More Fishing at the Speckled Trout Capital of the
World- Hackberry Rod and Gun
Bank Fishing for Speckled Trout and Redfish
Editor’s
Note: The first week in June, I fished at the Speckled
Trout Capital of the World – Hackberry, Louisiana,
located on Lake Calcasieu. In 2005, Hackberry was destroyed
by Hurricane Rita. However, in 10 months, with a lot
of hard work and sweat, it was restored. Today, it’s
better and stronger than ever before and home to giant
speckled trout, big redfish and plenty of medium-to
small-sized fish. This week, we’ll take another
look at fishing in Hackberry. Kirk Stansel, one of the
owners of Hackberry Rod and Gun, a guide service in
Lake Calcasieu, was my guide at Lake Calcasieu. Although
the weather was extremely hot (mid-90 degrees with high
humidity), I was cool wearing my new Under Armour fishing
shirts and shorts. Under Armour’s HeatGear Performance
Polos wicked moisture away from my body to keep me dry
and provided ultraviolet protection from the sun’s
intense rays. The Guide Shorts had mesh venting for
coolness.
Question: Kirk, for two days you’ve fished one
bank with big speckled trout and redfish on it.
What makes this 1/2-mile of bank more productive than
any other bank we could possibly fish?
Stansel: This bank attracts and holds bigger mullet
than some of the other banks in the lake. I don’t
know if it’s something in the mud, the way the
current hits the bank, or where the bank’s located
that makes the mullet come to this shore. But these
mullets offer a bigger bait for bigger trout to feed
on, which is why the bigger trout are coming to this
bank. At the right time of year, with the right tide,
the mullet will come on this bank, and so will the big
trout. Generally, the biggest fish come in on a rising
tide. If you want to catch bigger trout and redfish,
you have to find the places that hold the biggest bait.
Question: Kirk, I just had a big speckled trout blow
up on my bait, and I missed the fish. What happened?
Stansel: Well, John, you’re fishing a top-water
bait, and you tried to set the hook on the strike. On
speckled trout and redfish, you can get more hook-ups
if you wait until you feel the fish on the line before
you set the hook. The best advice I can give my fishermen
is close their eyes when they’re fishing top-water
baits. That way, they won’t see the strike and
set the hook too early. I don’t set the hook on
a strike when I’m fishing top-water baits like
the Corky and the MirrOlure She Dog. I wait to feel
the fish and then set the hook. Many times, speckled
trout and redfish will swat at the bait and try to kill
it or injure it before they eat it. So, when a fish
strikes at your lure and misses it, you need to keep
the bait walking at the same rate it was walking or
stop the bait until the fish returns to eat it.
Question: You told Mike Sheldon, the president of Mepps,
a company that also owns
Mister Twister, that when a fish misses a top-water
bait, he should cast right back to the spot where the
fish struck with a Mepps spoon or a Mister Twister Exude
Saltwater Shrimp. Why?
Stansel: The top-water bait gets the fish excited. So,
many times, if the fish misses the top-water bait, it
will attack one of those other lures to come through
that same area.
Question: How many times will you catch a fish with
the second lure, after it misses the top-water lure?
Stansel: Many, if not most of the time. When trout and
redfish are attacking top-water lures, they’re
very excited and want to feed. So, when you throw another
lure to them, they’re still excited and wanting
to feed. Therefore, the chances are really good to catch
the fish with the second presentation, if you don’t
catch it on the first one.
Question: What size fish do you usually catch on this
bank we’re fishing?
Stansel: At this time of year, we often will catch speckled
trout that weigh 4- to 9-pounds each on this bank. The
redfish
we catch often will be 20- to 30-inches long.
Question: What are your favorite top-water lures?
Stansel: I prefer the MirrOlure She Dog and the floating
chartreuse-colored Corky. When I’m fishing both
baits on 12-pound-test line, I use a steady retrieve
and twitch the bait as I bring it to me. I like the
Berkley Big Game line with the 30-pound-cast leader.
Question: Kirk, this may be a little personal, but
why do you fish with a pink rod?
Stansel: This American Rodsmiths Rod is a really-good
rod, and since the guides and I started using the pink
rods, we’ve proven that only real men fish pink
rods. These have become somewhat of a trademark for
us. We’ve had a lot of people purchasing these
pink rods, and you’d be surprised that it’s
not a lot of women but many men. Many men don’t
think their masculinity is threatened by fishing with
a pink rod. The pink rods also have a soft tip, limber
action, and they’re ideal for catching speckled
trout and redfish. If some of the fishermen who read
your webpage think they’re man enough to fish
with a pink rod, they can call us and order one.
For more information about Under Armour’s cool
summertime clothing, visit www.underarmour.com.
You can learn about Mepps at www.mepps.com and Mister
Twister at www.mistertwister.com
To learn more about Hackberry, go to their web page
at www.hackberryrodandgun.com,
or call 888-762-3391.
Tomorrow: Hackberry – A Great
Place for a Family-Fishing Vacation
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