Tuesday Tip: Topwater trout hookset

Many of the largest speckled trout simply suck down Spooks, Top Dogs and other mullet imitating surface lures with a trademark “slurp” sound.

Retired Sabine Lake guide Skip James said big trout tackle topwaters with confidence.

“It’s almost as if those really big specks know they don’t have to go up and slam the lure with full fury. They simply approach carefully and slurp it down. They don’t always hit this way but many of the big ones I have caught have,” James said.

James said anglers unfamiliar with the intricacies of trout fishing can mistake this kind of action for small trout.

“Some people think it is a small trout because there is not the big blowup and they aren’t careful. You really need to let the fish have it a second and make a long, sweeping hookset without pulling the plug of the fish’s mouth. Many anglers jump the gun and pull the plug away from the biggest trout of their lives,” he added.

How long do you wait before setting the hook on topwater trout?

TF&G Staff

Recent Posts

The Seven Tails Of the Mother Lagoon

Seven tails. Seven beautiful bronze tails with a dot in the middle. That’s how many…

2 days ago

Is it Time for an Electric Outboard?

We hear more and more about electric boats, but would an electric outboard make sense…

6 days ago

INDIANOLA FISHING MARINA ANNOUNCES 1st ANNUAL MANUFACTURERS IN WATER BOAT SHOW

Indianola Fishing Marina is proud to present the inaugural Manufacturers In-Water Boat Show, by Coastal…

6 days ago

Two New Cloned Black-Footed Clones Born

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its genetic research partners announce the birth of…

7 days ago

Designer Cats Are Roaming TX Woodlands

People are reporting seeing wild-looking cats throughout America that don't match with native wildlife. Chester…

7 days ago

Here’s How To Catch Specks & Reds In Segrass Beds

Seagrass beds are crucial ecosystems along coastal areas, especially from the Middle Coast down to…

7 days ago