I promised you a box shot . . .
and what a boxshot it is . . .
and for those of you who don’t know what speckled trout (spotted sea trout) look like . .
here’s a closer look. They are really beautiful fish. Sometimes they come out of the water glowing phosphorescent pink.
I knew this particular day would be my last chance to fish in my boat for at least a week because of family responsibilities like moving back to our old home.
It was a chilly morning, with the winds blowing about 4 mph out of the SE. First stop was at the SE corner of the lake, and after about eight casts with no bites, we moved on to stop number two. Again, not a bump. Third stop, same thing. But stop number four, where we could see a current line was pay dirt for two excited fishermen.
I was fishing with a light blue plastic bait, on bottom with a slow retrieve, while Tenacious Termite was calling the trout to his hook with his trusty
orange popping cork with a light-colored lure. We fished side by side for several minutes,
when his rig produced several of these beauts.
Stubbornly fishing on the bottom, I did not get a nibble–not a bite.
Meanwhile, TT’s action heated up to the point he had to shed his jacket. His largest trout of the day was 17 inches and about as fat as they come. After he took me to school on popping corks, I retired my bottom rig to the rack and joined him with my popping-cork rig, making this mother-and-son team unstoppable.
About two hours later, TT decided to count the trout–34. A limit of trout is 25 per person, and keepers must be at least 12 inches. Termite took great pride in doing the math and informing me that we only needed to catch 16 more trout to make our limits. So we pulled up the trolling motor and, using the outboard, repositioned the boat where our next drift once again put us on the fish.
Termite slung his next trout into the boat with a chorus of “only 15 more to go, Mom!”
Counting down from 16 to zero in a matter of half an hour–that’s how we finished our trip,
and as fishermen down here love to say, “We left ’em biting!”
This is how the fishing will be in December and January, when all conditions line up like it did for us this day.
And if you don’t believe me, well, you know how to find me!
BW
Nice catch!. Well done.
What a beautiful fish, BW. And what a haul! How do you prepare them?
You have a very seaish diet dont you? Its dumb to ask if you eat alot of fish right?!?! LOL
Hey Heidi? If you count shrimp, oysters, crabs, crawfish, and fish of all kinds “sea-ish”, then I guess you’re right!
Hey, you forgot to mention that Specks are more slimy than a catfish. Doesn’t hurt the taste one bit. Thanks for the post. I know what we’ll be having for supper tonight!
That’s great! I love fishing but haven’t been out for years. My grandfather taught all his grandchildren to fish. If you wanted to spend time with him it was in a boat.
I’m interested, what do you do with those beauties? Do you clean them, filet them and freeze them. That’s alot of fish for one dinner, unless you’re having a party!!! If so, don’t forget to invite me.
– Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife
Suzanne – The last few times we fished, we cleaned the fish and gave them away. Typically, we can fill the freezer in the winter with enough trout fillets for us and to give away. But if they are not eaten by the time hurricane season rolls around, we might lose them in a power failure. So, I learned this past hurricane season, after hauling two ice chests full of seafood with us to evacuate, not to stockpile fish any more.
Termite and I filleted all 50 of these fish and froze them in quart-size freezer bags, 12 fillets to a bag, cover in water, push out the air, and seal. Freezing them in water keeps them fresher. (I did give a way two bags to an older couple who can’t fish any more and rode down to give Bayou Fabio some but his boat was gone—out garfishing.)
Steffi – I was thinking of you and your family fish fry. If we catch limits again, I would like to share with you for your family fry. I insist!
Sue – We eat them fried, baked, and my favorite way to eat them when they are fresh caught is “pan seared” in a little olive oil, butter, and a generous coating of bayou seasonings. The flesh is white and very mild.
Yeah buddy. I brought home about 12 of those quart bags this time.
If you ever ate a crappie or a walleye I’d say these are like a cross and they live on shrimp so ‘how bad could they be?’.
Frying some up tomorrow or Saturday.
…….@x#^@……….”excuuuuuuse ME”….that was my tummy rumblinnnn…while my fingers slip from the copious amount of drool on the keyboards….Boy have I missed a bunch I see. And Boyhowdy you sure can make a gal hungry!!!! BW, do you make “fish-gravy” down on the bayou?? Cornmeal, onions and canned tomato sauce in left over fishgrease?? EMMMmmmm
I wanted to come down there to fish last summer…..grump..grump grumP! But seeing that box shot..I would be willing to dare the winter winds for a mess of fun like that!
Deb in Texas
Sure have missed yall!
Deb Girl, where have you been? I hope you’re not still doing the two-job thing? Making you hungry, huh?
We don’t make fish gravy, we make court bouillon, which is fish fillets cooked in a red sauce. Mmmmmm. But we usually make it with a denser meat that doesn’t fall apart, such as redfish.
Missed you, too!!! Your comments always make me laugh. How’s 50 treating ya?
Ok. You guys are killin’ me here in old cold land locked Missouri. I love fishin’ and eatin’ my fishin’. How fun it would be to fish year round. Youn’s are very lucky. I know, I know, We can fish here year round too, but did I tell ya it is COLD here. I mean COLD. It’s hard to fish in coats and gloves and earmuffs and stockin’ caps and……..You get my point. So I have to wait ’til Spring. Oh well.
What a great story and thanks for pointing me in your direction to read about catching a cooler full of sea trout. Reading how you prepare the fish for eating made me absolutely ready for a good plate full of trout. Since I live so far away, better not hold dinner for me though!
Time to heat up some grease.
Dang! Now I’m hungry!!!!!!! Baseball season and an F4 tornado got in the way of the good fishing season here at Grand Lake. I’ll have to put talapia (spelling?) on my grocery list and pretend I’m at your house now!
Now see, a fishing trip like THAT would be worth buying a license for! Next time you know it’ll be good fishing (and I have warm clothes), let me know! I’ll learn how to cast one of your sunny side up reels or whatever… I’ll give you AND Mike a run for your money! 😉 (Just ask MBuq, I used to catch the first fish all the time!)
Talapia? That’s a curse word!!!
Dotter – The fishing will be like that from now through January. How much notice do you need?
What time is dinner??? 🙂
Love you!!!
Hey they raise them T-fish in my backyard. For export, go figure?
All the ones in stores are imported…..
Anybody need a ride to the bayou? Off for a spell at Xmas till the 4th.
I-55 all the way down.
Chilly wind at 4 mph???
We typically run below 32 degrees F and at least 10 mph winds, usually out of the north. Wind chills below zero are normal — Eeeek! Get me somewhere warm quick.
Well, Kelly, I agree that 4 mph isn’t much wind, but you have to remember, we live in the “tropics” and low thirties is very cold to us. I just went down to my old house to do laundry, and we have no heat there and it’s 40 inside the house. I can see my breath as I walk from room to room.
Bayou Woman – how has the fishing been latetly? I was told by a friend to try Lake de Cade. I usually fish out of Shell Beach or Hopedale in St. Bernard but the water is just to low and dirty lately. Does the tied make a difference in the lake? If yes, what table/reading are you using.
Thanks- see you on the water.
Welcome to the bayou, Andreas!!! Check your email! I answered you there!