What is a trophy trout? To many, its simply the biggest fish they’ve ever caught. A three pound schoolie or a monster eight or nine pound sow, if it’s the biggest trout you’ve ever caught it’s a trophy. There are a few things that you can do to increase your chances of landing that fish of a lifetime. 1) “Know where trophy trout travel and why.” 
Hunting trophy speckled trout requires the fisherman to study the area, tidal movement, and moon phases in order to know where and why his quarry will be at any given time. Structure such as the consistancy of the bottom, cuts, and shell are all things that attract trophy trout to a particular area. 2) “Watch the weather.” Especially during this time of year, working certain areas a couple of days after a cold front moves through can mean the difference between no fish and trophy fish. During the warming trend after the front fish move onto the flats chasing schools of mullet. 3) “Big fish don’t feed as often during the cold winter months.” This makes choosing the right bait for hunting trophy speckled trout a very important part of the hunt. Larger mullet imitation plugs such as the Rebel Jumpin’ Minnow, B&L Corky, Cordell Broken-Back Redfins. Live bait should be finger mullet, small croakers, or piggy perch. 4) “Wear the right gear.” What to wear may not seem important, but trust me, if you get cold or wet then your concentration isn’t as sharp as it should be and that could cost you a big trout. Layer your clothing and wear a good pair of neoprene waders, if you’re going to wade, is one way to prevent any unnecessary weariness. If you plan to fish from a boat, still layer your clothing and make sure to take along some rain gear in case the weather gets bad while you’re on the water. 5) “Fresh line is an important key to trophy trout hunting.” A big trout can put tremedous stress on your line. If you’re one of thse people who change your line only during a leap year, your chances of landing a wall trout a slim to none. Fishing line is affected by extreme temperature fluctuations, florescent lighting, and saltwater. It doesn’t cost that much, so plan to change your fishing line at least twice to three times a year whether you need to or not. 6) “Clean reels are happy reels.” Your reel is the back bone of your trophy trout hunting equipment. If you haven’t cleaned your reel since last years venture into the slatwater arena, you could be in for a big surprise. A dirty reel can have several problems without affecting its castability. Sticky drag, frozen bearings, and a worn pawl can all cause problems and leave you without a reel during a crucial fishing trip. 7) “Timing is everything” After you’ve taken care of all the incedental items mentioned above, it all caomes down to one thing. Being in the right place at the right time. But, if you haven’t done your home work, being there won’t do you a whole lot of good. The old saying that 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish is true. You can be part of tht 10% if you take a little advice and follow the steps to a trophy trout for your wall. Hunting trophy trout is not like any fishing you’ve ever done before. The strikes are few and far between and it’s not unheard of to go a whole day without landing one fish. The prize however, is well worth the work, preparation, and time put into the hunt. Nothing strikes or fights like a true trophy sized speckled trout. And if you’ve never had the opportunity of finding this out for yourself, what are you waiting for.
– Texas Saltwater Fishing Guide
