Thread: Speckled trout

Newbie here. I'm a Michigan steelheader and would like to hook a speckled trout while here this week.
Any advise on rigging, lures, bait, and best time of day to fish would be appreciated.
Tight Lines!

Originally Posted by harsu

Newbie here. I'm a Michigan steelheader and would like to hook a speckled trout while here this week.
Any advise on rigging, lures, bait, and best time of day to fish would be appreciated.
Tight Lines!

Depending where you are staying you can catch them

First off...the State Park Pier is a great place to catch one but it is an art. Really light line (6 lb test) with a 17lb. Flouro carbon leader (about 18" and no swivel) use a Uni-Uni knot to connect main line to leader. Then use a 1/0 Plain Shank Hook (bronze color) not shiny. And Live Shrimp. No cork or weight. (if the current is strong use a small split shot). Go out there after about an hour after dark and fish in the shallows under the lights. I don't know how well they be been doing recently, but you can catch a nice big fat trout under those pier lights at night.

But if you're staying at a condo somewhere on the lagoon, if you have a pier with a light on it there, go out there about the same time and really quietly (no slamming tackle boxes or walking really heavy or talking too loud) and fish that light.

You want to throw right where the light meets the darkness because those trout will stay in the dark part and stalk the bait swimming around under the light. Main idea is finesse fishing...really light line, really light leader and a dull matte finish hook. When fishing the pier this way, you can use a popping cork with 18-24" of leader.

Lastly, you can always surf fish with live shrimp or fresh dead shrimp or cut bait. You never know what you'l catch this way, but you're not as likely to get a trout this way. And you can use artificials too, I use suspending jerkbait that imitates a mullet or pinfish. Good luck!

Only thing I would add to Stephen's advice is that an hour after dark is when they are just getting started. Don't be impatient as the bite picks up in the next hour or two. Also the bite is sometimes hottest an hour or two before dawn.

Like he said, be sneaky - light tackle and quiet. Don't set the hook on the first nibble, first they grab it with their fangs, then they eat it.

BTW, if you're out on the pier at night and the trout are not biting, try for flounder. Carolina rig a small treble (sized for your shrimp) on an 18" light leader, 1-2 oz lead depending on current, also near the edges of the lights.

This thread, post 6 is very helpful: http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...-members-3182/

Very early morning (pre-false-dawn) is good too.

popping cork with live shrimp under it or DOA shrimp

Originally Posted by clark_tucker

popping cork with live shrimp under it or DOA shrimp

not from the pier there to smart....

i personaly like 4 lb foro no leader #10 treble live ly,croaker,or shrimp.

Yeah what he ^^^^^^^said.

Bring a hoop net because a lot of nights and wee early mornings you will be by yourself or no one there will have a net. Hand lining a fish of any size is going to be difficult at best. Not to discourage you from fishing the pier but the specs under the pier are very difficult to catch. When the water is clear at night you can see them indifferently swimming around your live bait as if it is toxic to them. Artificial baits are pretty useless for specs at the pier. You will have much better success catching specs if you can find a lighted dock in the lagoon or one of the bays. Most everything desirable to catch and eat is a sight feeder and light line is a must most of the time. It took me several trips down there to figure this out by watching others around me slaughter Spanish Mackerel and I wasn't catching anything on the same lure they were using.

Go light, Go live!

The first 30 minutes before daylight can be really good too. I've fooled a couple to bite in the morning and some slot reds