The speckled sea trout is the everyman’s fish. They are found from the beaches to the top of the bay. Almost any grassy flat will hold them at some point of the year. We will focus on the late fall bite, As the water temperature cools toward that magical 74-degree mark, the trout will begin to school up on the grass flats in water from two to six feet. If you get into a school, it can be fast and furious action–with a fish every cast for hours. Most of these fish will be from 14 to 18 inches. Trout must measure 15 to 20 inches with only one fish over 2 inches. There is a four fish limit in the bay and surrounding waters to the south. Most anglers want to target the bigger fish–those over 24 inches. It’s not as hard as you think.
Scout grass flats with moving water, multiple potholes and sandy spots. These are ambush points for the bigger trout. Look in shallow waters in the early morning and late afternoon for the best shot. As the sun comes up, try deeper areas with the same characteristics.
Trout are easy to catch on live bait or artifices. Top live baits are shrimp, greenbacks, and small pinfish. Trout will also hit fresh cut bait like pinfish or menhaden. Dead shrimp will work in a pinch. Put the baits under a popping cork, give it a few jerks and let it sit. The trout will come if they are around. The same technique works with a soft bodied jig. Trout will destroy jigs, subsurface lures and jerkbaits. If you really want to have fun and also shots at some monsters, go with a topwater lure like a Zara spook Jr in bone color. While it works best in low light conditions, they will hit it all day long.
Whether using cut bait or lures, it always helps to add a little Procure fish attractant scent to your offering. Top scents are shrimp, inshore blend, and ladyfish. Trust me it works. Set-ups for trout should be reels in the 2500 to 3000 range loaded with 10 to 15-pound braid and fluorocarbon leader from 15 to 25-pound depending on if snook and reds are around. A 7-foot 6-inch fast action rod complete the setup.
Trout bite is best on a moving tide. They will feed throughout the day on moving water. Trout also feed aggressively at night and can be caught fishing around dock lights. This is fun fishing, as you can sight cast the fish and watch them hit. Lastly, trout make great table fare and fried trout is tops on many lists. Just make sure to cook your fish fresh. They do not freeze well. Only keep what you plan to eat and always release the big females over 24 inches. We need the breeding stock–especially with the fish kills to the South. Now it’s time to take these tips and get out there and fish!