Most years, I wait until November to even consider throwing topwater lures for speckled trout. Why? Because it’s generally not before then that water temperatures are cool enough to put the fish in a frisky mood and make them aggressive enough to rise to the surface and attack a bogus bait with two meat hooks hanging off the bottom of it.

But this week, while it was still October, I ran across 66-degree water temps, and suspected the fish wouldn’t mind looking up for their meals. So I ran to a cove that had beautiful water, as well as some submerged aquatic vegetation, and threw a lure that’s been intentionally scraped to the bone.

Fortunately, my hunch proved correct.

I threw that ugly lure for about 15 minutes, having more topwater success than ever for this early in the year, until another boat crossed right where I was fishing. That sent me packing in search of other opportunities, which I found by putting together a pattern in the marsh.

The day began with a stiff northeasterly breeze that built to about 15 knots before relenting down to a whisper. Water clarity was fantastic everywhere I went, and the tide was dumping out of the marsh.

In addition to the MirrOlure She Dog topwater bait, hot lures for the day included a holy joely Matrix Shad, fished both on a 1/16-ounce Deathgrip Jighead under a Versamaxx Bolt cork and tight-lined on a 3/8-ounce Deathgrip, as well as a cochon de lait colored Matrix Hawg under a 1/4-ounce tungsten bullet weight.

For all the details, check out the video below.

Like the video? Please give it a thumbs-up, and subscribe to the Marsh Man Masson channel on YouTube. Also, leave a comment below. Have you targeted speckled trout with topwater lures yet this year? If so, were the results positive?