Local Blog Add Photos. Live bait works great for winter trout as they are usually less aggressive and want to test the lures a lot before they commit to a strike. By the same token, wading or fishing from an inconspicuous vessel like a kayak are good ways to sneak into the shallows where big trout live. Mosquito Lagoon The basic design and paint job remains consistent with the smaller, barely legal trout, but big gator trout take on a cunning and ferocious nature meriting the allusion. Rich Knox of Absolute Florida Flats Fishing reports with the cooler weather and fronts rolling through our area weekly, the big Gator Sea Trout are beginning to move into the flats from Clearwater right on up the coast to Tarpon Springs and New Port Richey, and a lot of them are the biggest of the year ! The other is to quietly approach the flat and get into the water. Catching a cooler full of seatrout can sometimes be downright easy. What are some methods you deploy when targeting Gator Trout? Florida’s Atlantic coast appears to be the national hotbed for giant trout. These Florida fishing trips are near the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, on the Indian River Lagoon. They like current, where tides bring a continual buffet to them, and seek out structure or cover to hide and nearby deep water for escape from predators. Naturally, that is a great time to target them. Big Ones! Why Lagooner? The extensive shallow-waterflats in the Rockport, Texas area are interspersed with natural channels, cuts and lagoons, creating perfect habitat for huge numbers of speckled trout and redfish. Gator replied to Sneaky Duck's topic in Ice fishing All few years ago, I watched 33Canuck pulling up Keuka lakers one after another on a perch rod. Captain Blake Muirhead offers classic inshore fishing for speckled trout,redfish and flounder in Rockport, Texas and surrounding areas year round. Florida Gamefish Sebastian Inlet See how and where the big ones …. Charter Fishing Boat, About Lagooner Fishing Coastal Angler Magazine and our interior (freshwater) publication, The Angler Magazine, are monthly editions dedicated to fishing, boating, and outdoor enthusiasts. i was pounded with rain until about 7:00 and headed back out with no luck. Not less than 15″ or more than 20″ (statewide) except one fish over 20″ per person. With over 1 million print readers per month and the industry’s most expansive distribution network, we have emerged as one of the largest outdoor publications in the United States and abroad, thus solidifying our place as a preferred resource. Depending upon the local conditions and fish patterns at the time, clientsmay elect to drift fish across the myriad of flats and cuts from a 2008 24ftHaynie with a 225 Optimax (2008), or wade fish and stalk schooling fish onfoot along the many flats, grass beds and … You can pick up your area’s local edition at over 11,000 marine specific businesses, retail outlets or big box stores. Seatrout is an aggressive fish that will strike anything from topwater artificials, spoons, jigs, live bait, and various fly patterns. Longtime, New Port Richey, Tarpon Springs Fishing Guide, Capt. Post by skitterwalk » August 15th, 2010, 5:23 pm i got up and headed to the flats onlt to barely see a massive wall of rain headin right for me! Folks throughout the Gulf states are well familiar with gators of the reptilian kind, but mentioning “gators” to coastal anglers fosters pleasant thoughts of hefty speckled trout also called sea trout. But targeting these larger trout — fish in the 15- to 18-inch range are generally known as eaters and perfect for the grill — requires different tactics. East Central Florida is home to the largest spotted seatrout in the world. Most anglers get excited about an individual heavier than 5 or 6 pounds. Or, if you prefer digital, our magazines are also available as a, 126-C North Atlantic Ave.| Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 | 321.777.2773 |, Trout Fishing in Blue Ridge GA. It’s the Trout Fishing Capital of Georgia! “I always thought the stories about giant IRL trout were a myth, until I was fishing with one of my Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution colleagues after work. Contact Us Have you ever caught a Gator Trout? © 2021 Coastal Angler Magazine Franchising, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Fly Fishing the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia, Choosing A Fishing Rod: Fiberglass vs. Graphite and Composites. Monthly Fishing Reports On the peak full-moon-spawns that feeding activity is amplified 3 days before and after the moon. Regions. "There are two ways to catch really big gator trout," Nichols says. A lighted dock should not be passed up. The fishing is getting better and better everyday! The larger the trout, the more eggs she can reproduce… and the larger she is, the more likely her offspring will grow to become large gator trout as well (just like two super-tall humans have a much more likely chance of having tall kids). Florida Spotted Sea Trout Regulations. But regardless of where you fish in the spotted seatrout’s range throughout the Gulf and all the way up the East Coast to Massachusetts, larger individuals of the species show the same tendencies. Some final pieces of advice for targeting gator trout: Fish during low light or at night when they feed the most. By making long casts, you lower the risk a gator trout will sense you before you can put a bait in front of it. Chris Bush started TheSpeckledTruth.com, a blog dedicated to catching speckled trout, which has started a movement in the gator trout scene. Gearing Up for Big Trout My standard tackle for big trout, and all my flats fishing for that matter, is a seven foot light to medium action spinning rod matched up with a 2000-3000 sized spinning reel that is spooled up … Brown trout get line shy, so 8-pound test is about as heavy as you can go for your line or tippet. Big baits catch big fish. Large gurgling or popping topwater plugs are another good option, and the added commotion draws attention. The all-tackle world-record 17-pound, 7-ounce seatrout hailed from Fort Pierce, Florida, near where I caught my trophy. On the other hand, anglers who have learned to target truly large seatrout are looking for that lifetime fish that stretches a tape 28 to 30 inches or longer. He died in 1888 and his legacy has lived on for years. A key is these areas also attract bait. They can be caught fishing with spinning gear using soft-plastics, jigs, top-water plugs, suspending lures, etc. The size at which a trout becomes a “gator” is a source of debate. Catching big trout is rare, and if we’re not careful, it will become even rarer… Sean has been fishing around Savannah all his life, and is the man to go to for that genuine Low Coun to Gator Trout Guide Service The immensely rich marine ecosystem found along the Texas Coast boasts perhaps the best inshore fishing in the country. There are a … Anglers hire Orlando fishing guides anticipating a great time flats fishing in the shallow lagoons. He’s known for having the largest fish hatchery in the East. Finger mullet or pinfish in the 5-inch range are big bait that will tempt a gator out of inertia. The river is producing a good trout bite. That is because they are stealthy, good-tasting, and way smarter than you are. In the shallow waters they inhabit, boat wake, vibrations through the hull or even water movement caused by a rocking vessel are enough to spook an old trout into lockjaw. Fishing Magazine, Coastal Angler & The Angler Magazine is your leading source for freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing videos, fishing photos, saltwater fishing. If fly fishing, go with a 9- to 10-foot, six- or seven-weight one. Gator trout don’t feed as frequently as the smaller fish because they eat larger food items. On our Cocoa Beach fishing charters we look for spotted sea trout Inshore and Nearshore over grass, sand and sandy bottoms. i decided to head back and i was right. Highlighted by the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo record trout of 8.88 pounds caught by Trenny Woodham in Theodore Industrial Canal, 2014 has been a … Fishing for gator trout is best done when there is little light, to take advantage of their ambush feeding nature. They can also be caught fishing fly tackle using shrimp and baitfish patterns. Find areas that are tough to access, where fishing pressure is limited, and slow down your presentation to keep the bait in the strike zone longer. Anglers from all over the United States and the world come to Orlando to engage with our inshore gamefish. It was caught on Florida’s Atlantic coast at Fort Pierce, Fla. in 1995. First, purchase the right rod and reel. Dr. Gilmore, in fact, grew up fishing Sarasota Bay, but did not encounter his first true gator trout until moving to the East Coast in the early 1970s. Learn how your comment data is processed. Getting started in saltwater fly fishing can seem like an overwhelming task, but it is really uncomplicated. Gator trout with 14″ redfish in its mouth If you want to catch gator trout consistently, you’ve got to target them. Just to put it all in perspective, the IGFA All-Tackle World Record weighed a whopping 17-pounds, 7-ounces. Yeah, they're not the biggest lake trout in the world, but I think that most of what happens to … There is more angler content on Social Media! Recommended Fly Fishing Clubs and Resources for New York: Seth Green Chapter of Trout Unlimited- This club is named after one of the most influential fly anglers New York ever produced. After entanglement netting constitutionally banned in Florida, sea trout has rebounded back to healthy numbers and sizes that we haven’t seen since the early 1980’s. Indian River Find areas that are tough to access, where fishing pressure is limited, and slow down your presentation to … While much has been made of the differences between these materials, they aren’t hard to understand - and all three have advantages and disadvantages. A little redfish action from last week! Gator seatrout in my area are usually considered trout above 25” in length. With this in mind, please release the big females so they may spawn and keep our waters filled with gator (trout)." Recent winters have produced many trout more than thirty 30 inches, and we are looking forward to many more successful trout seasons ahead. Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, Lagooner Fishing © | Backcountry & Deep Sea Fishing near Orlando, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, Florida. Here are some facts about these gamefish: Matures during the first or second year and spawns INSHORE from March through November; often in association with seagrass beds; lives mainly in estuaries and moves only short distances; adults feed primarily on shrimp and small fish. Come get in on the action with Shallotte Outdoors.LLC and N.W. With the cold weather moving in the speckle trout will be pulling into the creeks. Anglers from all over the United States and the world come to Orlando to engage with our inshore gamefish. Seatrout is often referred to as gator trout when they are large (over 6 pounds). During the summer months, the edges of sandy potholes on grass flats are prime habitat. Wahoos are one of the most coveted fish for bluewater hunters. To better target these gator trout and cull out the ankle-biters, I asked 10 fishing guides and top anglers to give us some tips on how to catch speckled trout. They are ambush predators and lazy by nature. We find that sea trout stage close to their winter holes on the flats between cold spells. Kayak Fishing U. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Catching just one gator trout heavier than 5 pounds is a different story. Spotted Sea Trout, Sea Trout, Gator Trout Sea trout are a very abundant sports fish in the Cocoa Beach area. Follow us and be up to date with upcoming giveaways & outdoor news! However, taking a big trout’s skittish nature into account, artificials might be an even better idea. For this reason, sight fishing for them is not as effective as blind casting. That’s not to say there won’t be a few large trout hanging out together. Trout fishing is best on these ponds and lakes in the spring. I have been inshore wade fishing the Indian river lagoon around Ft. Pierce and Stuart for about a year now. Cooking Your Catch Science tells us that as trout leave the smaller eater range and enter the gator class, they switch from eating shrimp and … These waters also support warm-water fish communities that include bass, yellow perch and sunfish which provide good fishing in the summertime. Tightlines Saltwater Fishing Charters specializes in guiding groups towards various inshore gamefish in the saltmarsh wetlands around Savannah, GA. Capt. Spotted Sea Trout can be caught fishing in Florida on a variety of gear. The Gator Hole is a well-known area among wade fishermen who frequent Sabine. Anglers of all ages, beginners thru experts can catch the spotted beauties using live, dead (frozen) and artificial baits. Shrimp is the most widely used bait for seatrout, and it’ll catch the big ones when presented right in front of their noses. These beautiful fish with colorful spots, egg yellow inner mouth and teeth like vampires. #backpackeroutdoors #hobiefishing #aftco #redfish. They are very lazy and wait for dinner to come to them. "The first is to use a topwater plug, and cast it a ­country mile so you don't spook the fish. Most rods blanks today are made of fiberglass, graphite or a composite mix that includes graphite, boron or even a ceramic additive. Gator Nests. Drop-offs, cuts, docks, bridges and jetties will also hold big trout. gator trout!! The definition of a "Gator Trout" - caught around Matagorda, Texas. And the redfish bite has been on fire!!! Most of these lakes also receive 2-year old brown trout in spring and are usually supplemented with surplus broodstock trout in the fall. Captain Richard Privacy & Policy, 204 Garfield Avenue Call them spotted sea trout, specks, or “gator” trout. Lagooner Charters specialize in finding and catching large seatrout inshore in the shallow water areas. FAQ But line-class records have fallen from Texas to Virginia. Some final pieces of advice for targeting gator trout: Fish during low light or at night when they feed the most. ... 1:56. The light line means you will need a reel with a smooth drag and a longer rod to act as a shock absorber. Gator Hunting: Fishing for Monster Speckled Trout in Texas Updated on January 29, 2021 An Unlikely Trophy. It is the first large cove you run into just south of Madame Johnson Bayou. When it comes to big gator trout in the wintertime you must move the baits extremely slow. 4 per harvester per day South Region 5 per angler per day N.E. For spin fishing, use an 8- to 10-foot, light- to medium-action rod. Anglers hire Orlando fishing guides anticipating a great time flats fishing in the shallow lagoons. Banana River Helena Wilkas can’t NOT catch gator trout! Personally, I reserve the term for fish over 27” in length. A lighted dock should not be passed up. Once trout get big enough that their diet shifts from mostly shrimp to mostly finfish, they become more solitary. During the Wintertime fishing in deeper waters with well-defined thermoclines produce excessive numbers of fish. Sea trout are a very abundant sports fish in the Cocoa Beach area. While a couple of inches does not seem like a lot to many people, it dramatically reduces the number of fish in a given area. Through this, he started the Dirty 30 Citation Program and the State Trophy Trout Citation Program. Gator Trout - Fishing - 324 East King Street, Rockport, TX - Phone Number - Yelp. Fishing the prefrontal conditions with a vudu shrimp under the cork produced some decent trout and this random red. Gator trout have lighter colored backs, and tend to frequent the edges of sandy potholes where they can lunge out and grab any hapless baitfish that moves through the open area. Artificials like 5- to 6-inch jerkbaits and big soft plastics can be cast long distances repeatedly with little fuss. But when shrimp aren’t running, an angler is better off fishing with a larger protein package.