November 9, 2018

Targeting Trophy Speckled Trout

Chris Bush with The Speckled Truth provides tips for fishing for trophy speckled trout.

Confidence is key when it comes to fishing for trophy trout. Moon phase, tide and time of year are key indicators of when trout will bite. The new and full moon are when you have the greatest solunar activity and that's when the trout will eat more. Tide correlates to the moon phase. The full and new moons typically have higher tides, but in estuaries where you don't have as much tide range, high solunar activity without tidal influence is key.

The Best Time to Fish for Trout

Late fall through early spring in Florida and Texas are great times to fish for trophy trouth. Bigger trout will pull up onto a flat in cooler water. They target mullet during this time. Mullet will pull up on a flat in colder water. The colder, the shallower water you should be targeting.

The Mental Game

You're targeting one specific bite and that's the one from a big speckled trout. Shift your mindset to expecting not to get a bite, so that you don't get discourage too quickly. Maintain your confidence in your ability in terms of technique and in reading the water and solunar activity. Knowing you're in the right spot is a key component to catching big trout. If you aren't getting bait activity in certain locations, that's a key indicator that maybe the fish aren't there. Find a tide source or move to the bay or flats and get them in the feed window where they'll eat. Trout eat in small windows, so you have to capitalize on that time.

Solunar Activity and Trout Fishing

moon phases

Solunar tables are a fisherman's best friend. Solunar periods dictate high rates of activity. The moon in its relationship to the earth, as well as the sun and its pull, are all playing a part in that high solunar activity. If the moon is coming up at the same time as the sun is coming up, you have a moon rise major and these two solunar components impact tide. Moon over head, moon under food and moon set are the three components you want to pay attention to. If those correlate or are in unison with a sunrise or sunset, you'll have your major feeding periods. Paying attention to the solunar components will optimize your time in highly productive areas, which will give you a better chance of catching trophy speckled trout.

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