Speckled Trout Guide — Mandeville, LA

Fall specks on the Mandeville lakefront start showing up solid in late September when the water temps drop to the mid-80s. You're looking at October through November for your best bite.

Work the shallow grass flats between the old pier pilings and the seawall, especially on the incoming tide. That's where they stack up. Use a medium-light inshore spinning rod and reel combo with 8 or 10-pound PowerPro braided line — you don't need heavy tackle here. Tie on a 2-foot fluorocarbon leader.

For lures, stick with what works: 2.5-inch soft plastics in natural colors — pearl, chartreuse, or bone. The Mirrolure 17MR Mirrodine in silver also produces. Cast toward the grass edges and work it slow, around 2 feet deep. They'll take it on the fall.

As always, you can never go wrong if you have access to live shrimp. Rig live shrimp on a live shrimp hook to keep them swimming naturally and alive longer.

Tide matters more than you'd think on the lake. Fish the incoming tide two hours before slack water. That's when they're feeding hard along those flats.

Tackle-wise, bring extra leaders and lures. You'll get snagged on stumps near the seawall. It happens.

Water clarity runs decent in fall, with usually 2 to 3 feet visibility. If it's murky after a storm or in windy conditions, work darker lure colors and fish shallower.

The morning bite from first light to around 9 a.m. is the best window. If you want to take your trout fishing further, the Chandeleur Islands are a full-day commitment but offer some of the most aggressive speckled trout fishing on the Gulf Coast. Afternoon action picks back up around the last two hours before sunset.