Anglers work a shoreline flat near a falling tide runout.
When the shrimp aren’t running, big trout focus on finfish, and aren’t as likely to be schooled up on a flat under a flock of working birds or holding along a current edge on the down-current side of a piling or spoil bank. Instead, trout will hunt where finfish species are prevalent. If that happens to be mullet, trophy trout will work a shoreline or shallow bar where mullet typically seek refuge from predators in the shallows, very shallow water in fact, usually less than knee deep. If adult silver mullet are the target, however, fish for trout in somewhat deeper water abutting a shallow flat or bar. There, big trout stage on the deep side of the dropoff along the edge of the bar, hoping to ambush mullet as they move on and off the bar with the tide.
Seatrout are “lunging” or ambush predators; they’re not mobile hunters like redfish that root out their prey by covering a lot of ground. Instead, big trout will find a location with moving water that pulls the bait to their location, or they’ll pick a patch of bottom where mullet travel. In either instance, trout will lie in ambush, making short lunges to grasp their quarry in their front canine teeth before swallowing it whole. Shorelines, oyster bars, reefs and seawalls make great ambush points for trout because they limit the avenue of escape for the baitfish.
In Jacksonville, Florida, a good number of trophy seatrout come off the oyster bars that go dry on low tide, but offer safety to mullet and other baitfish with rising water. These baits move up into the shallows and away from trout with the tides, but that same tide that offers sanctuary on the rise can lead to their demise on the fall as the baitfish are channeled along a strict corridor by the receding water. For a big trout stationed along that corridor, a mullet or killifish is easy pickings.
When not on mullet, trout seek out a variety of baitfish from croakers to pilchards, depending on the region. Given a choice, trout target the baitfish with the highest fat content, particularly during the spring and early summer spawning months when the fat content of their diet is directly related to the survival of their offspring.
Silence is Golden
Spotted seatrout are wary of predators and play predator at the same time. Bluefish, barracuda and sharks will make a meal of a mature seatrout, and from birth small trout fall prey to birds. So understandably, trout grow up edgy.
Sudden sounds or movements put seatrout on guard, so it’s imperative that you bring your “A” game when stalking big trout. Excessive noise is probably the biggest obstacle, and that’s why it’s tough to stalk big trout from a boat. Sound travels great distances under water. The banging of tackle, anchors, hatches or lids will put fish off, and even the trimming of an engine or trolling motor to get in a little shallower will let a fish know there’s danger afoot. It’s always a good idea to move slowly and deliberately when wading if for no other reason than to avoid stingrays and sudden dropoffs or holes, but it’s especially important when fishing for trophy trout. Probably the best way to combat any noise is to make the longest cast possible.
—M.H.
Seatrout eggs have anywhere from one to four fat globules attached to the outer casing. These fat globules provide nourishment to the developing fry before they hatch, and determine whether or not the egg will float. Eggs that sink tend to get eaten by predators like crabs and small fish, while eggs that float with the tides get dispersed over large areas and offer a better chance at survival for the young.
Diet is a primary key for targeting seatrout, and by carefully examining their feeding habits in a particular region over time, you can get a better grasp of what the fish are targeting at any given time of the year, allowing you to focus on finding and catching trophy fish. But food isn’t the only advantage anglers can turn in their favor.
Of all the gamefish, seatrout possess some of the keenest senses, particularly sight and sound. Trout see extremely well, and even have an appendage in their eyes that lets them see more readily in low light (See sidebar). So, they’re more successful capturing their food in those conditions, which is why a lot of big trout are caught at dawn, dusk, after dark and on cloudy or overcast days. Naturally, it behooves you to target these fish when they’re on the hunt. The low light also helps hide your profile and movements, although there’s a limit to the advantage you gain over a trout, given its superb vision, once there is any light on the horizon.
Trout also hear extremely well, and they utilize this sense for protection as well as for seeking out prey. Many baitfish make distinct sounds when schooling, flipping on the surface or moving about. Species like shrimp make a distinct clicking noise that trout can home in on from great distances.
