Texas Fishing - Landing that Trophy Trout

LANDING BIG TROUT....MatagordaBay.com

Now that you've hooked that big trout, what's next...?

Read on for the techniques employed by these experienced fishermen for successfully landing the big ones....

Jee from TEXAS says Landing Big Trout......

From a boat - With a net or if wading - I have never perfected the way by hand like some of you have by grabbing her around the (or just behind) the head. My German hands have the size and short fingered shape of a Mountain Gorilla and have lost a few. If I can stay calm (which I can't) and if I'm close enough to shore, I'll drag her onto the beach. Good luck and stay calm.
12 Volt from TEXAS says Trout tips.....
I have a hard time getting them that close to me! I usually lose them about 1/2 the way in. I know most big trout are "caught" on top waters. Are trout landed a higher percentage of the time on top waters because there are more hooks in top waters than in a tout? 12 Volt
Rick from GEORGIA says from a boat.....
I catch them with live shrimp hooked thru just under the horn between their brain. I use a sharp wire hook that has a funny angle to it. when I hook the trout, I keep the line tite, no slack, and when he gets near the boat my son is ready with the net and he quickly comes up from under the fish. I have much more trouble FINDING the trout than landing a hooked one. Keep the line tite and reel him on in. A friend of mine from Newfoundland brought a video camera with us a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to try to film the trip. I only caught 1 18 inch trout and 1 whiting about the same size, but I was Ready for him TO NET the fish and put the camera down. No video of the trout but got a good solid 15 minutes of a 4 and 1/2 foot bonnet head that got on my trout rig.
ricko
ChumHead from FLORIDA says since using Kahle hooks......
I have not had one pull loose while using live bait, corner of the mouth every time. Just let them take the slack and give a LITTLE hookset. Kahle hooks are the type, not brand, similar to a true turn in shape. I am serious, if you have trouble with live bait "long distance releases", spend a buck fifty and try a box of 1/O Kahle hooks. The loose drag really helps with trout, also helps if one of those redfish get hooked in the soft tissue of the mouth as well. Keep only what you need, -Chumhead
RecordQuest from TEXAS says How to Avoid the Heartbreak....
Redfish have a strong mouth structure, so unless you break your line or straighten out a hook, you will probably not lose many of them.
Trout, however, have a very delicate mouth structure, so you have to fight them with a loose drag or you will pull the hook right out of their mouths. Even so, the hook will usually wallow out a hole in the mouth tissue, so you can't give them any slack or they will easily throw the hook. Trout don't jump on a regular basis, but if you see a big one coming up for a head shaking attempt to throw the hook, hold your rod sideways and just at it try's to break the surface, smoothly pull it over so as to void the jump.

Also, large trout will often come in pretty easy and when you see how big it is, you lose your cool and try to horse it in just as they take off and rip the hook free. The larger a trout is and the closer it is to you is what mandates how much the drag is eased. The bigger and closer it is, the more you have to ease off. You can put your thumb on the spool to allow you to pull the trout toward the net or hand, but you have to be ready to release that thumb instantly.

One good practice is to take a look at how the fish is hooked when you first see it. Often the hook is hanging by a thread and that's information you need to know. It takes a cool head and an easy hand along with top notch gear to land a really big trout......and even then, a bit of luck can't hurt.
ChumHead from FLORIDA says RQ, I agree, but I noticed something on the last 2 reds I caught on MirroLures,
both were only hooked in the membrane that lines the mouth, very soft tissue. The day I said I had pulled so many big trout, I think most were redfish hooked like this that I had pulled loose. The next day I took your advise and loosened the drag, caught a bunch of reds, that is what was pulling loose, even had some of the white tissue left on the hooks. The hooks never even found the lips of the reds, they tried to inhale the MirroLure and only got hooked in the roof of the mouth. Lesson learned: use the drag, not the winch, thanks RQ-chumhead
12 Volt from TEXAS says Big Trout....
The last big trout I lost was 2 weeks ago in Port Mansfield. We had been catching reds and I had the drag (on a brand new Calcutta 250) set so that it would strip out on a 25+" red. Something hit the purple and white Gambler and started stripping line. I figured it was another red until it started shaking its head. I backed off the drag and let him run a little. We were in maybe 18" of water with a grass bottom. I figured I shouldn't let too much line out because of the grass. I guess that was a mistake. I tightened the drag and the trout came to the surface and rolled. She never came out of the water. Just came to the surface long enough for everyone to see that it was a trout and increase my heart rate by about 50. Not long after that she got off. I wish I had asked this question before last trip. Hopefully I will get another chance to use your advice.
How long to you-all take to land a big trout. By big I mean above 26-27"

Thanks, 12 Volt
BLOWUP from TEXAS says Landing fish.....
I wade fish mostly and I don't use a net until this time of year. If you have a net, the landing should be easy just play the big rascal don't get in a hurry. If you lose it, you just lose it, just enjoy the action and chunk again. Fishing with topwaters almost exclusively, I lose my share of fish, but I also catch my share by just taking my time and loosening the drag as I get the big rascal close to me. I just lead the fish around or back and forth until the fish is just laying there, then I usually just grab the fish behind the head with my thumb and middle finger just behind the gills. With reds I just pick them up by the belly and hold it close to my stomach until I get a better grip on the fish. Reds are easier to hand land than trout if my opinion. The main things to realize is take your time and understand sometimes they just get off and it doesn't mean you did anything wrong, just happens. Keep on chunkin' BlowUp
SpecMan from South Africa says Big Trout
Recordquest is right on. Also, on average, it should take you about a minute per pound when you are catching big trout.
5 pounds - 5 minutes.

10 pounds - good luck!

Keep on plug'in.

Speckman.
Cajun from TEXAS says....
The key to landing BIG trout is Patience, Patience and more Patience. You have to take your time, sometimes it will take up to 15 minutes or so to land a really trophy trout. You should have a moderately loose drag to start with and then loosen the drag some more when you get the fish up to you. Trophy trout will always make one or two last runs on you so you have to have a loose drag as not to pull the hooks. The average fisherman has never seen a 28" to 32" trout and when they get that fish up to them they panick and want to get their hands on the fish ASAP and thats exactly what you don't want to do. You need to belly the fish up just like you do with a red fish. I fish the Lower Laguna area of Texas and have caught many 28" to 32" trout and I'll say one last time that patience is the key. Take your time and enjoy the fight because a fish of that size is truly a fish of a life time.
Tight lines to all.
ShallowMinded from TEXAS says..........
I've been wading most my life and I have had the privilege of landing a couple over 25" but always with a net. Now I hand grab mine but I've never had the oppertunity of grabbing one of the big boys. Now I will try it hopefully this next week. I will be on vacation down in Port Mansfield for seven days of fishing starting next Monday. I didn't know you could handle a big trout from the belly. Thanks for the info. This sounds like a good tactic with one exception that comes to mind. I don't believe I would want to cradle one up from the belly if I'm throwing a topwater with two or three treble hooks in it. That could get a little messy. Just a thought? Any suggestions?
Steve
tbaker from TEXAS says How I did mine...
I was actually lucky enough to catch a 9lb-5oz 30-1/2" trout this spring. I pulled her up beside me a couple of times but couldn't get a grip on her due to the big trebles sticking out of the topwater. The only thing I could grab was her tail, and luckily, it was big enough to get a hold of. I'm sure it looked goofy pulling in a big speck by her tail, but it actually worked. I picked her up and carried her to the grass line where I sat her on the bank and removed the lure. I don't know if this method is recommended but it did work once. That was plenty for me !!
Email me if you want a picture !!

tbaker
Kyle H. from TEXAS says Grabbin' 'em.....
Last year my wife purchased this little yellow contraption. It's a plastic fish grabber that fits in the palm of your hand. This thingy has elastic bands to keep it from slipping off your hands. It's killer on Gafftop and Hardheads. Keeps all that slime off your hands. I've even used it to grab those little three foot pesky sharks.
Yes, I laughed when she got it. However, now I am wondering??? I know I have had more than one green trout squirt out of my hands. I have never lost a big trout up close. I have either netted them or choked the sh*t out of them. Some of those girls must have thought I was gonna pinch them in half.
I have not had the pleasure of grabbin' one over eight pounds. My largest, 7.5 just swam right into my net. I was plain lucky. My sivler spoon tore loose from her mouth just as I lifted the net.

Tell me watch you think about the fish grabber contraption thingamajig. Anyone use a glove?
Adios, Caveman
Jr from TEXAS says Use a glove, Orlando Wilson does......
I use a net, whether wading or in a boat. I've never understood why some people refuse to use a net, especially on big trout. I think a glove would be helpful, as long as the fish was not to be released. The fish grabber would probably work, again if the fish was not to be released. Both the glove and the grabber have one negative: something else to keep up with while wading. JR
BlowUp from TEXAS says Belly technique only for reds!!
I have done this several, several times but I would not suggest that a novice do this. As for the lure, I don't hold its mouth or head against my belly, just the body until I can get a grip behind the gill plates with my thumb and middle finger, also never have pressure on the lure from the rod, needs to be slack line. If you play the fish properly it will be docile enough to do this, also I have found reds do just lay there if properly picked up by the belly and held firmly against the belly. This has worked for me for years and I have never been hooked or lost any using this method. I wear a latex surgical glove on my right hand to handle the fish with. This protects my hand somewhat and it protects the fish I feel. Just my style. I'm out, BlowUp
Jes from TEXAS says Trout
I had the extreme pleasure of landing at least a dozen trout over 25" last month at Baffin Bay, a once in a lifetime weekend. I have lost my share of big trout and reds though and lost the first big one I hooked that weekend because I GOT IN A HURRY. I treat a big trout like a red. They have the ability to break you off even after a fight when they see the net. Never try to land a red until he is tired. A big trout is also harder to land because their skin and mouth are very susceptible to ripping out a hook. A lot of large trout will become unhooked as soon as you net them and the pressure is off. I disagree with 12 Volt, do not adjsut your drag while you are fighting a fish, too easy to screw it up. Keep it loose, most people run too tight a drag. Some of the large fish I land are on an open face spinning reel with 10# XT. There is a lot of slippage and it takes patience not to tighten up the drag to quiten it but tightening it will cause a break off. Check it often while you are fishing. If it seems too loose while you are trying to land a fish live with it and at least know you will not get broken off because of a too tight drag, use your thumb too, it helps gauge how much steam a fish has left. Do not get in a hurry. I do not like to fight fish to exhaustion so they can be released and survive but neither do I like to loose a Top Dog or Corky to a break off and I don't think the survival rate will be very high for the fish with a treble hook wiring his mouth shut.

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