A SPECK-TACULAR TRIP!

I was excited when I was invited to fish with Capt. Lloyd Landry of Outcast Fishing Charters. I had heard about Lloyd, and he had a great reputation.  I was buzzing with anticipation during the entire drive to Theriot, Louisiana. The plan was to stay at his lodge. What I did not expect was that we would be treated to a ribeye steak dinner. Now that’s a good start to any trip!

The next morning, we met Lloyd at 5 AM and began mapping out the day.  “I have been guiding for 27 years. I began my career down in Buras LA and later moved the operation up to the Bayou Dularge area.” He told us we would run across Lake De Cade and start in the canals on the other side. Our primary quarry was speckled trout, and we would be using a variety of presentations and techniques. The lake is also well known for redfish and even brackish-adapted bass.

It did not take long after we pulled into the canal that we caught our first fish. It seemed like once that first fish came into the boat it was “off to the races”. For a solid hour it seemed like one of the three of us was always hooked-up. Fishing that fast and furious, at least for me, was rare.

We were using simple presentations- a popping cork with either a Pineapple Express colored Mojo Shrimp or a ¼ ounce jig head with a Matrix Shad colored Green Hornet about 18 inches underneath the cork. The most effective technique was to cast it out, tighten the line, and then twitch the rod causing the cork to “pop” in the water. As with topwater poppers, the sound and the splash “calls in” the fish. The trick here is to not allow any slack in your line. Specks bite very quickly and then they’re gone. You must be ready to set the hook the moment you feel a bite.

The other side of that coin is to make sure that you don’t set the hook too aggressively as to pull the hook right out of the fish’s mouth. Although it is hard to resist a good solid hook set when you feel a bite, you must remember that these trout have a very soft mouth. “You don’t want to rip its lips off,” advised the captain.

Another aspect of this style of fishing you need to get used to is long casts are needed. That is particularly difficult on a windy day and trust me when I say it is not easy keeping a tight, straight line between you and your cork with over 100 feet of line out. The only way I could figure out how to do this was to be either constantly reeling slowly or repeatedly twitching the cork. I guess we mastered this as both the Mojo Shrimp and the Matrix Shad caught lots of fish this way.

Captain Lloyd noticed a lot of birds working close by where we were fishing. “The number of birds working that area tells me there are a whole lot of shrimp over there. So many that even the egrets are flying around and feeding.”  We made a beeline to that area to join in on the action. It soon was apparent the birds were correct because it seemed we were catching trout on every cast.  The action was so furious Lloyd advised us to “Just leave the cork there if you miss a bite. You would be amazed at how many fish are in here.”

As the action died down, the captain pointed to another area. “There’s a hard bottom with lots of oyster beds over by that camp. We catch lots of redfish in that area”. Well, he did not have to twist my arm.  I was ready to tie into a good red, and it didn’t take more than three casts later that my line was being peeled off by a monster. It was a good, 5-minute fight and I finally landed this good-sized bull red- 2 inches too long to be kept in Louisiana. The fish modeled for a few photos before being released.

As happens in tidal water, the fish moved out as the tide changed, so we went in search for more fish. We ended up in a long bayou. “If they’re here, the reds will be in tight to the shore and the trout will be away from it,” said Lloyd, “so pick your poison.” I had tied on a Creole Shrimp colored Matrix Shad swimbait under a popping cork. The bite wasn’t fast, but they were biting. I remembered to keep my line tight, and it was a good thing because the wind was blowing so fast the resulting waves were making it difficult to see subtle bites watching the cork. I felt what I thought was a trout bite, so I reared back and reeled as fast as I could to avoid slack in the line.

My rod loaded up and I felt a solid head shake. This trout was big, and it was a jumper. It always makes me nervous when a fish jumps because as they do they put enough slack in the line to often allow themselves to shake the hook. Instructions ran through my brain- keep your rod tip down; try to keep the fish’s head in the water, keep the pressure on, and reel, carefully. The fish came close, and Lloyd advised me to boat flip it- something I viewed as another opportunity to invite disaster.  I boat flipped the trout and exhaled a sigh of relief- success! This gator was all mine! What a catch!

My friend Frank was working a Green Hornet colored Matix Shad tipped with a piece of shrimp near the shoreline when his cork suddenly took a dive. He set the hook and the three of us saw a very large swirl. “It’s a huge red!”, exclaimed Lloyd. Frank fought the fish back to the boat where Lloyd netted it. Back-to-back really nice fish. What a great way to finish off the trip!

This was one of the most enjoyable trips I have ever been on in a very long time. Lessons learned, techniques mastered, fish caught. What a day!  If you would like to have such a day, book a trip with Capt. Lloyd Landry. His Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/outcastfishingcharters 

Gear Used:

Rod: Razr Rodz Platinum Series 7’0” Medium Action https://razrrodz.com/product-category/fishing-rods/spinning-rods/ 

Reel: Shimano Stradic 2500 HG https://www.ibass360.com/shop?Manufacturers=Shimano 

Baits: Mojo Shrimp: www.mojotackle.com & Matrix Shad: https://matrixshad.com/ 

Jay Angel is the host of a weekly podcast- Let's Talk Fishing- interviewing the industry's biggest stars and brightest innovators. Jay loves to focus on southern inshore fishing as well as the freshwater scene. You can find the LIVE weekly podcast and previous episodes on the Lets Talk Fishing Facebook page. Jay is an outdoor writer and lifelong angler with professional guiding experience. He has been writing, blogging and spreading the word about his passion since 1997 in many of your favorite fishing periodicals. Jay is an Illinois native who now makes his home in the Sportsman's Paradise of Louisiana.