How To Catch A Trout While Night Fishing

B y Aaron Ralston

One of my favorite pastimes is fishing. I enjoy getting out on the open water, free from daily worries and not having a care in the world except hooking up with a big trout or redfish. You just can’t beat heading out into the back bays, trolling along a shoreline, sneaking up on a school of reds with their tails out of the water ready to strike at the first thing they see that looks like a tasty meal; hopefully my lure.

On the other hand, not everyone has a boat or a friend that has a boat, and getting to the fish may seem almost impossible. Good news… There are many piers along the gulf coast that serve as a home to just about any species of fish that lurk the inshore waters, and some others, but that is another story.

In the small town of Indianola Texas, located about 15 minutes from Port Lavaca, there is a fishing center located at the mouth of Powderhorn Lake. It is a great setup supplying food, beer, provides excellent fishing accommodations. Behind the fishing center there is a covered patio, right on the water, which opens up to a concrete fishing area. It is very well lit for night fishing, and it is open all night. The currents are swift at times so don’t fall in.

Last summer, during my short break from college, I spent many nights there fishing for trout. Some nights I caught over 40, but many were right under 15 inches, so I had to throw them back.

After a few nights of fishing, along with a couple dedicated, fellow anglers who seemed as mad at the fish as I was (we spent many hours out there), I figured out how to catch the trout. All it took was a special rig that has been around for quite some time. I mean every time I threw my lure out, worked the lure and reeled in a few feet, I had a fish on.

Here’s the trick:

The rig consists of the highly reflective, Storm Lure’s - Rattlin' Saltwater Chug Bug Lure in metallic silver chartreuse, and a 4-inch trailer tied onto the split ring, which the back treble hook attaches to. The trailer is just a 4-inch stretch of monofilament fishing line with a treble hook and a neon pink or green skirt attached to it.

The trout were attracted to the rattle and action of the lure, but they couldn’t resist the trailer. I was reeling in fish after fish and of course annoying my fellow anglers because I was catching all of the fish. I did not return the day after I showed up with the irresistible rig, but I bet they all went home and built the same rig and showed up the next night ready to catch fish.

I am sure the rig works well during daylight, but I have not tried it. The next time you go fishing, make sure you have one of these rigs in your tackle box. You will thank me later.

If you find yourself needing a place to fish, remember that the Gulf Coast offers great fishing piers, wade-fishing spots along sandy beaches, and many other places where fish are plentiful. You do not always need a boat to get to a fishing hole, and there are probably many great places to fish right where you live.

Aaron Ralston
Gulf Coast Guide Reports
aaron@gulfcoastguidereports.com