A fish that gets little coverage on television shows yet is one of the most popular inshore gamefish in Florida is the spotted seatrout. Although they can be caught here year round, there is no better time to sight fish for trophy sized trout in shallow water than late winter and early spring. The waters of the Indian River Lagoon system, which run from New Smyrna Beach to Stuart along Florida’s east central coast, hold some of the biggest trout in the state. In fact, the state record of 15lbs. 6oz. comes from this section. During the cooler months, the large fish, which are all females, move onto the shallow grass flats and can be seen lying in sand holes and shallow depressions in water from 8-15 inches deep.

Finding these big fish is easy. Catching them can be challenging. A full grown trout can be as spooky as any bonefish or permit and allow little room for angler error. A silent approach and a well placed cast are required to capture these wary gamefish. A bait that lands too close to the fish will send them flying off the flats leaving behind a cloud of mud. If your bait is not close enough, it will draw no reaction. With the normally cooler water temperatures this time of year, the trout are less active. They will lie in wait for a baitfish to swim by them instead of roaming the flats searching out food. Although the primary food source of adult trout is finfish, such as mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and needlefish, they will eat a well placed shrimp or even a crab.

When stalking shallow water trout, I prefer a rod of 7-8 ft and use 8-10lb braided line with a 15-20 lb fluorocarbon leader. The long rod and light line will allow you to make casts from greater distances. Braided line provides greater sensitivity to detect subtle strikes. A large trout will feed by quickly opening its mouth and flaring its gills to create a rapid influx of water. Unlike other species who will charge at their quarry, big trout often remain nearly motionless. If you do not see the strike or have the ability to feel the subtle take, you may miss the fish.

If I am casting to fish I can see, I will place my lure 5-10 feet past the fish and bring the lure back to where she is waiting. Trophy trout are very sensitive to noise and the sound of the lure landing in the water close to them is enough to spook them off. A slow steady retrieve or even dropping the bait and allowing it to flutter down in front of the fish will draw a strike. The hookset must be quick, though, as these fish will quickly spit out a lure when they realize it is not a live baitfish. A hard hookset is not required because trout have soft mouths. Setting the hook too hard can cause a large hole and cause the hook to fall out.

My number one lure for catching trophy sized seatrout is a soft plastic jerkbait rigged with a weedless worm hook. My favorite colors are shades of green such as baby bass, avocado, and watermelon. Some days the trout seem to prefer one color over another. If you experience several refusals, change colors. These lures land softly and are less likely to spook the fish. Other top choices are DOA shrimp, tube lures, mullet imitations, and flies. You cannot work these lures too slow. If you are not drawing strikes or if fish seem to be fleeing from your lure, slow it down.

When searching for places to catch these fish, look for shallow grass flats with sandy potholes. A key factor is the presence of mullet. If there are no mullet present, there are usually not any trout. Since the implementation of the gill net ban in Florida in the 1990’s, these big trout are becoming more common each year. It is not unusual to encounter schools of 10-30 trout all over five pounds. It’s hard enough to fool one big trout much less a whole school of them. I have found that the single trout are easier to approach and catch that those in schools.

Wade fishermen often have better luck than those fishing from boats. You have a smaller profile and create less noise thus spooking less fish. Wade fishing can produce more fish but it is harder to see the fish and requires blind casting to likely spots. Take care while wading as the same areas which hold the trout and redfish usually have stingrays present.

If you are seeking a truly challenging experience, try stalking some of Florida’s gator trout. You will see many more than you will catch but persistence will pay off. I encourage you to practice CPR (catch photograph release) with these fish as they are the fish that produce the most eggs and ensure the survival of the species. You can find additional information and view pictures of spotted seatrout at my Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide website.

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