HACKBERRY -- HOME OF THE GATOR TROUT

Why Lake Calcasieu Is a Hotspot For Big Specks and Reds

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't stick your fingers in a speckled trout's mouth, or you may draw back a bloody digit. Speckled trout have sharp teeth that can puncture, cut or maim even an experienced trout fisherman. They often resemble young alligators when they approach the boat, swinging their tails from side to side. That's why many anglers call them "gator trout."

The Sabine Wildlife Refuge, which permits no fishing, surrounds much of Lake Calcasieu. This estuary area produces millions of pounds of baitfish and shrimp that swim into the bay before heading out to the Gulf of Mexico. Consequently, the speckled trout of Lake Calcasieu grow to some of the largest sizes of trout on the entire Gulf Coast. Lake Calcasieu also consistently produces more and bigger specks than many other Gulf Coast inlets because of a 50-foot-deep ship channel running through its middle. When the shallow water becomes too cold or too hot, the trout, redfish and baitfish have easy access to that deep-water sanctuary.

Until a trout reaches the weight of about 2 pounds, shrimp make up 80 percent of its diet, and the other 20 percent consists of baitfish. Weather and the availability of shrimp also influence these percentages. Then when a speckled trout reaches or exceeds 2 pounds, his diet changes to 20-percent shrimp and 80-percent baitfish. Yes, you can put shrimp on your hook, fish it with a pop-and-cork and catch a 9-pound trout. However, I've learned that trout from 3 to 9 pounds generally prefer baitfish over shrimp and large trout like bigger baits. Big baits like the Top Dog or the Slap Stick, fished on top, present an appetizing lure that a trout can attack and eat. Even the Slimy Slug fished just under the surface appears much larger than a shrimp to the trout.

TOMORROW: WHERE YOU CAN TAKE THE TROUT OF A LIFETIME