The weather is getting nicer, the water is warming up, fiddlers are coming out of hibernation and all sorts of bait is pouring back into the creeks.
It’s time get your kayak back into the water (if you were not a winter yak angler) and what better species to chase after in March than fat sassy speckled sea trout!
The great thing about warmer weather and warmer water is that the trout top-water bite turns back on with a vengeance!
There are few things more fun than getting out onto the water just before sunrise stealthily gliding up to within casting distance of a grass line and throwing a Zara Spook Jr up to the edge of the grass.
Then “walking the dog” back to the kayak just waiting for that speckled sea trout to explode on your bait.
That top-water bite can be short lived though, on a clear skied morning it can over in less than an hour.
When the top-water bite turns off, it’s time to tie on a suspending twitch bait (the Mirrolure 17MR-18 /SBG is one of my favorites). Then throw it right back in the same areas that you were working your top-water baits.
The trout start to move deeper in the water column as the sun comes up and the suspending twitch bait is the perfect middle of the water column bait to get the trout bite to fire back up.
I have caught numerous trout right next to my kayak working a twitch bait
The long cast followed by a 2- 5 count pause before the twitch, twitch, pause then hopefully a strike from a hungry trout, but don’t reel in that lure after one or two twitches.
I have caught numerous trout right next to my kayak working a twitch bait back to my yak.
If I am not able to get out on the water at sunrise, I tie on an Eye Strike Trout Eye jig head (1/8oz) and put a Zman Slim Swimz in “opening night” color and begin my search.
Everyone has a go-to bait that they always have tied on to at least one rod, the slim swim is mine!
In just a couple of weeks (March 17th) Lowcountry Kayak Anglers will launch our inshore trail tournament series.
The first event will be held at Paradise Island Public Boat Landing located at the end of Chandler Road in Awendaw SC.
If you have never fished in a tournament but have always wanted to try, this would be a great tournament to start with.
The target species will be Speckled Sea Trout and the biggest three trout caught (using the catch/photo/release method) wins the tournament.
You can learn a lot about the river when you can see it at low tide
If you have never fish at Paradise before the best advice I can give you is to get out on the water there at the bottom of the tide.
You can learn a lot about the river when you can see it at low tide; where the oyster racks, drop offs and troughs are located.
Remembering that Trout are ambush predators, knowing the river bottom terrain can give you some insight as to where the trout might be during different parts of the tide cycle.
For more information on the LKA inshore tournament series go to Lowcountry Kayak anglers on Facebook or at Lowcountrykayakanglers.com I hope to see you on the 17th!
Tight Lines!
Mike Kohler
LKA Tournament Director
You may also enjoy reading LKA Tournament Planning Round Up
