February 2016 may be the best opportunity for most fishermen to catch a bragging size speckled trout.

Story abnd Photography by Danno Wise

As January fades to February, trophy trout chasers up and down the Texas coast begin to get antsy. Visions of methodically stalking sow specks with big topwater and slow sinking plugs on cold, dreary days fill their heads. After all, big trout hunters know that the best fishing is often accompanied by the worst weather.
But, what happens when there is no winter. Such seems to be the case this year, as, at least at the time this magazine went to print, the winter weather had been mild to say the least. After all, it isn’t the cold weather that triggers big trout activity, it is the time of year.
February is when trout begin their pre-spawn routine. That will happen regardless of the weather. So, whether it is warm or cold, big trout always come out during February. In fact, warm winters often produce more opportunities for inshore anglers to catch trophy trout. This could be at least partially due to the comfort level of fishermen, as even the most die-hard trophy trout fanatics are more comfortable and more easily able to focus in 70-degree weather as opposed to 40-degree temperatures.
However, the warmer weather and water also make the fish more comfortable. Fish are always more aggressive when they are warmer, whether that is in February or October. Aggressive fish always means more opportunities for fishermen. It also changes the way anglers can fish for trophy trout and, as a result, increases the number of fishermen capable to catching a trophy trout.

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