Hey y’all! Thanks for checking in with us for this week’s Quality Fishing Guides blog. Today, we’re going to talk about 5 of Capt. LG Boyd’s top trout fishing tips. We’ll keep it brief for now, but be prepared to explore these tips more in depth in later blogs!
Tip #1: Keep a Log of Your Fishing Trips
Capt. LG’s first tip for catching trout (or any fish really) is to keep a log of your fishing trips. This is a very simple way to look back and see what you were doing on a specific day/month and will prove to be invaluable over time. Make note of the conditions: was it clear or cloudy, what time of year was it, what part of the bay were you fishing, what was the depth of the water, what phase was the moon in, how much rainfall did we have that year, were the fish biting on lures or were they biting better with live bait? The more information you can give your future self, the more successful you will be.
Tip #2: Know Your Bay
Tip #2 is one of the most important tips to catching trout: know your bay! Galveston Bay has some great oyster reefs and Texas Parks and Wildlife reefs to fish on. Dedicate a day to idling around on these reefs, taking time to mark ridges, humps and mud holes. Also, make note of the bottom differences. Are you on sand guts, a sand bar, grass flats or shell to mud? Once you’ve done all of this and are ready to do some catching, make sure you use your trolling motor as you approach, idle around, and leave a reef or structure, so the fish don’t get spooked from that spot. Otherwise, all your work could be for nothing!
Tip #3: Know Your Variables
Knowing your variables is going to be our next tip. The first 2 variables to make note of are the direction and speed of the wind and current. When you’re running out to your favorite spot, pay attention to crab traps, poles and buoys as you pass by them. Doing so will help you identify which direction and at what speed the current is running. This information is important in helping you know how to set up for your drift. If the current is running fast, you will want to start your drift further away from the structure you are wanting to fish. If it’s running slow, you’ll want to pull up a little closer. The 3rd variable is an unknown one and will be up to you to figure out, and that’s where’s the school of fish? This is going to be our tip #4.
Tip #4: Find the School of Fish
To find the trout (again, or any fish really), you’re going to have to watch for some clues that indicate they’re there. Start out by looking at the water: do you have active bait or see slicks popping up? These are clues that let you know you’ve got trout in the area. You may not find either at the first place you stop, so be patient and keep looking around. Also, try going back to a spot you’ve had success at before.
While these clues are helpful, unfortunately, a lot of times you won’t have them and will have to get a bit more creative. If this is the case, pick a structure you are wanting to try, and set up your drift on the up current side of the structure. If you don’t get any bites, try the other side.
Once you discover some fish, you need to figure out where in the water column they are, so you know where to place your lure to get bites. Trout are predator fish and like to hide in bottom changes (shadows) to ambush their prey. As the current runs, bait gets pushed through the bottom differences, allowing the fish to ambush them. Trout will hide in these bottom differences waiting on their meal. 90% of the time when trout are feeding on shrimp, they will be in the bottom two feet of water, so you will want to drag your bait on the bottom to try and entice them to eat. As you’re working your bait, make note of where they’re hitting it (think tip #1). Are they biting as it’s falling, as you pop it up or drag it across the bottom? This will tell you where they are in the water column. All of this is trial and error and learned over time, but once you figure it out, be sure to note it in your log to help yourself next time.
Tip #5: Don’t Let the Lures Catch You
The last tip from Capt. LG is going to be focused on lure selection. With so many different types of lures in various shapes and colors, it’s hard not to get caught up in the hype of it all. That old saying “lures catch more fisherman than fish” is sadly true for most of us. We all want to know what the fish are biting on, what color works best, and what brand is the best. This depends on several factors such as what does the water look like? Is it dark and muddy? If this is the case, a darker lure profile would be better and more visible for the trout. Something like Down South Lures’ Texas Roach, Magic Grass Southern Shad or Red Flash would work great. If the water is “trout” green and clear, then Down South Lures’ Chartreuse Flash or Bone Glow Chartreuse would be a good choice. Another factor in lure selection is what are the fish feeding on? March through April trout are feeding on glass minnows as they hatch. In the Spring through Summer months, they are feeding on shad, shrimp and mullet. You will want to try and “match the hatch” as best you can. As stated earlier though, we will get much more in depth on this topic and others in later blogs.
Well, that’s going to do it for this week’s Quality Fishing Guides blog. We hope your found it informative. If you would like more information on these trout tips on a one on one basis, give us a call and book a trip. Capt. LG would love to take you out and teach you some tricks of the trade that will have you catching fish in no time!
Also, if you’re wanting to book a trip but can’t find anyone to go with, give us a text at 409-770-3567 with your name. We keep a list of “single” fisherman. When we have an open boat, we send out a text to the people on that list. The first 3 that respond with a credit card number get the open spots!
Lastly, check back in with us in a couple weeks for our next blog where we’re going to touch on Spring Break jetty fishing. For pictures and videos from current trips, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook (@ Quality Fishing Guides), Instagram (@ Capt. LG Boyd) and YouTube (@ Quality Fishing Guides). If you’re ready to book, give us a call at 409-770-3567. We look forward to hearing from you and fishing with you!
