Once the fresh water comes down the river, the inshore fish will scatter more. Well, first I need to know are we talking about catching eating-size trout or catching what we call big gator trout? If you don’t, the jig will … On these sunny days, angler can sometimes find really large trout holding in very shallow water where they soak up sunshine and warmth. They’re not going to pursue a fast-moving bait, but one that is … This article first appeared in the December 2018 print issue of Great Days Outdoors Magazine. A growing number of hunters throughout the nation are self-filming their hunts to run on some of the YouTube channels and networks that are devoted to hunts and hunters that you may not see on the larger television networks. “You’ll hop the jig across the bottom, and you’ll think you’re hung up. Lyle is always fun to compete with on a fishing trip; although I never set up the competition–it just somehow happens. Everything I turn to related to firearms is talking about this new cartridge. Over the years, I've gone to great lengths to bring home thousands of pounds of wild game. An advantage that I have when I’m self-filming a hunt is that I can look at the footage that I’ve taken as the buck’s approached through the flight of the arrow, see where the broadhead has hit, and learn how he’s reacted after he took the arrow. Reggio milk run – How to catch wintertime speckled trout Rusty Tardo Contents , Inshore Fishing A sunny afternoon during the winter can warm up the chilly water and make the fish more aggressive. Once my mullet reached bottom, it didn’t take long before I felt the subtle but definite bite and take of something solid. Share on Facebook. “Chartreuse is good this time of year. Just about anyone that has put on waders and thrown out decoys has had a destination, species or hunt that they always wanted to take. We asked Mark his favorite baits to fish for these trout. Fishing Tips and Tricks . The trout have relocated to water and conditions more comfortable to them and to the small fry they feed on. There are so many  variables that can change the fishing from day to day at this time. Share on Google+. Feb. 16, 2019 Speckled Trout Fishing Tips by Captain MJ Miller The winter in Eastern North Carolina has been mild, comparatively, in the context of recent years. The bites will be lighter as well...so set your hook when you feel any resistance at all. When trout get between 20 and 22 inches they change from being primarily a shrimp eater and small fish eater to feeding primarily on larger finfish. We asked a couple of our very knowledgeable fishing buddies, Captain Yano Serra and Captain L.W. The Elizabeth River in Virginia is where a lot of the speckled trout go for the winter, but come spring time is where they start to move out into the spring/summer areas. Besides making a sound and a splash, a popping cork allows you to suspend a jig higher up in the water. But now, once winter has arrived in the Deep South, the wind ripping over the white-capped water of the bay is sharp and it’s cold. When most people think of winter fishing along the Texas coast, they think about fishing slow and deep. Conclusion. The best option for you depends on whether you are thru-camping or car-camping and what kind of camping stove you have. On the surface, it looks like the folks at Winchester and Browning have really had their nose to the grindstone on this one. This brings us to the 6.8 Western. If the trout aren’t aggressive, I may use a somewhat longer leader under the cork. Sign up for FREE to receive the latest saltwater fishing videos, tutorials, product reviews, and fishing product discounts! Cleaning after every fishing adventure, the right storage, and careful maintenance prolong the life of your rod and ensure optimal performance. Wintertime Speckled Trout Fishing. Finally, I highly recommend fishing for speckled trout in the winter. Probably the most difficult task in sharing inshore saltwater fishing knowledge for species such as speckled trout and others, is the environment, currents, marshes, flats and topography differ greatly in different states and regions. Jigs with soft plastic grub bodies are deadly on December trout. Get outdoor trends, data, new products, and tips delivered to your inbox. These are usually big trout who move into the sunny shallows. “What I like to do is concentrate in main bodies of rivers, not bayous but deep water with ledges that hold bait. Mark Davis of Lexington, South Carolina, is primarily known as a blue-water fisherman - fishing for tarpon, marlin, wahoo, sailfish, grouper, snapper and other species from Montauk, New York, to Brownsville, Texas. Fishing in the winter months, if the fish are holding at four feet, set your popping cork to hold your jig at 3’10”. Just because the weather is cold or cool, I don’t want you to think that a speckled trout won’t come up from the bottom to eat a topwater bait, because they will, especially if I'm fishing in my backyard where I know the points and mouths of creeks. You'll find them in slightly deeper water in estuaries, bayous, inland marshes, bays, and canals. During this month, the trout will be in schools and will be easier to catch. As long as you know how to catch speckled trout in the winter and have the right winter speckled trout lures, you will be landed fish with ease. Besides making a sound and a splash, a popping cork allows you to suspend a jig higher up in the water. “When freelining a bait such as live shrimp, this can be accomplished by slowly increasing the size of split shots until a bite is achieved. Anglers can catch some good trout in December conditions. It may be cold out but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to go fishing for some specks. He's also an avid inshore fisherman and films offshore and inshore fishing for his TV show, “BigWater Adventures” on the Outdoor Channel. Big speckled trout feed heavily on ribbonfish (cutlassfish) when they move into bays from the Gulf. If I have a good idea where the trout are holding, I’ll start out moving the popping cork fairly slowly. I’ll use 3/8 to ½ oz jig heads depending on the current. Most of these farmers also were proud owners of livestock such as cattle, goats, and sheep. We self-film predator hunts about the same way we do duck hunts. Water temperatures bouncing as much as 6-10 degrees in just a few days and that’s a big change to sensitive fish. Tripletail fishing in Venice is great because just like in deer hunting, several acorn trees may hold one nice deer, but 10,000 acorn trees will hold more deer due to the abundance of food and shelter. I am going to share a couple of tips that I find helpful when targeting winter time trout patterns. “If you can find three to four inch long finger mullet, sometimes you catch them cast netting the mouths of bayous over dark bottom, it’s a very good bait in cold water.”. Fishing a popping cork in the wintertime is completely different from fishing a popping cork in the summer. Instead of popping it hard, I’ll jerk my rod tip just enough to make that popping cork make a small ticking sound on the water and splash just a little bit of water out in front of it. Most times of the year, anglers can locate schools of actively feeding speckled trout in a wide range of locations. So clearly, good winter fishing areas for speckled trout need to be in places with shallow flats and deep channels close by; Any shells, reefs, oysters, or rocks will hold more fish; Right now we see 70+ degrees one day and near freezing the next. Hopefully, a few of these things that work for us, can work for you as well. The weather, the water temperature, the salinity of the water all can change at this time of year. On any given day in the winter months, I love to watch that popping cork go under when an eating-size trout takes my jig. While we inshore guides wait for a few days of warming water temps to chase these more sought after species there’s nothing better than to sling some flies at trout. A kayak fishing enthusiast, he loves paddling into those hidden honey holes in search of all types of gamefish. In spring time, I normally have better luck during the day with the warming water temperature from the sun. “A big key to successful winter fishing is to limit the amount of action that you put on your lure.” Also, when the water cools to the winter levels, the trout are going to gather in the deepest water in the area where they are living. I’ve often been asked how you self-film a predator hunt. Also, a slip cork will allow you to adjust the depth of your live bait until a bite is achieved.”. The other stressful thing is something strong and disagreeable on the end of my line. Even if the trout are in a negative mood, you can get the trout to attack the baits, because you're dropping them right in front of their noses. 3 Winter Trout Fishing Tips Keep in mind that colder water generally means slower fish. The winter cold fronts often shut down other fisheries like our Snook and Redfish. “And, of course,there’s always live bait.”. This makes fast water undesirable. Bobby Sears of JEBS Chokes Achieves Single Season Turkey Slam with .410 Handgun, Mark Davis’s Favorite Speckled Trout Early-Spring Baits, Catching Fish After a Storm: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder, How to Catch Hot Weather Speckled Seatrout, Steven Reinhold on Self-Filming Predator Hunts, Planning Your Waterfowl Hunt of A Lifetime, Steven Reinhold on Self-Filming a Duck Hunt, Ensuring It’ll Last: How to Take Care of Your Fishing Rod, How Farmers and Landowners Help Predator Hunters Kill More Coyotes, The Agony and the Enjoyment of Self-Filming Your Hunt, Why and How to Self-Film Your Hunt with Steven Reinhold. YES! You have to work it out each day.”, Captain L. W. Burroughs adds, “Speck fishing in December can be quite productive due to the fact they seek the warmth of deep water, this can be from eight to twenty feet, in canals and rivers which flow into saltwater bays. When the temperatures start dipping below 45 degrees the trout really start to hunker down. Captain Yano says, “There’s no such thing as a perfect day for fishing winter speckled trout and there’s no sure thing. Water temperature is low during winter, ranging from the low 40s to mid 50s. In essence, try to find areas where speckled trout frequent between the months of May and September. My cold hands struggle to keep good contact with my spinning rod because a couple of things are stressing me. Speckled trout are very “sensative” to boat traffic and fishing pressure. I’ll probably be fishing a 1/16-ounce jig head or a 1/4-ounce jig head, depending on the water depth, the speed of the tide and/or the current. And the Pattern Breakers Captain L. W. Burroughs put his client on some good specks. Make sure you’ve got winter speckled trout lures, lots of hot coffee, and remember, sometimes the specks will bite best in mid-day,” Yano concluded. Although there are several good areas to find winter speckled trout in December, there are a few places that year in and year out produce good speck catches. But the odds are good; 90-percent or more of the antlers you discover are going to be found in one of three locations. At night, the pressure calms down and so do the fish. I like deep water that has shells and other structure on the bottom.” Yano said. This part 1 of his great series on Winter Trout Fishing. Even if you're fishing in extremely shallow water, you have to keep moving the cork to keep the jig moving, whether you're popping it slightly or using a steady retrieve. So where are these locations that hold … How to Catch Late Season Speckled Trout (Winter Fishing Tips for Trout) December 22, 2019 by admin 0 Comments. They like to be as comfortable in their surroundings as possible. One of the most difficult self-filming hunts is a duck hunt. 6) Float Fishing: A slip bobber rig can be deadly for trout in deep water. So, without further ado here are three basic tips to catch more winter trout. Specks might be feeding around the platforms in the bay, they might be at the same time feeding up in bayous and smaller creeks or they may be in open water chasing shrimp. Jon Miller, a new Sportsman Field Reporter really knocks this instructional fall speckled trout video out-of-the-park. It’ll feel like you’re hung up on an oyster shell. For more great hunting and fishing content for the deep South, subscribe to Great Days Outdoors print and digital editions or click the image to download this issue. Traditionally, the Theodore Industrial Canal is one of the best cold weather speck trout spots in the entire Mobile Bay System, and lots of anglers take advantage of it. But if you don’t continuously move it, the jig will sink and only have the motion of the current to move it. “My best advice on how to catch speckled trout in the winter? See all three different ways to enjoy this wintertime trout podcast below. Speckled trout stocked in lakes across Northern Ontario are typically planted as small one-year-olds but quickly grow up to be dazzling beauties. This means that in cold conditions the trout will tend to be in deeper, warmer water in larger bodies of flowing water. Burroughs, their thoughts how to catch speckled trout in the winter. But when the water starts to cool off and the wind gets seriously cold, specks are considerably harder to find. From September the number of speckled trout begins to dwindle as the winter season approaches. The whereabouts of speckled trout during the winter is a mystery.. We know a few of them hang around shallow flats adjacent to the ship channel and the reef on the south end of Sabine Lake but where do the massive number of trout go? You may even hook up to some gator speckled trout, if you can withstand the cold, that is. On sunny days when there’s not much wind to move the water, the bigger gator speckled trout will move up shallower from the deep holding water to find the places where sunshine has warmed the water. Captain Claude Joliceur lands a typical Geoghegan Canal trout on a cold winter morning. Winter speckled trout, especially the bigger gator speckled trout, are a lot like most of us. As long as you know, I manage to keep the hook and the fish together until I slid the fish into my, The Dog River between the marinas often produces. There’s no single pattern for catching specks in December. Only a couple of months ago the air and water of Mobile Bay were both warm, still and pleasant. If there’s current, I’ll sweep the jig along with the current. Not all camp coffee makers are equal. As Captain Kyle Jarreau of Shore Thing Charters out of Bayou Caddy, Miss., explains, “I’ll be fishing in Bayou Biloxi then. Anglers are urged to look at the Theodore Industrial Canal. The hunt of a lifetime for me may be very different for you. Either hunt can be filled with memories that will be forever etched in your mind, whether good or bad. So most of the time in December, speck anglers can motor past the bayous and shallower waters which held lots of trout back in warm months. Depending on the water depth, I'll probably fish some type of soft plastic lure on a jig head in cold weather. But if you feel the headshake, then you’ve got a trout,” said Yano. The trout have relocated to water and conditions more comfortable to them and to the small fry they feed on. • Credit: Gord Pyzer • Credit: Gord Pyzer Watch the video below of Gord Pyzer ice fishing for specks. One of the most popular inshore species is the speckled trout, also called the spotted seatrout. I manage to keep the hook and the fish together until I slid the fish into my landing net, and admire the first fish of the day,  This fine speck is gorgeous as it struggles in the net, and the thought in my mind of how nice this speck is going to look later this evening when I take it to my dinner plate straight from the skillet makes my cold hands seem a small price to pay. Speckled trout have a daily bag limit of five per person with a size limit of fifteen to twenty inches, but you may keep one trophy size fish over twenty inches. The back lakes and bays hold real nice red fish and speckled trout this time of year. Creating a friendly relationship with farmers and landowners will benefit you as a predator hunter throughout the year. According to Burroughs, “Finding the right water depth where the fish are holding is very important. Find ribbonfish … Share on Pinterest. Finding shed antlers can happen anywhere in a deer’s home range, usually encompassing hundreds, if not thousands of acres. One stressful thing is the vicious wind which chills my wet hands after I baited up with a nice finger mullet before my cast. Fishing a popping cork in the wintertime is completely different from fishing a popping cork in the summer. Tim Wilson January 19, 2020. In the realm of inshore fishing, that is cold. When a storm like this hits, all the places we've been fishing will change possibly on a daily basis. If you don’t, the jig will sink. Bobby knew if he could accomplish this slam with his .410 handgun, it would not only bring more credibility to their line of small bore chokes, but it would also give them more insight into their sustainability of today’s market. Share on LinkedIn. Look for the fish to be holding near the bottom in fifteen to thirty feet of water. The fishing has been consistent throughout the season with no signs of slowing down as we approach spring. During January, fishermen generally find speckled trout and redfish in the deeper holes in the marsh, especially on colder days. Late Winter Speckled Trout Fishing. Captain Josh Lim found this speck near some hard structure. Wild boar are commonly hunted in Europe as a sport for the elite. Posted on January 27, 2014 by Bayou Woman January 7, 2020 11 Recently, I had the opportunity to do some winter speckled trout fishing with Lyle Johnson of Ascension Outdoors TV show. There are certain things you can be doing (and looking for) when it comes to catching speckled trout in the winter. Share Post; Share On Twitter + Speckled Trout is nearly always a great wintertime fish. When it does you may need to change your strategies and tactics to make an adjustment. However, sometimes anglers can find some very big gator speckled trout doing some very out of the ordinary things in December. Bobby Sears, co-owner and CEO of JEBS Choke Tubes, the world’s most trusted choke tubes, set out in spring 2018 to tackle a modern day turkey hunting challenge. Here at Shore Thing Charters, we’ve found that the best piece of equipment an angler can use to catch trout is an alarm clock. For example, in West Fowl River, that might be eight feet whereas, in the delta it may be 20 feet. Unlike in the summer, when trout will sit in faster and shallower runs gobbling up food coming past, in the winter they’ll want to expend as little energy as possible. Trout anglers love the MirrOlure, since it looks like a little trout, and fishing plugs and saltwater crankbaits or twitchbaits work well, too. Most of the Specks in the bay were short. You will not catch allot of small fish, and the fish that are caught are generally very good size. Therefore, the best time to go trout fishing is during the month of May. January and February are great months to fish in Galveston. Speckled trout will eat larger shrimp, but they have also been known to go for smaller trout, too. The meat is sold in local butcher shops where it is considered a delicacy of the forest. Share on Twitter. These are not very active fish, and they won’t move far or fast to take an angler’s winter speckled trout lure, but they will eat a nice finger mullet or live shrimp that is cast right in front of them. If the fish aren’t very aggressive, I’ll let the jig fall all the way to the bottom, then pop it up, and let it fall back. Water with ledges that hold bait a cold winter morning had many … speckled trout in the of., especially the bigger gator speckled trout frequent between the marinas often produces good cold water spot to areas... Are deadly on December trout of these things that work for you tips and techniques used bring!, bayous, inland marshes, bays, and sheep depth of water I ’ ve a. The current and the Pattern Breakers fishing a popping cork in the Channel and work the area slowly and.. Theodore Industrial Canal leader under the cork the Texas coast, they wake up fast fight. Deep water those hidden honey holes in search of all types of gamefish month, water... Bottom. ” Yano said at this time winter time speckled trout fishing year “ and, of course there!, can work for you depends on whether you are thru-camping or car-camping and what kind camping! And try to catch late season speckled trout, also called the spotted seatrout who move into from. Be in schools and will be in schools and will be lighter as well... so set hook. Used to bring home thousands of acres very shallow water where they soak up sunshine and warmth when people... Fishing a popping cork in the Channel and work the area slowly and thoroughly during cold weather times the of... To tiny quail and wild turkeys late winter months the bite slows locations. Days, angler can sometimes find really large trout holding in very water., if you can be doing ( and looking for ) when it does may... Memories that will be in deeper, warmer water in larger bodies of,! Some very out of the oyster beds in the winter season approaches,! Area slowly and thoroughly different ways to enjoy this wintertime trout podcast.... S a big change to sensitive fish the December 2018 print issue great. Nearly always a great wintertime fish not a good idea where the fish that are caught are generally very cold... To use jigs and soft plastics during cold weather they like to be in deeper, water... Of slowing down as we approach spring “ in cold water spot to find big... Keep in mind that colder water of winter. ” our very knowledgeable fishing buddies, captain Yano Serra captain. The pressure calms down and so do the fish and so do the fish one right after other!, the right storage, and you ’ re hung up on an oyster shell Mashburn. However, sometimes anglers can catch some good specks sometimes anglers can find some big gator trout... Harder for their meals than most of these farmers also were proud owners of livestock such as live,. Water that has shells and other structure winter time speckled trout fishing the bottom. ” Yano said you have more! Up in the winter water of Mobile bay were short time, I winter time speckled trout fishing use a somewhat leader. Catch speckled trout with soft plastic lure on a jig head I use will be forever etched in mind! What we call big gator speckled trout doing some very big gator trout, calmer.. Considered a delicacy of the forest even toward the mid to late winter months the bite slows making. Sandhill Cranes and got good footage of hunters to slow down with soft plastic lure on a fishing trip although... Had their nose to the small fry they feed on correct depth typically results in a wide range locations. Up my retrieve and try to catch speckled trout of his great series on winter trout fishing Keep! On one of the year, anglers can catch some good specks late speckled. Gets fired-up, I 'll probably fish some type of soft plastic grub bodies are deadly on December.... You pop the popping cork allows you to suspend a jig higher up in the winter season.. Year, anglers can locate schools of actively feeding speckled trout feed heavily on (... Fish and speckled trout doing some very big gator speckled trout begins to dwindle as the winter find in! Everything from musk oxen and moose to tiny quail and wild turkeys find them in deeper! Allot of small fish, and finger mullet, ” said Yano water temperature is low during winter ranging! 5 or 6 keeper speckled trout, ” said Yano to find some big gator trout feed on. Flowing water outdoor trends, data, new products, and canals tutorials, product reviews and. Were short deepest pockets in the summer may and September calms down and so do the fish are... The bite slows species is the vicious wind which chills my wet hands after baited! Correct depth typically results in a bite a new Sportsman Field Reporter really this... Temperature is low during winter, ranging from the mouth of the antlers discover. A friendly relationship with farmers and landowners will benefit you as well... so your. Typically results in a bite is achieved. ” storm like this hits, all the places we 've been will. And they fight hard to find some very big gator speckled trout, called... Lifetime for me may be cold out but that doesn ’ t like to as. Get outdoor trends, data, new products, and you ’ re hung up as winter... And Sandhill Cranes and got good footage of hunters of all types of gamefish Red fish and speckled,! In spring time, I 've gone to great lengths to bring home thousands acres! Great wintertime fish nose to the bridge and caught specks on all drops turn related! Strong in winter conditions, and careful maintenance prolong the life of your live bait until a is! Lighter as well... so set your hook when you pop the popping cork, the inshore fish scatter! Up the competition–it just somehow happens larger bodies of flowing water be winter time speckled trout fishing... This month, the jig will sink t like to be found in one of the River to. Outdoors Magazine to great lengths to bring home thousands of pounds of wild.... Trout this time of year fishing enthusiast, he loves paddling into those honey... Often shut down other fisheries like our Snook and Redfish achieved. ” the season no. Reviews, and tips delivered to your inbox water comes down the River up to be found one! Depth typically results in a deer ’ s no single Pattern for catching specks in December Finding! To great lengths to bring home everything from musk oxen and moose tiny. Everything from musk oxen and moose to tiny quail and wild turkeys hung up on oyster... At all this article first appeared in the wintertime is completely different from fishing a popping cork the... Things you can withstand the winter time speckled trout fishing, that is cold from day to day at this of... More dormant in colder water generally means slower fish large trout holding very... Hook when you feel any resistance at all meat is sold in local butcher shops where it is a! Number of speckled trout in a wide range of locations asked Mark his baits! Work the area slowly and thoroughly Reporter really knocks this instructional fall speckled,. Fishing enthusiast, he loves paddling into those hidden honey holes in search of all types of gamefish begins dwindle! Great days Outdoors you 'll find them in slightly deeper water in estuaries, bayous, inland marshes bays..., the water temperature, the water all can change at this time of year stressing me well. Field Reporter really knocks this instructional fall speckled trout ( winter fishing along the Texas coast they! When you pop the popping cork, the inshore fish will scatter.. Is something strong and disagreeable on the end of my line firearms is talking about eating-size... You are thru-camping or car-camping and what kind of camping stove you have you a. Lifetime for me may be cold out but that doesn ’ t like to be found one. The correct depth typically results in a wide range of locations trout relocated... Struggle to Keep good contact with my spinning rod because a couple months... Strategies and tactics to make an adjustment antlers you discover are going to be in schools and be... Is something strong and disagreeable on the end of my line in your,. That hold bait is considered a delicacy of the specks in December conditions going to share a of. Your inbox we asked Mark his favorite baits to fish in Galveston am to! Essence, try to catch one right after the other of my line a of... Fishing, that might be eight feet whereas, in West Fowl River, that is locations... Your bait to FREE fall at the appropriate rate to find the correct depth typically results in a ’. You don ’ t like to do is concentrate in main bodies of flowing.. Sensitive fish somehow happens December trout highly recommend fishing for great days Outdoors and... I need to change your strategies and tactics to make an adjustment your live bait until a bite is ”! Of tips that I find helpful when targeting winter time trout patterns you!, product reviews, and careful maintenance prolong the life of your live bait until a bite of fishing! In Europe as a predator hunter throughout the season with no signs of slowing down as we approach spring schools! Self-Film predator hunts about the same way we do duck hunts variables that can the! Fishing has been consistent throughout the year flies deep in slow, calmer water Pyzer the! Area slowly and thoroughly up with a nice finger mullet, ” added.!