Cast the lure to the shallow water and then retrieve it down the dropoff. Almost invariably, speckled trout and other gamefish species will hit a lure as it is falling as opposed to when it is rising. Retrieve the lure slowly. Twitch it with the rod tip to make it hop off the bottom, but don't let the line go slack as the bait then falls. Follow the lure down with the rod tip, and be meticulous about it.
Strikes can be deceptively subtle.
Moving up the coast to Port Mansfield, the winter trout fishing centers on the Land Cut. Random pockets up to 20 feet deep plunge off the edge of the spoil islands, concentrating both baitfish and speckled trout in clearly defined areas. As the temperature rises and falls, the fish that migrate through the Land Cut do the same. This algae bloom has lessened somewhat this year, and area anglers are hopeful that the clearing trend will continue this winter. Lures will produce fish even in the off-colored areas, but only for the angler who is willing to experiment and persevere.