The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Anywhere you go along the gulf coast there is an unwritten standard by which all fish are judged, the magic mark that each angler strives to attain. For inshore fishermen the glory fish that causes anglers to stop and take a second look has got to be a trophy speckled trout.

A bona fide 30” class or 10 pound trout is the fish of a lifetime for the coastal plugger. Fish in this class take on almost a mythical existence, just ask any serious trout angler about a fish of this magnitude and they will speak in almost a reverent tone that is punctuated with heavy doses of respect.

For many years I personally have dreamt of that “trout of a lifetime”, each time I could see myself wading into the fabled Laguna Madre or Baffin Bay and wrestling with one of their famous giant specks. I still have this dream, but now the scenery has changed to our own Sabine lake.

Several years ago Capt. Dickie Colburn and I were fishing on Sabine Lake and our conversation turned to the topic of trophy trout. Each of us grudgingly admitted that we may have to indeed take a trip down south to land the kind of trout we had been in search of for many years. That conversation has now been long forgotten since some of these “super trout” have made their presence felt here at home.

In years past it was nearly inconceivable that Sabine Lake would ever be capable of growing trout worthy of trophy status. Over the past decade there has been an amazing surge in the amount of big trout caught in our lake thanks to a couple of factors, how we fish and where we fish. Since that time Sabine has more than established itself as one of the best bays along the Texas coast to chase truly big trout.

For many years anglers up and down the Texas coast have been wadefishing, this trend took off on our lake and totally revolutionized how we fish. Wadefishing is perhaps the best way to consistently put yourself in range of big fish. The silent approach and thorough manner in which the area is fished helps put some odds in the anglers favor. Some anglers go to serious extremes to keep noise to a minimum, special boats and other gear are part of their arsenals. Since wadefishing became an accepted practice here on Sabine Lake there have been more and more big fish being caught in places that nobody ever thought to fish.

A stealthy approach like wade fishing is a must for anglers looking to score a true trophy speckled trout.

Areas that once were basically ruled out as not able to hold fish are now looked at as prime spots for big fish. Ultra shallow waters that appear to be muddy or off color were once shunned by most fishermen , not anymore. Dirty water is a great place to fish for big trout at certain times, the spring and late winter are two perfect examples. During colder months this water is generally warmer so it will have the most activity. This revolutionary thinking has many anglers running to instead of away from off colored water.

Chasing big fish is not for everybody, some folks don’t have the patience or desire to go out and fish all day for maybe one or two bites. For those folks who do have the desire to get out there, the future looks better than ever. Heres hoping you get out and catch that fish of a lifetime right here in your own backyard, Sabine Lake.