Spring-Speckled Trout Fishing

Southern Anglers Target the Beautiful, Tasty Sea Trout

Spring has arrived in the South, and for saltwater anglers that means it's time to go after speckled trout. Red drum have been providing non-stop action all winter for many fishing guides and their clients, but in April an angler's thoughts turn to the emerging trout bite the way a baseball player's thoughts turn to home runs.

Captain Mark Dickson of Shallow Minded Charters in North Myrtle Beach has been guiding anglers to spring trout on both the North and South Carolina side of the border for many years. He says southern trout fishing is already in full swing.

"They're feeding right now," Dickson says, "and if you can find them you can really hammer them. We got eighteen the other day. They're really in that pre-spawn mode."

According to Dickson the first trout that are active in southern waters are the "spike" sized specks of 12 to 14 inches. The bigger female fish show up a little later, as the water temperatures start to warm and they are ready to spawn.
"Most of the ones we're getting right now are the smaller ones," he says. "Down in lower South Carolina, where they're running a water temperature 5 or 6 degrees higher than us, I have a buddy catching nice five and six pounders."

Once temperatures rise the larger trout move out of inshore waters to feed and spawn off the beach. That's when Dickson says pier and surf anglers have their best luck, while he'll take his clients to the jetties.

"We'll catch the big ones on the jetties in late April," he says. "By June they'll be all spawned out."

Dickson's biggest obstacle has been the weather, with the wind and rain playing havoc with the schedules of local fishing guides. He said he's had to cancel quite a few charters. He also watches the tide closely, as speck bites only occur when a strong current gets the bait stirred up.

"The best bait has been the Bett's Billy Bay Halo Shrimp," he says. "I've been using them with up to a ½ ounce lead head. The trout bite when the water is really moving, and with the currents I've been fishing the heavier jig heads will work better than the usual ¼ ounce size."