Hello everyone! I know it is not the best time to be on the water. Hunting season is over for the most part (no quail around here), ducks are around…..but all in all…this is a rough time of year. The weather is touch and go at best. Cold, windy, blah blah blah.
We went out and tried our luck at some winter Speckled Trout fishing and despite the cold and wind….we killed it. We had fish (keepers) in the cooler within 3 minutes of getting the lines in the water. Below are a few tips that helped us over a two day trip. Please leave a comment and let us know how you are doing, and\or if you have anything to add.
Day One. We got on the water in late afternoon, water was semi-clear and was around 58 to 60 degrees. Air temp was in the high 60’s- low 70’s. When the wind laid down…the no-seeum’s came out in droves. So we were really happy with a slight wind. We had a few dozen live shrimp, a few dozen mud minnows, and a bag of frozen shrimp (that I keep in my freezer in case, you know, in case of an emergency).
I tied up our rigs with popping corks, 2 feet of 20 lb test fluorocarbon leader, and a red jig head hook (I am an amazon affiliate, so I can earn a few pennies if you use my links…so thanks!). I had one rod tied with an alternative set up I will get into later. We had a falling tide and picked a spot where a small creek was emptying into the larger creek\cut that we were in. Our anchor was set in 5 feet of water which left our boat sitting in a bit less than 2 feet.
Casting just past the creek mouth and letting the tide run the live shrimp past the creek mouth, over an oyster bar, and then over the drop off…….. that was the spot. The trout were grouped up in the deeper water (5-6 feet) and hammering the shrimp when it came over the ledge\oyster bar. Cast after cast, we were pulling them in left and right. The bite stayed on for two hours. We had 3 great keepers (16-17 inches), we let 2 dozen shorts go, and could have kept another 5 or 6 that were just over the 14 inch minimum. We also managed to catch a few flounder and a black drum.
The mud minnows were decent. We were catching with the mud minnows…but not with the frequency that we were getting with the shrimp. When we ran out of live shrimp….(remember that emergency shrimp fund I was talking about)…we used the frozen shrimp and it did not seem to matter a bit. The trout were killing any shrimp that came near them. So…..lesson learned……always keep some frozen shrimp around.
Day Two: Much colder, never got above 56 degrees, wind was out of North East at 10-15 mph, water was a degree or two colder. It was brutal. We had lots of trouble getting the boat to hold anchor…too much movement. The wind would push you this way, the tide the other, and your popping corks could not seem to decide which element to follow.
Anyway, the trout did not care. Same damn thing. Picked out a few other spots. This time we caught a rising tide and fished the exact opposite. Let tide pull the shrimp from deeper water around the grass line and into the creeks. The trout and flounder were waiting in the deeper water in the creek centers. Same story, we kept 3 great size trout, let 20-25 go (half were shorts).
So we used a weird rig that a buddy at my local bait\tackle shop suggested…….I guess it is not weird…just new to me. We got a float stopper, a larger sliding float, and in line lead sinker, and put together a system that let us float a bait in 9-14 feet of water (or however deep you want). The system works like this……attach the float stopper as high up your main line as you want to fish (remember you still need a leader on the bottom…so if you want your bait to be just above the bottom at 10 feet deep, I suggest you attach the float stopper 8 feet up your main line). Next slide on your float. Next tie on an in-line lead sinker (weight depends on how fast your tide is moving….). After the lead sinker, tie on a 2 foot fluorocarbon leader (20 lb test), and lastly your jig head. The idea is to be able to reel the float stopper up into your spool so you can cast with (what looks like a 2 foot leader and float)….once your line is in the water……the float will slide up until it hits the stopper…..and your bait will be hovering at 10 feet deep. We caught a few big trout on this rig. Big trout will hang in deep channels and wait. This was a new technique for me….I liked it. You have to watch this rig like a hawk…..when these trout hit….they slam the bait. If you are not ready….you will miss it. If you are not paying attention to the tide….and have too much slack in the line….you will miss it. If you look away….you will miss it. But when it hits….it is on.
One last thing…if you fish a spot for 15 mins…no bites….and you have tried different depths…and angles…..move. Winter trout are hungry and when you catch one…there will be more. Don’t spend too much time on a place that looks great….if you have no action…..move. Watch other boats…..get familiar with the guides in your area (actually…I just know their boats)……when I see a guide boat in an area…I mark it, the time, the tide, and anything else I can think of….if he is charging someone $500.00 for a half day…and they are fishing in “that” spot…it is probably worth checking out……..Some of my best spots are not places I “borrowed” from other guides…but rather places that I found that look and feel similar to “guide spots”. Go out at dead low tide…see what these places look like with no water….get familiar….you will appreciate it later.
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~C