Sea gulls and other birds will circle above the frenzy and dive into the water to attack the bait fish from above giving a signal to anglers that can be seen from great distances. In my experience, trout are rarely in water more than 20 or 30 feet deep. Simply put, you won’t have much luck catching speckled trout in the surf or in wavy water. That just doesn’t work. Also, expect to catch lots of ladyfish if you use a curly tail grub to go for trout. Sea trout like to wait in the slacker water as the current sweeps through the cut or over the point. While Georgia’s speckled trout grow nowhere near as large as they do in other states, if I were targeting nothing but trophy trout, I would use live bait such as 3- to 4-inch finger mullet, river pogies or small pinfish. In large open water systems, speckled trout will gather around whatever structure is offered. During colder months, especially following a significant drop in temperatures due to a cold front, speckled trout will move into deep holes such as harbors, channels and estuarial rivers or out to the Gulf of Mexico to help regulate their body temperature. Having knowledge of their diet is a key component of knowing how to catch speckled trout, and biologists with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission report that though smaller trout prefer shrimp as their primary food, the larger fish much prefer finfish. For the sake of this article, we will stick with calling this inshore gamefish Spotted, or Speckled, Sea Trout. The Top Dog is 4.75” and weighs ¾ oz. Period. In years past I’ve caught them at the first and second islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) in 20 feet of water, but that would be the farthest from shore you’re ever likely to find them in our area. An experienced Coastal Bend angler can not only see the slicks, they can actually smell when trout are around! As for the pound test, 10 pound mono works fine. It’s actually pretty fun, so I recommend it if you have an ultralight setup. I recommend a ¼ oz jighead for speckled trout if you plan on using the 3” soft plastics. I actually find surface walkers pretty fun to use on the flats. If you have a dock with a submerged dock light (or have access to a dock with a submerged dock light), then you can easily catch speckled trout at night by freelining shrimp. We like this style of popping corks because they’re heavily weighted and easy to cast. Also, you won’t usually see much activity on the surface at an oyster bar, but the trout are most likely there. It is still a good option despite being the last resort for many fishermen. Anglers going for speckled trout have caught redfish, snook, pompano, jack (very hard fighters), and even tarpon. Speckled trout are usually caught by waders, from piers, from boats, and from the shores. Step One- Find ‘em. Sure, you can use live minnows with some success, but the vast majority of trout fishermen will use live shrimp when going for trout. Speckled trout are found “inside” during the winter and “outside” during the summer. Also, this same principle applies to piers that are lit at night. Simply cast the shrimp in an area you think has trout, leave the bail open, place your finger on the line, and wait for the line to start moving before setting the hook. Using a circle hook makes fishing for speckled trout, and other fish, much easier. They will often stack up on the sand to ambush any shrimp coming off the grass flats. Just cast it out, pop it a few times, and wait. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Speckled trout are aggressively feeding at these times and good size catches are common. Catching gator trout is a little different, but the general concept is the same. As mentioned earlier, live shrimp are the best live bait for trout. Tweet 0. Here are some general tips for catching speckled trout. Speckled trout almost always hit on the pause. Pin 0. Note: Check all regulations before using a bait light to fish. While you're searching the skies for birds, also keep an eye on the surface of the water for shiny... 3. My favorite method for catching trout on the flats is to look for water slicks (covered later) or jumping fish. Ideally, you want to see shrimp in the water. These oils will float to the top of the water, creating a noticeable slick film. As the day heats up and the sun gets more direct, speckled trout will slide off the shallow areas into deeper adjacent waters. It’s not legal in all jurisdictions. Therefore, many of these fall speckled trout fishing tips will apply between the … My personal rule is if there are whitecaps, then it’s not a good spot for speckled trout. I’ve had good luck with the bright colors. You will often catch pinfish, catfish, mangrove snapper, and other fish you probably don’t want to catch while using live shrimp. That’s about everything you need to know about catching speckled trout. I like to use curly tail grubs on the surface at night when pier fishing. Trout are typically found along the edges of cuts and potholes, but oyster beds and grassy patches can also produce both large-sized and large quantities of trout. You can catch speckled trout in every season if you fish the right areas. Bobby Abruscato, Breakline Pro, teaches us how he locates schools of speckled trout. 3” curly tail grubs work surprisingly well for catching trout, which is great because they’re very affordable and super easy to use. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to catch speckled trout in whitecaps. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These courses go beyond the training in the 4 pack; Learn the knowledge that I acquired over the last 25 years fishing inshore saltwater. These fish prefer low-light conditions and leave the shallow waters when the sun rises. Especially when other fish just won’t bite. The biggest mistake that beginners make when going for speckled trout is setting the hook way too hard. At a distance ribbbonfish can be spotted by their silver flashes as they breach. Just make sure that you set the drag much looser than you set it while using mono to prevent breaking the trout’s lip. My personal favorite colors are chartreusue/silver glitter (318), rootbeer (352), and carbonated pink/clear (427). Just make sure that you have a mono line. Winter Pattern. This gives the fish time to run with the bait and hook itself. Obviously, use a smaller size reel if you use a light or ultralight rod. This also begs the question, what type of bait should be in the water? During an excited state, such as a feeding frenzy, speckled trout will often regurgitate, spilling partially digested fish and oils into the water. The Top Dog Jr at 4” and ½ oz is the surface walker I recommend for most fishermen going for large speckled trout. Additionally, the oils from the bait will float to the surface, which will create an oil slick. I still recommend 150 to 200+ yards when going for speckled trout because you will catch fish that are better fighters than speckled trout. A baitcaster really isn’t necessary for a speckled trout. You will often find speckled trout hunting shrimp on oyster bars. Use a popping cork on the flats when the water is a little rougher. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. However, the best season for catching trout is winter. A surface walker like the Mirrolure Top Dog or Top Dog Jr is the choice for you. Speckled trout really like calm, clear water. The type of hook you use depends on the type of live bait you plan on fishing. Shallow to me is two to seven feet or so, but can vary depending on where you are targeting these fish. Follow the Birds. However, if you see baitfish shining or moving towards the surface, then that’s a good indicator that there are shrimp in the water. The Slick takes advantage of this preference. It’s so easy that it almost feels like cheating. From September the number of speckled trout begins to dwindle as the winter season approaches. I recommend using these artificials on topwater in the early morning, late evening, or at night. A bait light is a great investment if you do a lot of night fishing. Specks might be feeding around the platforms in the bay, they might be at the same time feeding up in bayous and smaller creeks or they may be in … Remember, speckled trout are found in almost all the areas that you find redfish. If you use a live fish as bait, then a 3/0 or 4/0 circle hook will work. Tide Matters for Seatrout Fishing. Speckled Seatrout live on average for 6.5 years. And you will most likely catch something if there are fish in the area. Most of the oversize trout are caught in deep water (12 to 20 feet) around structure such as docks and bridge pilings. On cloudy days or more moderate temperatures, speckled trout may remain in the rich shallower waters for extended periods. This pattern runs from about December to March. However, redfish are different in that they do not reach sexual maturity until the upper end of their slot length at 27 inches. Share 0. A 6 to 7.5 foot medium action rod is your best bet when going for normal-sized speckled trout. Mangroves offer plenty of protection for many types of bait, which naturally attracts predators. Keys To Catching Fish. Both Maryland and Virginia have perfect speckled trout habitat. Capt. This begs the question, how do you set the hook on a speckled trout? There is pretty much only one type of live bait that you fishermen use to catch speckled trout. With that in mind, you should fish near mangroves or structures protected from the wind on windy or rough days. Remember, trout are an ambush predator. Three to five feet of water is often productive. The light from the pier will attract bait. Fall fishing is some of the best fishing of the year! A Carolina rig or popper works great. You have entered an incorrect email address! And let's face it, we've all done it...spent $100 on gas, more on lodging, food, lures, equipment, and gear, all to lose a drift sock, break a rod, and come home with one dink trout and a hardhead. This site is owned and operated by Pursuing Outdoors LLC. Repeat this process until something hits or you reel the line in. I don’t recommend using a rod that has a heavy action because trout have a very soft lip, which means you can easily rip the lip right off when setting the hook. Note: People may not appreciate you fishing near their dock at night. I just recommend using a surface walker, menhaden, or small finger mullet to prevent catching junk fish. They are widely distributed throughout the bay systems and tend to be aggressive feeders. During the daytime, you will want to bounce the soft plastics off the bottom on your retrieve. Anyway, speckled trout are one of those fish that you catch for the challenge and taste more than the actual fight. During warm spring and summer months, speckled trout will use the filtered light of the early morning and late afternoon to move into the shallow areas of grass flats, oyster reefs and grassy shorelines to ambush prey. Trolling for Speckled Trout Trolling can be a very rewarding method for not only finding schools of trout but also for hooking up multiple fish at the same time. Another component I look for when speck fishing is current. I recommend using mono for trout. The real challenge is identifying the habitat and finding populations of the size of speckled trout that you want and using the correct bait and location for that size fish during that season. Three to five feet of water is often productive. You can add a split shot to the line when freelining to help cast. Why? A good example of this is the shell pads under old gas wells in Corpus Christi Bay and the open water oyster reefs of Aransas Bay. The largest speckled trout are females, as anglers who spend serious time pursuing them know, often calling them sows. When trout are schooled up and feeding, they will push bait to the top of the water. I don’t recommend it, but it will work if you don’t have a leader available. Shrimp is a must-have when going for speckled trout. It will include the best lures, hooks, popping corks, and leaders for speckled trout. This isn’t exactly a habitat. If you plan on going for gator trout, then you will definitely want a medium action rod. Covering water FAST to locate good speckled trout action. Photo courtesy of Josh Lowery Specks are usually found in relatively shallow water. Seabirds and speckled trout have one thing in common: they love to gorge on baitfish. You have two choices when using live shrimp for speckled trout: Personally, I prefer to freeline my shrimp when going for trout near structure, at night, or in very flat water. One other thing, live fish are great for catching gator trout (big speckled trout) that are usually found in Texas and Louisiana. That said, I have freelined shrimp and used soft plastics without any leader in the past and not had any issue with the line breaking. Of course, you can use ultralight tackle if you want a challenging fight. You can use a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, but you are more likely to fail at hooking the fish. These cold “snaps” funnel a large population of speckled trout that are normally distributed over large bays systems into a limited number of deep water refuges and can create an opportunity for fast action. For shrimp, a 3/0 circle hook will work perfectly fine. Simply tie a leader with a length of 6” to 24” (depending on depth) and pop the cork every 5 to 15 seconds. Trout are one of those predators that cruise mangroves hunting for shrimp and other bait. But any small minnow will work. Some anglers use 15 or 20 pound mono when going for trout in those areas. You can even use a 2/0 if you’re using a small fish as bait. Some fishermen will even freeline live fish, but I find this very annoying near structure or on the flats. In Club Texas you will get Mastery Level video training for speckled trout, redfish, and flounder with new training videos weekly. The technique you use to target them will vary by how you are pursuing them, Fishing Techniques You Can Use to Catch Speckled Trout On the flip side, they have a very shallow minimum depth. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. You will have a pretty good fight with small trout and ladyfish if you use an ultralight rod. However, there is one downside to live shrimp: It attracts a lot of junk fish. Target deep cuts, drop offs to the bay along grassy shorelines and channels near flats or oyster reefs. Some fishermen even use small pinfish as trout bait. I’ve actually seen people use an ultralight rod while trout fishing from a dock, so it is definitely possible. The tackle you need for speckled trout will be smaller than most of your other inshore rigs. Learn how to locate speckled trout and redfish and make them bite like a tournament pro. First of all, you should use a circle hook to minimize this lip-ripping problem. 90% of the trout are in 10% of the water (or even less).
Splash'n Boots Cast, Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Mcu, Recidivism In Tagalog, Chennai Dosa Menu, Encinitas Housing Authority Section 8, Who Does The Mental Capacity Act Apply To, Songs About Loving Someone You Can 't Have, Tesla Stem Graduation, Doves Tokyo Ghoul,