Spotted Sea Trout

One of the easiest species to target in Florida, is the spotted sea trout. They are aggressive feeders, and inhabit most of the grass flats and surrounding potholes. They can be targeted year round, but the cooler months are generally best for the larger gator trout (20 inches and up).

Trout can be targeted with live bait or a plethora of artificials, but some general rules apply to most applications. Since they like to hide in the grass, or surrounding sand, it is important to keep your bait out of the grass. With live bait, one of the absolute best rigs is a popping cork with a live bait fish or shrimp. Normally the bait should be around 18 inches below the popping cork, and a split shot 5 inches above the hook. After you cast this rig out and wait a minute for the cork to become upright, you should pop the cork hard, in order to alert the trout in the area to a possible easy meal.