TROUT TALK — Where and how to catch the spotted fish

Where to find speckled trout this time of year changes like the weather.

As a matter of fact, the weather plays a big part as to where they go.

“They move in to the deeper holes in the bayous,” when it gets cold, Sonnny Granger told the more than 75 gathered at North Light Yacht Club Wednesday night for the Emerald Coast Saltwater Seminar Series.

“But you have to adapt to the situations and we’ve had a weird winter so far,” Granger said.

Granger, along with Capt. Phil Rooks of the charter boat Fish Finder, shared with those gathered at the marina about where and how to catch trout in the winter months.

“If anything (the weird weather) makes them easier to catch because they are not moving out,” Rooks said, noting a lot of them are still being caught in and around the grass flats in the bay.

Granger said just last week he caught multiple trout and redfish near the marina.

“I was drifting in 2- to 3-foot of water and the fish were in the sand holes,” around the flats, Granger said.

“It was hammer time on the redfish and trout,” he said. “They haven’t made the transition yet to the deeper holes.”

Granger said he was fishing around noon, the water was clear and the tide was going out. “I saw multiple fish,” he said.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to change it up … they may still be there.”

However once the weather does get cold, the trout will move into the deeper holes.

WHERE

Some of those deeper holes can be found in any of the local bayous, Rooks said.

He suggested areas such as Boggy Bayou near the shell pile close to the Chamber of Commerce and Post’l Point Lake. He said another hot spot is East River near the power lines.

“If you can’t catch ‘em in those bends in the river … you might as well go home,” said Rooks, who likes to use a white grub with a red tail. “And the biggest ones are down near the mouth of the river.

“Alaqua is also going to be full of trout, but small,” this time of year, Rooks said.

Another good place to target trout is near White Point at the foot of the Mid-Bay Bridge.

“Holes on both sides will hold trout,” Rooks said. “Some of the biggest known to man will hold up there.”

“But the colder it gets, the closer you want to be to fresh water,” Rooks said.

HOW

When it gets cold, the fish get lethargic, Rooks said.

“A lot of times a jig head will not work, so you might want to try a Carolina rig. But you have to go slow with these rigs, because the fish are slow,” Rooks said.

 “You want to use super light tackle and long leaders,” Granger said. Granger says he likes to use a 5-foot leader of 10-pound fluorocarbon.

“When I fish a jig I like to use monofilament because of the give,” Rooks said.  “And I run it straight to the hook.” He likes to use 6- to 8-pound monofilament, because “he won’t cut that off,” Rooks said.

Granger suggests using a 7-foot rod with 15-pound Power Pro Braid.

“I like Braid because I can feel what I’m on with it,” he said.

Rooks also likes a 7-foot rod. “You can fish forever with a medium to light 7-foot rod,” he added.

However the rod needs to balance once the reel is attached, Granger said.

“It just makes it more comfortable and easy to use,” Rooks chimed in.

As for bait, Granger said a DOA shrimp works well, but again he stressed work it slow.

Rooks said he likes to use a DOA with a brass lead. “Scoot that lead about a foot and that shrimp will kick up … when it does, that trout will nail it.”

Granger said you could also jig a live shrimp. They both suggested using a popping cork rig with a DOA.

SIGNS

If you’re having a problem finding the fish, look for signs.

“Visual clues, you’ve got to pay attention to things around you,” Granger said.

Some of the signs he looks for are sitting pelicans and jumping mullet.

Granger said pelicans are lazy and they are usually sitting on top of the fish and they dive down when they get hungry.

As for the jumping mullet, Granger jokingly said they are jumping because they are happy. “And trout swim with happy mullet,” he said.

“Pay attention to the details,” Granger said.