishing. Enjoying the outdoors on the water is something every child should be able to experience in there life and then leave it up to them if they want to continue it as they become adults. I always say as least give them the opportunity to see if they like fishing or not.
Well to rape things up for this report remember to always try to take a kid fishing with you the next time you go fishing. Let them see if they like the sport and maybe that fishing trip you took them on will cause him or her to become the next generation of anglers that will carry the sport of fishing into the next generation. Spend time on the water is such a great way to spend family time as well as entertaining corporate clients and doing team building that will produce a better work environment for everyone. I will be updating you next week as we have some great fishing trips coming up soon.
