Mention gators to a cadre of hardcore inshore anglers and you are likely to elicit fond memories of 30 plus inch silver flanks speckled with black spots and gaping yellow mouths sporting a wicked pair of canine teeth. Iâm not talking about a university mascot or big scaly reptiles. Iâm talking about seatrout, not just any seatrout, but big trophy trout that prompt some of us to wake up at 4:00 a.m. so we can be on the water throwing our favorite topwater plugs at first light. Catching a trophy seatrout is not easy, but if you are up for the challenge here are a few suggestions that may tip the odds in your favor.
Go Shallow: Most gator trout are caught on shallow grass flats 1 1â2 to 3 feet deep. Look for flats with dense grass mixed with a few sandy potholes that big trout like to use to ambush their prey. The flat should also have a healthy supply of bait like mullet or pinfish, and should be close to deeper water so a wary old trout has a short escape route if dolphin or other dangers are near. During the hottest days of summer big trout will retreat to deeper water off the edge of the flat or will seek out shade from docks.
Fish During Low Light: Gator trout are occasionally caught during the middle of bright, sunny days, but youâll increase your odds of success dramatically if you focus your effort during night, early morning, late evening and overcast days.
Use Lures: It may seem counter-intuitive but more trophy trout are caught on artificial lures than bait. You typically find big trout in singles and pairs and occasionally
in small groups. Lures allow you to keep on the move and cover a lot of water, increasing your odds of intercepting bigger fish. About 80% of an adult seatroutâs diet is fish so large, mullet imitating lures are a good choice. The classic gator trout lure is topwater âwalk the dogâ type baits like the venerable Zara Spook. In fact, the all-tackle world record 17-pound 7-ounce seatrout was caught on a Zara Spook in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Get Out of the Boat and Go Long: Gator trout are wary fish. Pressure waves from a drifting boat or footsteps on the deck will send them scurrying from the flat. Itâs best to get out of the boat and wade, or fish from a minimally invasive vessel like a kayak. It also helps if you can make long casts to increase the chances of getting your lure in front of a big trout before it detects your presence. Most gator trout specialists opt for rods seven feet or longer and six to 10-pound test braided line for increased casting distance.
When you finally catch that trophy fish, handle with care and release her gently. A mature female trout can release over a million eggs during a spawn. Let her go and give her the chance to release her big fish DNA into the gene pool so that there are even more gator trout for us to catch in the future.
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