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Spotted (or Speckled) Seatrout

Speckled trout are usually caught in waters less than 5 feet deep. Anglers targeting structure in shallow-water areas catch the most fish. Anglers fishing from ocean piers should look for specks in the shallow surf zone, but they should keep in mind that some fish will be attracted to the pilings. Specks can also be caught from the beach. Casting lures and baits to troughs that run parallel to the beach during low tide or to the outlying sandbars is a good way to catch ocean specks. Beach areas with rocks, pilings, rubble, clay outcrops or steep washouts are good places for isolating specks.

When fishing an inlet, anglers find that specks tend to congregate downstream from any structure. The fish suspend behind bars and bridges to ambush the prey as it swims by with the current. Anchoring a boat down-current, casting to the structure and then retrieving the lure or bait with the current flow allows anglers to present their offerings in ways that imitate the natural path of the bait.

spottedseatrout

Anglers fishing marshes should be on the lookout for sandbars, grassbeds and oyster beds. Fishing above a sandbar or oyster bed on high tide can produce speckled trout. On high tides, specks also cruise the edges of grassbeds, waiting for an unlucky baitfish to leave the grass. Often, specks can be seen actively feeding on shrimp in shallow-water marsh areas. Any time an angler sees the water boiling with bait, he has a good clue that speckled trout have run the shrimp or baitfish to the surface.

For fishing shallow-water areas during high tides, surface lures work very well, although many anglers prefer shallow-running lures that imitate shrimp and baitfish. Live - or dead but very fresh - shrimp fished on float rigs can save a lot of casting and the resulting wet hands in chilly weather.

During low tide stages, specks go deep. Finding deep holes in navigation channels or creeks can help you locate the fish. The advantage of fishing on low-tide stages is that there is less water, which tends to concentrate both the fish and the bait.