Follow this on-the-water road map to big-trout success, outlined by some of the Galveston Bay System's premier fishing pros.
 
By Chester Moore, Jr.

Upper Coast anglers looking to score on speckled trout during May and June in the Galveston Bay complex have more options than they can possibly explore. It doesn't take long for an angler to burn a tank of gas hopping from one "hotspot" to another, if getting a tug on the end of his or her line or icing down a few schoolie specks is the chief motivation.

However, those anglers who are participating in the Ninth Annual CCA Saltwater Texas Angler's Rodeo (S.T.A.R.) tournament, which runs from Saturday, May 23 to Labor Day, Sept. 7, have certain ulterior motives to strive for more lofty goals. The largest trout taken weighing more than 8 pounds, in the Upper Coast division, will bag some fortunate angler a 21-foot Bay Champion boat, a custom trailer and a 150-horse Mercury motor.

With such high stakes, it's easy to understand why savvy anglers want to be able to lessen the scope of the given territory.

Knowing the local "hotspots" is fine, but for an angler to really set his sights on a prize-winning trout it will pay to narrow his fishing efforts down to a few consistent, trophy-producing areas. Remember, CCA doesn't accept trout less than 8 pounds.

So in the ongoing quest to arm Texas Fish & Game® readers with the most accurate and detailed fishing information available anywhere, I have talked with a host of Galveston-area guides to get their input on the spots they consider to be the best choices for S.T.A.R. tournament participants who are looking for big trout.

The following is a rundown of five of the most frequently mentioned areas.

Hanna's Reef

As noted Galveston-area hotspots go, Hanna's Reef, located in East Bay, is probably one of the best known. Capt. Darrell Skillern of Silver King Guide Service (409-740-8118) says the entire area from the reef to near Lady's Pass and Bull Hill has been a consistent producer of big trout for him.

"During May and going into June, Hanna's is about as good as it gets for big trout," he says. "It wouldn't surprise me a bit if a tournament-winning fish is pulled out of there this year."

This area is especially productive when a light wind coincides with a low, incoming tide. Skillern says that the above conditions are ideal, but adds that as long as the tide is moving, the trout will bite there.

"All you really need is a moving tide. The rest," he emphasizes, "is being able to present the right bait. Along the edges of the pass and over into the reef, it's all deep-water structure. The best baits are going to be your mullet imitators, particularly MirrOlures.

"The new Top Dog is going to come on strong as a 'big fish' producer this year," he predicts. "I've fished it some already and have had good results. For waders," Skillern continues, "the 51 Series MirrOlures are great to fish over the shell. Someone who is chunking from a boat, however, might want to go with the 52 Series. Either way, some of the better color patterns are chartreuse, pink, and white with gold sides."

In both scenarios, the veteran guide advises fishermen to throw the plug upcurrent and let it sink. "Then," he instructs, "come down the targeted gut and repeat the process again."

Another bait Skillern enthusiastically recommends is the Bass Assassin. The aforementioned shell reefs are often loaded with sand eels, which trout love to dine on. As such, a soft plastic jerk bait makes a good sand eel imitation.

"I know that plastics usually aren't thought of as big-trout baits," Skillern comments. "But I have seen some very big fish caught on Bass Assassins. If for some reason the mullet imitations aren't producing, give the jerk baits a shot."