SLICK FISHING FOR TROUT

Fishing The Birds For Trout

EDITOR'S NOTE: This week, we'll talk with Captain Jeff Poe who has fished Lake Calcasieu, near Lake Charles, Louisiana, for more than 20 years. His wife Mary, also a licensed captain and guide, has fished the lake all of her life. We'll look at the type fish that you can catch at Lake Calcasieu -- a huge saltwater lake off the Gulf of Mexico -- and Poe will tell us how to catch them.

QUESTION: What occurs when you fish the birds?
POE: The trout locate a school of shrimp and begin to feed on the shrimp. As they do, they push the shrimp close to the surface where birds, like seagulls, can see the shrimp. The seagulls start diving on the shrimp and eating the shrimp from above, and the trout start attacking the school of shrimp from below the surface. When one bird locates a school of shrimp close to the surface and begins to dive on it, other birds in the area will swarm to that spot and also begin to feed on the shrimp. So you'll have a cloud of birds holding over a school of shrimp. This year, we've caught speckled trout that weigh up to 10 pounds under working birds.

QUESTION: How do you approach working birds?
POE: I approach working birds just like I do a slick. I try and get 300 yards upwind or up-current from the birds, use my Minn Kota trolling motor to get in close to the birds and then try and cut my trolling motor down and drift within casting range. My standard rule is to drift and stay within casting range of the working birds. When I can't drift, I use my trolling motor. If I can't use my trolling motor, then I go fish somewhere else. You never want to run your big motor close to a slick or working birds.

QUESTION: How long will a flock of birds continue to work a school of trout?
POE: My party and I have caught three limits of trout before under one flock of birds and never had to move. At other times, we may only get five to 10 trout under one flock of working birds. Then, we have to move and look for another group of birds working.

QUESTION: What is the biggest problem you have when you are fishing under working birds?
POE: Often, we'll have anglers who don't know how to fish working birds, and they run right up under the birds with their big engines and throw out their anchors. This generally spooks the fish and kills the bite. Many times, especially with a strong wind, you may get blown right into the middle of a school of trout. If this happens to me, I turn my trolling motor off and ask my anglers to quit fishing and to remain as quiet as they can until the school of trout moves away from us. Once you spook the school, usually you can't continue to catch trout from that school.

QUESTION: What is another problem with fishing under working birds?
POE: If there is more than one boat in the area, which there usually is, more than one angler will spot a flock of working birds. When this happens, several boats will go to the same flock of birds, and many times the birds will leave. But if you can still see trout breaking the surface of the water, you can cast to that school and catch the trout. I use all of my senses. I not only search for the birds, I look for and listen to hear trout breaking the surface as they attack the schools of shrimp, and I use my nose to smell the trout. When trout are killing bait, you can detect a distinctive smell to help you locate the school. On a quiet day when the water is slick, you can hear the trout breaking the surface from 50 to 100 yards away. The sound of the trout busting is very distinctive once you learn to listen for it. So many times when the birds quit working, you can hear, see, or smell the trout that may still be in the area.

QUESTION: What size trout can you catch in Lake Calcasieu?
POE: This year, anglers have caught plenty of big trout here. I've heard of anglers catching 15 to 20 trout have that weighed over 10-pounds each. We have a lot of really nice-sized trout. On a good day, our average fish can go from 2 pounds to 5 pounds, which makes for some really fun catching and good eating.

For more information on fishing Lake Calcasieu, contact Captains Jeff or Mary Poe with Big Lake Guide Service at (337) 598-3268, or go to www.biglakeguideservice.com.

TOMORROW: ROOTING OUT REDS