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Trout take to mud bottoms

Trout take to mud bottoms

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Written by Kyle Tomek
Monday, 10 March 2008
MUDDY BOTTOMS: Big early-season trout can come from unusual places, and deep, barren mud flats can hold some giants. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte. On winter days, deeper mud flats are often overlooked The waters of the Texas coast cover some of the best wintertime fishing structure. Trout anglers flock to scattered shell, deep holes, reefs, and underwater rocks — major bait attractors up and down the coast. But relatively few fishermen take advantage of what barren mud bottoms hold in store. In winter and into early spring, trophy speckled trout anglers usually favor wadefishing muddy shorelines. Known to attract big fish, the muddy shallows serve as a warming insulator in cold temperatures. But the often-overlooked expanses of mud lying in deeper depths also entice the frequent visits of speckled trout, said veteran tournament angler and guide Capt. Charlie Paradoski. Deep mud flats are bleak and, at times, seem to lack any sign of life. While guiding in Galveston and Matagorda Bays, Paradoski invests most of his fishing efforts over deep mud in winter. Paying close attention to a GPS and sonar to locate edges, drop- offs, and humps, he sets drifts according to where fish may be hanging or awaiting passing baitfish. “On winter days, mud flats in the middle of the bay can be magnets for fish,” Paradoski said. “From December through February, when temperatures drop the most, mud flats can produce some very big trout.” Drifting mud in Trinity Bay resulted in a once in a lifetime outing. “It was during the ’70s and was my best trip ever,” he said. “We were over solid mud. Trout had jumbo shrimp hemmed up in the middle of the bay.” Paradoski claims they caught 156 magnum specks. “None were lighter than 7 pounds,” he said. “They were feeding like jackfish. It was the most aggressive school of fish I have ever seen in my life.” The chances of drifting into a school of fish like that is like winning the lottery. But drifting mud packs potential and consistently produces speckled trout. “The old trick is finding the bait,” Paradoski said. “In the coldest times in winter, bait is tough to track down; this is when I rely on areas I have caught them before. “When the sun is up and water temperatures warm to 58 degrees, I key on schools of bait or oil slicks if they exist,” he said. Paradoski prefers soft plastics, preferably Bass Assassins of all colors and Mirrolures. “It is a matter of trial and error; you must take the time to switch and give different baits a try,” he said. “If I see bait on the surface, you can bet I will be chunking a topwater.” Whether the fish are favoring mud or deep structure at a given time usually depends on water temperature. “Some days, fish are holding on the deeper oyster reefs and on others, mud flats produce the most fish,” he said. Captain Russell Smith searches out water color streaks when drifting deep mud in West Galveston Bay. “We fish the sandier mud in West Galveston during winter,” he said. “During my charters, if I find decent green water with streaky water and distinct water change, there are always fish.” A trout and mullet feeding frenzy can cause these streaks in the water, Smith said. “Trout find these streaks of clear and off-color water and just get comfortable.” The warmth of a deep mud flat with streaky water can create some fantastic vantage points for trout and redfish pursuing an effortless feed. “Using heavy leads are the best advice I can provide — 3/8-ounce heads on any soft plastics work if the fish are ready to eat,” Smith said. In East Matagorda Bay, Smith also has taken advantage of fish holding over deep mud during the cold of winter. “I found these fish after I made a blind drift over deep mud into a streaky patch of water,” he said. “I instantly caught fish.”
Last Updated ( Monday, 10 March 2008 )

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