Wether your are targeting bass or crappie or speckled trout, there is not any better time than right now to get a nice wall piece for your significant other to have to look at over the fire place. Here at MatrixShad.com our favorite species to target right now for a trophy fish is the speckled trout. The reason so many monster fish of many species are caught during this time is the spawn. Most species seem to spawn in the spring and they focus on moon phases when they do so. What I like to do is try many different areas in Lake Pontchartrain leading up to a full moon in either April or May. Then when I find a nice breed of fish I make sure to attack that zone on the week leading up to that moon phase. The week before the full moon in April is probably my all time favorite chance to land a monster trout. Capt Dudley and Terry Googins can both attest to that as they both caught a 10 pounder in the same week on the same moon phase back in 2001. The hwy 11 bridge has always been a notorious spot for catching monster trout and that is also where my PB came from back in 2002. Needless to say that as I write this story this is what we have been doing this week also. Looking for a monster, and a monster is what we found. Just the other day we were checking the hwy 11 bridge. We were simply catching 14” trout all morning then I set the hook on one that starting pulling back. I said “if this isn’t a red it’s a good one” so I peeked down to see where the net was just in case. Sure enough the net was needed and after many missed net jobs the big slob was finally in the boat. Immediately I put it on the Boca grip and she weighed six pounds. A six pound trout would be an after thought 15 years ago but today it’s a real trophy and my biggest trout since 2016. Ever since the closure of the MRGO and numerous spillway openings trout over three pounds have been scarce. This fish was caught on the “Holy Joely” Matrix on a 1/2 oz golden eye and was tucked super tight in her resting spot next to a hwy 11 bridge piling. If you are wanting a shot at a mule I would suggest early morning topwater. Look for rafting mullets and of course focus on jigging matrix around the bridge poles during full moons.
Until Next Time, Good Fishing!!!
