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Oh, great post, I love this. Well, I spend my time teaching folks how to catch quantity of smaller fish, not the solitary biggens. But I have put some thought toward it and, of course, TOW and managed to learn some things on the way.
“95% of the time I only have one thing on my mind when I set sail on a fishing trip: finding BIG trout”
The sad irony that you’ve done this during the worst time in Louisiana’s inshore history to do find/catch big trout. The upside: things will probably get better.
“keep things very close to the vest”
Yeah, because people here run a knife through everything.
I can’t find the article, but there was an old man somewhere in the middle of the state who claimed he caught a 10lb+ trout (which would be a state record top ten fish) and rather than get it certified he ate it. The thing totally wasn’t ten pounds, but the fact that he thought it was and the course of action he took says everything you need to know.
Then there’s this kid who, in all fairness, just didn’t know any better. But that’s still an indicator of the fishing culture here.
Looking for big trout in Louisiana is like looking for solid wifey material on Bourbon Street.
So I wouldn’t share anything for fear of Boudreaux showing up with his Filletzall.
“but it makes it hard to figure out general patterns when reports of big trout being caught on purpose are few and far between”
Yeah, you can count on doing that on your own. Consider that anyone who has put in the work (years of time, a lot of energy, tens of thousands of dollars of money, etc.) is going to practice good operational security or learn the hard way how un-gracious people can be, either deliberately or accidentally.
Here’s a secret about secrets: if you tell someone it’s not a secret.
“It really becomes a lonely endeavor, lol.”
Count on it.
If I find where legitimate hammer trout are holding, well, I’m not putting that in the baby spoon. People can be big boys and figure it out using their brains, or they can kick rocks at the community hole with the rest of the casuals.
I totally understand the whole altruistic, willing to help and participate in a two-way street mentality, but my overall experience in inshore fishing is that you have to prove yourself first. Which, IMO, you have done that. When I first started guiding I figured the rest of the guides would be cut me some slack, instead I got thrown to the wolves. They said “fk you, find your own fish”. And I did.
That and I learned you never have to worry about man-drama over “someone in your spot” if you never share them to begin with. That’s one reason why I don’t share intel or ask for it: I never have to worry about fishing someone else’s “spot” because I found it on my own.
“Here are a few things I think I’ve learned in my mostly unsuccessful LA big trout career:”
Don’t beat yourself up, you’re literally doing the thing during the hardest time to do so. If it were 1999, you woulda nailed a few 27″+ trout already. There’s no doubt in my mind that’s the case.
The upside is that all your effort you’re making now is training you for when the fishing does turn around. When that does happen you’ll be ahead of the power curve while everyone else is fishing the same stupid spots because they’re lazy and scared.
As for all your big trout tips/things/ideas, I think they’re spot on and consistent with what the trout masters have said over the years.
I will say that getting out to the rigs in Breton Sound/Venice are worth your time.
That and it’s not just ideal fishing spots you’re looking for, but ideal fishing areas. I’m totally willing to accept that I could be wrong, I’m alright with that. But I think that an area has to set up to be good for big trout and has to have had consistently done so for years. These fish are creatures of habit and would have grown up returning to the same spots. Where are all the shrimp, all the pogies? Where can these fish get a break? Where can they spawn? Hide from cold fronts, etc.?
Some places may look promising or not on a map, you really don’t know until you go scrutinize it in person.
After that, it’s a long-term game. This is why I stress to folks to look at long-term success. That’s the best fishing advice there is, and folks click right past it to see what new lure they can buy instead. They’ll be re-inventing the wheel at the same ol’ spots.
Because it’s a long-term game, you’ll want to stay in shape. Run, lift, cold plunge, meditate. Forego fried food and maybe stop drinking. The golden era for hammer trout has long since passed. The Freshening washed it away. But a new one is going to come and it could come when you’ve long since let fast food and a sedentary lifestyle destroy your body and mind. Or you could have kept it up and still hit the water hard.
I have friends I’ve fished with since high school. We’re all in our 40s now and they get tired by 11am and want to head back to the dock because their pussy hurts. Not me.
I am able to fish just as hard as I could in my 20s, and will still do so in my 40s, 50s, and 60s. If there’s a 10-pounder waiting for me in the 2030s or 2040s then I want to be ready for it.
