Trout, the time is now and the trout are hear in big numbers
 
Now is time for everyone that likes the sudden explosion and violent head shake of nice trout, to get your line wet.
 
In the past few weeks the trout have come alive in almost every creek, the ICW and in most of the inlets. I have managed to catch one or two or maybe two or three or heck even thirty one in less than 1 1/2 hours on Sunday.
 
Here are a few techniques that have worked for me and given a try will work for you.
 
Tackle:
 
Get your soft plastics, your 1/4 to 3/4 ounce Jaw Jacker Jig heads, your diving and surface MirrOlures, your big sinking flies, bass fishing buzz and spinner baits and of course live shrimp and a float rig. Here a re a few that I always have on the boat for trout in the fall.

Back Country Popper          Mr. Twister Buzz Bait         MirrOlure Catch 2000          MirrOlure Crank Bait
 
 
       
Exude Sassy Shad           Exude Shrimp                        Spanish Fly
 

 
Rods and Reels: 
 
I like a Pflueger Baitcast reel on a 7 foot long Ugly Stik lite medium action rod for the float rig. This outfit has enough backbone for the larger fish but a limber enough tip that you do not pull the hooks with these soft mouthed fish.
 
My choice of outfit for casting plugs and jigs is the Shakespeare 7 foot long medium action Graphite rod with a Tidewater SS spinning reel. I spool the reel with 20 pound Power Pro and tie the lure directly to the line, no leader.
 
For the fly outfit try the Pflueger Trion 8wt rod with the Pflueger Supreme gold reel.  I like to spool the reel with 10 wt, weight forward, floating line with a 5 to 8 foot long 20 pound monofilament leader.  This outfit will produce long accurate cast for even the novice fly fishing person and the experienced fly fisher will appreciate the ease of casting this outfit.
 
The Tides:
 
The outgoing is good in most spots but don't ignore the incoming as I know several great incoming places as well. One thing I always try to find is moving water. Trout seem to like current or eddies close to fast current. In the eddies it will be difficult to fish a float rig so try to stay with a bait that you can cast and work through or on the edge of the eddy.
 
Being Ready:
 
I always have at least two styles of baits ready for fishing when I cast to these nice trout. If I am throwing a MirrOlure, I will have ready another outfit with a soft plastic with a hook like an X-Point 5/0 heavy worm hook through the bait. A Sometimes the fish will explode on the hard bait and miss it. If you are ready to cast a soft plastic on top of the explosion and let it slowly sink, working it ever so slowly, you will be surprised how many you can catch that you would not have on the hard bait. The key is to BE READY, these fish will strike the soft plastic if you can toss it at them as soon as it misses the hard bait.
 
Places:
 
I am particular to the inlets, creeks with long sections of oyster mounds that are covered up on high tide, creeks and river bends that have deeper water in the bends, around bridge pilings and along the ICW where you see white piles of oyster shells. Look for the schools of mullet coming out of the water. When you see mullet scattering and trying to get out of the water, you can bet there is something under them trying to eat them.
 
Working your baits:
 
The float rig is probably the easiest. Find an area that you think or better yet know that holds trout, hook up a live shrimp, set the depth so the shrimp is just off of the bottom an inch or so. Cast it out and let the drift begin. When the float goes down, set the hook and turn the handle. Hopefully, you have the hook in the trout and he is coming to the boat. NO ROD PUMPING, just hold the rod tip high and turn the handle. The more that you pump the rod the more slack you give the fish and the fewer that you get to the boat.
 
The Fly needs to worked, making as long of a cast as you can. I like to get my fly out away from the boat about 70 to 80 feet but if you are quite you can get away with a 50 foot or so cast. Remember, trout are spooky fish and do not like a lot of noise coming from your boat, especially the ones in shallow water. For the strip, I like a broken strip. Two to three inches than stop, then five inches then fast strip two inches then stop then strip. You get the picture. Keep the fly swimming in an erratic motion. You need to convince the trout that your bait is injured and can be easily caught. When you get one on, hold the rod rip high and DO NOT give the fish any slack.
 
The soft and hard plastics can be worked erratically, trying to imitate a wounded fish. Make a cast as far from the boat as possible and start your action back to the boat. The fish might hit at your bait a few times and miss it but just keep working your lure as the trout will eventually hook up.
 
Buzz and Spinner baits can be worked with a long cast and a steady retrieve back to the boat. If you are having a lot of short strikes (the fish hits the bait but does not get hooked up), you can try adding another hook to the one attached to the lure. This is called a trailer hook and can be very effective with fish that are short striking the lure.
 
Limits:
On east coast of Florida, you can have in your possession, five trout per licensed angler. The fish have to be in the slot size of 14 to 20 inches and you can have one of your five fish over the 20 inch maximum.
 
Here are a few nice trout that were caught this past Sunday by Alice Shelton.

 

Christmas is just around the corner and a gift certificate for a day with Capt. Jim might make a good present for someone. They start at only $225. I accept Visa or MasterCard
 
Charter Information: Capt. Jim Hammond is an inshore saltwater charter guide in Jacksonville, Florida and can be reached to book a trip by calling 904 757 7550.

Moms and Dads: Remember mom and dad, spend some time with your sons and daughters taking them fishing and you will not be looking for them come Friday and Saturday nights, as they will be home in bed waiting to go the next day. (I am not just saying this because it sounds good. I MEAN IT, YOU WON'T BE LOOKING FOR THEM.)

Television Fishing Show:
Catch some local fishing action Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm and Sundays at 8:30 am on cable channel 7 WTWN in Jacksonville, the Beaches and Clay County and Thursday nights at 7:00 pm and Sundays at 12:00 pm on channel 22 WQXT in St. Augustine and St. Johns County.
 
 
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Good Fishing
 
Capt. Jim Hammond
jim@hammondfishing.com
http://www.hammondfishing.com
(904) 757-7550