""If you missed it"" | Tiberias - 22' | 04/06/11

 

 

Targeting speckled trout? You said you have had lots of success using the gulp shrimp on a jighead, but catching other species as well. That is why I enjoy using artificials. It is not uncommon to pick up flounder and red drum trying to target trout. Trout, from my experience seem to be the most tempermental of all the inshore species. One day they are there, next gone. One day extremely aggressive, next barely pick up the bait. Couple of things that may help. Remember, red drum and flounder are primarily bottom feeders. Red drum are use to grubbing or rooting up the bottom looking for crabs, shrimp, or scaring minnows out of the oyster shells. Flounder usually lay completely still and ambush minnows that get too close. If you drag the bait or short hop it is when red drum and flounder will get the bait. Getting a bait to fall slowly and suspend just a few feet off the bottom will usually pick up mostly trout as they tend to feed upwards. Look closely at your fish when you catch them next time. Red drum have eyes in the middle of the head and mouths are pointed downward. Flounder of course are flat and lay on the bottom. Trout have eyes positioned close to the top of the head pointed upwards and their mouths look like a largemouth bass or tarpon's. When trout get aggressive they will often fall for a topwater bait. They are designed for it.

 

My technique to keep it in the trout's strike zone. Trolling motor is my ticket to success on trout. I guess you could call it a reverse trolling technique. I point my boat into the current and adjust my speed so the boat is drifting back slowly. I toss my lure roughly 45 degrees down current and let the current suspend the bait while working the bait in a one two jig and pause motion. Letting the bait drift back to the fish then jerking it up quickly and then falling back to the fish. Trout will hit it on the fall 9 out of 10 times. I use 1/8th ounce jighead for this technique with my choice of soft plastic. Some of my favorite soft plastics are Bass Assassins Sea Shads in 4" paddletail. This soft plastic has great action and comes in several different colors. Deep Creek Lures has developed a 4 inch mullet shaped more like a pogy with great action and smell. I have had great success with this bait on several outings this year. My favorite colors....because I think the trout like them too...chartreuse diamond, rainbow trout, space guppy, and shrimp. Colors vary depending on water clarity and conditions. Rootbeer and new penny get the nod after a little rainstorm usually. Chartreuse has been hard to beat so far this year. I look for the natural colored baits to start producing as more bait shows up. Looking back at last years reports...the last part of April into May is the best time to catch a nice trout and lots of them. They have already started to show up in numbers, but are small. I expect to see some two and three pound fish show up consistently around the third week in April. Water temperature will have a lot to say about that. It is looking good and right on track for now. I hope this didn't blow your mind and helps you out on your next trip. Stop by and see me in the shop sometime. See ya on the water!

 

 

 

 

-Capt. Jacob Frick