“Catching Specks and Reds in Texas on Mepps and Mister Twister with Phillip Cambra”

Part 3: Fish the Drop-Offs in October

Editor’s Note: Phillip Cambra of Clear Lake, Texas, a tournament red fisherman and speckled-trout fisherman, has fished tournaments for 20 years. This week, he’ll share his secrets for catching speckled trout and redfish.

Question: Phillip, how do you fish in October?

Cambra: Texas waters remain in the 70-degree range until the end of November or the beginning of December, depending on cold fronts. During the fall, I’ll cast a Mister Twister Exude RT Slug with a 1/4-ounce jighead onto an oyster or a clam reef in 3 feet of water and then drag that bait into a drop-off that falls into about 6 feet of water. The Texas marshes dictate whether you’ll be fishing an oyster reef or a clam reef. I prefer fishing the dark RT Slugs in October.

My favorite color is golden bream because its dark silhouette attracts fish, regardless of the amount of sun or stain in the water. The smallest amount of light causes the flakes inside the plastic golden-bream-colored RT Slug to light-up like neon. I’ll only use the golden-bream-colored RT Slug when I’m fishing for trout. To catch trout, I’ll anchor in 7 to 8 feet of water, cast into a shallow reef, swim the RT Slug just off the edge of that reef and then let it fall. Using this technique during October and November, I’ll catch a 4- to a 6-pound trout.

The colder the weather, the bigger the trout you’ll catch. As the weather gets colder, I’ll slow down my bait. If I’m bottom-hopping the RT Slug, I’ll make smaller hops during cold-weather months. When I’m keeping my rod tip low and working the RT Slug from side to side near the bottom, I’ll work it a bit slower than I will in warm water. I don’t want the RT Slug to move more than 1 foot when I’m working it like this on the bottom. Trout will always take the bait while it’s falling, and they’ll often inhale it.

Question: What other factors help you determine whether or not you’ll catch trout in an area?

Cambra: I believe in fishing moon phases and the tide. I’ve found that successful trout fishing requires moving water. It doesn’t matter if the tide’s going in or out. As long as the water’s moving, you can catch trout.

Question: What’s the best moon phase?

Cambra: I like the transitional moon phases when the moon’s straight up overhead or straight below your feet. When the moon’s directly above and below me, I can get an hour of prime fishing on either side of the hour. For instance, when the moon’s directly overhead at 6:00 am, our best chances for catching trout are between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm.