Captain Randy reports that fishing was good, despite the past week being riddled with strong northerly winds and cooler water temperatures. This week's focus was on speckled trout. They were found in 3-5 feet of water, usually on the edge of a drop off from a grass flat or an oyster bar. Shrimp or white bait, which are still plentiful, worked well. Popping corks with a 1/0 circle hook or jig head worked along these edges and produced good numbers of fish in the 14-20 inch range. It is best to use your trolling motor to work the edges. Once you locate them, you may fish through a few smaller ones to get the big ones hooked up! Throwing a few live baits out for chum will keep them around and interested. Trout have a protective slime on them, so it is best to use a de-hooker. If you do need to grab them make sure your hands are wet, so that we are keeping this species alive and well. Still seeing a lot of snook around. Water temperatures came up into the 70 degree range later in the day on the higher stages of the tide, and it seemed to make them hungry. Live chumming helps get them going. The water has been clear, so scaling back your tackle is a must. Using 3 foot of 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader and a 2/0 circle hook while free lining the baits got plenty of hook ups. Paying attention to your drag will help keep these fish and out of the trees and snags that like to hang around.
