Trout are known to feed on mullet up to two thirds of their own size. Soft Plastic lures are very effective for targeting speckled trout. There are more varieties of soft-plastic paddletail lures on the market than boats, outboards and trolling motors put together. Bomber Saltwater Grade Mullet. Also, the contour of the jighead paired with the bait allows it to move in an erratic action, typically drawing strikes from bigger fish. Thus if you do not know what kind of bait to use for sea trout? These time proven big trout lures consistently produce fish over five pounds and have landed me a number of top tournament finishes.. By Capt. With all kinds of different jigheads saturating the market, it’s worth spending some time discussing their capabilities. Soft plastic lures are another favorite among speckled trout fishermen, especially on days when the trout are hesitant to bite metal lures. When fishing at night under lights, touts or other small jigs are frequently rigged in tandem with one on a somewhat shorter leader than the other. Soft plastic touts and curly tailed grubs are often fished under a popping cork very similar to the technique used for live shrimp. This means you can reduce the weight of your offering as much as possible given the wind and tide and allow the slower descent to the bottom. […], Terry Smith said his arsenal of speckled trout baits is fairly limited; he sticks with baits that have fooled fish in the past. Berkely Gulp baits are just about the best scented soft plastic baits that I have ever used for snook, redfish, speckled trout and flounder. Fishing for Speckled Trout and Redfish with live bait with DOA lures soft plastics during an awesome Trout feed! Later in the season when shrimp were migrating, he would use darker, preferably light brown, colored baits. Gator trout prefer large bait, so it makes sense to use larger bait. These lures will catch good numbers of keeper size limits for anglers trying to put speckled trout on the dinner table. For trophy hunters, larger … Slowly retrieve or make short intermittent jerks with top water baits over pot holes or around agitated bait in the flats for some great action. Touts and small fishlike soft plastics can also be rigged Texas style or Carolina style to be worked through grass beds and pot holes on the flats. The spoons undulating action provides a vibration and flash that is tantalizing to speckled trout. Types of Topwater Baits for Speckled Sea Trout. Want to catch more speckled trout this summer? Soft plastics preferred: Matrix Shad, Egret Wedgetails, DOA Cal Shad, MirrOlure Marsh Minnow Jr. Copyright 1999 - 2021 Louisiana Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. A large silver tinted lure will attract large trout. Soft plastics preferred: Down South Lures (Southern Shad and Super Model), MirrOlure Provoker, KWiggler BTS, Gambler 6-inch FlapN Shad, Norton Sand Eel, Big Bite Baits … Jigs can also be retrieved faster above shallow grasses and allowed to drop into deeper pot holes to entice stalking speckled trout. Chris Bush is an Air Force officer, and a licensed charter captain, husband and father. #2 Best Speckled Trout Lure – Grub On A Jig Head One of the most versatile lures in your arsenal for speckled trout (and just about any other species of fish out there) is a plastic grub on a jig head (this also is one of the best redfish lures – lures for red drum & puppy drum). Speckled trout are fish eaters and if you can match your paddle tail soft plastic lures to the size of the live bait in the area, then you will catch … The top speckled trout lures by brand manufacturer are MirrOlure, Rapala, and Heddon. For someone new looking to add one to their arsenal, size is the basic component that need… It’s … Of course there are more small to medium size trout in the bays and a small to medium size lure is more likely to produce a limit of eating sized speckled trout. Are trophy trout making big return to Venice waters? Keep in mind, there are no absolutes in fishing. The NED Rig is a complete fish-catching deal, and the unique, stand-up feature these jigheads gives small, finesse baits drives fish of all sizes crazy. Become the most informed Sportsman you know, with a membership to the Louisiana Sportsman Magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com. 6 Best Soft Plastic Lures and Baits for Trout. If targeting both speckled trout and redfish, gold may be the better option. […]. Jigheads preferred: Texas Custom Lures’ Jay Watkins Series Jigheads, Saltwater Assassin Pro Elite, Mirrolure Push On & Pro Series, Norton Lures GFX, Soft plastics preferred: Down South Lures (Southern Shad and Super Model), MirrOlure Provoker, KWiggler BTS, Gambler 6-inch FlapN Shad, Norton Sand Eel, Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow, Mann’s 6-inch Hard Nose Jerkshad. Other artificial lures that are considered best bait for speckled trout are hard small plastic lures such as the Yozuri Crystal Minnow. Everyone knows that the easiest way to catch a speckled trout is to rig a … For trophy hunters, larger swim bait type fish imitators are the ticket. Designed to rest nose-down on the bottom, your soft plastic stands straight up. Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois prepares Spicy Crawfish Eggs for breakfast at the duck camp before the crew heads home. By going as light as possible with your jighead, you’re allowing the weight of the soft plastic to keep pace with the descent of the jighead. You will also catch a lot of junk fish when using live shrimp as bait. The Rapala Skitter Prop is … Dome-style jigheads are incredibly versatile and work in any situation, and they pair well with most soft-plastic brands and sizes. The bass bite picked up as the day went on and Rylan caught fish by flipping a blue, A limit of speckled trout at the Great Wall of Chalmette, Florida tricks work on Louisiana March specks. – If you’re looking for a great bait without having to spend a lot, this … […], Marsh Man Masson, Joel Masson and Capt. Soft plastic lures imitate the feel of an actual wounded baitfish or shrimp and can get hookups when other options aren’t working. I typically like to throw an 1/8-ounce or lighter head over shallow grass, and they work extremely well in cloudy, clear water situations in 4 feet of water or less. Bait fish tend to move more slowly during cold weather, so should the lure that you are using to imitate them. Soft plastics preferred: Capt Lanes Ghostminnow, Pure Flats Lil’ Slick, MirrOlure Lil’ John, Cajun Lures T-John, Norton Lures Sand Eel Jr, Deadly Dudley Jr. As you can see, there are many jigheads on the market, and they range in size, style and shape. Other hard baits are used based on the depth of water and how deep they are designed to run. They are scent infused lures that I think trigger bites sometimes when fish are a little finicky. I normally prefer the 1/0 or 2/0 size hook, and since these are paired with 5-inch or larger plastics, castability normally isn’t an issue. I have never fished GI or from the shore. If the wind is light or I’m fishing in shallow water, my first and often only choice for chasing a trophy would be the Heddon ® Super Spook Jr. ® in bone with silver sides. Using different hard baits at different speeds to explore different layers of the water column is a quick way to vary presentation and probe deeper areas to see where speckled trout are holding. The timing of this will vary by location of course. Berkley Rib Shad Soft Plastic. Catching Speckled Trout with Artificial Baits, Fishing for Redfish in the Texas Coastal Bend, Fishing for Speckled Trout in the Texas Coastal Bend, Fishing for Flounder In The Texas Coastal Bend, Fishing For Black Drum In The Texas Coastal Bend. Admittedly, these are probably the most-popular styles, and for good reason. Lures that imitate shrimp and small fish will provide larger numbers of small to medium size fish, while lures that match the action of a larger fish will give slower action, but larger fish when they do hit. Shrimp is the best live bait if you’re going for speckled trout. Good article. Seamlessly transcending the range of experience levels, they allow anglers to target fish both shallow and deep. Best Artificial Lures For Speckled Trout – My Personal Favorites January 20, 2021 Speckled trout (or specs or sea trout) are an abundant game fish found along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico from the southern tip of Texas over to Florida and up the Atlantic coast to Virginia. While both gold and silver spoons are effective in catching speckled trout, silver is probably the most effective. The gulp trout worm is a fantastic alternative to live bait. With speckled trout more than other game fish in the Coastal Bend, determining what size fish you are targeting and what type of diet they have is the key to choosing artificial baits and the size of the bait. So depending on the time of year and the fishery along the delta, bait colors tend to range along that neutral range (avocado and purple and chartreuse). Topwaters, as mentioned, come in an array of shapes, colors and sizes. I mostly use either of these when fishing deeper water — 5 feet or more — or areas with heavier tide or wind, and I always pair them with some “boot” tail style softplastic. I am a retired USAF officer fishing the shore of Grande Isle in late July early August. Flooded by “pro staff” marketing, the industry makes it tough for fisherman to sift through what works and what’s 40-percent off. https://www.lafishblog.com/best-lures-for-jigging-speckled-trout My goal for you to start thinking about the different things you can do by just changing your jighead. Steve Soule. The most common soft plastics are one that imitate shrimp or small fish. Most anglers have discovered that speckled trout will take a variety of artificial lures during the spring before the fish become finicky. Trout can be aggressive when striking their prey. Rylan Meyers was invited to go to Delacroix with his good buddies, Jeff Bruhl and Skip Rayborn. Almost any fishlike hard plastic lure will produce speckled trout. Best speckled sea trout lures Ask a room full of speckled trout anglers to name the best lure, and of course, you'll hear a room full of different answers.