05/19/2024
MAY'S SPAWNING SPECKLED TROUT
It’s no lie that May is a tough month to catch numbers of fish and one reason is because in order to match the hatch you would need 1” or smaller bait and it would come in school form.. Our big white shrimp have left the bay and were replaced with the tiny (whiskers and eyeballs) brown shrimp. If that wasn’t enough we deal with the spring winds that blow us off the water. But this month is my favorite month of the year to fish. I have always been fascinated with the elusive trout species and their spawning process. Learning this will make you a better trophy trout fisherman. A lot of my technical knowledge I’ve gained from books and the other stuff is based off of my experience and tested theories. This Month is when female trout are at their heaviest with roe and at their peak for the burning urge for a spawn fest and the male trout start their croaks and grunts calling the females to their bachelor pads. The little male trout have a keen intuition as to what the females are looking for before they call them to spawn.
First off they like a certain water temperature. The ideal water temperature is between 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit but studies have shown, though less likely, they will perform in temperatures from 71 through 88 degrees if the other conditions are perfect.
Second they will gravitate near channels surrounded with saltgrass and underwater grass mats for the protection of their eggs and milt. There must be a current with a full moon at a depth from 2 to 5 feet deep.
Third they seek out a certain salinity range. The preferred in my home bay of East Matagorda is between 17-27 parts per thousand. Any lower than 17 and the little 1.5 millimeter eggs will sink and most likely die on the bottom. This will vary with the different bay systems. For instance the trout that grew up in Sabine Lake produce more oil in their eggs and require less salinity to float. The female trout’s diet can also help with the oils that keep eggs buoyant and floating. Shad are one species that is full of good stuff trout need to produce buoyant eggs. Too high of a salinity has shown to be fatal too. At levels of 45 parts per thousand or higher the eggs cannot survive.
Under the full moon or new moon on the incoming tide just after dark the little waiting male trout calls to the female to let them know he found the perfect spot.
The little male trout has a sonic muscle that enlarges as he charges with milt. This sonic muscle vibrates against his swim bladder to produce songs like an underwater Cicada
If you find these spots you will find big aggressive spawning trout. It takes a lot of energy to grow these eggs and carry them around. These big female trout get aggressive and gorge on big quick meals like a big trout color super spook top-water. The smaller males will bump the females and often get eaten or hurt in the process. The process usually finishes within a few hours after dark so that most of the 13-15 hours of incubation time is spent in the cover of darkness. A healthy trout will repeat this process at least once a month from May through September and drop over a million eggs during the season. If you can find these spawning areas you will also find big trout. There is nothing like hearing the blow-up of a huge 8+ pound trout on a dead calm night and then after a great fight, and much respect, releasing the great fish to do her business.
