My personal best gator trout and the biggest trout that I have ever had a charter catch have been while wading. What’s for dinner: Gator trout are very lazy and wait for dinner to come to them. The definition of a "Gator Trout" - caught around Matagorda, Texas. I like the Cajun Thunder Float Rig. An absolutely unforgettable trip to the Gator Hole on a frigid morning with a bluebird sky. It’s so easy that it almost feels like cheating. **Casting to gator trout is a game of stealth and patience. The angler working the teaser essentially fishes the flat, prospecting until he locates a trophy trout. The idea here is that there is no substitute for using quality tackle and always having it in tip-top shape because you never know when the fish of a lifetime may be ready to eat your offering. If you want to catch gator trout, terminal tackle needs to be the focal point of your tackle prep. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. I have most success with the 4.5 inch Buzz Tails the most. With full roe sacks, female gator trout are going to be at their heaviest in April. document.getElementById('cloak77674').innerHTML += '' + addy77674+'<\/a>'; In 50 years of chasing speckled trout (which represents thousands of fishing trips), I have caught 6 of what I consider trophy sized or “gator” speckled trout – those are trout over 7 pounds. In my experience, it is tougher to find trout over 27 inches, therefore, I consider that to be the minimum length to be considered a “gator” in my book. During the summer, I find early cooler waters bring the trout to the shallows and when mid day approaches, they move to deep drops off into cooler water temperatures. You need to be stealthy when targeting gator trout. How To Catch GATOR TROUT In The Fall & Winter How To Catch 24X More Inshore Saltwater Fish (Easy 10-Minute System) One thing that Luke mentioned in the podcast is that he uses his phone to navigate and find out where the edges of the flats are. “My passion for fishing and teaching others brings me joy and pleasure. She began sharing her expertise and abilities with others. Because gator trout feed year-round they can be. Here along Florida's east coast, the large breeder females, known as “gator trout” have been known to reach 40 inches and weigh as much as 17-18lbs. In low-light or murky conditions, I use clear gold glitter or a gold glitter white combination. Call them spotted sea trout, specks, or “gator” trout. Being a Floridian Sea trout have always been a species that ended up on the catch of the day list on many trips and catching a Gator Trout, no matter what type gear you use, is a cherished catch but sight fishing them on 5/6# flyrods now that’s a feat and this article has inspired me to set up a … 4 - How To Present Artificials To Gator Trout. “The larger the trout, the more eggs she can reproduce… and the larger she is, the more likely her offspring will grow to become large gator trout as well (just like two super-tall humans have a much more likely chance of having tall kids).” The size of the female is only part of the equation since male genetics is the other part. Regardless, the Florida spotted sea trout record weighed in at 17lbs. Stick around: Gator trout become the size they are because they are very smart fish. Episode: 7. Setting the hook can be a trial between getting the hook properly set and ripping it out of the fish's mouth entirely. Very impressive stuff, Dee. During the spawn, trout, unlike some other species, feed very aggressively. Mister Bill didn’t need a whole lot to get by on, but he always managed to catch trout, using the same method day in and day out. To land, use a rubber landing net, a lip gripper or your wet hands to hold the fish gently to avoid rubbing away the protective slime coating. I was jigging a chartreuse Berkley Power Bait on a 3/8 oz. Find areas that are tough to access, where fishing pressure is limited, and slow down your presentation to keep the bait in the strike zone longer. Letting the bait drift feely away from the boat is a very natural presentation and a very effective way to get the bait away from the boat. Trout of this size are always females and contribute greatly to the population as they are very prolific spawners. Luckily there were no other boats fishing so I could concentrate on the fish and not have to worry about drifting into someone. Never paddle through the sand holes where they love to lie and wait for their prey. The moral here is that you almost can’t use a bait too big. All of my really big speckled trout have been caught at different times of the year and while using different techniques. There is nothing more thrilling than watching someone sight cast to a tailing redfish, hooking up and being taken on a “sleigh ride”. I always like the person who takes the time to learn about the biology of whatever species they are hunting. Gator trout are especially fond of jumbo live shrimp or a four- to six-inch live mullet. My hat's off to you! Spooking a trout out of her resting place reveals her position. I set my rods up so that they can be cast a long way by even an inexperienced angler. Therefore they are more likely to be in said mode. Big baits catch big fish. They will eventually sit back down in the next hole or move back to the same hole giving you time to approach in supreme stealth mode and position yourself to make a better cast to her location, thus increasing your chances for a hookup. The bite was like a jolt of electricity and I set the hook even though the fish was probably already on. So shrimp and shrimp imitations need to be retrieved from up to down current or allowed to drift freely with the current. "There are two ways to catch really big gator trout," Nichols says. 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