Expert Anglers Advice On Trout Fishing Lures

Numerous lures noted for their big trout potential rest motionless in the tackle box. Some are fused with fading colors and teeth scrapes while others gleam with the shine of a corvette fresh off the assembly line. At times, knowing which lure or presentation a fish desires can be as predictable as choosing the winning lottery numbers. However, getting familiar with which lure works best combined during certain conditions can pay big dividends for seekers of trophy trout.

"Myself, I'd prefer to catch the larger trout with a topwater, but you can't always get what you want. First and foremost, you have to think about how deep the water is where you're fishing," reports Texas coast fisherman Mike Wexielman, a man with a wall full of trophies backing up his expertise.

Wexielman keeps it simple when choosing his initial selection. "If the water is deep I throw subsurface tackle; if I'm wading shallows, a topwater is where I have my confidence."

When trout routinely slap plugs with disinterest, "step down." A swap from a topwater to a slow-sinker or from a slow sinker to a soft plastic provides appeal to garner the attacks for Wexielman. "If swirls occur beneath your lure, vary your speed. It can often be a factor."

What most will tell you about catching big specks in cold weather is to use subsurface fishing lures and present slowly. Mike, however tells us that he does not always find this to be true. When he isn't getting bites with topwaters and slow sinkers, he uses soft plastics instead and alters his technique accordingly to make his lures look like fast moving prey - often too tempting for speckled trout to pass up in winter months.

"Sometimes people forget how much good can come of plastic fishing lures. Sometimes, a plain old red and white paddle tail minnow can get some great big specks interested," says Wexielman. He's an angler who goes his own way and despite the advice you may find in fishing reports, tells us that the single biggest trout he has even seen caught was brought in with tails. Mike says if he has one piece of fishing advice it's this: never fear switching to a jig; it can work out to be the best thing you've done all day.

Galveston fishing guide Captain Cody Maddox always takes a close look at the water before deciding which lure to use for the bigger trout. "The first thing I do is to look at what kind of baitfish are there and watch how they're moving," says Maddox. Before choosing, he looks at any structures nearby as well as the clarity of the water.

Like Wexielman, Maddox prefers to start out with a topwater. "When I don't get bites that way, I move on to a slow sinker instead, usually a Corky Fatboy." When fishing in deeper waters, he usually switches to soft plastics in order to more easily keep within the strike zone.

"For me, topwaters and slow sinkers have always been the best for catching big trout, but the biggest speck I've ever caught personally was using a bass assassin tail, of all things," says Maddox.

Maddox isn't afraid to experiment with different lures, even adding to them by painting on gills, coloring tails and even adding bucktails. For Maddox and others who pursue trophy quality trout, it's all part of the fun.

When gambling for one fish, there are no guarantees; a roll of the dice may be all it takes to trick that 12 pounder.