For those of you with time to kill reading a philosophical story about the definition of "trophy" speckled trout, and exactly how it differs from the gauge used to qualify largemouth bass, I just posted a blog you might find interesting.

Still hunting for a measuring-tape-verified "trophy" speckled trout,

Boz

Interesting read.

For me the challenge of finding, figuring out and catching trout on each outing is an accomplishment in itself. Everybody that's done this long enough knows that what worked yesterday may not work today. If I happen to catch a fish or two over 25" then that's just gravy on the biscuit.

I have a buddy that caught a 30.25" trout wading out in corpus christi bay. Thing was massive. Here's the photo.

nice fish.....

Anything over 6 pounds in a really good trout.

If you want to see some serious trout pics along with how and where caught, get a copy of "World Class Trout Tomorrow---" by Scott Murray. Try "www.topwaterpublishing.com"-lot of great info and a good read, written by a super sportsman and conservationist.

I for one am glad that the "one trout over 25-inches" law went into effect.

I am also Larry.I have not kept one over 25 in years.I also do not keep any under 16.By the way Larry,I am rereading your book ''Saltwater Strategies''.What a great resource book.I keep it beside my other favorite fishing book,Plugger !

I could write a book on this subject.

And when I do write my book, this part is just gonna be a chapter.




My grandfather caught a 15 lb+ trout at Cedar Bayou back in the 1930's. They ate it. That's what anglers did with monster trout back in those day's.

Capt. Billy Sandifer showed me a trout pic at Roy's B&T in CC when back in October 2003 when I was doin a Demo Day for Rocky at Roy's when I owned the Rockport Rattler jigs ... that trophy trout was caught by a member of Billy's family back in the '50's maybe before, idk, that was weighed at 17 lb.'s,or so, ... if I remember correctly.

Deal is Boz and ksk got it right.

It's the fish and memory that makes it a Trophy - not the size of a the trout.

IN today's modern times, ... Trout over 25" are the most uncommon or elite in their length at this point in time in our Texas bay systems.

Here is my version of what a 2011 Trophy Trout is, and I hope this helps support what Boz and ksk are talking about.

Back in 1994, I was 37 YO when my 1st child, Rachel was born, my Dad gave me my Grandpa's old Fenwick Solid Fiberglass Rod he used back in the 1970's.

It was his favorite. It's in the Copano Bay Secret Reefs � DVD as well as I explain how the oldtimers had it right with their terminal tackle set up - starting with their rod !

First keeper fish I caught on it - out of a boat - in May 1994, at a place in the Copano Bay system I divuldge in the DVD, I caught a 27" trout.

The day my only son was born at 5:55 a.m., April 1995, I bought him a rod n' reel and a football as soon as Wal-Mart opened at 9 a.m. .

11:00 a.m. Dr. tells me to go home and let Mom and the boy sleep and get some rest.

High tide back in Copano was around 1 = 1:30 pm, so I strung some line on my boy's reel and set out to break it in at one of MY FAVROITE TROPHY TROUT SPOT's.

Wade fishing - Third trout I strung was 28" and my son was 22" when he was born, so my son has to live with the fact that I caught a trout bigger than him.

That's two trophy trout, caught within a year and mounted together on 1 mount.

Try that sometime.

Go catch a Trophy Trout on the day your son is born.

It ain't that easy !

At 16 YO he is 6' 2" and 233 lb.'s of muscle.

Neither trout were over 30".

Yet both were mounted to verify the experience.

30" trout = nope.

Trophy trout = you bet !

I would say anyting over 30 inches.. Have landed alot at the 25inch mark..

I have a 30" plus trout that weighed over 9 lb.'s on the wall as well, but the memory of the two trout caught on those rods is just a lot better.

Although that's the only 30" trout I have caught - we were thick in the redfish that March of 1999 fishing Vinson's Slough by Cedar Bayou before the time change.

Having our limits of reds strung by 6 of us, and literally - catching and releasing reds from 9 am to 3 pm with a nice mix of trout and flounder, while wading back to the boat and doing what my Grandpa always taught me " Keep a hook in the water - you never know what you will catch" , .. and danged if Grandpa wasn't right as I hooked and netted the Holy Grail of Trophy Trout not even paying attention, just plugging on the way back to the boat.

Im pretty much with ya'll. Im not a trout chaser, but to me 28" is a excelent catch. 30" is a monster.

My biggest was around 29" in the surf down in Lousiana 26 years ago. I was 16 and nobody would beleive I caught it. I was using cut croaker. I was throwing my cast net down the beach when I saw it jump out of the water. I was like, I wish that was on my pole. It turned out it was. You talk about run to my rod holder. My grandma use to have a picture of it hanging on her wall. Hurricane Rita took it along with her home.

On a side note I had a buddy who was obsessed with big trout. He was out every day off from work. Everyone that went out with him had something they could hang on the wall. His wife left him over trout fishing. He retired and was going to make trout fishing his full time job. He died shortly after his retirment. Im sure he is still chaseing that monster trout somewhere.

In my book, it's gotta be over 30 inches. I have caught em up to 27 inches and can't seem to break that barrier. I have been focusing more winter time on them though, so hopefully that will pay off soon, provided work calms down enough for me to go fishing.

A REALLY GOOD RECIPE.

I do a lot of "trophy" fishin for a variety of species - what may be a "trophy" to me, may not be so to someone else , its very subjective - for specs just about anywhere in GC states you are talkin about > 30" --

but to average weekend warriors -- that may be quite a bit less

I've argued this point to TPWD and other agencies trying to get support for a "definition" - thats like pullin hens teeth.