# Personal best trout survey...



## CorkyFanB (Jan 17, 2014)

Was thinking about my personal best specks, two categories, 1st was a 30' slob on a skrimp n cork, off a private pier in the back of Baffin, when I had no idea what I had done. The one I count was 2 yrs ago late Jan in the upper Laguna, on a green/silver/white fatboy, 30.25', 8.5lbs. Hoping a few of y'all would share some details on your own pigs...


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## gigem87 (May 19, 2006)

29", about 8 lbs. Caught in Baffin the day before the Super Bowl here in Houston. Had just released a 12" trout in the same spot a few casts earlier. Thought it would go over 30", was a little disappointed when it was short. Fileted it and ate it. Regretted not getting a mount ever since.


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Did a 30" on cut bait a few years back. This last year I did a 27.5" and a 28" back to back within 2 mins of each other.


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## T_rout (Jul 25, 2013)

29" Port Mansfield in neck deep water!!! Found a gut I had to swim across to get upwind. Threw back into the gut downwind and pulled out 7 trout over 19". Felt the big girl grab it, didn't thump it like the others. Let her swim for a couple seconds and hammered down! Black fire tiger assassin 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Fish Specialist (Aug 20, 2012)

PB- a 32" 11lb 1oz pig. She had nothing in her stomach. I caught her fishing for snook at 11pm on a big live mullet. (Wading) It is the still standing junior angler world record-









I molded her- she is the top fish-









Best fish on arty- (lengthwise)
A 29" fish I caught on a DOA 5.5" swimbait (airhead)


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

My PB that I caught and weighed is 9.62# and was a little over 29" long. She was caught in Calcasieu on a black Catch 2000. I tried to release her and she bellied up. She's on the wall with a couple of other big trout.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

In the Fall of 1984, the year after the big freeze, fishing was pretty sad on the Texas coast. A buddy and I located an incredible school of big redfish in Long Lake, out of Port O'Connor. We fished with 1/4 oz. gold weedless spoons, and stayed in that group of fish for hours.

I had just missed one, but expected another to hit as I was reeling the rest of the way in, because that's how many fish we were catching that day. So I wasn't surprised when the spoon was hammered about 20 feet away from me, and the fish started peeling line. I was surprised when I finally got her close enough to see that it was a trout and not another redfish, and my heart was in my throat. She stayed down, and fought more like a redfish than a trout, and I managed to keep her on the line. In those days Bogas hadn't been invented, and I had a little landing net that wasn't suitable for most of the redfish we were catching that day. I had to stuff the rod into my pants, and grab her with both hands. Nearly lost her several times during that process.

The upper size limit for redfish was 30", and all of the fish we kept that day were pushing that size. We took a picture of them on a table, and the trout is longer than any of them, and almost as fat. She was 32 1/2", which was very close to the state record at that time. Looking back, I should have been whipped for keeping that big fish, when the population was probably at an all-time low. At the time, I couldn't even consider releasing a fish like that.


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## ToddyTrout (Mar 15, 2005)

Hey POCJETTY, I don't think you should beat yourself up to bad. Nobody really thought much about catching and releasing trout back in the early 80's.
My PB came from Baffin in Fe. of 07'. 31 1/2" 10.8 lbs.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Mark Mangino?


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## BigBear07 (May 9, 2015)

My PB was reset twice in 30 minutes in Jan 2014. I got invited to tag along with a cousin and his best friend that were prefishing for a tournament the next day. I threw nothing but a strawberry/white corkie all morning. Up to this point my PB was just at 26".

As the water warmed I quickly caught two fish at 25" and 26" going 4.5 and 5.5 on my boga. Wading another 40 yds slowly down the shoreline I picked up my new PB, a 27.5 inch 6.75 lb fish that fought super hard. I was pumped. Three good fish and a new PB, day made. 

But before the excitement of that wore off I had another heavy thump on my Corky that missed the hooks. When I retrieved the lure there was a trout scale hung on a hook. A very large trout scale. I turned to my cousin who was about 30 yds away and told him. He asked where I got the bite, I told him "right there" as my lure splashed within 5 feet of my previous cast. Not ten feet into the retrieve the fish came back for its missed meal. Like others have said this fish stayed down and fought like a big red. Peeling line at will. Not until she surfaced about ten feet away from me did I believe it was a trout. After a few tense minutes with the boga she was in hand and went 29" and just under 8 lbs. 

As soon as that fish was released my cousin says "ok back to the boat, I think we know where the big trout are, let's get off of em". He would have pulled out after the first three big fish to let em rest for the tournament the next day, but knew I had a shot at the fish of my lifetime so far and wanted to see me do it. I haven't caught a trout over 26 since, but the memory of that day still drives me into the cold water in the winter and spring chasing that feeling again.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

This past Christmas were are all visiting with the family and telling fish stories. My BIL, who is a golfer and not a fisherman at all, told a whopper. He was on a work related guided trip on Baffin and landed a 31"+, 10#+ fish on a croaker. He told the story in a way that most fishermen would if they had just caught a 15" trout. He was wondering why all the people on the boat, guide included, were excited. Hey, dude, you just landed a trout of a lifetime. I'm listening to him and realize the story is true and also understand fully that there is no justice in this world. The fish ended up being mounted and I was told is hanging on the wall in some fishing lodge.


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## traceman (Jun 8, 2012)

7#s at Port Mansfield in the early 80s, we didnt measure length back then. always wonder what it would have been.


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## WADER13 (Jul 20, 2008)

31+" hair over 9 lbs- 2 years ago Baffin area.

1 year prior to that in literally the exact same spot hooked, fought, and eventually lost at my side, a trout that I will swear to my grave was 12lbs and 33-34" long. Both on same color fatboy in same weather pattern. 50's sunny 2 days after front. 

Then prob 20 in the 27-29" class 6-8.5 lbs. from calcasieu to Baffin. Only the 1 truly over 30. And still looking to land the 10+.


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## Puddle_Jumper (Jun 30, 2014)

2010...27" Don't know the weight.... caught wade fishing and free lining a live piggy on the back side of St Joe island


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## txteltech (Jul 6, 2012)

28 inch fat trout caught in Gtown surf a few years ago on croaker!!!!


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## Lat22 (Apr 7, 2005)

30 inches, 9lbs. February 4, 2008 on a dayglo Corky Fatboy. Between the piers of Baffin on the Rocks and the old Baffin Bay Cafe.


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## Prof. Salt (May 6, 2014)

Trenty years ago I caught a really stocky 29" trout in the surf on a live 14" whiting that was supposed to catch a shark. 

Caught another 29"er in Baffin a couple of winters ago ...on Fishbites while catching drum from an anchored kayak.


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## Kingofsabine18 (Oct 29, 2008)

Sabine lake fishing with my step father who we lost about 6 months ago, god bless him. We had lost the night before in the regional quarter finals in baseball and me and him said screw school lets go fishing and try to get over the tough loss. We hit a reef adjacent to a popular bayou here and immediately started catching fish on glow/chartreuse saltwater assassins, we were having a absolute ball. Jason proceeds to hook a good fish and is steady talking s*** get it to the boat and it's a very fat 26" pretty trout. We had boxed our ten a piece and both tied on topwaters and hardly skipped a beat. We were releasing fish and were not far from packing up when I threw that pink skitterwalk to the right side of that reef and about 3 walks in a fish hit it pretty lazily but was hooked. I knew it was solid but didn't say a word till it was time to get the net, as soon as he saw her he started flipping out and when he brought her into the boat we both lost it. Measured out 28" and some change and was fat as a show pig, educated guess on weight would be around 8.25. We celebrated and hugged and she was slid back into the water to terrorize more mullet. I'd like to get a replica mount of that fish in his honor just haven't found the right person to do it yet. Not only a trip that I caught my personal best but one of the best fishing days me and him ever had and I cherish it with everything I've got.

Sure miss you buddy.


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## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

29.75 inches 9.8 pounds


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## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

31.5" - 9.5 lbs with a empty gut, caught 1 year, 2 days ago in Mansfield. Both water and air temps were in the upper 40's with a little drizzle mixed in, had 4 bites the whole day but she made up for all of that. Leaving out at 10am to spend the rest of the week down there to try and bump her from the top spot, weather sure is going to be nicer, hopefully not too nice.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

Kingofsabine18 said:


> Sabine lake fishing with my step father who we lost about 6 months ago, god bless him. We had lost the night before in the regional quarter finals in baseball and me and him _said screw school lets go fishing and try to get over the tough loss_.... Not only a trip that I caught my personal best but one of the best fishing days me and him ever had and I cherish it with everything I've got.
> 
> Sure miss you buddy.


Lots of stories here that I've enjoyed reading, but that one got to me. Good man, and a good dad. Memories like that become part of who we are, and so do the people who help make them. That picture is... well, you know.


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## dolch (Aug 19, 2005)

Both Mansfield 
Heaviest 9.25 @ 29.25" Fatboy - chart/Gold/white
Longest 8.5 @ 30.5" Floating Fatboy - Pearl Chart.


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## Kingofsabine18 (Oct 29, 2008)

Yes sir, sitting here at my desk this morning re living that day I couldn't help but well up a few times. Wound is still pretty fresh even 7 months later but it sure feels like yesterday that god took him home. Don't want to derail the thread but another story I told at his funeral that we all have laughed about many times, he took me to the surf when I was around 6 or 7 before I knew really anything about fishing and he was throwing a mirrolure and he had me chunking dead shrimp. I was catching a mess off catfish (hardheads) while he pulled in trout after trout. I can remember to this day thinking look at me catching all these good eating catfish while he catches those silly fish he's catching. Hahaha. Boy do I know the difference now.


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## B&C (Jul 23, 2010)

Longest - 32" on a croaker in the upper laguna madre (released). She was a snake and didn't weigh much.

Heaviest was a 9 1/4#'s, 29 15/16" caught on a day glow corky in Baffin.

I've caught 4 over 30" and 6 over 9#'s but nothing over 10#'s... yet!

I've lost 2 bonafide double digit fish (both on 5" stanley wedgetails), one in Rocky and the other in the Badlands. Those giant, heavy trout have the power of a redfish and the paper thin mouths of a small trout. It's nearly impossible to land them when they figure out what's going on....


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## txdukklr (Jun 30, 2013)

29 8


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

dolch said:


> Both Mansfield
> Heaviest 9.25 @ 29.25" Fatboy - chart/Gold/white
> Longest 8.5 @ 30.5" Floating Fatboy - Pearl Chart.


your best 3 ever wouldn't equal 9.25 all weighed together


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

Im Headed South said:


> 31.5" - 9.5 lbs with a empty gut, caught 1 year, 2 days ago in Mansfield. Both water and air temps were in the upper 40's with a little drizzle mixed in, had 4 bites the whole day but she made up for all of that. Leaving out at 10am to spend the rest of the week down there to try and bump her from the top spot, weather sure is going to be nicer, hopefully not too nice.


That is a fine looking trout.

I have three all right at 30 inches, the heaviest I caught off Traylor Island about 12 years ago. I was a chilly blustery April afternoon, caught it on a slow sinking mirrolure, green back with red hooks, that fish was super fat and just a tad over 9 lbs. 
I caught a nice one in Alazan about 10 years ago on a corky in November, beautiful fall afternoon, we caught several over 25 inches that day. Caught one on my birthday, March 6, in 2011 in Los Corrales that was 29.5 inches on a DOA airhead. Love catching those big ones, got to back off that drag some and thumb it a little!


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## bmccle (Jun 10, 2012)

*Trout*

38", 15 lb 7oz; caught at least once a month, usually on a pink/pearl corky, in my dreams....


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## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

Mine PB in length is a 31" but she was a skinny thing from late August about 5 years ago
My PB in weight was a fat almost 29 at 8-1/2 lbs from about 4 years ago
Both on croaker wading


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## Swampus (Sep 1, 2005)

My son and I-

He got a 27"
Me a 26"
Back to back ICW Sargent on piggie perch and rattle cork last year.


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## reelthreat (Jul 11, 2006)

My longest is 31" and weighed less than 7 pounds, she just spawned. Caught her in ULM. The heaviest was a 28.5" 8.5 pounder from the surf in Port A.

In the last couple of years I have caught probably 20-30 trout over 27.5" and only one went over 8#s. Heck, last year I caught two 30"ers and both were less than 7#s.


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## smokin lures (Apr 28, 2012)

several 8lb. class longest is 30'' all caught on artificial lures. headed to Baffin next month to hunt that 9lber.


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## Whipray (Mar 12, 2007)

CPR'd a 28.5" in the Badlands. It's was a summer fish, so not very heavy. Caught on a silver spoon.


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## redfisharmy (Aug 1, 2004)

Dec. 3rd, 1988. It was over 29 1/2 but just shy of the magic 30 in. mark. We kept them back then so I took her to some sporting goods store off I45 in Dickinson where they had a monthly big trout tournament. I never heard back from them so I assume I didn't win. I cannot remember what it weighed on their certified scales, I think 8 - 9. I had a skin mount done but it is at my son's house who is off shore for another week so I will have to have a look at the plaque when he gets back. Caught in Bastrop Bayou. Back then I used to fish Bastrop a lot in the winter, and it was a typical day where we were catching a ton of schoolie trout and some reds. I was fishing my favorite bayou bait, a 3 in. smoke stingray grub, and felt a typical thump of another schoolie trout, but then she began pulling drag big time. Thought it was a upper slot red at first, but when she came to the surface I knew I had a special fish. I am really not that interested in catching big trout, so I don't fish for them, so this may be the biggest one I ever catch. I am happy that I was able to do that one time at least.


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## Sow Trout (Jun 28, 2004)

It would be interesting to know what time of day these fish were caught. It might help to settle a long-running debate.


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## FLAT FISHY (Jun 22, 2006)

28.5 off the seawall on the rock groin in front of Landry's. floatin a tiny shrimp under a popper in 1999.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

28.5# caught at Galveston south jetty in spring about 10:30am.


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## Jean Scurtu (Dec 6, 2011)

:texasflag

My best trout i was catching in 17 august 2006 fishing with jig with BASS ASSASSIN grub 4 inch ,limetreuse,wading close with the bridge ,on east side,gulf side at ROLLOVER PASS.I don't measure and weighed the fish,but for sure was over 30 inch and all the local fisherman at ROLLOVER PASS show at and open my cooler to see the fish .Weitnes ROLLOVER PAS RICKY !!!

In the second picture is one 8.5 lb. (weighted home on reel balance),but i don't measure the length.Catch on 15 April at ROLLOVER PASS on chartreuse MISTER TWISTER grub.

In the last picture is one nice trout catch at ROLLOVER PASS in 8 April 2008,on BASS ASSASSIN salt grub 4' ,limetreuse,but i don't measure and weighed the fish.

I was catching and released a lot of big trout on jig at Rollover Pass fishing with my long spinning rods(over 10 '),braid 8 lb.-10 lb.+12 lb. -14 lb. fluorocarbon leader.

ROLLOVER PASS is the best place in Texas for people without boat ,kayak,and fishing from the bank like me you can catch a lot of big fish.

I hope nobody can close the pass,but maybe i am not sure if i can fish again because of my bad health.Any way i try again if is posible in this spring to fish again at ROLLOVER PASS,the only place were i was fishing in the last 10 years.


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## irbjd (Aug 11, 2005)

31" 7.25#. Caught on a custom died Bass Assassin in Baffin in April 2015. Caught in the middle of the day. Only caught two fish the whole day.

27.5" 7.75#. Caught in March of 2010 on a red shad Fat Boy on the flat between Tide Gauge and Cathead. First wade of the morning.


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## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

Day glo chart bass assassin in east matty 29.75 + but not 30 she just wouldn't go 30
don't know what she weighed


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## TexasTrophyFisher (Feb 14, 2012)

Caught this fish in March 2015 in Galveston Bay on a Pink Skitterwalk at about 2 p.m. Fish was released without getting a weight, though the more I look at the picture the heavier she gets. She was a very stout fish. Measured in at 29 7/8". I have since bought a Boga.


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

TexasTrophyFisher said:


> Caught this fish in March 2015 in Galveston Bay on a Pink Skitterwalk at about 2 p.m. Fish was released without getting a weight, though the more I look at the picture the heavier she gets. She was a very stout fish. Measured in at 29 7/8". I have since bought a Boga.


That is a beautiful trout. Good job on the release.


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

Heaviest was a 26 & 3/4" - 8* Galveston trout caught wading in February on a Fat Boy...

Longest was a 28" - 7* Baffin trout caught wading in February on a Fat Boy...

Best 10 trout stringer was 56* all caught on the same Fat Boy wading late Janurary in Sabine...


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## 30 stones (Oct 5, 2015)

My PB was from SLP fishing under the toll bridge on Galveston side with piggy perch early morning many summers ago. I was in college and going to summer school at A&M so didn't join the star tournament that year. One weekend made at trip down there and caught a 28.5" pig that weighed 8.75 lbs and the trout that won that year upper division was 8.2 lbs. I am still kicking myself. 
Another story was from POC jetties one May early morning fished the outgoing tide nothing. Went back at 2 pm when tide started coming in a found area I liked. First two cast nothing next cast 19" trout, next cast 21" trout, next cast 23" trout, next cast 27.75" trout, next cast 30" trout and then not another bite the rest of the day. I still can't believe what happened on those five consecutive cast that day. All those fish caught on a Norton Mardi gras bull minnow.


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## Capt. John Havens (May 28, 2004)

Sow Trout said:


> It would be interesting to know what time of day these fish were caught. It might help to settle a long-running debate.


Just curious what the debate is?


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## DadSaid (Apr 4, 2006)

30 1/4" 8 lbs. Caught on a Thursday in September in East Matagorda Bay south shore line, right next to my duck blind. The day before I caught a 28" trout.. Saw the big girl swimming next to the 28" while I was reeling her in. Water was a little muddy, I fished in the area for hours looking and waiting on the big trout I saw the day before. I thought I hooked a red fish , As I reeled her in, she rolled over and all I saw in the muddy water was a white belly. As I scooped it up with My net, I noticed it was a huge trout. Then I watched her come alive and jump out of my net. I tried two more times to get the huge trout into my small wading net. Then I just grab the fish with both hands while her head was in my net and ran to the shoreline. Up on the shoreline I yelled in excitement..


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## Laguna Freak (Nov 15, 2006)

*Personal Best*

30" + barely 7.5 lbs on a cloudy COLD February day air temp 50 F water temp 46 F. I watched her breach completely out of the water 15 minutes before she bit my midnight chartreuse worm texas rigged and all rattled up with chartreuse glass beads and a glass rattle through the plastic head. Slow dancin it across a bottom that was soft and more than chest deep.

A year earlier I caught 2 @ 28"+ and 8 lbs + trolling N shore water too deep to wade while chunking a pink fat boy during a lull in 20 mph N winds.


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

Capt. John Havens said:


> Just curious what the debate is?


Curious as well...What time of day was this...


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

> Just curious what the debate is?


I'm curious too. I've never noticed anything particular about time of day and big fish.


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## Capt. John Havens (May 28, 2004)

LA Wader said:


> I'm curious too. I've never noticed anything particular about time of day and big fish.


The only thing I can think of for me personally, is the majority of the bigger trout I have caught(8.5+), have all come after daylight, 8:30am or later. Not including night fishing trips in that statement. Most of them have come after being in an area for a good amount of time, and with a little extra effort keyed in on something that caught my attention. I can't recall any real big fish I have caught right at daylight, or right away after pulling into a new area.


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## RedXCross (Aug 7, 2005)

Good points made as always, La Wader and John, On another note, I have noticed specifically at this time of year here on my home waters,(winter , spring) that the last Hour or possibly 45 minutes before dark, in a Target rich enviro. (conditions, bait etc.) The bite is solid and it could be with larger fish, but obviously not always, but there has been many a trip, where we have seen bigger fish show, after a tougher bite earlier. Living VERY close I have seen this displayed over and over.



Just 2 cents on this side of the planet.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I've noticed when the water gets cold. Its best to fish late in the day on a flat by an entrance to the intercoastal. When the water reaches its warmest degree of the day, normally a few hours before sunset. The trout will come out of the deep water to feed on the flats.
Go ahead & fish into the dark with a topwater & just hang on.


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## Sea Aggie (Jul 18, 2005)

Mine was in July of 1988 at the Galveston Jetties, South Jetty. I had been fishing the 12-mile rigs and it was one of those days we all live for. Dorado on the weed lines, snapper at the rigs, kings trolling, sea water on the outside of the boat... It was getting time to get back to shore and we decided to stop at the jetties because it was too pretty to pass up.

We were on the Gulf side, about half-way back. Right away, we got into the Spanish Mack's pretty good, catching our limit and then some when the sharks took over. 

I had been cut-off 4-5 times already, so had moved to an 8" black steel leader on a #8 treble hook, free-shrimping with a popping rod. All of our SMack's came from about 20' - 45' off the rocks, so I started looking back tight, since the sharks had moved in on us. I saw a large silver shadow right up against the rocks, so I pitched it onto the rock about 5' in front of it, twitching it right into the water as it approached.

Fantastic fight, beautiful fish and a day that will always remain on my list of reasons why I keep going out.


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## Lat22 (Apr 7, 2005)

Blk Jck 224 said:


> Curious as well...What time of day was this...


I don't know, but I love when the sun is rising behind you and the moon is setting in front of you. Hang on!


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

> The only thing I can think of for me personally, is the majority of the bigger trout I have caught(8.5+), have all come after daylight, 8:30am or later. Not including night fishing trips in that statement. Most of them have come after being in an area for a good amount of time, and with a little extra effort keyed in on something that caught my attention. I can't recall any real big fish I have caught right at daylight, or right away after pulling into a new area.


I agree 100% John. Thinking back on many of my bigger fish (8#+), most were mid morning on through the rest of the day. I cannot recall catching any really big fish right at first light either, but have caught some memorable fish at last light.

Right place, right time. Know when to be there!


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Really wonder just how many big or bigger trout that Havens and LAW have caught or had clients catch. It is a lot bigger number than you would think. Both are real nice guys. LA is special since he loves to wade and is from Southern LA. 

My best is 9.25 and 30.5 caught down south one year. Buddy had 8.5 at 29 about 20 minutes later and another at 5 or so and other buddy had 2 at 5 and 1 at 6 or the other way around. 

This was one of the years that the tide was bad and the viability was about 4 inches. I popped a rat tail up out of the water at 15 to 20 feet away and when it dropped down it was smoked and the fish took off like a shot for a long run. Funny thing was the fish had the hook stuck in the top but it did not dig in so when I grabbed the fish with the boga the hook just fell out because only the pressure was holding it in place. Boga measurement, taped for length and a thanks and kiss good bye. 

New moon and the fish had just spawned. Always wondered what she would have weight the afternoon before.


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## rockpfisher (Jul 6, 2009)

Personal best was 30 1/2" and a hair over 10lbs! It was caught down in the lower laguna and the story is pretty cool in my book but ill keep it short and sweet. 
Two buddies and I did research for months to target big trout. Finally the trip came and we put everything we learned to test. First two days were epic when it came to numbers of fish caught and beautiful weather! On the 3rd and final day we woke up to sheets of rain and the wind gusting to 70 according to Mr weather man! Waited till the rain cleared and decided this is the time to go grind out some wades in the wind! we all wanted to go to the spot that our research was telling us but Instead of fighting the north wind we traveled south covering all sorts of water and caught nothing. Around noon we all look at each other and say screw it lets go north! so we then proceed to beat our selves up and travel 60 miles back north into a 30mph north wind to the spot we wanted to originally fish. We finally make it up there and start combat wading after the big girls in some pretty nasty off color water but a good soft mud bottom. First wade my best friend lands what was his personal best at the time (28'' right at 8lbs). That right there made the trip and we were all on cloud nine! proceeded to move to the next spot after a long wade. My second cast off the boat i felt that thump on a corky devil eye and the fight was on. Landed her took some good measurements and a few photos and released her back and let the celebration begin! We covered a little over 100 miles running around that day with a handful of bites and some long tough wades but the excitement and gratification of doing the research and putting in the time and seeing it all come together with two of my best friends are memories i will never forget!!
Last picture is of my buddies 28''.
Congrats to all the other anglers who have posted up some incredible trout as well! Tight lines and good fishing!


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I got nothin'. A few seven-pounders over the years around Sabine, that's about it. Lived too far from the Laguna to fish it much. This one made the cover of Everett's magazine, anyway. And of course if you pose a trout like that, it can't be released, especially in mid-summer. I try to release any trout over three pounds, if possible.


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## Jean Scurtu (Dec 6, 2011)

:texasflag

I was catching my biggest trout on 17 August 2006 lunch time,on outgoing tide,east side ,gulf side wading close with the bridge,the rest of the big trout on incoming tide,east side,bay side of the ROLLOVER PASS in the morning,or night under light on bayside,west side of the channel.


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## speck1 (Aug 14, 2005)

Caught a few good ones back in the day. Biggest one was 10.6.






























Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## speck1 (Aug 14, 2005)

Fish in the top pic was my favorite. 2006 Troutmasters I was fishing Mansfield. We had 35-40 knot winds both days and it was brutal cold. Wind had the grass stacked up on top like bowling lanes. I would throw a corky 5 or 6 times in a lane and then move over a lane and do it again. With two hours left in the second day of fishing I got my only bite of the tournament. The 5K that fish won more than made up for the conditions and the 1000's of empty casts.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

Capt. John Havens said:


> The only thing I can think of for me personally, is the majority of the bigger trout I have caught(8.5+), have all come after daylight, 8:30am or later. Not including night fishing trips in that statement. Most of them have come after being in an area for a good amount of time, and with a little extra effort keyed in on something that caught my attention. I can't recall any real big fish I have caught right at daylight, or right away after pulling into a new area.


I've caught a decent number of 8+ trout. I'd guess that better than half have been caught at night. Not just right after sunset, but full night for a lot of them. And, yeah, I don't ever remember catching one right after pulling into an area. A good number of the daytime fish were in some less than "ideal" conditions, and were one of few fish I caught that day.



Mike Miller said:


> Fish in the top pic was my favorite. 2006 Troutmasters I was fishing Mansfield. We had 35-40 knot winds both days and it was brutal cold. Wind had the grass stacked up on top like bowling lanes. I would throw a corky 5 or 6 times in a lane and then move over a lane and do it again. With two hours left in the second day of fishing I got my only bite of the tournament. The 5K that fish won more than made up for the conditions and the 1000's of empty casts.


The fish in that top pic is a pig. Hard to ignore the pair in the bottom pic, though.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

View attachment 2704162


This is a pic of the 9.62 that I mentioned catching. Heaviest fish that I've caught and actually weighed. She didn't have anything in her stomach either.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

View attachment 2704178


The 9.62 is bottom left. Top left is 9.1 and the fish on the right was 8.5. All three fish inhaled the bait into their gills, no reviving those gals. The 8.5 and 9.1 were caught on the same trip. All three fish came out of Calcasieu.


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

Boy there are a lot of big trout in this string! I am nearly embarrassed to say my biggest was 27 3/4" and 7# 14 oz. caught when I was 12 yrs old on a plugging shorty, directly in front of the lighthouse on Boliver. Won 2ond place in Boys Life fishing contest....Boy Scouts. Never have topped it in another 60 years of fishing. It was foul hooked in the middle of the back. When I hand grabbed it, one treble was in a little tent of skin, and fell out when lifted out of water. This was on an old direct drive Shakespear Morhoff reel....thumb drag only!

My biggest trout I ever saw, Pop caught on a spoon in Lighthouse Cove about 15 years ago. Pop fought it, all the time kicking at a 6' shark trying to get it, in shin deep water. He was cussin' and kicking at the shark about 3 times!! I was standing about 50 yards away, and that shark was knocking water over his head going after the trout. LOL Finally landed it, with about 1/4 of its' tail missing. 

We took it to the cabin, laid it out on the cleaning board next to a yard stick, and three old, lifetime trout fishermen all agreed it was between 33" and 34" when it was whole!! Full of eggs too, no telling what it would have weighed.

I froze it whole, and was going to get it mounted, just like that, missing the tail, for Pop, but he passed away a little after that, so I just tossed it.

Later
R3F


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

Red3Fish said:


> Boy there are a lot of big trout in this string! I am nearly embarrassed to say my biggest was 27 3/4" and 7# 14 oz. caught when I was 12 yrs old on a plugging shorty, directly in front of the lighthouse on Boliver. Won 2ond place in Boys Life fishing contest....Boy Scouts. Never have topped it in another 60 years of fishing. It was foul hooked in the middle of the back. When I hand grabbed it, one treble was in a little tent of skin, and fell out when lifted out of water. This was on an old direct drive Shakespear Morhoff reel....thumb drag only!
> 
> My biggest trout I ever saw, Pop caught on a spoon in Lighthouse Cove about 15 years ago. Pop fought it, all the time kicking at a 6' shark trying to get it, in shin deep water. He was cussin' and kicking at the shark about 3 times!! I was standing about 50 yards away, and that shark was knocking water over his head going after the trout. LOL Finally landed it, with about 1/4 of its' tail missing.
> 
> ...


Thats a great story.


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

These were caught on back to back cast, just before dark. Both were right at 30" but the one on the right was heavier. Ive caught a lot of good trout but this was the most memorable trip.... We got to the spot and noticed my boat was sinking. Cracked live well intake. After 30 minute panic and pumping water out. My buddy made the first cast and hooked up. I helped him land it and made a cast... thump!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

LA Wader said:


> View attachment 2704178
> 
> 
> The 9.62 is bottom left. Top left is 9.1 and the fish on the right was 8.5. All three fish inhaled the bait into their gills, no reviving those gals. The 8.5 and 9.1 were caught on the same trip. All three fish came out of Calcasieu.


Looks like Steve German mounted them. I took him a 30" trout & the guy mounted it in one week. Did a great job! Mount only weighed a few ounces.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

> Looks like Steve German mounted them. I took him a 30" trout & the guy mounted it in one week. Did a great job! Mount only weighed a few ounces.
> 
> 
> > No sir. Reeves Taxidermy in Gillis, LA. I think they did a fine job on those mounts. They are all skin mounts and still look really good after a little over 10 yrs.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

LA Wader said:


> > Looks like Steve German mounted them. I took him a 30" trout & the guy mounted it in one week. Did a great job! Mount only weighed a few ounces.
> >
> >
> > > No sir. Reeves Taxidermy in Gillis, LA. I think they did a fine job on those mounts. They are all skin mounts and still look really good after a little over 10 yrs.
> > ...


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## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

29" almost 9#, too bad it was 20 years ago. 
I was more than waste deep on a soft mud flat in the ULM between Baffin & the Land Cut. Caught her on my first cast with a green Queen Cocahoe. She ran toward me and was close enough to net really quick. She was also pretty hot so most of the fight was with her up close. She managed to wrap my line around the 28" red on my stringer and break my net, before I got her under control. 
It was early in the year and we were on some nice fish so I had hopes for a 30". I filleted this one instead of mounting and still regret it.


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## dPop (Aug 20, 2004)

Capt. John Havens said:


> The only thing I can think of for me personally, is the majority of the bigger trout I have caught(8.5+), have all come after daylight, 8:30am or later. Not including night fishing trips in that statement. Most of them have come after being in an area for a good amount of time, and with a little extra effort keyed in on something that caught my attention. I can't recall any real big fish I have caught right at daylight, or right away after pulling into a new area.


After reading this, it got me to thinking. I had never really thought about it but I could probably say the same thing John said. I only remember one of my big fish being caught pretty quick after getting to an area.

My personal best came at the start of my bachelor party weekend. Was meeting a group of friends for the weekend and a buddy of mine and myself went a little early and fished for half a day. We had been in an area for a while with only a couple small fish but we kept working it over. My buddy went back to the boat to rest as his back was hurting, I was about 200 yards away and caught a good fish about 26-27 and very fat. Walked her back to the boat for a picture and release. After that fish and a cold beer my buddies back wasn't really hurting any more, so we started to work the area over for third time. We were about 20 yards from the boat and a big fish smashed a super spook. This fish made a quick run to the right and flew out of the water turning flips. She did this 3 times. I hear my buddy say "You ever see a 10lb trout jump 3 feet in the air?", I said "I don't think I have". His response was "You have NOWW!!" I remember saying "I know she is big but I don't if she is that big" I think I was just trying to keep myself calm. Finally got the fish to me and she was staying just out of reach for the boga and anytime I got my hand close to grabbing her she gave a big shake. Finally she came up just in the right spot and I was able to get the boga on her. Once I felt the clip on, it was like a feeling of relief. This trout ended up being 32" and right at 11 lbs. Great start to a great weekend.


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## CorkyFanB (Jan 17, 2014)

So many awesome stories... If this kinda thread don't fire you up to go fishin, nothing will! Heading out in the morning and hoping to post another pick on here...


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## topwatrout (Aug 25, 2009)

*Thanks to a potlicker*

I would have never caught the trout in the first pic if a guy didn't come in full plane and shut down 40 yards in front of me in the direction I was wading...I was more than p*ssed off so after cussing at him I turned around to go back to the boat "knowing" the bite was now dead. Threw my one knocker up shallow and this 27 1/2", 8.25 pound trout inhaled it. Never been so happy at getting potlicked. May 2012

Second pic is of a new years eve wade 3 years ago where they would only hit top waters. We had 4 guys with us and had 4 trout over 6 pounds, and 2 over 7 pounds released. It was an unreal bite. December 2012

All in Galveston


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## Trophytrout_1 (Jan 7, 2016)

*Trophytrout*

This pic on my avatar was from Baffin. I lost one twice this size that pulled the split ring right out of a topwater. I had 10 fish over 25" with 4 more over 27" later that evening. The 2nd pic with the fish on the boga on the boat came from a day where we fished solid for 17 hours straight, that was the last bite of the day. Fish was 29 3/4 and weighed 9.5# released a week before the bash. The 2 mounted on the wall- one on the left 8.5# caught in Christmas Bay one day before a guided trip with Les Cobb. The one on the right 28 1/2" caught the first week of the STAR tourney in E Matty fish weighed 7.9# (I was sick!!)
Have many more including a 3 trout mount of 2- 28" fish out of West Bay (one week apart) and a 28 1/2" tagged trout from the Upper Laguna. A whole lot more that were released, I will not mount fish anymore.. Unless it's the state record


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## TxSlammin (Apr 11, 2008)

My PB 31 1/2" 8lbs 8oz 2007 CCA Upper coast winner she was long and skinny. Night fishing SLP on a TINY free lined shrimp. 

Arty 29.5" on Zoom super fluke smoking shad also SLP but mid day under hundreds of mullet running the pass.


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

I have 3 > 30", lifetime, but I'm an old phart. Last was 10 yrs ago...an epic 2 day wade trip, staying at a Baffin cabin. In that 2 days, 3 of us CR'd 10 over 25" and 5 over 30"(this guy caught 3). A bonus was this big red...I didn't catch it, but took the pic. We still giggle about that trip! I haven't asked lately, but he has over 100 >30" trout, lifetime.


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

No picture to show or even a measurement to give, happened 30 years ago. Caught here under the old portland causeway beside the pilings where the channel comes through on a live shrimp with a slide weight. No livewell back then and didn't have a cooler. Made the dumb decision to string her and keep her "alive" so she would be fresh when I got home. Well when I finish fishing I drag in the stringer and she is only partially there. She had been attacked by a small shark and had a Shaquille oneil fist size bite right behind the head half way through her body and had been bitten in half right at the anal fin. What was left was 24 1/2" and weighed 6.5 lbs. I'm still sick about it, was going to have it mounted of course. 

I have since caught a 30" sight fishing the Laguna and put her on the checkit stick, that trout had 12" left after the anal fin. That would put her at about 36". It was summertime and it wasn't supper fat, but I have to believe it weighed more than 9 lbs. 

There is my fish story believe it or not.


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## 30inClub (Jan 31, 2013)

When I was 13 I got 3rd in the STAR TEENS with 6#9oz wading Christmas Bay throwing a Top Dog. Back then they only gave out prizes for 1st place, dang it. She got mounted. That was a pretty big trout for a 13 yr old! When I was 15 my dad took a friend and me out to East Matty. We pulled up to the spot and hopped out. My dad told my friend "we've caught a lot of big trout right here." Not 3 casts later I hung one on a Super Spook that went 29"+. She was a pencil though so she got to swim off. My friend still talks about that day! When I was 16 my dad let me take his boat out for the first time with out him. Me and a buddy went to East Matty and I brought home a high 7#er caught on a Super Spook. It was during the STAR so I brought her home hoping she would break 8# but she was a little shy, or else I would have let her go. Pops was pretty proud of my maiden voyage though! I broke 8#'s when I was 18. She inhaled my top water and wasn't going to make it so I went ahead and put her on the wall. Also in East Matty. 

On March 10, 2012 I took the lead over my pops. And took a heck of a fish to do that. He has a ton of big fish under his belt. We were wading the ULM around midnight throwing nothing but top waters. My buddy had just caught a smoker 13# red on a she dog. The blow up sounded like a cannon ball. 2 casts later there was another cannon ball. It was me this time. It was ripping drag and just running. Couldn't turn her. Figured we had walked into a school of big reds. I cranked down on the drag and pulled her in. She peeled off some more and headed towards my buddy's headlight. She turned and fanned her tail. My buddy said "dude that tail had a lot of spots!!!!" That's when the knees started to shake! Granted it's pitch black out there! I finally wore her down and she came floating up, how they get when they're tired. By now my dad and my buddy are right behind me with all our head lamps on just trying to get a glimpse of her! She came up to the top and showed her profile and my dad said "is that ONE fish!?!?!" There was some shaking hands and a few missed attempts with the bogas but we finally snagged her. Ram rodded the stringer in the soft spot under the bottom jaw and tied about 4 knots on top of her!!! Walked her back to the boat and took some measurements. 18.5" girth 31 1/4" and went 11#5oz. Needless to say she is on the wall.

We went back out the next night. Waded from 6:00 pm to probably 3:00 am in the pitch black just listening to the high pitch rattle of She Dogs walking the shoreline. Released probably 30 trout from 5-8#s. 

I will never forget that day. It happened right next to the man who taught me everything I know so it was pretty special. That same week a year previous (2011) in the SAME SPOT my dad caught one that went 10#+. He said he mounted enough big fish so she was CPR'd. Sorry for the long story but if I was gonna tell then I might as well tell it. I've got numerous 5-7#ers but I'll probably go to the grave and never top that fish.

Not gonna stop me from trying though!


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## ToddyTrout (Mar 15, 2005)

Good story 30 inch club. Your dad is one HE!! of a big trout fisherman. I'm glad you finally got the fever from him. I hope my son gets it one of these days!


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