seatrout fishing – Sport Fishing Mag https://www.sportfishingmag.com Sport Fishing is the leading saltwater fishing site for boat reviews, fishing gear, saltwater fishing tips, photos, videos, and so much more. Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:54:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/uploads/2021/09/favicon-spf.png seatrout fishing – Sport Fishing Mag https://www.sportfishingmag.com 32 32 Fishing With Popping Corks https://www.sportfishingmag.com/fishing-with-popping-corks/ Thu, 20 Jun 2024 18:08:35 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=44726 Mastering popping-cork tactics increases your odds when fishing murky water.

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popping cork inshore saltwater fishing tackle
Besides their alluring sound, popping corks also enhance the action of the jig or shrimp below it. Try one in dirty water. Jason Arnold / jasonarnoldphoto.com

The razzle-dazzle of a slurping, clacking popping cork might seem off-putting at first, but its effectiveness and dominance as a fish catcher is indisputable. While particularly effective and popular in Gulf Coast states, the technique has followers in the Carolinas and beyond.

My baptism into popping corks occurred on my first-ever trip to the toe of the Boot State. Fishing the turbid open bays close to the Gulf, anglers in our boat caught oversize redfish hand over fist until we begged for mercy. What was the best rig for redfish that day? A flashy cork, about 4 feet of leader and a jig-and-bait combo. A topwater plug or “tight-lined” soft plastic did not attract the same interest from the bull redfish we were targeting.

redfish catch with popping cork plastic rig inshore saltwater fishing tackle
The author with a marsh redfish caught on a popping-cork-and-plastic rig. Jason Arnold / jasonarnoldphoto.com

Ever since, I’ve been hooked on corks in off-colored water, paired either with natural baits or lures. It’s my go to redfish rig, and sometimes the popping-cork rig is the only presentation a redfish or speckled seatrout will hit. The main draw of the popping cork is an attention-getting clacking or clicking sound created by beads hitting a foam cork along a metal through-wire. Second, when a cork is jerked by the rod tip, the lure or bait presentation jumps off the bottom like a fleeing bait. A weight attached to the bottom of the cork adds casting distance and stability; swivels at the top and bottom of the wire serve as line ties for the main line and leader. The sound mimics fleeing shrimp, crabs, baitfish or even other game fish attacking prey. Some models of corks also throw a disturbance splash.

When and Where to Use Popping Corks

netting redfish from boat using popping cork inshore saltwater fishing tackle
This Louisiana redfish pounced on a well-placed artificial shrimp set below a popping cork. Leader length is dictated by the water’s depth. Sam Hudson / sportfishingmag.com

Popping corks are prime to use when water conditions are choppy or turbid, with the best depths from 2 to 6 feet. “If you tie a leader much longer than 6 feet, then casting is difficult with 7- to 7½-foot rods,” says Capt. Ray Markham, of St. Petersburg, Florida. Use light leader material, such as 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon, in clear water, but bump up to heavier leader in specific situations.

“You can use 20- to 50-pound leader, no problem, with a popping cork, especially in dark-colored water,” says Capt. Richard Stoughton, of Charleston, South Carolina. “I’ve even used 80-pound around structure like docks with success. I tie long leaders in spring and shorter leaders in fall, mostly because fish move into deeper waters in the spring.”

Anglers on the boat should cast ­different-colored corks so they can pick out their own float in a crowd. Markham prefers to throw less-noisy corks when fish are skittish.

“Where I fish, there isn’t much boat traffic, but the more traffic, the spookier the fish and the less noise I want from my cork,” he says. “Mostly we catch trout and redfish, but incidental catches include bluefish, snook, Spanish mackerel, snapper, grouper, cobia and others.”

casting a popping cork rig inshore saltwater fishing tackle
Try to find areas free of boat traffic to cast popping-cork rigs. Creek edges that lead to a drop off are prime locations. Jason Arnold / jasonarnoldphoto.com

Stoughton prefers to use corks because of the motion of lure imparted by the cork — if done correctly, when a cork is twitched or popped the lure will jump in a vertical motion. When an angler stops popping the cork, the artificial shrimp, jig or live bait will settle back to the bottom. He prefers to impart a double-pop action so the lure jumps twice and then falls.

“Often, I’ll add an egg sinker below the cork on the leader,” says Stoughton. “Pass the leader through the egg sinker twice so a loop wraps around the weight and holds it in place. Don’t let the egg sinker slide too close to the shrimp or jig because it will affect action negatively. Split shot can fall off the leader when a seatrout shakes its head near the boat.”

Some captains will tie their braided main line directly to the top swivel; others add a trace of leader material first. “I use braided lines on my rods, but tying directly to the top swivel of the cork can cause tangling issues,” says Markham. “Instead, tie a short piece of 30-pound fluorocarbon or some other stiff leader that stands away from the cork.”

Popular cork makers include Bomber, Cajun Thunder, Comal Tackle, D.O.A., H&H Lure Co., Red Alert, Four Horsemen and plenty of others. Soft lures to tie below the cork include artificial shrimp from D.O.A., Berkley Powerbait, LiveTarget, Berkley Gulp!, Savage Gear and Z-Man lures. Also, soft plastics pinned to a jig head are popular. But watch out: Sometimes trout or redfish will attack the cork itself. Try casting out a topwater in those situations for exciting surface strikes.

Using Popping Corks With Live Baits

netting a red drum caught using popping cork rig inshore saltwater fishing tackle
Besides jumbo redfish like this, other common catches on clacking corks in off-colored waters include speckled trout and flounder. Sam Hudson / sportfishingmag.com

Capt. Jeff Poe, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, ties on a specific type of cork for those customers who want to use live baits, such as shrimp, crabs or fish. “We use spinning tackle with football-shaped weighted corks that have beads on either end,” says Poe. “Their weight makes it easier for our clients to cast farther. Whoever casts farthest wins with the most bites, usually.” The average depth in Calcasieu Lake, where he fishes, is 6 feet, so a cork works anywhere in the lake.

“The deepest water where I’ve ever caught fish with a cork is about 35 feet,” says Poe. “That was around an oil platform in the Gulf. I’ll try a cork anytime I feel I’m around fish but we’re not getting the amount of bites I expect. Corks are a great way to catch fish in dirty water, as the noise attracts and the float suspends your bait in the strike zone.”

Poe strays away from corks in strong current because in those conditions fish hold tight to the bottom. He also won’t tie on a cork near large schools “because as soon as a fish eats your bait and pulls your cork under, other fish will attempt to eat your cork.”

Comparing Different Styles of Popping Corks

different popping cork setup options rig inshore saltwater fishing tackle
Popping corks come in a variety of offerings. From left to right: Cajun Thunder weighted cigar, Red Alert Speckanater, Bomber Paradise Popper oval, Cajun Thunder Magnum, Cajun Thunder Equalizer and D.O.A. Popper Clacker. Corks differ in their design and engineering. Zach Stovall

Anglers will notice a host of different-style corks available from a number of makers, with the most common styles shaped like an egg, a cigar or an ice-cream cone with the point bitten off. Each foam cork is different in how it’s built, so personal preference goes a long way in deciding how much you’re willing to pay, what style of cork you want, what type of beads you want, and through-wire ­material stiffness and durability. Here’s how some manufacturers describe their corks:

Bomber Paradise Popper

Bomber Paradise Popper popping cork setup inshore saltwater fishing tackle rig
Most corks feature brass beads for weight and sound like this Bomber Paradise Popper. Zach Stovall

Bomber says: “The Bomber Paradise Popper’s wire is titanium. It springs back to shape. I have seen these corks with the paint and part of the cork gone, and they still produce fish. All of the other components are plastic or brass. The Popper is tested not to break at less than 70 pounds of pressure, and many don’t break until under more than 90 to 100 pounds.”

D.O.A. Popper Clacker

D.O.A. Popper Clacker popping cork setup inshore saltwater fishing tackle rig
Some corks forgo beads altogether and use a slip sinker as a weight like this D.O.A. Popper Clacker. Zach Stovall

D.O.A. Lures says: “Between the cigar, oval and popper D.O.A. Clacker corks, some make less noise and have a different pitch in the sound they create. The popper style is louder and deeper in tone but also produces a big splash when worked aggressively. Due to the internal weight, the popper is durable and gets less wire bend than do other styles of D.O.A. corks.”

Red Alert Speckanater

Red Alert Speckanater popping cork setup inshore saltwater fishing tackle rig
And a few unique corks utilize a flexible through-wire like this Red Alert Speckanater. Zach Stovall

Red Alert Lures says: “There are two unique features about my popping corks. One, the beads used are hematite, which creates a very distinct pitch like a shrimp slapping its tail. Steel inserts in the foam cork also contribute to the sound. Two, the through-wire is rated at 250 pounds but not rigid, with 100-pound swivels at the ends for a longer‑lasting cork.”

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Wade Fishing the Chandeleur Islands https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/wade-fishing-chandeleur-islands/ Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:51:00 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=55802 It's hard to reach these barrier islands. But once you get there, you never want to leave.

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Speckled trout from the Chandeleur Islands
Outdoor television show host Kevin Ford had his hands full of speckled trout on a perfect June wade-fishing trip to the Chandeleur Islands. Todd Masson

The ultimate goal of Elon Musk’s SpaceX is to one day establish a colony of humans on Mars, a planet 140 million miles away. Reaching the Chandeleur Islands is only slightly easier. Formed more than two millennia ago when the Mississippi River was dumping sediment into its St. Bernard lobe, the Chandeleur chain is a 60-mile stretch of sand, shell, mangrove and dune grasses. It more resembles an unexplored moonscape than a popular fishing destination.

That’s partly because the area was included in the Breton Island Reservation by President Theodore Roosevelt more than a century ago, and development of any kind — even primitive camping — is illegal there. But it’s also because the Chandeleur chain is so freaking far from absolutely anywhere. Though it’s part of Louisiana, the nearest ports are actually in Mississippi. Still, it’s a 30-mile run over open water from Gulfport.

Boats that can handle those big offshore swells may not be best for exploring the shallow-water grass flats that seem to go on forever behind the protection of the islands. That’s why for many anglers, the best way to fish the islands is to plunk down a wad of cash, hop aboard a mother ship and fan out over the flats on skiffs with tiller-controlled outboards. A number of outfits along the Mississippi coast offer the service.

A DIY Chandeleur Island Fishing Trip

A speckled trout from the Chandeleur Islands
Capt. Justin Bowles caught this beautiful speckled trout while scouting the Chandeleur Island chain for a good wade-fishing spot. Todd Masson

Other anglers with more of a DIY mindset wait for days with perfect conditions, load up on fuel and roar across Breton Sound in their bay boats. That’s what outdoor television-show host Kevin Ford and I did with our good buddy Capt. Justin Bowles during a June trip not too long ago. We had a night reserved at the Chandeleur Islander, a jack-up barge that provides hot meals and bunks for visiting anglers, so our plan was to scout on day one while fishing from the boat, in hopes of locating an area to wade-fish the morning of day two.

Most fishing plans, of course, require some adjustment on the fly, but this one worked to pure perfection. We launched along the Mississippi coast, and after a ride out that was a little bumpier than ideal, we arrived at the Chandeleurs mid-morning. Even though all of us are jaded lifelong anglers, we still stood in marvel at the sight of gin-clear water over seagrass flats as far as the eye could see.

We employed a hit-and-run strategy, fishing for a few minutes in a number of different areas, looking for the right mix of water clarity, depth and bait. Though we caught tons of fish from the boat, it was mostly a scouting mission to locate an area that would give us a reasonable chance of success while wading the next morning.

Great Fishing at the Chandeleur Islands

Speckled trout catch from the Chandeleur Islands
The author had one of the best fishing trips of his life at the Chandeleur chain in June. Todd Masson

Lucky for us, it was an embarrassment of riches, with almost too many options to choose from. We all agreed on what we figured would be the No. 1 spot, and then spent the waning minutes of the day catching speckled trout within sight of the Islander. The next morning started well before dawn with way too much breakfast and that nervous chatter that always precedes fishing trips in new areas. We loaded our gear, and with only a hint of twilight to the east, we scooted down to the area we had found the day before.

With Bowles’ bay boat securely anchored, we fanned out over the grass flat, while a constant cacophony of nesting-shorebird calls washed across the flat surface. Before I even made a cast, I knew this was going to be one of the best fishing trips of my life. Everywhere around us, speckled trout were crashing into schools of mullet, emitting that characteristic pop sound big trout make when they suck in bait, water and air.

The fish clearly couldn’t tell the difference between our topwater plugs and the real thing. The explosions were relentless, and we all caught speckled trout almost every cast for the next three hours. It was epic.

But really, for the Chandeleur chain, it was just ordinary. The area is so vast, unspoiled and underfished, trips there that rank as the best of your life are the rule rather than the exception. Plant your toes in the sand at the right spot, and you simply won’t be able to believe how many fish can crowd into one area. I’ll be back out there soon — assuming Uncle Elon doesn’t come through with that ticket to Mars.

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Waiting for a World Record https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game-fish/waiting-for-a-world-record/ Wed, 08 May 2024 19:07:23 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=55129 Why have IGFA records for the most popular inshore gamefish remained unbroken for decades?

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Look at the list of International Game Fish Association World Records for the most popular inshore gamefish and one thing becomes evident: time. The most recent all-tackle world record, Greg Myerson’s 2011 striped bass, is over a decade old. And the longest-standing record for common snook was set more than 50 years ago. Tired of waiting for these records to fall, we tracked down pundits and professionals to ask when they think the biggest inshore records will be broken.

Striped Bass: 81 pounds, 14 ounces

All Tackle World Record Striped Bass
Gregory Myerson’s All Tackle World Record Striped Bass Courtesy IGFA
  • Gregory Myerson
  • Long Island Sound, Connecticut
  • August, 4 2011

Who better to ask about the next World Record striped bass than the current record holder. It’s been over a decade since Greg Myerson caught one of the world’s most famous fish and he’s ready to set the next mark. “If they ever lift the slot limit, I’ll catch the next world record, too,” he says. His boasts aren’t hot air, Myerson holds the several striped bass records and striper tournament trophies. Myerson credits the deep ocean bottom and strong tidal currents off Connecticut and Rhode Island for bringing a steady stream of bait and big bass. “Big bass don’t like to move a lot so they are looking for a live lobster.” Myerson even predicts how the next world record bass will be caught; he has developed a rattling sinker that imitates the sound of a startled lobster. “The fish hears the sound and comes to investigate, that’s where he finds my eel.”

Red Drum: 94 pounds 2 ounces

All Tackle World Record Red Drum
David Deuel’s All Tackle World Record Red Drum Courtesy IGFA
  • David Deuel
  • Avon, North Carolina
  • November 07, 1984

Forty years ago, Frank Folb was working at the tackle shop that weighed the World Record red drum. Today, Folb has retired from tackle shops and taken up gardening, but he remembers the day the world’s biggest red drum was hanging from the scale. “Gosh, it was a fat fish,” he recalls. He says David Deuel fought the trophy drum down the Hatteras Island beach almost a mile before landing it. Due to the current slot limit on redfish, the red drum record will most likely never be broken. Back in the heyday of beach drum fishing, Folb rigged up a mobile scale to weigh a potential record on the beach. “We never had a fish large enough to break the mark,” he says. Folb has heard credible stories of redfish passing the length and girth test, but the fish were released. Despite the difficulty in setting a red drum record, Folb believes a 100-pound redfish is swimming somewhere off the Virginia or North Carolina coast.

Common Snook: 53 pounds, 10 ounces

All Tackle World Record Common Snook
Gilbert Ponzi’s All Tackle World Record Common Snook Courtesy IGFA
  • Gilbert Ponzi
  • Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica
  • October 18, 1978

The oldest record on the list is one of the most coveted. While Florida accounts for the largest population of snook anglers, Costa Rica holds the all tackle world record. Stuart-based Capt. Mike Holliday has landed snook up to 40 pounds, but beating the record in his home waters is almost impossible to imagine. “The next record will come from Costa Rica,” he says. Holliday explains the warm Latin American climate allows the snook to feed year-round and reach extraordinary size. Why hasn’t a bigger fish been caught in Costa Rica? Holliday says the fish in the 1970s and 80s were bigger. “People used to brag about the 40-pound club, now they brag about the 40-inch club.” Once again, fishing regulations are the biggest obstacle to breaking the record. Slot limits throughout the snook’s range keep the record safe from American anglers.

Spotted Seatrout: 17 pounds, 7 ounces

All Tackle World Record Sea Trout
Craig F. Carson’s All Tackle World Record Sea Trout Courtesy IGFA
  • Craig F. Carson
  • Ft. Pierce, Florida
  • May 11, 1995

Capt. Mike Holliday has personal experience with the World Record spotted sea trout. “I interviewed the guy who caught it,” he remembers. The long-time contributor to local and nationwide publications was on the beat when the fish was caught. “Craig Carson was visiting from Daytona and caught the fish on a Zara Spook off Dynamite Point.” Even though he didn’t witness the weigh-in or see the actual fish, looking at photos of the catch gives Holliday suspicions. “It doesn’t look like a 17-pound trout,” he insists. And the angler weighed the fish on a grocery store scale. And then there’s the incredible size. Holliday shakes his head, “I’ve never heard of a trout even close to 17 pounds.” The speckled trout record has stood for almost 30 years and Holliday thinks it will never be broken. “I’ve fished the same area for decades and caught one fish over 13 pounds,” he says.

Tarpon: 286 pounds, 9 ounces

All Tackle World Record Tarpon
Max Domecq Rubane’s All Tackle World Record Tarpon Courtesy IGFA
  • Max Domecq Rubane
  • Guinea-Bissou
  • March, 4 2003

Close your eyes and picture a 300-pound tarpon jumping through the air, diving under the boat and rolling on the line and you’ll understand the difficulty in breaking the silver king’s world-record mark. Zack Bellipigna, angler recognition manager at IGFA, is confident the record can be broken. “As sure as I’m sitting in my chair, there is a 300-pound tarpon swimming off the coast of Africa right now,” he insists. Bellipigna attributes the long-standing record to a lack of angler interest. “Hardcore tarpon anglers are more interested in setting line-class records in the Keys or along the Gulf Coast than going to Africa and catching a giant tarpon.” Bellipigna says IGFA’s Grand Slam awards are also seeing a lot of interest. “Catching a tarpon and two other trophy species in one day is a hell of an achievement but it is achievable.” Still, many of the line class records pale in comparison to the massive 286-pound beast.

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Artificial Structure Attracts Spring Specks https://www.sportfishingmag.com/howto/louisiana-bridges-spring-trout/ Tue, 07 May 2024 12:55:00 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=55227 Catch speckled trout near the bridges of Lake Pontchartrain in spring.

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speckled trout caught at Lake Pontchartrain train trestle
The author has found a strong bite this year at Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain train trestle. Todd Masson

The word “artificial” is inherently pejorative. If a food company includes artificial colors or flavors in a particular product, it’ll bury that fact in the list of ingredients. Highlighted on the front of the package will be something like “Packed With Vitamin C,” rather than “Now With More Artificial Flavor.”

That’s true for everything but fishing. Having success with “artificial” lures is viewed as affirmation of skills, and anglers across the fruited plain regularly entreat fisheries managers for more artificial reefs. Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has responded to that demand in recent decades by dropping limestone, shell and even bridge rubble in select areas across the coast, and since the state provides easy-to-find coordinates on the LDWF site, the reefs are regularly visited by hopeful anglers.

Still, none is as regularly productive as the 15 miles of artificial reefs in eastern Lake Pontchartrain that were designed for transportation and commerce. Attracting fish is just a happy accident.

Louisiana’s Bridge Fishing

redfish and flounder caught near bridge pilings
Every year in the spring and fall, speckled trout and flounder join the redfish hiding behind the bridge stanchions to ambush baitfish and shrimp. Todd Masson

Interstate 10, Highway 11 and a train trestle all span a roughly 5-mile gap over Louisiana’s most famous coastal lake. Commuters and engineers see these bridges as a connection between the cities of New Orleans and Slidell, but to anglers, they are just really expensive fish-attractors.

Every year in the spring and fall, speckled trout and flounder join the redfish, sheepshead and black drum that spend all year hiding behind the bridge stanchions to ambush baitfish and shrimp being pushed by tides around the concrete. When the trout arrive, word spreads quickly among the south Louisiana fishing community, and hordes of marauding anglers descend on the bridges.

By far, the train trestle attracts the most attention. Its stanchions are far more tightly packed and are surrounded by scattered rip-rap. This combination attracts more fish than the other two bridges, and consequently, that attracts more anglers. On a calm weekend day in the spring or fall, a latecomer can find it almost impossible to shoehorn within casting distance of the bridge, since most anglers will be soaking live shrimp while on anchor.

As such, trestle diehards prefer to go on weekdays with marginal wind, when they can work stretches of the bridge with artificial lures. The most popular are 3 12– to 412-inch paddle tails fished on 38– to 12-ounce jigheads. Standard protocol is to set up on the down-current side of the bridge, and cast as close to the stanchions as possible.

How to Fish Bridges

speckled trout at Louisiana bridges
The author and Capt. Justin Bowles had great success last spring at the Lake Ponchartrain train trestle catching speckled trout. Todd Masson

But, as frequently is the case in fishing, sometimes the rules don’t apply, and the fish are located far off the stanchions or on the upcurrent side. Trestle veterans test all possibilities before abandoning the bridge to try their luck at Highway 11, Interstate 10 or the nearby marsh.

Depths across the span of the bridge range from 8 to 16 feet, and contact with the bottom is almost always essential. Most successful anglers hop the lures back to the boat, allowing them to settle back to the bottom after each hop.

Bites are often subtle ticks that test anglers’ skill and the sensitivity of their equipment. That’s true even though the speckled trout that populate the bridges are consistently some of the largest available to Louisiana anglers. Though the trestle seldom delivers fish over 6 pounds, an average speck there is about 2 pounds.

As a general rule, fishing is best in the spring on a rising tide that’s bringing bait in from outside waters and in the autumn on a falling tide that is sucking white shrimp out of the backwaters. But great trips can still be had on opposite tides during the respective seasons. In the spring, the speck run lasts until about the middle of June, when mature fish move to the salty waters of the big bays and sounds to lay eggs and fertilize them. They typically return sometime in October.

Nearby launches are located in Slidell (Eden Isles and Bayou Liberty) and New Orleans (Rigolets, Lake Catherine and Irish Bayou). The eastern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain provides reasonable protection on a wind with any east in it. Westerly winds are like kryptonite to the lake’s bridges, dirtying the water, shutting down fish and making for a bumpy, miserable experience. Fortunately, predominant winds in the spring and fall are out of the east, and good days at the bridges are far more common than bad ones.

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The Best Spring Seatrout Bait https://www.sportfishingmag.com/howto/croaker-baitfish-spring-seatrout/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:37:46 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=54792 Croakers are key to a hot spring speckled trout bite in Gulf marshes.

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Louisiana speckled trout that ate a paddle tail
A soft-plastic paddle tail threaded on a 3/8-ounce jighead is the most efficient way to target spring speckled trout that cling to ledge walls to feast on juvenile croakers. Todd Masson

During the winter months, mama croakers spew their eggs into high-salinity offshore waters, where they’re fertilized by daddy croakers, and then, in the afterglow, both mama and daddy head off to find something to eat, leaving the youngsters to fend for themselves. Maybe it’s parental malpractice, but Mother Nature shrugs. She couldn’t care less.

Along the Louisiana coast, the larval and post-larval croakers are pushed by the tides into shallow waters, where they use seagrasses and detritus to hide from predators and feast on rotifers, copepods and even the very detritus that serves as their home.

Eventually, though, the fish outgrow the marshes, and begin to migrate in the spring. That’s when they face a murderer’s row of speckled trout — and unwittingly provide anglers with some of the best fishing action of the year.

Croaker Chaos

Louisiana speckled trout
Baton Rouge angler Chris Macaluso caught this chunky speckled trout on a ledge wall in spring. Todd Masson

For the growing croakers, big spring tides are both a blessing and a curse. Riding the conveyor belt of the tides is how juvenile croakers make their way into the bigger bays, but these strong currents also slam the fish into ledge walls that disorient them and make them easy prey for specks. This, in turn, makes the trout easy prey for anglers.

It happens every spring in South Louisiana, and is most consistent in brackish marshes, where juvenile croakers proliferate. Anglers who want to maximize their productivity simply ride around looking for what locals call “boiling water.” Boiling-water areas show upwellings on the surface, where hard currents hit ledge walls and are forced upward. These are most commonly found in winding bayous with 10 to 20 feet of depth. Not every ledge wall will hold fish, but a high percentage of them do, and an angler who hits enough of them will certainly find a bite that has him posting pictures on social media.

Best baits, far and away, are 3½-inch soft-plastic paddle tails that most accurately mimic the size and action of the migrating croakers. Louisiana anglers fish those on ⅜-ounce jigheads, and will sometimes add a ¼-ounce jighead-and-paddletail combo fished as a double rig when currents are particularly swift. Figuring out how fish orient at each ledge wall is part of the fun, and shrewd anglers will frequently change their angles to find feeding specks. Hooked fish regularly upchuck juvenile croakers onto the boat decks of successful anglers. Often these fish are so recently ingested, they can be thrown overboard, where they swim down, probably to be eaten by another trout.

Spring Seatrout Success

Mixed bag of trout, bass and black drum from Louisiana
Black drum and even largemouth bass are also frequent visitors to the ledge walls in the spring. Todd Masson

Depending on water temperature, the bite will begin around the first of March and stretch almost to the summer solstice. By then, most of the mature specks have moved offshore to spawn, leaving behind only the undersized immature fish, along with a host of pests, like hardheads and gafftops.

But during the run, the specks are shockingly large for Louisiana marsh fish. An 18-inch average is about the norm, and several fish in the schools will stretch between 20 and 24 inches. In comparison, anglers fishing marsh lakes and expansive bays during this same time of year will typically be plagued by undersized and barely legal fish.

Though specks are the primary beneficiaries of the croaker migration, other species also notice and take advantage of the easy meals. Redfish are ever present, and the pattern delivers far more bites from black drum, flounder and largemouth bass than unfamiliar anglers might expect. Given the onslaught, it defies belief that any croaker survives to reach offshore waters and complete the spawn cycle, but clearly a whole bunch do. Despite getting no help from their parents.

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The Hardest-Fishing City in Florida https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/fishing-in-jacksonville-florida/ Wed, 27 Mar 2024 19:13:57 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=54637 Jacksonville can’t be beat for spring action.

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Downtown Jacksonville Florida
Jacksonville has the highest rate, per capita, of fishing license holders of the four biggest Florida metropolitan areas. City of Jacksonville

You’ll find anglers on bridges and beaches, bait shops open long before dawn, big tackle stores that carry enough gear to outfit a fleet of sport-fishers, and a line-up of fishing tournaments year-round. Numbers tell the story, too.

Jacksonville has the highest rate, per capita, of fishing license holders of the four biggest Florida metropolitan areas. That beats Tampa-St. Pete, Orlando, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale. Jacksonville takes the crown for the hardest-fishing big city in Florida.

The region’s rivers, maze-like marshes, bays, the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), jetties, beaches, and offshore grounds form a network of waters unlike any other in Florida. Two spring scenarios to target are shallow-water redfish and trout, and offshore, schools of migrating dolphin swarming at the Ledge.

Catch Seatrout and Redfish in Jacksonville

redfish catches near Jacksonville Florida
A double hookup of redfish in the shallow marshes near Jacksonville, Florida. Capt. Buzz Brannon

Big tides breathe life into Jacksonville’s extensive marsh-and-creek system.

“We have a 5-foot tidal swing, on average, every 6 hours, so the locations to fish are constantly changing,” says Capt. Buzz Brannon, who’s guided anglers in Jacksonville for more than two decades.  He runs an 18-foot Beavertail Vengeance in the shallows, stalking reds, trout, flounder, and other species on spin and fly. One of his favorite bites is for “hillbilly bonefish,” what some folks call redfish when they get them in the grass on big tides, he says.

For seatrout, Brannon likes dusk and dawn, low-light times. In the spring, when the finger mullet show up, both trout and redfish take topwater lures. “Anything with a hard edge along the St. Johns will be holding mullet,” he says.

Fishing the city’s infrastructure — bridges, docks, seawalls, and industrial installations along the water (where legally accessible) — produces a variety of species. Both natural and manmade habitats hold good fish in Jacksonville, one of the city’s many surprises for visiting anglers.

“I think we have the best redfishing in the state,” says Capt. Buzz Brannon.

It’s been the best year of redfishing Brannon has seen for quite some time. In 2012, an increase in the redfish bag limit to 2 fish per person took a toll on the redfish. In September 2022, the bag limit was lowered back to one redfish per person, and since then, the fishing has been steadily improving, Brannon says.

The nourishment of those rich waters flowing in the St. Johns generates and draws abundant life to the nearshore and offshore waters, including a pelagic fishery that’s been a standout hotspot in recent years— the Ledge.

Big Dolphin off Jacksonville

Fishing the Ledge for dolphin off Jacksonville Florida
With dolphin fishing declining in some areas, Northeast Florida anglers are still enjoying incredible days starting in April. Capt. Tim Altman

About 55 to 65 miles off Jacksonville, depending on the marina’s location, the continental shelf slopes down from 120-foot depths and then drops off to 175 feet deep — the Ledge. The Gulf Stream runs nearby, and when its warm waters or any of its warm eddies circulate over the Ledge’s structure, prey, and predators get drawn into those dynamic flows. In winter, these waters hold good numbers of big wahoo, ranging up to 70 and 100 pounds, often caught high-speed trolling and more recently, Capt. Tim Altman of Hoodoo Charters says, by live-baiting.

“Guys are having incredible days for wahoo at the Ledge slow-trolling live baits like blue runners and bonito,” says Altman, a multiple-time wahoo tournament winner and a fanatic for those fish.

Capt. Altman runs 11-hour charter trips to the Ledge for pelagics including wahoo and dolphin aboard his Saltwater Challenge, a 36-foot Contender with triple Mercurys. In April, the game switches to catching big dolphin.

“We’ve crushed it the last few years for big dolphin at the Ledge, lots of them,” he says. “We’ll start going out for them between April 12 and 15, and the biggest fish are early in the year. We get a good month and a half of solid dolphin fishing.”

His good news about dolphin fishing may surprise people who’ve heard about a lack of fish in recent years around South Florida and the Keys.

“I’m aware that South Florida has seen a real decline in their dolphin fishing, especially around Key West, Marathon, and Miami. I can’t explain the difference in Northeast and South Florida fishing,” Altman says. “The old-school guys say the migratory pattern for yellowfin tuna has changed, so maybe that’s the case with dolphin, too, or maybe the currents have changed.”

Dolphin at the Ledge

underwater photo of a dorado mahi
Look for temperature breaks with ocean water temps 76 degrees and warmer to find dolphin off Northeast Florida. Skirted or naked ballyhoo are great trolling options. Adobe Stock / #269599324

Altman and his crew leave his Amelia Island marina at 5 a.m. and head out to the Ledge for an 11-hour trip. He’ll check RipCharts on his phone and screenshot the image of the temperature breaks at the Ledge. On his Simrad he also has SirrusXM weather for sea surface temperature readings offshore. He’s looking for temperature breaks with ocean water temps 76 degrees and warmer, weed lines, and edges.

“During dolphin season, as we get near the Ledge, I’ll put out small Nomads or a horse ballyhoo skirted with an Ilander on a planer with wire to target wahoo. Beyond the Ledge, we’ll run everything on the surface.

“Some days skirted stuff works, but I don’t believe there’s anything more effective for dolphin than a properly rigged, chin-weighted, split-bill ballyhoo,” he says. “When you see that big dolphin coming, or if you get a hit, you free spool it for 15 to 25 seconds, and I’m telling you that works.”

The dolphin come through in packs, and between times Altman and crew can also bottom fish for triggers, snapper, grouper, or whatever’s in season. They’ll likely have sardines in the livewell and they’ll chum dolphin by their boat with cuttlefish or squid, keeping a lookout, ready to throw a live bait to any big fish coming to the boat.

“You’ve got to be ready for those big fish. You’ll have a bunch of schoolies, the boat’s kicked out of gear and you’re live-baiting. The fish get all around you. Then you’ll see the dolphin scatter and that’s indicative of a shark or a big dolphin coming in to tear them up. I’ll tell you it’s incredible when you see that big dolphin coming through the water to you. Man, that’s fun.”

Jacksonville Florida Fishing Captains

Bait Stores

  •             B & M Bait & Tackle, Jacksonville, (904) 249-3933
  •             Brown’s Creek Bait & Tackle, Jacksonville, (904) 757-1600
  •             FishBites Trading Post, St. Augustine, (904) 217-8012

Note: Special thanks to the FWC and its licensing department for the analysis of its data on fishing license holders by municipality across the entire state of Florida.

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West Winds Are the Best Winds https://www.sportfishingmag.com/howto/west-winds-best-winds/ Fri, 08 Mar 2024 20:32:03 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=54226 In Louisiana, west winds have a bad reputation. Here’s how to take advantage of the common occurrence.

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speckled trout from Louisiana
Dustin Jones caught this speckled trout, along with a whole bunch of others, in a medium-size bayou that drained a large marsh lake. Todd Masson

I’m clearly a glutton for punishment. For most anglers, fishing trips involve making a milk run of spots that have delivered for them in the past, and hoping that at least one of them will hold feeding fish on that day. It’s an efficient strategy that certainly increases the chances for success. But to me, it’s as boring as reading a book on String Theory.

The joy for me in the sport of angling is not in reeling in a fish but rather in overcoming the challenge of figuring out the fish. Each bite is just confirmation that the fish were doing what my analysis determined they should be. Once the fish is hooked, I’d just as soon hand the rod to someone else to reel it in.

Because of that, I rarely fish the same spot twice, preferring to hit new areas that require me to read the water and make exploratory casts to determine if my hypotheses were correct. Since my home state of Louisiana has 2.5 million acres of coastal wetlands, the options are almost endless for anglers like me who want to channel their inner Vasco da Gama.

boat flipping a speckled trout
Boat flip! The author has noticed west winds tend to concentrate speckled trout. Todd Masson

As such, most of my fishing trips actually begin at my desk staring at Google Earth on my Mac. I look for areas rich in hydrographic features that should deliver based on expected conditions on the day I’m fishing.

To me, one of the most predictable occurs during or immediately following an atmospheric feature that most south Louisiana anglers despise — a west wind. Breezes with a compass reading anywhere from about 225 to 315 cause water in Louisiana’s marshes to flee like tourists the day after Mardi Gras. Lakes, bays and lagoons that may have produced fish the day before a westerly wind will be as fishless and nearly as dry as the Mojave.

Since those are the areas that most anglers fish, west winds are as popular in south Louisiana as bland gumbo. But those fish have to go somewhere, and to me, a west wind merely serves to concentrate them and make them easier to catch. That’s particularly true with speckled trout and redfish, although the strategies I employ to find them differ slightly. 

If I’m hoping to get a speckled-trout fix, I scan the satellite images and make note of medium-sized bayous that drain marsh lakes or lagoons. From September through May, specks will stuff their faces in these water bodies. They will retreat to the nearest deep water when forced to by Mother Nature. Although major bayous with depths to 20 feet are certainly worth checking, the sweet spots for me are bayous with 6 to 10 feet of depth. Invariably, once on sight, I’ll make my first cast at the first bend of each of those bayous.

Louisiana redfish caught on a jig
After west winds, redfish will stack up in small bayous that connect ponds. Todd Masson

If I’m craving the hard hits and strong pulls of redfish, my game plan varies slightly. What I look for in my map study are small bayous that connect two marsh ponds. Redfish seem to always want to be as shallow as possible, often hunting for snacks in water no deeper than the height of their bodies. So when ponds get dry or too shallow to swim, the fish stack up in absurd numbers in these small bayous that measure only 2 to 3 feet deep.

Often the challenge is getting to these tiny waterways in the low-water conditions, an obstacle that’s overcome with the use of a mud motor or with nerves of steel while running an outboard over glorified mud puddles. The latter is the method I employ, so a push pole is standard gear on my boat. It’s saved me from spending the night in the marsh more times than my wife will ever know.

Admittedly, not every medium-sized bayou that drains a marsh lake will hold speckled trout, and not every small bayou between two ponds will be crowded with redfish. So I find several before I ever pull my boat out of the garage, and I’ll hit them all in a day’s fishing. Ground truthing my hypotheses is what makes this sport fun.

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After a Texas Trophy https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game-fish/catch-trophy-texas-trout-winter/ Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:26:36 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=53896 A Louisiana angler takes on Texas in search of that mythical 30-inch seatrout.

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Texas seatrout Mansfield
Capt. Joe Prado has mastered the retrieval speed and cadence of Soft-Dines to entice bites from giant seatrout. Todd Masson

As founder of the popular community of trophy speckled-trout enthusiasts known as Speckled Truth, Chris Bush yawns at fish that cause most anglers to fight an irrepressible urge to wet their waders. The Holy Grail for trophy-trout diehards is a 30-inch fish, a true log of a lifetime, a fish that many anglers strive for, fully knowing they’ll likely never achieve. In his fishing career, Bush has landed six of them, and he’s got the pictures to prove it. So it took me less than two seconds to reply affirmatively when the San Antonio resident asked if I wanted to come to his home state and tag along with him in a quest to add another notch to his wading belt. 

A regular at the Texas coast, Bush said the absolute best place to do it would be Port Mansfield in the winter. So eight months in advance, we put some December dates on the calendar, and Bush lined up area guide Capt. Joe Prado to ferry us.

I’ve got four decades of speckled trout fishing experience, and two decades ago wrote a book on the topic, but nearly all of my pursuits have occurred in the marshes of south Louisiana, an area that produces numbers of fish that beggar belief but doesn’t offer a realistic shot at a 30-incher.

In fairness to my home state, I did catch my PB (personal best) there — an 8-pound, 8-ouncer — but that was during a five-year run of absolutely ideal conditions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That fish, a remarkably rotund 28-incher, fell for a Norton Mud Minnow on Calcasieu Lake. I’ve caught some 24- and 25-inch fish since, but nothing approaching 30 inches.

wade fishing texas seatrout
Chris Bush believes the best chance to land a trophy trout is out of Port Mansfield, Texas in the winter. The results speak for itself. Todd Masson

Bush and I had agreed to fish two days in Port Mansfield, and when the dates for our trip arrived, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. A hard cold front blew through two days prior, leaving in its wake partly to mostly cloudy skies with absolutely no wind. Prado had scouted in preparation, and picked out an extensive grass flat with maybe a foot of water between the surface and the tips of the seagrass. We donned waders and fanned out across the flat.

It wouldn’t take long for the hopes and dreams I’d spent eight months conjuring in my head to be dashed. To my left and right, Bush and Prado were catching plenty fish, and a significant percentage of those were over 5 pounds with a handful over seven. I was catching as many fish as they were, but my trout were significantly smaller, and I seemed to be a magnet for redfish, nothing but a time-waster when you’re targeting big trout.

Only a foolish guest thinks he knows more than his hosts, so I studied Bush and Prado, whose cadences were markedly different but seemed to be equally productive. At various times, I tried to mimic each, but my results stayed consistent — lots of reds and small trout. My biggest of the day were a couple of 4-pounders — certainly not slouches, but not what I had driven 10 hours for, particularly when 28-plus-inchers were clearly in the area.

Gator texas trout
Capt. Joe Prado lands a huge Port Mansfield speckled trout. Todd Masson

That night, I racked my brain trying to figure out what I was doing differently than the two much more experienced Texas wade fishermen who put on an absolute clinic. I vowed to keep trying different cadences on our second and final trip to the flat, but unfortunately, I got more of the same — except in addition to the reds and small trout, I caught two black drum and a sheepshead.

At a certain point, I wanted to snap my rod in two because Prado and I had wandered off shoulder to shoulder, casting to the same water, and within a 45-minute stretch, he subdued five fish over 7 pounds. I caught nothing anywhere close.

Then Prado gave me a lesson that would completely change my fortune. The hot bait of the trip was a MirrOlure Soft-Dine, a lure with which I’d had very little experience, and Prado offered that I was fishing it too slowly. Indeed, on maybe 10 percent of my casts, I’d come back fouled with grass, while Prado never did. He told me to twitch the lure almost as fast as possible and intersperse random short pauses — but so short that the lure would never fall more than four inches below the surface.

It felt quite unnatural to me, but I took the guide’s advice, and I’ll be forever grateful I did. Almost instantly, the size of the trout I was catching grew noticeably, and finally, with only 30 minutes remaining on our final day, I felt a hard thump, set the hook and knew instantly I hadn’t hooked a redfish.

winter fishing giant texas trout
After getting advice from Capt. Joe Prado, the author altered his cadence, and caught his largest speckled trout in two decades. Todd Masson

Large trout sometimes fully breach the surface, but often, they’re so big, they can’t. The best they can do is emerge halfway, shaking their massive maws in what every angler hopes is a futile attempt to throw the lure. The ever gracious Bush, who had been pulling for me to catch a big one like I was a Make-A-Wish kid, saw the bite and the initial eruption, and rushed over, ready to stick a Boga in the fish’s mouth.

His first attempt was a swing and a miss, but the exhausted fish had little left in the tank. It circled back, and Bush clamped the prongs of the tool around the fish’s bottom jaw. It pulled the Boga to more than 7 pounds. Although it wasn’t a 30-incher, and wasn’t even my biggest trout ever, it was the biggest I’d caught in almost two decades, and made the trip more than worth it.

Bush said he regularly stresses to his followers the importance of fishing Soft-Dines almost impossibly fast when wading shallow flats, and the difference it makes was reiterated to him with my experience. That may be elementary to Texas wade-fishing veterans, but those traveling to the state in hopes of catching a big one should definitely keep it in mind.

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New Seatrout Regulations for Louisiana https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game-fish/seatrout-regulations-louisiana/ Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:06:45 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=53392 The state’s updated spotted seatrout rules take effect on November 20.

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spotted seatrout
Louisiana anglers now have new bag and slot limits for seatrout. Jon Whittle

Anglers fishing in Louisiana must follow new speckled trout regulations starting Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The state’s past bag limit of 25 seatrout per day was shortened to 15 specks per angler, with guides and crew no longer allowed to box a limit while on a charter.

Secondly, a 12-incher is no longer a keeper. The old minimum size limit of 12 inches total length is gone, replaced with a new slot of 13 to 20 inches. Of note, two seatrout over the 20-inch max — overslot fish — can be kept as part of a daily bag limit.

“The timing probably isn’t the best, considering the number of casual anglers who fish the week [of Thanksgiving],” says Louisiana angler Todd Masson, who runs the popular Marsh Man Masson YouTube fishing channel. “We simply no longer have the population to support 25 fish at 12 inches. The change should have been made years ago, but the species is highly fecund and short-lived so the rebound should be rather quick.”

CCA Louisiana supports the new creel limit of 15 fish as a reasonable move in the spirit of conservation. “Fishery managers are quick to propose recreational creel and size limit adjustments, but recreational changes cannot be the only remedy,” said CCA Louisiana, in a statement. Other factors must be considered as part of the overall seatrout rebuilding plan, including coastwide and regional forage reduction, marine habitat and reef degradation, bycatch, fisheries restocking programs, stock evaluation protocols and programs, and ecosystem level management.

The new seatrout regulations are scheduled to sunset at midnight on Jan. 1, 2028. State scientists will provide an up-to-date stock assessment on seatrout before the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission’s April 2027 meeting. The updated assessment affords the commission the ability to modify the regulations, if needed.

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Get Stealthy to Catch Giant Seatrout https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game-fish/how-to-catch-giant-seatrout/ Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:27:02 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=53310 Three pros share their secrets for catching the spotted seatrout of a lifetime.

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spotted seatrout release
Many light-tackle anglers dream of catching a trophy spotted seatrout. The tactics to catch them are different than typical schoolies. Capt. Dave Lear

Spotted seatrout. Speckled trout. Specks. No matter the name, this inshore species is one of the most popular game fish on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The IGFA all-tackle world record, caught on May 11, 1995, by Craig Carson at Fort Pierce, Florida, weighed a massive 17 pounds, 7 ounces. Behemoths like that are rare, but many light-tackle anglers dream of catching a true trophy pushing double-digits sometime during their lifetime. So we asked three experts to tell us what they do and look for when targeting that specific bucket list prize.

Catching Gator Florida Seatrout

Florida seatrout
When fishing for seatrout, look for telltale signs like minnows stacked up, the presence of big mullet, birds feeding and water funneling through a cut. Courtesy Capt. Ed Zyak

“Growing up fishing the Indian River Lagoon, I got pretty spoiled. It wasn’t unusual to catch a dozen fish over 10 pounds every season,” says Capt. Ed Zyak. “This is where the world record was caught. There are still big fish left, just not in the numbers as before. It really depends on where you are, though. On Florida’s southwest coast, a 7-pounder is a really good fish. But I still get really excited breaking that 10-pound mark.”

Zyak looks for out of the way places near Ft. Pierce that don’t get a lot of traffic, preferably on a new moon. Small shallow spots adjacent to deeper water, like the backside of a bar, are the focus of his attention. He prefers to get out of the boat to wade on the last of the falling and first of the incoming tides, which concentrates the bait. Zyak watches for telltale signs like minnows stacked up, the presence of big mullet, birds feeding and water funneling through the zone.

“Figuring out water flow is important,” Zyak says. “I’ll often kick up a little sand to gauge the current. You have to adjust the presentation according to the conditions, but typically I’ll cast a jerk bait or shrimp up-tide and let it sweep parallel to the bait, using a twitch-and-short-pause retrieve. The strikes usually come on the pause. I’ll stand still and pick a spot apart for an hour. The seatrout settle down and forget you’re even there, especially with long casts. That requires confidence and patience. You’re not trying to catch 30 fish, you’re looking for one or two chances at a trophy and that means a slow, methodical approach.”

Florida Seatrout Fishing Gear

Here’s what Capt. Ed Zyak, of Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, recommends:

  • Favorite Months: April & May
  • Rods: 7.5’ Medium spin rod with extra fast action
  • Reels: 4000 class spin
  • Line: 10-pound braided line, 30- to 40-pound test fluorocarbon leader
  • Lures: 3-inch shad or paddles tails; 1/4-ounce artificial shrimp; Shimano Coltsniper topwater plugs
  • Bait: Live pilchards
  • Tip: “Patience and silence are the keys. Slow down, pay attention to the conditions and pick a spot apart.”

Giant Gulf Coast Spotted Seatrout

wade fishing for seatrout
Try wade fishing when you can. Outside of the boat is much quieter and more stealthy, so you have a better chance of sneaking up on large seatrout. Courtesy Capt. Richard Rutland

“I didn’t actually weigh any of my three biggest fish,” explains Capt. Richard Rutland. “I measured and released them as quickly as possible. If it takes two hands to pick one up, that’s a big seatrout for the central Gulf. They’re usually pushing 30 inches and up to nine pounds.”

Rutland often finds big cooperative fish in early December. He targets the tidal rivers off Mobile Bay where the deeper channels offer sanctuary from the cold. As the sun warms the adjacent flats, the trout will come up to warm and feed in the shallows. In deeper water he cranks the reel slowly and steadily with an occasional twitch to add action to the lure.

April and May are the big spawning months and Rutland prefers to fish right before or after the full moon when large females are active. His three warm-water zones are grass flats, oyster bars/shells and sand bars along the beach.

“I’m always wading whenever I can,” he says. “It’s much quieter and stealthy, so you have a better chance. I’m also more aggressive with my presentation when it’s warm. I’ll whack, whack the lure, let it flutter and then repeat at a faster pace to trigger reactionary strikes.”

Alabama seatrout fishing
In the cooler months, target the tidal rivers off Mobile Bay where the deeper channels offer sanctuary from the cold. Courtesy Capt. Richard Rutland

Rutland says the weaker tides aren’t as much a factor in his region, as long as the fish have enough water to feel comfortable. If he’s in the boat with clients, he aligns with the wind and current to drift and reach prime zones with long casts.

Rutland’s go-to lure is a soft-plastic jerk bait made by PureFlats. The Slick has a long tail rigged with an Owner swimbait hook plain or slightly weighed. Natural colors top the list, but he will switch to brighter patterns for contrast in cloudy water. For live bait, it’s croakers, finger mullet or small menhaden free-lined on a 2/0 kahle hook.

“You have to be very, very patient to target big fish,” he adds. “You might only get four or five bites all day long. Catching one is a waiting game.”

Gulf Coast Seatrout Fishing Gear

Capt. Richard Rutland, of Dauphin Island and Mobile Bay, Alabama, recommends:

  • Favorite Months: Second week of December, April & May
  • Rods: 7.5’ baitcaster with soft tip and action
  • Reels: 3000 class baitcasting reel
  • Line: 30-pound braided line with 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader
  • Lures: Pure Flats The Slick jerk bait with Owner 4/0 Beast worm hook
  • Bait: Live croaker, finger mullet
  • Tip: “It’s always about distance and not alerting the fish. I try to cast as far as I can to cover more water and discern feeding patterns.”

Trophy Texas Seatrout Fishing

Texas seatrout fishing
Large seatrout are very aware of their surroundings, so any boat noise or a pressure wave puts them on alert. Courtesy Capt. Joe Farah

“Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay are hyper-saline systems that grow huge fish,” says Capt. Joe Farah. “But those fish are also very aware of their surroundings, so any boat noise or pressure wave puts them on alert. So whether you’re wading or drifting you have to stalk quietly and not give away your presence.”

Farah keys in on specific types of habitat when targeting large trout. He concentrates on small areas, usually 300 yards in size or less, quick access to deep water for escape, mud and sand, seagrasses and shell.

“I always watch for baitfish and birds. Terns, laughing gulls and heron will be after finger mullet. Pelicans will focus on shad, while sand pipers are looking for clams and eels. Find all those and you’ve got a big trout buffet.”

Farah prefers to cast into the wind, since resting trout will be facing the wind and current. That approach keeps him in the fish’s blind spot and brings the lure into their vision, where they can assess and kill the prey.

In February and March he typically throws a 5.5 jerk bait with 1/16-oz. jig head in tequila sunrise, dark black and red for fish warming in the shallow grass. In November, as the water starts to cool, there’s a late spawn and he switches to a rainbow trout-colored swim bait with 1/8-oz. jig to mimic the shad. He adds large topwater plugs to the mix in the spring and fall.

Texas seatrout fishing
A trophy trout is extremely smart and wary. They also tend to be loners. Don’t expect to find giant seatrout stacked up together. Courtesy Capt. Ed Zyak

“You have to make every cast count. That’s why I use plugs in bright colors to track and detect any swipes or blow-ups. But I work them extremely slow, with short pauses to let them sit and roll in the waves to mimic an injured, dying bait. It often takes three minutes to retrieve a lure. The idea is putting a victim in the hunting zone. A trophy trout is extremely smart and wary. If something doesn’t look right, Old Google Eyes is going to say, ‘Nope, not this one.’”

Texas Seatrout Fishing Gear

Capt. Joe Farah, of Baffin Bay and Laguna Madre, Texas, recommends:

  • Favorite Months: February, April, May, November
  • Rods: 7’ medium fast spin
  • Reels: 3000 class spin
  • Line: 15-pound braid with 30-pound-test monofilament leaders for stretch
  • Lures: MirrOlures or Heddons in bright colors for visibility; 4-inch swim bait in rainbow trout, jerk shads in natural colors with 1/16- to 3/8-oz. short shank jigheads
  • Bait: Live shrimp under popping cork in the spring, summer months live croaker and piggy perch
  • Tip: “Trophy trout fishing is like hunting. You don’t catch big ones catching numbers. You have to concentrate on spots that only hold big fish.”

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