What makes a platform hold specks
 

I am just trying to learn how to catch specks, inshore and offshore. What makes a platform hold specks? I have heard of certain platforms that always hold specks, but if you go out fishing and say you don't know if a platform holds specks or not, what would you look for? I have heard shell bottoms... How do you verify this and anything else?

Excellant question.........There's a rig just out of Venice that we would slaughter the specks on, 3 other rigs close & same depth of water & never caught a trout, Another rig about a mile from there that's in deeper water that we also caught trout.:confused: 5 rigs total real close & only 2 produced.:confused:

All about da bottom

Food and grass.... I know 3 platforms that have some kind of grass on the bottom like a sea weed... Rocks on bottom.... I know a few who have lots of shell and big something down there...structure holds bait....bait holds trout.....

Barnacles and growth hold bait on offshore platforms.
Some inshore ones have shell/rock beds for the barge rigs to sit on and not sink into the mud. But not all of them have these rock beds.

Shell pads, debris, UNnatural bottom , these attract bait which attracts predator fish. Best way to check is tie on a 3/4 oz sinker n let it drag bottom u can tell the difference try this far out from the rig as well so you can see how big of diameter the pad is. I fish a well head in cocodrie that is really small but has a 35-50 yard radius shell pad around it, we usually catch more fish casting to the natural bottom n dragging it into the shell bottom area

Also the shape of the rig determines where the fish will hold if u have a rig that is perfectly symmetrical with the legs the displaced water which is an eddy is usually in the center of the rig and u can't get to the fish but if u find one that is open on the upcurrent side and more cluttered on the down current side this creates an eddy which is a calm spot in the current where specks can hang out without using effort to fight current and ambush weaker swimming bait as it's pushed around the legs . 9 times out of 10 I catch trout on the down current side of a platform like the one I described. And if u can find square legs or leg bases it displaces more water creating a bigger eddy . Same thing for fishing the bridges in lake p it's easier to catch and locate fish on hwy11 because of the square legs than the round legs on the causeway

An ice chest will hold trout very well on a platform.

LOL:rotfl: