As befitting the arrival of the Easter season, April brings hope and promise to the Galveston Bay and Upper Texas coastal angler. The spring spawn for Speckled Trout begins and consequently new opportunity abounds for those anglers willing to, “ wade to glory”. Traditional approaches to fishing for “specs” remain centered on the wade and the drift. Bigger fish are taken via the wade. 

Patience is the key to any successful outing. Big trout do not eat in any discernable pattern. They are opportunistic feeders waiting for that one irresistible presentation. Literally, a meal fit for a king or rather the trout version thereof. The meal is almost entirely mullet based. There is a trick involved in angling for egg-laden sows. Typically an angler will wade through an area of likely water in a fashion that attempts to cover as much territory as possible. This concept is a pro-active choice to make something happen. This time of year it is preferred to scout an area thoroughly prior to hopping out. When on site, it is essential to give the location an overtly, if not numbing amount of time to produce. 

If your casting produces a small male than you need to hunker down for the duration and grind for the female that you are assured is in proximity. This art is best utilized in skinny water when the quality is good enough to notice and or read the surrounding activity. Small slicks popping in a relatively confined area are so indicative of heightened opportunity.   It’s still a bit early, about two-three weeks, along the coast to drift for big numbers of fish. 

While an occasional freezer run is possible the odds in April favor quality over quantity. Most weekenders are baffled by our sporadically loaded up coolers. A repeated question arises. “ How and where did you get those in water like this? “ The water is often cloudy, dirty or stained from the overzealous prevailing April breeze.   The answer is important. It is typical to face uncertain water conditions this time of year in Texas inland waters. The experienced angler knows that surface conditions are not indicative of the character of the entire water column.

 The interaction between water temperature, salinity, tide and flow often creates miserable water topside but leave the bottom layer in pristine condition. Caveat, when your not getting bites, go to the bottom with your presentations and work it within the lower strata of the column. Your bite, hit and hookup ratio will increase. 

I like two baits in April along the entire coast. Purple Bass Assassins for the drift and assorted Corky’s or Mirrorlures on the wade. Key on breaking mullet and slicks along the lee flats and known seasonally producing areas for drifting success

Edgar O. Lovett II
Houston Texas
Bigfish@texascoastalangler.com 
http://www.texascostalangler.com  
Copyright 2000 Edgar O. Lovett II 
Reprinted with permission

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