This is the time of year it starts heating up. Literally! The water temperature will start to rise little by little between now and March as the cold fronts slow down and the sun stays out more. And, the fishing for big speckled trout gets out of this world barring a major cold snap turning our lagoons into headstones for natures gift to fishermen. This is a wonderful time of year if you can avoid incliment weather or if your prepared to fish in it. With the passing of Buck season, and oh what a slow miserable buck season for a lot of Texas but that is a whole different story, I will again start spending more time on the water.

Speaking of that sun, if it comes out for you for a few hours , the fishing in shallow water gets REALLY good, assuming your fishing in the right areas. People ask all the time how to catch trophy trout. Maybe a better question to ask is what do I need to do to not catch them and avoid that scenario. First off, you have to get out there and spend some time in the right areas if you expect to give yourself a shot, don't sit at home wondering what could have been. Next, you have to be willing to be looking for only a few bites, and have the patience to stay the course, so don't expect to catch a box full. Following that I would pick a bait that has a high degree of confidence in your book and work it slow, try and avoid changing lures a lot. More has to do with presenting an easy meal this time of year, fish don't want to expend a ton of energy for a small meal. Be willing to change that presentation looking for what the fish are looking for rather than getting stuck in your old ways of working the lure one way. After that, be blind and see everything at the same time. Be willing to pay close attention to your surroundings, and not so much on your lure if you can see it (topwaters) when a strike occurs. Sometimes it is a big patch of nervous water from baitfish avoiding a predator, sometimes it is one mullet flipping out of the water, but most of the time looking for breaks in depth, changes in bottom configuration and working the edge of grass. Close your eyes from time to time and listen. Often you can hear things that would normally escape your comprehension when your focusing on other things. Further and maybe one of the most important things listed here, don't necessarily and automatically go to your same old spots. I would take a little time and study a hot spot type of map. One that gives you bottom characteristics. Find yourself fishing in areas that have mud bottoms, with scattered shell and during the early spring I really like to find eel type grass. Because just because your trying to be blind now that your on the water, you don't have to start out that way. have a game plan and stick to it. But, don't be afraid to make a few mistakes in your choices, experience will prevail and put you much further ahead than your friends. And, try and take good notes of the conditions, water temps, wind direction, barometer, moon phase, time of day, current and any techniques and colors you noticed working. All that goes into patterning and that is HUGE piece of the pie this time of year. Details baby, DETAILS.

Remember mud warms up the fastest, and holds in the warmth longer. So, as the sun gets up the bottom may only be a degree warmer there but that is like a heater to you and I. I mentioned eel type grass because I find a lot of shrimp in that type of vegetation in the early spring and trout will actually tail in the shallows looking for them. A trout tailing will not look like a red, it will only have a triangle of black exposed or maybe a piece of dorsal fin. Better yet, if you see something that looks like a long black log laying still under the surface you better cast at it. Once you have seen a few of them you won't forget them and wonder how you missed them before. Another key area would be small flats adjacent to the ICWW such as the Landcut area. Safe haven for fish as the temperatures drop yet when the sun comes out the mud flats are there close with grass to hold baitfish and "Skrimps" as we call them.

So to sum it up, try and choose your days and you don't necessarily have to be there early and dress approptiately. Study maps in the area keying on mud bottom with shell and depth changes with vegetation. Pick a lure your confident in and work it at varying speeds and techniques, so long as it is slow and use it all day. I always like to utilize Chartruese or Yellow in a lure as I feel a lot of natural baits have that coloration. If you can see some bait, try and mimick the size and at least pay attention to the colors and watch the speed it is moving.

Follow those few basic tips and you are much closer than you think to adding that "wall hanger" to your resume of fish caught. Next time I will talk about the steps you should follow to preserve your trophy once you have caught it, in preparation for taking it to the taxidermist.

Remember this time of year can be tricky so ALWAYS be prepared and have some extra clothes on board, and all the other safety gear needed and prepare for the worst. Good insulated goretex is worth it's weight in gold this time of year and you can find some wonderful prices on it in the bargain cave of cabelas. Always try and have someone with you and have a form of communication and leave a float plan with someone if you can. And, wear your safety (motor cutoff) lanyard, it just might save a life someday and that life could be yours.

Sincerely, Brian Steward