A popular inshore sportfish along the East and Southeast coasts is the speckled sea trout. Specks are great fun to catch, but their biggest draw might be their flaky white meat.
Underwater, there is an opalescent flash beneath the water, with a silver flank, purple hues, black spots.
The speckled sea trout may not be what it appears to be; despite its name, it is not a trout of the rainbow or brown variety. Cynoscion nebulosus is actually a member of the drum family (Sciaenidae), related to redfish and black drum. Male sea trout have an impressive way to communicate; they make a rhythmic drumming noise with their air bladders. Not only that, but they are very eager to take natural and artificial baits as well as flies – making them good targets for anglers. Finally, these fish are considered delicious table fare, hence why they are so highly sought after.
Sea Trout Locations
Most anglers target these fish in shallow, inshore waters, but they can also be found offshore and even up rivers along the Gulf Coast, around Florida, and up to the mid-Atlantic, from Texas to Maryland.
The habitats of trophy trout and eating trout should be similar, whether you’re looking for trophy trout or eating trout. While trophy trout are exhilarating to land, they aren’t exactly the size you want to put on your stringer. In general, anything larger than 23 inches is considered a breeder fish, which our estuaries rely on in order to maintain their populations. They need gentle care and CPR (catch, photo, release).
The place where you search for specks correlates directly with what they are thinking about, which is typically one of three things: their next meal, shelter, or not getting eaten.
When it’s warmer, grass flats are the perfect spot for angling. Start your search in shallow areas right at sunrise and again closer to sunset. As the heat of the day intensifies, follow the trout as they move towards deeper channels and drop-offs around grass flats. On days when temperatures are more temperate, they may stay in shallower waters for a more extended period of time. In winter and late spring, shallow grass flats become particularly important as trout group up with large schools of mullet for added safety from predators.
Several species of crabs, shrimp, and baitfish live in oyster bars and beds. Foraging around oyster beds provides trout with relief and cover for small baitfish, as well as a break in the current, which allows trout to sneak up on and ambush their prey.
When trout are schooled up and hungry, they push baitfish balls up on the surface. Mother Nature gives us a few clues about when and where they are feeding. Anglers can see from afar how seagulls and other birds circle over a trout feeding frenzy and plunge into the water to strike baitfish from above, a dead giveaway for anglers. By-catch and birds can occur when targeting areas with working birds, but the reward will far outweigh the risk.
If you’ve heard of oil slicks, it’s important to also watch and sniff for trout slicks. These are caused by sea trout regurgitating oils from their recently eaten meals, causing a visible sheen on the surface and an odor similar to watermelon. Trout slicks tend to be shorter and more oval in shape compared to bait slicks that can be longer and stringy. It’s advisable to cast your line both small and large slicks, but the smaller ones often indicate that specks are still nearby hunting for food.
Sea Trout Lures and Baits
Anglers can catch sea trout by using artificial lures, live bait, and flies because they are opportunistic feeders.
Even the most gorged sea trout can be tempted to strike when a lure is handled with finesse. I use DOA shrimp as my go-to artificial lures for speckled trout. These plastics mimic a fleeing shrimp’s erratic motion with a twitch-twitch-pause action, so the fish can’t seem to resist them.
Fishing for speckled sea trout is an art and it pays to go back to basics with a fluke or soft-plastic jerk bait, such as the Texas Croaker color (purple plum body, chartreuse tail) on a jig head of 1/16- or 1/8-ounce to compliment water depth. To catch the bigger ones, try topwater over oyster bars and shallow flats during high tide, particularly early and late in the day or when there’s cloud cover. A good lure like the Yo-Zuri Topknock Pencil mimics an injured mullet which is irresistible to sea trout as prey. Additionally, MirrOLure Fatboy Corky is often favoured for winter and early spring fishing as it imitates shad which become scarcer in colder months.
Shrimp are very popular with speckled trout and easy to find in coastal bait shops. Popping corks are a great way to present them, as their popping sound when twitched on the surface attracts nearby fish. This type of rig is useful for both live bait and soft plastics – just add a standard saltwater hook for shrimp or a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce jig head for the latter.
Small croaker can be a contentious baitfish depending on the region, however in areas where they are allowed, trout find them irresistible during late spring and early summer seasons. As an alternative you could use piggy perch; doing so minimizes the risk of catching additional types of fish. A Kahle or “K” hook is best for rigging it through their back along the lateral line to keep it alive and swimming, alternatively you can thread it through its nose if fishing in deeper water. Basically, select a hook that matches the size of your chosen batch of croaker – 2/0 or 3/0 is usually most appropriate.
There are many colors and patterns anglers commonly use for other popular inshore species such as redfish and snook when choosing fly patterns for sea trout. Streamers that resemble common forage fish and crustaceans, such as the Clouser Minnow or EP Baitfish, are ideal. Many fly anglers prefer white or drab colors, but you can choose hues that are more adventurous.
Sea Trout Techniques
As a result of Wade fishing, you are much more stealthy and able to be very thorough when fishing any area. Additionally, it keeps you aware of subtle changes that you might miss fishing from a boat, such as changes in water temperature, changes in bottom composition, and changes in tide movement.
There’s no doubt that boats are helpful in gaining access to remote areas and working through water efficiently. Flat skiffs are the best, but kayaks and johnboats offer great opportunities as well. If you’re on a boat, whether you’re using a trolling motor in deeper water or a push-pole and drift socks in shallow water, a slow, steady drift will allow you to cover an area without spook the fish.
It’s a blast to fish for trout in the surf, but it’s almost entirely dependent on the weather and wind. Because trout are visual feeders, they prefer calm wind and clear water. The key to fishing the surf is long casts, whether you’re wade fishing, boating, or wading.
Sea Trout Gear
The humbling thing about trout fishing is you do not need heavy tackle – this is a very much a light gear game. Speckled sea trout are notorious for spitting hooks.
I primarily use braided line with a double Uni knot to a fluorocarbon leader. When trout fishing, a 6-foot 6-inch medium-power, fast-action baitcasting rod like the 13 Omen Green or Waterloo Ultra Mag is my go-to rod. Braid gives you a much better feeling.
This technical style of fishing requires a lightweight, fast-action rod, whether you prefer casting or spinning rods. Although your rod should be light, it must also possess the muscle and finesse to feel even the subtlest bite, while also possessing the backbone to throw large plastic baits, topwaters, and live baits a country mile.
Specks have big, mean teeth that they’ll try to use on you if they’re given the chance, as many have learned the hard way. The best way to deal with this is to use lip grippers when you remove hooks. In addition to limiting the amount of contact you have with the trout so that you do not remove its slime (which is vital to its overall health if you decide to release it), they will also increase your chances of getting your hook out of smaller trouts.
Fishing for trout can be dangerous in more ways than one. Not only do there have to be precautions taken to prevent cuts or scrapes from its teeth, but also to make sure it doesn’t get harmed when releasing it. Pliers provide a great barrier against a speckled trout’s fangs and can help avoid any injuries. However, if the fish is small, I suggest using your hand or forceps instead as the pliers can cause too much damage. Ultimately, no matter what you’re doing with the fish – whether it’s being released back into saltwater or perhaps cooked that night – it’s best to ensure there are no casualties involved.
Sources: themeateater
