Jacksonville inshore Trout
Capt. Ron Schurr
May 7, 2008
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
If you want to catch a trophy speckled trout over 7 lbs, now is the time.
May is one of the best months for big specks. Historically more gator trout are caught in May than any other month. The majority of the schools of trout are in the St Johns River and a few areas along the Intracoastal Waterway. These two waterways have all the ingredients for trout: current, bait and deep water drops adjacent to shallow bottom.
Lure selection is important, as you want to "cover the water column". Top water lures such as Zara Spook and Skitterwalk's are a must for the morning and evening's low light conditions. Those times of the day are the best chance for an explosive top water "gator". If surface plugs aren't attracting much attention, try sinking and suspending lures. Mirrolure 52M and lipped diving plugs like the Bomber Long A will draw strikes if the fish are deeper. I have also been having great success fishing small plastic jerk baits on 1/8 oz jig heads. The speckled trout have been feeding on small ribbonfish and glass minnows, so a match the hatch lure will score.
Please remember to catch and release the bigger trout (usually over 4 lbs) as these are the spawning females which are full of roe. These fish are critical, as they release millions of eggs.
Top water trout
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