speckled trout carolina rig

These beautiful, tasty fish are hard fighters who are willing to hit both live and artificial baits. Then all I do is keep my line tight as the current moves my rig along. Craig Matherne out of Grand Isle has been using a Carolina rig for years along the surf and jetties, and he’s determined that it’s an efficient and effective way to catch a quick limit of speckled trout using live shrimp. Another “You can fish a Carolina rig right off the rocks,” he said. going to charity in North American. can be a trial between getting the hook properly set and ripping it out All else being equal  look Top for speckled trout fishing gulf coast speckled trout fishing summer speckled trout fishing with live mississippi gulf coast s fantastic ned rig for r ins fishingHow To Catch Speckled Trout With A Carolina RigLearn How To Tie This Simple But Effective Speckled Trout RigHow To Catch Speckled Trout With A Sliding CorkLearn How To … Maybe I’ll pull the weight every now and then just to keep it moving slowly if I need to.”. Become the most informed Sportsman you know, with a membership to the Louisiana Sportsman Magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com. Speckled trout live bait rigs and tackle. Sea Trout include two types: Speckled Trout and Gray Trout (Weakfish). good bet is the mouth of a small creek. This keeps the shrimp alive and kicking, however, hopefully not for very long! going to, More good freshwater, saltwater, and trout fly fishing links. If you are an inshore fisherman anywhere from Texas all the way up past North Carolina and you are frustrated with how inconsistent your trout game is, then you’ve got to see these four trout tips from Capt. Beads – Use a 6mm bead for this rig. When you are targeting a speckled trout, a landing can be of immense advantage. Also, game laws will be different for each type so please check with the "NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide" to insure you have the right rules before you fish. That’s usually where I catch my trout on Carolina rigs.”. The grub can be white with a pink or red tail, green with a chartreuse tail, or black with a black tail. First off, you can’t beat the fight a speckled trout will give you which makes it a blast to fight them on relatively light tackle (check out our list of the top and best spinning reels under $100 2021). They are more complicated to set up and harder to cast, especially on windy days. Use of less hardware items, swivels and the such, will also sight and the smaller lines, especially brown and water camo, help catch This rig is a weightless one and I use a Number 8 treble. I leave the line slack so the bait can swim down on its own and that is the key. The only two drawbacks of a Carolina rig with live bait are that live bait will look for a place to hide, and the bait will be close enough to the bottom that you’ll periodically have to deal with croakers and hard-head catfish. The dry fly/dropper rig is the next popular choice when fishing for specks. Oct 31, 2020 - Every angler should know how to tie a Carolina rig. Yesterday he highlighted the sliding cork, and earlier in the week he covered the drop-shot rig, the popping cork and the double-rig. About the lure. of the fish's mouth entirely. May speckled trout techniques: The Carolina rig Chris Ginn Inshore Fishing, News Breaker Effectively keep live bait in the strike zone, even in deeper water with … If they see or hear you they will swim away and you will have to start over. False creek mouth It has not been uncommon to catch 50 to 60 speckled trout per inshore charter trip. Our fishing club favorite is Calcutta heads with 4 inch "Fin-S" bodies. I’ve had great luck catching specks in grass beds, current rips, rockpiles, around islands, and around shallow wrecks. The slot is 15-inches to 20-inches, with one of the six being over 20-inches. natural range. When an angler catches a speckled sea trout that is near 20 inches or bigger, it earns the nickname “gator trout”. As the water pulls around the rocks, you can see where it swirls and breaks into open water between the rocks. They are also pretty easy to remove. Plus, it is easy to mass produce to store in plastic bags for future use. more fish. Sea Trout include two types: Speckled Trout and Gray Trout (Weakfish). Anglers often cast hours without a bite Each type should be fished differently for best productivity. Light salt rods and surf rods will do and most freshwater rods work nicely. But that’s not too bad of a price to pay to be able to fish a rig that’s going to consistently keep your bait in the strike zone. When using live shrimp you can fish them on the bottom with a ¼ oz to 1/2 oz egg weight fished in a Carolina rig. as significantly as do speckled He lives with his wife Jennifer and children Matthew and Rebecca along the Bogue Chitto River in rural Washington Parish. His blog can be found at chrisginn.com. November is perhaps the best speckled trout month inshore. “I want to be able to cast up current or at least kind of to the side. Speckled trout are known by many different names such as spotted sea trout, specks, yellow-mouths, and paper-mouths. emailwm = 'webmaster@NCFishandGame.com'; The most popular choice is the Carolina rig, especially when you are fishing on the bottom of the water. Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a weeklong series by Chris Ginn on effective speckled trout fishing techniques to try this month. 3. Here’s how to choose and use them. […]. Favored trout holes will often be found and then catch 20 an hour until they leave. often trend toward 10 pound fireline or similar. Citation Size: 6 lbs. Copyright 1999 - 2021 Louisiana Sportsman, Inc. All rights reserved. Shrimp are hooked in the head just under the horn and in front of the brain. a disappointment for many with others doing better. Rig keeps live bait off the bottom – and in the strike zone When he wants to get the drop on speckled trout, more often than not Capt. Since this setup is weedless, it can be pulled right through the thickest of bay grass. I want to share with you an all-purpose rig great for targeting speckled trout and redfish: The Inshore Rig. Carolina rig - One of my favorite ways to probe sandy potholes on grass flats is with a grub rigged on a light Carolina-rig. I use this when fishing structure with no current. Thomason, on the other hand, prefers fishing Carolina-rigged croakers in deep water on the rigs. With a simple egg weight, a swivel, a leader line and a hook, anglers have a way to keep their live shrimp near the bottom where trout typically feed in those kinds of fishing spots. Other legendary names are out there, but they all fished way before my time. easy to catch once located. 14 oz. A deep hole between two shallower A Carolina rig or popper works great. “But what I really like to do is fish the current lines off the rocks. Stories and etiquette from back in The Day. Sea run trout have very delicate mouths. Each type should be fished differently for best productivity. Some very productive colors are below; our fishing club always keeps these in stock. Setting the hook Fishing Line – Depending on the throat you are fishing you may want to use a 5 to 30 lb test line. Most anglers have lost the fish when they are attempting to swim the fish on dock or onto the boat because they lack a net when the hook is pulling through the mouth of the fish. Sea Trout (Trout) can be caught on North Carolina's coast from early March, or earlier, to November, and later. An overly stiff rod may cause fish loss because been a lot of rain then the fish may hold is saltier areas away from Also, Capt. I prefer a simpler setup that gets me fishing faster and allows me to quickly change my setup if I choose. ] [ trout. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a cast of characters I had the privilege to fish with: Gunner Charlie, Big John, Curtis Gray, and the Boogerman, to name a few. Sea trout have very good eye Other than having to use a little bit heavier egg sinker, the only difference is the type of structure. Consider using a rubber net when stick baits such that the trout (and Speckled Trout Fishing Tips. Follow these easy instructions using quality tackle to get it done right the first time. One other thing, live fish are great for catching gator trout (big speckled trout) that are usually found in Texas and Louisiana. Have fun with this wonderful resource. I've seen photos of trout over 10 pounds, and I know some anglers who target speckled seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) like any rabid fly dropper after the holy grail of bonefish. Where to look for speckled trout. the mouth area. document.write( ' Webmaster <\/b><\/a>' ) emailwm = 'content@NCFishandGame.com'; Live shrimp is the best live bait you can use for speckled trout. ] Otherwise, they will be gone for sure when you get there. Downstream of a bridge, points, grassbeds, and docks are favorite spots. Weakfish, shown here, are less common in NC due to their Fishermen love it because it does the job of two rods, enabling you to fish shallow and deep. Use a Carolina Rig with a light weight to get the bait down, but allow it to swim as naturally as possible. 1980 The speckled trout history throughout eastern North Carolina is very interesting to say the least. Speckled Trout can be caught in the Cape Fear region year-round. for saltier water if fishing in the sounds near a river. Good Speckled Trout and Grey Trout Fishing Links. The more popular way to catch speckled trout is using an adjustable cork with a live shrimp. document.write(' Sales <\/b><\/a>' ) Weakfish are fished much like speckled trout except they like Some fishermen will even freeline live fish, but I find this very annoying near structure or on the flats. document.write('Content<\/a>' ) "Specks" are found throughout the entire gulf coast & are easily identified. emailwm = 'webmaster@NCFishandGame.com'; the main river channels and other big flows. Here, I hook the croaker just in front of the dorsal fin and toss it towards the structure. NC State Record: 14 lbs. Sea Trout (Trout) can be caught on North Carolina's coast from early March, or earlier, to November, and later. 6’9” to 7’0”, light action to medium light action rods, with Osprey CE 1000 and 2500 size reels. NCFishandGame.com has been a mostly volunteer site with substantial profits Speckled trout are primarily an ambush predator, and thus like to hang out in and around structure. These are very popular methods for fishing speckled trout, and they lend themselves to fly fishing as well. In the wintertime, I will use 6# to 10# braid with my clients. Full Moon = Big Bites. Sea Trout (Trout) can be caught on North Carolina's coast from early March, or earlier, to November, and later. “I like to set up on a corner of a rig that has tide pulling around it,” Thomason said. deeper waters and cooler waters. Sometimes, you can catch them on live mullet using a Carolina rig or a three-way swivel rig. Speckled Trout ❝Speckled trout or specks (technically, Spotted seatrout) are a favorite catch of saltwater anglers on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. […], Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois prepares Spicy Crawfish Eggs for breakfast at the duck camp before the crew heads home. Clients are catching their fishing limit with no problem, which is six trout per person. Best Rod & Reel Setups for Catching Speckled Sea Trout in North Carolina For Speckled Sea Trout, I recommend light tackle here. A landing net will help you prevent this from happening. ] [ Tie about a 20- to 30-pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon leader line to the other end of the swivel, and then tie on your hook. […], Chas Champagne heads out before the Big Freeze of 2021 with one more run on big speckled trout using the Matrix Minnow suspended jerkbait. with suggestions or questions. A big weight will get it to the bottom. Weakfish school but often do not congregate are prime as is the mouth to sloughs. Cynoscion regalis It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the MirrOLure Mirrodine. Capt. Specked trout, shown here, school and are Although a single hook will work, some anglers have started using treble hooks on the ends of their Carolina rigs. sensitive, but not as sensitive, to tides Few realize their effectiveness in saltwater. There is much For years, the standard way to present live bait to trout feeding in surf, around rocks or in deeper water has been a plain old bottom rig – also known as a Carolina rig. Year 2005 has been They are silver in color with olive-green tints on the back and numerous small black dots which extend over the dorsal fin and into the tail. Weakfish actually derive their name from the weakness they show around “The beach side of those rocks is shallow and better suited for a cork,” he said. While this article will mainly […] hope for 2006. I will admit to not being a big fan of rigs. Speckled Trout Rigs. Hard baits for speckled trout. How to catch speckled trout using a live bait rig with a float. For speckled trout use either a size #2, #1, or 1/0 hook. Surf Fishing and Wading. Speckled Trout are one of our favorite saltwater species to target. [Suggestion Form] [Link to your site] [ The most common line is probably 6 pound mono although I see a definite […], Devin Denman explains how he throws strictly artificial lures when fishing the Great Wall of Chalmette for speckled trout. you) will suffer less when landing fish to be thrown back. A limit of speckled trout at the Great Wall of Chalmette. Trout tackle usually weigh from 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce. ------ NCFishandGame.com info and links ------. Tips to Catch More Speckled Trout … A # 1/0 live bait hook works well when fishing live shrimp for trout. Keep in mind that if you use a boat you need to cut the motor before you reach the area where you think the speckled trout will be. where bait fish can be easily corralled without escape. Historically I’ve had great luck with plastics, both paddle tails and straight tails do the trick. As Spring has arrived and waters are warming, Speck catches will increase and so will their size! To make a Carolina rig, pass your main line – braided line seems to be best – through a 1/2- to 1-ounce egg weight and tie it to a swivel. It’s … MirrOLure Mirrodine. Twitchbaits, jerkbaits and stickbaits belong in the tackle boxes of speckled trout fishermen. Most anglers prefer to use circle hooks or kahle hooks for fishing speckled trout. emailwm = 'sales@NCFishandGame.com'; Jonah Boudreaux used a jig n pig combo to fish deep structure for a tournament-winning sized stringer in February on Lake Verret! Whether you use shrimp or croakers, the technique is rather simple: Find some current pulling around a structure and make a cast. Both types of trout have delicate mouths. Trout rove constantly but Of course, you can always use artificial baits like Berkley Gulp shrimp, or swap out the khale hook for an offset wide gap hook and rig a fluke, or rig a 1/16oz jighead with Matrix Shad instead. The all-tackle world-record 17-pound, 7-ounce seatrout hailed from Fort Pierce, Florida, near where I caught my trophy. The popularity of winter speckled trout fishing in Eastern North Carolina has risen drastically over the past decade and has become one of the most popular inshore fisheries in the Tar Heel State.