By far my favorite time of year for winter speckled trout fishing is October, November and December, the air grows crisp the water temps finally come out of the 80’s back to the 60’s and the trout begin to really school up and feed in earnest.
Several things happen in the cooler winter months that make it ideal for those memorable outings for trout.
First as the water cools the algae and phytoplankton that clouds the water in the warmer months dies off and the water starts to get beautifully gin clear.
Since trout are sight feeders the more clear the water the better the chance of them finding your bait.
Second the cooler water condenses the trout, they start to school up so once you find one your chances of getting into a mess of them is greatly increased in the winter months.
Trout are sight feeders the more clear the water the better the chance of them finding your bait
Third I would have to say is the opportunity to catch a gator trout goes up tenfold. The cooler waters put the mullet in close to shore in areas where the water will heat up first in the morning hours.
The big trout know this and will work the shallows for a meal especially in low light conditions.
I would have to say that some of the best opportunities to catch gator trout are just before first light and just after sunset throwing topwater lures against the grass lines.
During the day you are looking for current, structure and water depth. Find a current break around some structure and throw a swimbait or twitch bait upstream from it and bounce it by the structure.
When I go winter trout fishing I always have three set ups ready to go
Throw the twitchbait and if you get nothing after a couple of casts then throw the swimbait along the bottom.
When I go trout fishing I always have three set ups ready to go, the first has a Spook Jr tied on for topwater.
The second has a Rapala X-Rap twitchbait for mid water column action and the third has a Zman Slim Swimz in opening night on an 1/8oz eyestrike jighead to work the bottom.
Without fail at least one of these will generate a bite for me.
This December marks the time of year when Lowcountry Kayak Anglers puts on “Trout for Tots” kayak fishing tournament for speckled sea trout.
The Entry fee is a new unopened toy or a cash donation to the Toys for Tots organization. There will be prizes provided by our sponsors for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place fish.
For more information on the Trout for Tots tournament which is open to any kayak angler, go to our Facebook page and look for the event in our events page.
Last year’s winner put up a trout over 26 inches long join us in supporting a great cause and enjoying some great fishing. Chucktown Kayak Bassin’ and Low Country Kayak Anglers
Good Luck and Tight Lines,
Mike Kohler
LKA Tournament Director
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