Many anglers mistakenly believe catching a limit of speckled trout this time of year requires long runs to the big salty bays, where the fish go to light candles, spin Marvin Gaye LPs and make next year’s crop of speckled trout. Although pointing the bow of the boat to the big water is certainly not a bad springtime strategy, plenty of speckled trout remain in the interior marshes, and they become more predictable than at any other time of the year.

I set out to find those inside fish on my most recent trip, but I didn’t have to look long, quickly boxing my self-imposed limit for the day. I located the trout fishing a pattern that almost always delivers this time of year.

It involves fishing sharp bends of deep bayous, where the fish go to feast on young-of-the-year croakers. The pattern is best in areas with significant freshwater influence, where the juvenile croakers thrive.

Best baits are brightly colored paddle tail soft-plastics teamed with 3/8-ounce jigheads. My go-to lately has been a limbo slice-colored Matrix Shad on a Deathgrip Jighead.

Strong tides are also a must. Good water clarity is also helpful, although it’s not an absolute necessity.

For all the details, check out the video below, and get on the water soon. This pattern definitely has a shelf life. Once summertime temperatures settle in, the mature fish almost entirely abandon the inside waters.

Like the video? Please give it a thumbs-up, and subscribe to the Marsh Man Masson channel on YouTube. Also, leave a comment below or on the YouTube page. What’s the latest date you typically can still catch keeper-sized trout in inside waters? When do you find that they typically return to the inside?