Photo Cutlines:
#1. Joe Claborn Jr., with a nice trout taken late June 2017
#2. Joe Claborn Sr., with a 40-inch cobia take on 10 lb. test TrikFish Game Green mono.
#1. Zach Bruchey, of Moultrie, Ga with a great trout.
KEATON BEACH
Trout fishing has been GREAT, right through from June on into July. (today is July 13) We have continued to catch limits of trout and reds, despite the heat. Our Gulf water temps have been as high as 90 degrees, but the trout don’t seem to care. Catch a breeze, and they keep biting!
We have had our one-fish-over-20-inches per angler as well, on almost every trip, including a 28-inch trout taken on June 22 by Dawn Taylor of Perry. Dawn’s fish weighed in at 6.1 pounds was in 3.5 feet of 89-degree water! Oh, and bit two hours after the flop.
We are still catching our trout and reds on live pinfish, rigged up on a 34-inch leader of 30 lb. test TrikFish clear monofilament. (I have yet to find it necessary to use fluorocarbon as so many think is required?) I guess I just realized how many hundred, thousands of fish I had caught without using it before we had even heard of fluorocarbon. Don’t misunderstand; I think it is great for snapper fishing, just not needed over our grass flats for trout and reds.
3.5 to 4.5 feet of water has produced limits, the last four trips out, just be sure you have sufficient current from your incoming tides to give the trout the oxygen needed to feed in these HOT conditions. Keep the pinfish fresh, a key to success which I cannot stress enough.
August will hold more of the same, with trout already in their summer matinee seats, ready for the show.
Reds have been scattered, but most have come from shallow water near the creek mouths, with a majority eating live pinfish, rigged under Back Bays etc. We have had a few nice reds eat the New Flats Intruder HEX II weedless spoons, in Copper and Cajun Copperas well.
We caught two keeper cobias since last month’s article and have seen some monster tarpon, but have not been hooked up on a “poon”—yet.
We’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile …..Let’s Go Fishing!
Pat McGriff dba One More Cast guide service for 28 years!
www.onemorecast.net
850.838.7541