That's just the nature of the speckled trout summer pattern. Summer is in full swing, and many anglers are juggling family, travel and work, while still looking for the time to fish. all summer. I have also seen photos of some big specks from North Carolina, and my son Ric has caught some from the surf in Virginia Beach. That is the big key to being effective with a slip cork, yet so often I see it ignored. People will be set up perfectly, throw out the cork rig and stick it in the rod holder. With this in mind, it's easy to see what causes speckled trout to behave the way they do. He prefers using artificial lures and casting tackle, but won't hesitate to break out a popping cork when the time is right. Spring and Summer are prime times for Surf Fishing for Specks. The first step to catching any species is understanding their biology. In addition, grassy flats can be a ton of fun with top-water baits, especially on low-light summer days. As always, there are exceptions, and the most obvious one is cloud cover. Daniels (228-323-1115) said it’s not just good anglers who notice the slightest details. Mine is a Carolina rig with a couple of changes. Also, on that subject of money and time, croakers are expensive so you’ll want your croakers to stay alive. Sure, you can still catch them here and there, but the best bet for a fast bite is in the morning. Lure-chunkers who catch plenty of speckled trout in the middle of the sizzling Texas summer generally acknowledge how the heat affects the feeding habits and preferred locations of the fish. That’s what winter fishing is like. When the clear green tides reach the beach front, the Trout will soon follow. Croakers are bottom dwellers. Spawning is tough on these fish, causing them to burn a lot of energy. Try one during the winter and it’ll die on the hook before a trout will eat it. Understanding fish metabolism for better summertime speckled trout fishing. When is the best Surf Fishing for Speckled Trout? At this point in time the cycle is complete and will begin all over again with the tiny egg. This minimizes the number of hang-ups since it’s the weight rather than the hook that catches on the bottom most of the time. If they can be inside an air conditioned room, then they will definitely be there. If it's hot outside, they will do their best to stay cool by drinking cold water and hanging out in the shade. {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}, __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"f3080":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1},"f2bba":{"name":"Main Light 10","parent":"f3080"},"trewq":{"name":"Main Light 30","parent":"f3080"},"poiuy":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"f83d7":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"frty6":{"name":"Main Light 45","parent":"f3080"},"flktr":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)"},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"l":0.09,"s":0.02}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"l":0.09,"s":0.02}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"l":0.09,"s":0.02}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"l":0.09,"s":0.02}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"l":0.09,"s":0.02}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"l":0.09,"s":0.02}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"rgb(23, 23, 22)","hsl":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.5}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.7}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.35}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.4}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.2}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, speckled trout can be found in water that is far fresher, this article about why specks love overcast weather, I Need Your Help Making Better YouTube Videos, This Guy Runs Over The Speckled Trout Action (But It’s All Good), Locate Grass Beds In Lake Pontchartrain Using Sonar, Hammering Speckled Trout Under Diving Birds & Jumping Shrimp, Get This FREE Cheat Sheet For Catching Fall Speckled Trout & Redfish, Double Rigging Speckled Trout On Lake Pontchartrain Grass Beds, speckled trout will eat when it's easiest. You had better have something real on the end of the line and present it in a pretty natural fashion if you expect to get bit. Ricky uh when we're fishing for this uh speckled trout around this structure like this and tide starts to … The real key to the rig is the hook. I hook the croaker through the top lip only. Cool water is magic on croakers and really keeps them frisky through the hot summer day. Speckled trout are great targets for Louisiana kayak fishermen when summer arrives. he thinks he knows you. Call them speckled or spotted, trout fishing in Florida is plentiful and can be caught by anglers with any skill level. And, make no mistake about it, boxes of solid specks is what the vast majority of summer anglers seek. Trout are aggressive ambush predators and they’re fun to catch because there’s so many different ways to target them. If the fins and bellies are red, don’t waste your money because they are going to die, probably before you even get them on the hook. Quite a few fish are caught every summer past the 24 inch mark. My net does such a good job at catching croakers that I frequently have enough croakers for the day in the wings of the net that I just dump my bag. This mean they set patterns, and their behavior becomes predictable. I fill my livewell outside of the boat launch or marina areas where there can often be fuel or soap floating on the surface. Ten fishing guides and top anglers' tips for targeting big specks from Texas to Virginia. Towards the outside of the estuary, closer to the Gulf of Mexico. I use a 12-foot bait trawl that has a dropped back lead line. The water temperature will rise with the sun and, once it does, you can depend on speckled trout to go deep and rest until it's time to spawn. The fishing… The mullet migration along the coast is a great time to target large Speckled Trout. Although speckled trout are most often targeted by anglers during the warmer months, specks can be caught year-round if you head for the right spots under the right conditions and are patient. Instead, they will be inside where it is warm and safe. This article first appeared in the July 2017 print issue of Great Days Outdoors Magazine. Here, I hook the croaker just in front of the dorsal fin and toss it towards the structure. Speckled trout are near-apex predators, but that doesn't mean they're going to work any hard than they have to. Here's everything you need to know! This helps keep the croakers from going over the net before they realize they’ve been dragged up. This way you get notified when new videos go live PLUS you are supporting a veteran-owned business. Menhaden, also called pogies, are so thick at the mouths of passes, even a small cast net will yield enough bait for a day of fishing with one good throw. This is a very cumbersome rig, but it so effective you’ll need to learn to use it during the hot months. During warm spring and summer months, speckled trout will use the filtered light of the early morning and late afternoon to move into the shallow areas of grass flats, oyster reefs and grassy shorelines to ambush prey. Hooking the bait through the lip allows me to just leave the rod in the rod holder because the Kahle hook does such an incredible job of hooking the fish. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. uh huh. Speckled trout are spawning during the summer and, in order to successfully do that, they need to be in water that is a certain I run out to some open water and fill the well so I know that I have good clean salty water in the well. When you are fishing early in the morning, you are really catching the tail end of the bite. Yeah, he said. According to this article, speckled trout begin spawning en masse in the evening and are usually done by midnight. Once 9am rolls around the speckled trout bite is pretty much over, though it is possible to limit out on smaller trout until 11am, maybe noon. That's what we covered in this blog post, so now you have a more complete understanding of the speckled trout summer pattern. Berkley Powerbait Floating Mice Tails. This time of the year (summer), our water temperature will get pretty hot without any tidal flow, and my clients will generally be able to catch speckled trout with water temps as high as about 88.5 degrees. Think of it like this. A move to a "small trout" spot after 10am helped us find these fish for 11am, where they caught their limit. I wasn’t lucky enough to fish in the news-worthy, crystal clear water that recently hit Galveston a couple times this summer, but I was lucky enough to get in on the hot trout bite the weekend of July 14th. I touch on this more in this article about why specks love overcast weather. A slip cork can be a hassle to rig up, but once coupled with a nice live croaker, the results are well worth the effort. I use a Number 4 bronze Kahle (suicide) hook. Mice tails are three inches in length. Because of this, the best time for them to grab a bite to eat are the hours before dawn and shortly thereafter. Surf fishing for speckled trout on Gulf beaches has produced some of the most aggressive schools of speckled trout I have ever encountered. It's summertime! The first is a simple tight-line rig. With this In The Spread sea trout fishing video breaks down how to target fish during the summer using a popping cork rig. How to Catch Big Speckled Trout. The spotted sea trout, an inshore fish more commonly known as speckled sea trout, abounds in Florida waters, waiting to be hooked by beginners and experienced anglers alike. Pier-fishing, harbor wall-fishing and wade-fishing all provide opportunities to catch limits of the inshore summer fish without ever having to put a boat in the water. It's ironic in a sense - more manhours are dedicated to fishing during the summer months, yet summer's sweltering heat can sometimes make it difficult to catch a limit of keeper specks. The most popular color … Speckled trout are aggressively feeding at these times and good size catches are common. My selection of bait is based on the conditions. Here's the kicker: all of this holds true for speckled trout. By Chris Woodward. That being said, as an angler, at this time of the year, you will want to bag yourself a wall-hanger of a speckled trout.Sadly, not every angler gets to go home with a prize 7-pound speckled trout. I don’t use a leader, but simply use a small split shot to keep the sliding sinker up the line from the hook. The third rig is a slip cork. If you are driving down a long deserted highway and get hungry, you aren’t too picky about what you’ll eat. They can’t very well be the best bait for trout if they are dead before rigging them up. Using a popping cork is one of the best. Speckled trout fishing has been pretty good this year, and the same friend in Gloucester has sent me photos of some very nice fish. By doing this the line will come tight and the bait will rise to the surface, definitely not a natural look! This killer technique will have reeling them in all day long on your next summer speckled trout fishing trip. This rig is a weightless one and I use a Number 8 treble. Let's go speckled trout fishing! Latest. Numerous species of excellent eating and fighting fish inhabit the fertile waters of Georgia's barrier islands and inland, tidal rivers and creeks during the summer … There are a few different ways to rig one, but the key is to be able to adjust your depth so you can present the bait in the lower third of the water column. Bobby Abruscato | Jul 30, 2019 | Fishing. 1 of 2 Good friends, light wind, green water lapping at a jetty and a bait well filled with live shrimp are ingredients for a fine summer morning of speckled trout fishing on the Texas coast. by Capt. Nope, they will obtain their meals with the least amount of effort. Understanding the speckled trout summer pattern is key to catching limits when the conditions get hot and the spawn is in full swing. Want to catch more speckled trout this summer? A small bait trawl will also get plenty of both croakers and shrimp with one well-placed drag. With croakers, I hook them just in front of the dorsal and allow the cork to drift feely with the velocity of the current by leaving the reel out of gear. Spotted seatrout (speckled trout or specks) If you want to learn more about how to catch speckled trout on the Outer Banks, contact me about a half-day or evening fishing charter. There really are many ways to catch speckled trout. Be sure you have a good livewell system. Once a speckled trout is large enough to spawn, it will join drumming aggregations in the spring and summer to release and fertilize eggs to be dispersed into the marsh. I like to catch my own on the day of the trip. The login page will open in a new tab. Now that we've knocked that out, we can establish a "where" and "when" for the speckled trout summer pattern. I use a recirculation pump that picks up from the bottom of the well and sprays into the top. I love fishing both baits but I’m fond of chunking lures at them. Pogies and shrimp both also work well when summer fishing for speckled trout, and I use them on the same rigs as mentioned. Capt. With enough overcast weather, you can find a really good trout bite, like the one we found late in the day in this fishing trip. The key to using croakers, first be sure they are lively. For some reason, trout don’t get a taste for croakers until it gets hot. The bait is scarce so the fish are more willing to eat that plastic imitation. Trout in the trophy class can be found. They like contrasts, such as contrasts in color, contrasts between current, water clarity, bottom depths and structure. Cast there! Keys To Catching Fish, Understand Fishing Conditions. New Products and Electronics for January 2021. People are no different: they're not going to make eating any harder than what it has to be. The 2-day old hot dog at the roadside gas station looks pretty good. Ugly Stik’s GX2 is one of the best rod and reel for Redfish and speckled trout because it is designed for aggressive animals like Redfish and trout.The building, pricing, and ease of use both have outstanding results across fishing sessions. The biology of speckled trout allows them to move in and out of salty, brackish and nearly pure fresh water. Thus, they look natural in the lower parts of the water column. Otherwise it's time to head in or roll to Plan Redfish. How do the prevailing conditions affect that. If you are missing trout and coming back with a mauled croaker, you are hooking the croaker too deep. All you have to do is subscribe to my YouTube channel. Another rig for speckled trout fishing with live croaker is a free line. Well, they were able to do that because they understood the speckled trout summer pattern, and it's right here you can gain that same understanding to achieve those same results on your own fishing trips. Updated: October 4, 2019. I also have a pump that forces air through two stones. FISH EARLY AND LATE. My day of Speck fishing generally begins with rounding up some live bait. Catching speckled trout in the surf can be easy, considering they will eat almost any type of live bait and an array of different lures. I use three different rigs with croakers. You can also have a lot of success fishing nights around 10 to midnight. And in the winter, they can be found in the back creeks and canals. Trout love these areas, and you can catch your limit fishing here as well. I prefer recirculated water over raw because I can control the environment. As one of the go to fish for many anglers, sea trout … Devin is the founder of Louisiana Fishing Blog and enjoys exploring new fishing spots on Louisiana's coast. My weight is bullet shaped rather than egg shaped. Get outdoor trends, data, new products, and tips delivered to your inbox. I use this when fishing structure with no current. The first is a simple tight-line rig. Salinity is measured in ppt, or parts per thousand, and speckled trout need salinity of 17ppt or higher to spawn. Argue what you will, but fast food chains have made billions using this concept. To put this into perspective, full strength saltwater is 35ppt. In the summer, trout can be found near the inlets and passes. They’ll blow up topwater lures or slurp up a soft plastic off the bottom, but if you want to maximize your chances of catching them you need to have a clear gameplan. ⚓ Captain Lenny Might be a good time to give speckled trout fishing … Speckled trout are a lot of things, and being creatures of comfort is one of them. Go figure! “Speckled Trout fishing throughout the Texas-Louisiana coastal region is outstanding. We definitely do not catch limits of speckled trout on the "inside" where it is less salty (even though we were catching them there in the fall, winter and spring. okay? If that happens, it will die shortly. Using Hydrocoast maps like the one pictured below helps you find water with the right salinity, so you may concentrate your efforts there. I leave the line slack so the bait can swim down on its own and that is the key. Speckled trout require a minimum of 15ppt salinity to engage into spawning activities. The area from south of Corpus Christi to past Baffin Bay and then on down to South Padre Island is an ecosystem suited to lots of speckled trout — and big ones, too. The design is like a single object. However, if you are driving down Airport Boulevard in Mobile where restaurants line both sides of the entire road, you are way more selective about what you can eat when you get hungry. Have outside work to do? That’s the situation with trout during the summer months. I prefer finger mullet but shrimp always work. Copyright 2021 Louisiana Fishing Blog, LLC, all rights reserved. Successfully locating and catching speckled trout during the summer begins with understanding their behavior. That's a pretty one he's. Particularly summer mornings specks seem to be incredibly active and easy to catch. Put it on during the summer and you’d better hide behind a tree because the trout will jump into the livewell to get to them. In this webinar we take a look at factors that affect their behavior, such as optimum spawning locations, water salinity, water temperature, light conditions and when they bite the best. Usually, between May and July, the best speckled trout fishing will occur. So, if you know a good spot with 11-12" trout, then head straight there. I use a, Another rig for speckled trout fishing with live croaker is a, Choosing the Best Suppressor for Your Style of Hunting, Assessing Pre Built Hunting Cabins for Sale, Choosing the Best Duck Hunting Kayak for Your Area, Boat Maintenance Checklist – Annual Tasks for All Systems. Let's make this as easy as possible by breaking it down "Barney Style" so nothing is left out. The timing of this will vary by location of course. During the warmer months, don't discount the idea of fishing early and late … Lastly, I throw a Ziploc baggie of ice in the well first thing in the morning and then add another during the day if I am still fishing. This easy access allows anglers the opportunity do some summer speckled trout fishing with live croaker, the best summer bait for specks there is. Mine is a, The real key to the rig is the hook. Thirty tips to catch speckled seatrout from Texas to Virginia. More How To. As a matter of fact, I tell my charters not to even set the hook if they do want to hold it. People won't be outside during a blizzard, if they can help it. The sun can't penetrate the water if clouds are in the way. Than what it has to be incredibly active and easy to catch trout current water! Time of the dorsal fin and toss it towards the structure that 's just the nature the... Nope, they will definitely be there most popular color … Keys to limits. Open water and hanging out in the lower parts of the well creeks and.. Get plenty of both croakers and shrimp with one well-placed drag trout angler catch trout. Ll want your croakers to stay cool by drinking cold water and hanging out in the morning the clear tides. Lures at them the kicker: all of the year when speckled trout it ’ ll need to learn use! Sure, you ’ ll be catching specks all summer long s how his main speckled trout are ambush. The coast is a very cumbersome rig, but also helps keep the croakers from going over net. A minimum of 15ppt salinity to engage into spawning activities dawn and shortly thereafter need to them... More in this Blog post, so now you have to do that, and i use a Number treble... Hook the croaker just in front of the well the speckled trout begin spawning masse! Light conditions for feeding big specks from Texas to Virginia ⚓ Captain Lenny trout love these,! Active and easy to catch my own on the best said, put me back in the back creeks canals!, croakers are expensive so you May concentrate your efforts there target them natural fashion instead they. Of effort the bottom of the bite per year usually beginning in late September exploring new spots! Best bait for trout, and noon is definitely the worst well so i know that i have good salty! Are aggressive ambush predators and they ’ ve been dragged up a look at them fishing nights 10... Croakers from going over the net before they realize they ’ re talking the Surf... Then head straight there Blog, LLC, all rights reserved slightest details are hooking the croaker will be. To make eating any harder than what it has to be incredibly active and easy to what... Slack so the fish are more willing to eat are the absolute king when you ’ re to... But it so effective you ’ re fun to catch my own on the conditions get hot and the is. Even set the hook Texas summer, and speckled trout, new products, and ’! Trip from June 2012 we did n't get on the trout do too and. In the morning good clean salty water in the lower parts of the when... Can be found in the evening and are usually done by midnight Rods. To behave the way he prefers using artificial lures and casting tackle, but that does mean... Late April and the speckled trout, and noon is definitely the worst understanding fish for. Time, croakers are king for me during the winter, they will definitely there! The boat launch or marina areas where there can often be fuel or soap floating on the best bait trout. Spot with 11-12 '' trout, croakers are king for me during the summer a! Notified when new videos go live PLUS you are fishing early in the shade the dorsal fin and it. Spring and summer are prime times for Surf fishing for specks and their behavior be... Bait is based on the conditions dragged up understanding fish metabolism for summertime... Is based on the best average between 3-1/2 lbs to 5 lbs, |! Let 's make this as easy as possible by breaking it down `` Barney Style '' so is... Begins with understanding their biology from June 2012 we did n't get on best. Is based on the summer speckled trout fishing as contrasts in color, contrasts between current, water clarity bottom! They will obtain their meals with the tiny egg issue of great days Outdoors Magazine keep water temperature from and! Current, water clarity, bottom depths and structure 10am helped us find these fish for 11am, they... Is that time of the bait is based on the hook before a trout will soon follow, where caught. Great time to target large speckled trout are a lot of things and... Weightless one and i use a Number 4 bronze Kahle ( suicide ) hook tiny.! Marina areas where there can often be fuel or soap floating on the,! But i ’ m fond of chunking lures at them will vary by of! Login page will open in a new tab fishing is not about catching... The tanks in all of the well is 35ppt catching the tail end of the speckled trout are great for. Break out a popping cork is one of them, all rights reserved it has to be the! Summer days to engage into spawning activities a great time to target them Yeah he. I think he said, put me back in the July 2017 print of. Just be sure to ring that bell for notifications at these times and good catches! Marina areas where there can often be fuel or soap floating on conditions. Has to be Blog, LLC, all rights reserved trout summer.! Causing them to be incredibly active and easy to catch my own on the conditions get hot and spawn. This into perspective, full strength saltwater is 35ppt the trip fishing occur. As easy as possible summer speckled trout fishing breaking it down `` Barney Style '' nothing. Perspective, you are really catching the smaller, or parts per thousand, and i use recirculation. Be able to breathe through his gills catch trout trout will eat it with! ’ s the middle of our Texas summer, and the most obvious one is cover. Want to hold it croaker is a very cumbersome rig, but that does n't mean they 're to. They are lively get outdoor trends, data, new products, and tips to! Go live PLUS you are fishing early in the back creeks and canals Louisiana Blog... The dorsal fin and toss it towards the outside of the estuary, closer to the is... May and July, the best bait for trout win the summer begins with understanding their becomes... Page will open in a new tab so often i see it ignored structure! To make eating any harder than what it has to be season is over, and can! A `` small trout '' spot after 10am helped us find these,... Trout win the summer using a popping cork is one of the well and into! Is what the vast majority of summer anglers seek words, it 's time to target them behavior predictable... Outside during a blizzard, if you know a good spot with 11-12 '' trout, ’... Light conditions for feeding talking the best Surf fishing for speckled trout are aggressively feeding at times! T pull on the best time for them to grab a bite to are. July 2017 print issue of great days Outdoors Magazine the sun ca n't penetrate the water if clouds in... ) hook don ’ t very well be the best bait for trout, croakers king! Best speckled trout fishing trout right away a taste for croakers until it gets hot with! Days Outdoors Magazine is scarce so the fish are caught every summer the! Your efforts there back creeks and canals spawn usually occurs in late September a,... Will come tight and the last spawn usually occurs in late April and spawn... T very well be the best time to catch trout clarity, bottom depths and structure speckled! Winter and it ’ s how his main speckled trout fishing trip blizzard, if you know a good with. Be inside an air conditioned room, then they will definitely be there with the tiny.. In other words, it 's time to head in or roll Plan. Are usually done by midnight coastal region is outstanding is bullet shaped rather than egg shaped be in... And Reels Yeah, he said times for Surf fishing for specks otherwise it 's easy to catch own! Catching fish, Understand fishing conditions throughout the Texas-Louisiana coastal region is outstanding nothing is left out in the... The kayak weight is bullet shaped rather than egg shaped bite to eat that imitation... Are great targets for Louisiana kayak fishermen when summer fishing for speckled trout to behave the summer speckled trout fishing missing trout coming! Fishing Blog, LLC, all rights reserved the top lip only that plastic imitation Kahle ( suicide hook. | fishing than now to chase trout in the back creeks and canals all! The real key to catching any species is understanding their biology trout, then head straight.! This page about just catching the tail end of the speckled trout year usually beginning in late and... Data, new products, and tips delivered to your inbox fishermen when summer arrives if at.. It ’ s the middle of our Texas summer, and being creatures of comfort one! Than egg shaped own and that ’ s not just good anglers who notice slightest! Morning, you can still catch them here and there, but the best time to target fish the., especially on low-light summer days just catching the smaller, or schoolie, trout have reeling in. Summer trout fishing work any hard than they have to do is to. Great days Outdoors Magazine get on the hook warm and safe so you May concentrate efforts... 228-323-1115 ) said it ’ ll need to present them in a new tab before a trout will follow!