You can simply cast, wait on a bite, set the hook and wind-in the speck or the red. Live shrimp is the best live bait you can use for speckled trout. Another great choice for topwater speckled trout lures is the Heddon Super Spook Jr. If you love catching trout, you’re going to love this episode. Required fields are marked *. Since you came to this article, you’re probably wondering – what are the best speckled trout lures? “I believe the golden croaker is the most-awesome live bait for trout and redfish that swims in the Gulf of Mexico,” Captain David Brown of Orange Beach, Alabama, says. Larger predators like speckled trout are drawn in to take advantage of the abundant forage, making the full moon one of the best times to fish. Fish the SPRO Bucktail Jig as if it was a wounded shrimp and the speckled trout won’t be able to help themselves. The benefit of live baits is that using it is easy. Often, to get the mullet down deep enough to where the trout can see it, you have to add lead to the line. Probably one of the most-difficult aspects of fishing any live bait, especially menhaden, is having the tendency to set the hook when trout blow-up on the bait. “If I’m fishing a rocky bottom over 12-feet deep, I’ll set my bobber stopper at 10 feet. However, you won’t get as many trash-fish strikes. Chartreuse and white clouser minnows are effective patterns for flys. They say you’ll usually catch trout that weigh from 3 pounds to as big as they grow on a 5- to 6-inch live mullet. However, it is a very effective bait for spotted sea trout as well. Speckled trout have a very acute sense of smell and will be hesitant to bite a lure that smells foreign to them. Our two favorite speckled trout jigs also work, The SPRO Bucktail Jig is our favorite jig for speckled trout. Then the fisherman will set the hook or let the trout have the bait for a 10-count before he sets the hook. Trout baits are natural baits that are set as traps for the fishes. "The rocks behind the Pass Christian Yacht Club at the Pass Christian Small Craft Harbor are good places for shorebound anglers to fish for specks," he said. But there’s another kind of trout that fishermen down south know all about: speckled trout. They will stay alive in a livewell, as long as plenty of water flows through that live well. He adds that, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with using live bait for speckled trout and redfish at night. Finally the trout increased its speed enough to catch and inhale the menhaden. In fact, I have caught more nighttime fish on live shrimp and bull minnows than any other way. One time I watched a big trout chase a menhaden that looked like a sleek greyhound leaping across the water. Often anglers let the bale free-spool, until they see the lines running out steadily. “If I locate a really hard-running current,” Brown reports, “I may use a 1/2-ounce egg-shaped sinker up the line. The mullet is another preferred bait of speckled trout and redfish. In other words, it is that time of the year when speckled trout fishing is all the rage. #speckledtruth #speckledtrout #trophytrout #dirty30trout #trophytroutcitation #conservation #wadefishing #texasfishing #topwater #heddon #superspook, A post shared by Speckled Truth (@speckled_truth) on Jun 22, 2020 at 7:45am PDT. The fish will see your bait and then eat it. Continue to feed-out the line until the line begins to run, as the trout swims-off with the mullet. The … 4 treble hook or a No. As the line tightens, set the hook with a quick wrist action. Many times, even when fishing a slip bobber and a live shrimp in 6 to 10 feet of water, I’ve seen a trout chase a shrimp all the way to the surface, before the fish eats the shrimp. We recommend getting the chrome or holographic colors of ACME Kastmaser Spoon. Before closing, we wanted to cover a few speckled sea trout fishing tips that will set you up for success the next time you go fishing for them. Longer shank J-Hooks help keep toothy fish from breaking you off 2. We wanted to start with our favorite topwater lures as they’re the most versatile and successful type of speckled trout lure in our tackle box. Join Luke and me LIVE as we drift grass flats and catch lots of trout, ladyfish, and Spanish mackerel. Baitfish are a common forage for Speckled Trout. When you’re fishing with live mullet, don’t set the hook when you first feel the strike. Finger Mullets, Pinfish, Menhaden, and juvenile Croakers are often seen as the main food source. The smaller trout and trash fish won’t hit the bigger mullet. We generally recommend using top water baits, jigs or spoons as they seem to produce the best results. If the MirrOLure Mirrodine C-Eye Pro isn’t working the next sea trout lure we try is the Heddon Super Spook Jr. To round out or top speckled trout lures, we always want to have a Rapala Saltwater Skitter Walk handy. The result is that sow trout will feed on croaker as a defense when the occasion rises. As far as spoons we recommend for sea trout, there are two that deserve to be in your tackle box. ALL CONTENT, PICTURES & VIDEO PROTECTED UNDER THE DIGITAL MILLENIUM COPYRIGHT ACT. All rights reserved. Mullet, shad, menhaden, mud minnows, pin perch, small speckled trout, and the current favorite seems to be croaker. But there’s another kind of trout that fishermen down south know all about: speckled trout. Speckled sea trout are one of the most fun fish to catch on artificial lures. Comments (0) Some anglers also hook the mullet right behind its dorsal fin. For someone new looking to add one to their arsenal, size is the basic component that need… If there’s speckled trout in the area, they’ll usually start blowing-up on the menhaden. Then you can see where the trout are and cast live bait to them. Its action imitates many different kinds of natural sea trout prey and proves irresistible when jigged or jerked back sporadically. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'finnsfishingtips_com-leader-1','ezslot_10',146,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'finnsfishingtips_com-leader-1','ezslot_11',146,'0','1'])); Speckled trout enjoy living in the top of the water column and often stick to coastal waters where there’s cover and an abundance of baitfish. . Often when the cork makes that popping, splashing sound, it will call trout into an area. Our other favorite speckled trout jig is the Last Cast Chrome Diamond Jig. Like many baits, it began its life as a lure to use for bass in lily pads and other vegetation. Live shrimp will work but be sure to carry plenty of bait because everything will eat a live shrimp. When using live shrimp you can fish them on the bottom with a ¼ oz to 1/2 oz egg weight fished in a Carolina rig. Situations dictate which style of leadhead, soft-plastic baits match up best. Jigs like the trout magnet and scented jig baits like the Berkley Gulp Alive minnow often out fish live baits. Cast the cork and the shrimp out to a deep channel or a shallow grass bed. We also included a guide on which speckled trout lure you should use depending on the situation as well as some general speckled trout fishing tips. In addition to shrimp, most guides in the Texas Coastal Bend have turned to small live fish, such as finger mullet, croaker, piggy perch and pinfish to catch speckled trout. lures, speckled trout In parts of the Chesapeake Bay, speckled trout can be caught by anchoring and bottom fishing with cut bait such as peeler crab, soft crabs, bloodworms, or spot. Now to live bait. This is not true in every scenario, but if a person were starving and had to catch specks to survive, live bait would be the way to go. While fishing for speckled trout, anglers in the Chesapeake Bay also catch gray trout, croaker, striped bass, bluefish, black drum, red … The ACME Kastmaser Spoon works for so many different types of fish that it deserves a spot in every fishermen’s tacklebox. When the menhaden vanished in the swirling water, I let the line tighten up and then set the hook. During the spring, most anglers fish with 12-pound test monofilament with menhaden. Anglers have learned that big 5- and 6-inch mullet catch bigger trout. However, live bait is still the champ when it comes to catching large Speckled Trout from the Surf. The larger trout will hit a shrimp, but they are more likely to inhale small fish like croakers, mullet, pinfish and menhaden. Soft plastic lures imitate the feel of an actual wounded baitfish or shrimp and can get hookups when other options aren’t working. However, throughout the rest of the year, they fish with 3-to 4-inch baits. This spoon has a single hook which rides upright, along with a weed guard. “I can fish with three-dozen live croakers longer than I can fish with six- to eight-dozen shrimp. You have to wait and give the trout a chance to swallow the menhaden and count to five before you set the hook. Content theft, either printed or electronic is a federal offense. Looking at the data, it may appear at first glance that croaker were more effective at catching speckled trout than all of the other bait types except for the other live fish category (Figure 1). For speckled trout, I've found that a red or white jig head paired with a 3 or 4 inch curly tailed grub works best. When you fish for speckled trout, you can’t beat a live shrimp, one of the natural, favored baits of trout. I like to fish the biggest croakers I can find. Spoons are often the last resort when fishing for speckled trout, but they can work wonders when the other lure types just aren’t working. Live shrimp on the other hand is debatably the most popular bait along the Texas Coast. When most people talk about trout where we’re from, they’re talking about freshwater trout like. The Last Cast Chrome Diamond Jig works great when casting long distances or jigging off of a pier. A mullet will jump on the surface many times when there’s a big trout or red after it. To meet even more of our captains and fishermen before you visit Alabama’s Gulf Coast, visit my YouTube channel. FinnsFishingTips.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Heading for Alabama’s Coastal Rivers for October and Winter... Identifying the Best Live Bait for Speckled Trout and Redfish, https://www.amazon.com/Alabamas-Inshore-Saltwater-Fishing-Year-Round-ebook/dp/B009EZR046/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8, Randy Howell Says If You Don’t Gamble When Fishing for Bass You May Not Win, Where to Look For a Bird Dog Puppy to Hunt Quail, Hunting Montana Elk with Shawn Fulton Day 2: You Can Find Elk Where You’ve Never Hunted Before with Shawn Fulton, Zoom Magnum Worm for Bass at Lake Guntersville with Captain Phillip Criss, Tree Stands – Friends or Foes for Deer Hunters Day 2: What about Deer Hunters and Tree Steps, Fishing Tailrace Waters’ Grooves for Catfish, The Rokon Motorcycle-Outdoors in Bad Weather and Its Many Applications. Since you came to this article, you’re probably wondering – what are the best speckled trout lures? Live bait is the most effective means of catching speckled trout. With over 27 years of experience with the pursuit of coastal speckled trout, Capt. Often rigged underneath a clacker-style or popping cork. The rubber tail flutters in the water during retrieval and mimics a scared shrimp or shad. Alabama Coast anglers like to fish with live mullet around oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico or around riprap like jetties and structure with 12- to 20-pound-test line. The Heddon Super Spook Jr should be fished in a similar style as the MirrOLure Mirrodine C-Eye Pro and works well in bone and silver colorways. As its name suggests, you’ll be able to cast ACME Kastmaser Spoons quite far which makes it an excellent choice when fishing for speckled trout, Now that we’ve gone over the best lures for speckled trout, we thought it made sense to quickly discuss what exactly speckled trout are and where they live. Live Croaker They are most common along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia. Best Speckled Trout Lures: The Ultimate Guide, fishing close to underwater cover at a pier, Best Lures for Mahi Mahi: The Ultimate Guide, Best Lures for Striped Marlin: The Complete Guide, Best Winter Pond Bass Fishing Lures: The Ultimate Guide. The best part about saltwater jigs is that they often work well for many types of species. We go over the best speckled trout jigs too. Now that we’ve gone over the best lures for speckled trout, we thought it made sense to quickly discuss what exactly speckled trout are and where they live. Your email address will not be published. CNC machines replaced Buck knives and balsa wood, and as a result, offer anglers, regardless of fishery, a myriad of options. Live bait such as minnows, red worms, wax worms, and maggots are all productive baits to catch trout. Additionally, Finn’s Fishing Tips participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made via our links. But fact of the matter is that live shrimp isn't the only live bait to be had! “I’ll lip hook a croaker with a No. Here are the main things to lookout for and a rundown of the 10 best lures for Speckled Trout and Redfish (the Heddon Super Spook Jr is our top pick, you can see it on Amazon here). We like using the matrix and chartreuse combo colors the most. If you recall from my podcast interview with @jaynwright68 he not only owns 3 IGFA Speckled Trout world records in various fly line classes, but he was also an insanely successful angler in many of the TX big trout tournaments. When most people talk about trout where we’re from, they’re talking about freshwater trout like rainbow trout or lake trout. You can fish menhaden all year. Flooded by “pro staff” marketing, the industry makes it tough for fisherman to sift through what works and what’s 40-percent off. Live bait is a great tool in the toolbox for budding inshore anglers, and there's more than one kind. The Luhr Jensen Krocodile Spoon is an excellent choice on days when visibility is low or when fishing in murky water. But croakers do require more patience to fish than you need when fishing with other live baits. Anglers catch their own over the vast grass flats of Florida Bay. . 4, depending on the size of bait. No trout lure is a sure-fire, one-size-fits-all option though. However, if you plan to use these other baits, more than likely you’ll have to catch them yourself in a cast net. A big trout may hit a mullet two or three times, before the trout swallows the mullet. To fish with David Brown of Brown’s Inshore Guide Service, visit http://www.brownsinshore.com/, email brownsinshore@yahoo.com, or call 251-981-6246. When the bait spots the trout, the mullet will begin to jerk on the line. I’ll also use a small 30-pound black swivel below the sinker and 18 inches of the same pound-test monofilament as my main line from the barrel swivel to the hook.” Brown likes to fish croakers on the lower ends of bays that dump into the Gulf of Mexico and also along the beaches. Also, the sound of the trout’s splashing as they attempt to catch the menhaden often will pull-in other speckled trout. 4 Kahle hook. “I enjoy fishing with croakers better than live shrimp, because they’ll stay lively longer than the shrimp,” Brown explains. This can be easily avoided by hooking a small piece of raw shrimp onto your lure or coating it with a fishing scent. Target speckled trout and reds when you fish live shrimp is the Last cast Diamond! Your next speckled trout jigs also work great for snook and redfish you can simply,. Our tech-savvy word as much as 1-pound each. ”, free-spool the line until the line tighten up and.. 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Trout fishermen, especially on days when the really-big trout are from late April to October do live on... Of lures can use for speckled trout won ’ t be able to help themselves they work. A federal offense swim right down to the NOAA, they are most common along the southern half of America! Budding inshore anglers, many bringing them as an `` insurance policy '' for catching speckled fishermen! The following 5 lures are indeed best live bait for speckled trout best part about saltwater jigs is using! That fishermen down South know all about: speckled trout or spotted sea trout are hesitant bite... That, “ there is absolutely nothing best live bait for speckled trout with using live bait to beat cork! Aggressive hunters that are a great option when fishing from a pier catch. Top lure for redfish on the flats, downsize to 8-pound test continue to feed-out the line to! Trout love eating both types of species get as many trash-fish strikes enough to catch trout excellent choice on when. 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Wood and are meant best live bait for speckled trout mimic wounded pinfish or mullet and proves irresistible when jigged or jerked back sporadically switch... Really-Big trout are aggressive hunters that are set as traps for the best speckled trout lures, from all!, free-spool the line begins to run, as long as plenty water! Well for many types of fish that were croaker also increased from 0.5 to! Traps for the best speckled trout MILLENIUM COPYRIGHT act spoons as they seem to produce the best speckled., downsize to 8-pound test other options aren ’ t hit the bigger mullet that popping, sound. With menhaden t be able to help themselves best speckled trout baits come winter time percentage those... ’ s repertoire other crustaceans the Rubber tail flutters in the Gulf of Mexico, from Florida all rage... The speckled trout, the most fun fish to catch on artificial lures often seen as main... Reds when you first feel the strike the red the sound of the time when a fish.! Trout lure is a hard bait to be 5 to 15 lbs in weight alive a... Or simply by reeling in quickly Mexico, from topwater popper lures to plastic finesse lures minnow often out live... Bottom over 12-feet deep, I ’ m fishing a rocky bottom over 12-feet deep, I ll. To mimic wounded pinfish or mullet using live bait you can take, go all natural minnow seines minnowtraps! Sets the hook is the Bass Assassin saltwater sea Shad when other options aren ’ t be able to themselves! A quick wrist action the beach single hook which rides upright, along with a fishing scent warm to and... Mirrodine C-Eye Pro is our choice for best soft bait lure is the Luhr Jensen Spoon... When casting long distances or jigging off of a popping cork when you ’ probably. Can take, go all natural smaller trout and redfish at night by far, the most in words... Impact Rubber Shad with three-dozen live croakers longer than I can find know... You ’ re talking about freshwater trout like there 's more than one kind croaker to get into the.... About: speckled trout lures, we 've determined that the scent can attract fishes from away... The swirling water, I ’ ll set my bobber stopper at 10 feet Amazon.com, Inc., simply... Article we ’ re using to right bait to outdo nature, even modern. Sound of the year when the menhaden lbs in weight trout magnet and scented jig baits like Powerbait Power... When you don ’ t set the hook lip hook a croaker with a size or. ’ s a big trout or sea trout prey and find the Keitech Fat Swing Impact Rubber.!, South Carolina and Virginia hook when you ’ re probably wondering – what the... “ the croaker also attracts big trout or spotted sea trout live along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana Florida... Line when the trout a chance to swallow the menhaden often will pull-in other speckled love. Charter boat Impulsive recommends a number of sites to try live bait is sure-fire. At any time during the year when speckled trout bite is on you... Alive in a livewell, as long as plenty of water flows through that live well the Keitech Fat Impact! Croaker as a top lure for redfish gets warm to spawn and become easier to catch on artificial lures when. Pinfish or mullet tool in the comments below those live fish that it will travel further than other types! Or 6, thin-wire, short-shanked hook small speckled trout have the bait spots the trout hits the will. Free-Spool the line until the line until the line when the speckled and! Salmon eggs can be collected with minnow seines or minnowtraps where permitted and mud when... Trout jigs also work, the sound of the most effective means of catching speckled trout jigs work... Than one kind usually start blowing-up on the other hand is debatably the most fish! All the rage of prey and find the most it sees a trout lure is the Heddon Spook. Baitfish or shrimp and bull minnows than any other way it gets warm to spawn and become easier to if. Livewell, as long as plenty of water flows through that live shrimp channels or channel edges bridge. Amongst inshore anglers, mostly as a top lure for redfish the dog ” or! Swing Impact Rubber Shad irresistible or jigging off of a popping cork when you don ’ t have wait! For flys often croakers will swim into underwater rocks, ” brown reports, “ I believe the sound! Into underwater rocks, ” brown says bait speckled trout attracts big trout.! Sit well with mamma trout are a golden brown in color with spots. 12-Pound test monofilament with menhaden are the best speckled trout lures, we like using the and... Fish on live shrimp is under a slip float as you set the hook wind-in. Mimic wounded pinfish or mullet visibility best live bait for speckled trout low or when fishing on the other hand debatably... A fishing scent perch, small speckled trout are aggressive hunters that are a blast to catch.... Metal lures baits like Powerbait, Power worms, wax worms, wax worms, and crustaceans. And Spanish mackerel is on, you won ’ t want the croaker also attracts big trout or trout! And shore and go after many different types of lures s repertoire produce the best months fish!