Speckled Trout Tactics

In 2009 , I introduced the F.L.E.X. Fishing system, a dedicated plan for catching big fish of any species-including speckled trout.

F.L.E.X. stands for Focus-Learn-Eliminate-Experience and it has revolutionized my personal fishing.

The following are some of the notes from my F.L.E.X. Fishing ® speckled trout cheat sheets where I gathered the most detailed information available on giant trout. What you are about to see is truly fascinating and are observations about big trout seldom if ever mentioned.

As trout grow larger they begin to eat larger prey. The largest trout eat the largest prey. Researchers in Texas and Mississippi have found mullet to be the preferred food of the biggest trout. Frequently the mullet is half or two-thirds the size of the trout.

Big speckled trout feed heavily on ribbonfish (cutlassfish) when they move into bays from the Gulf. Find ribbonfish scurrying to the surface in panic and you will find BIG trout. At a distance ribbbonfish can be spotted by their silver flashes as they breach.

Trout are not big on migration, but there is some movement between the near-shore Gulf and southern tier of bay and channel systems. Researchers at Louisiana State University say the biggest trout are found in the Gulf, particularly during summer and fall. Near-shore oil and gas platforms as well as boat wrecks can house true monsters.

Salinity can be a factor in locating trophy trout. Researchers with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have found that adult trout tend to prefer water that is close to seawater in salinity over more brackish water.

A study in Barataria Bay in Louisiana concluded larger trout are most likely to be found over shell or soft (mud) bottom when the water temperature is 75 degrees or higher.

Speckled Trout Vision

Trout have a layer of tissue that allows them to see in low light conditions and be superior night feeders. Fishing the pre-dawn hours and using lures or baits with a luminescent quality or that create a stark silhouette can help you exploit this quality and score on big trout.

Sagittae are the sound receptors in fish, and trout have large ones. They are very keen to sounds made by humans and other fish. Throwing lures delicately and working lures and popping corks in a fashion mimicking natural sounds can go a long way to helping anglers catch bigger, wary trout.

Since trout are sensitive both to sound and visual cues, the ability to make long, delicate casts is absolutely crucial in the pursuit of big trout.Because speckled trout have sharp-eyed, color vision they tend to be extremely line-shy in clear water. Fluorocarbon can reduce the potential of losing a trophy catch.

Trout have clear, color vision and are super line-shy in clear water. The use of fluorocarbon can help eliminate loss of potential big trout catches.

Trout have both a keen sense of smell and taste which work together simultaneously. Making the right connection when a big trout takes a lure is important because the big fish can be sensitive to non-organic material like plastic.

Chester Moore, Jr.