Seatrout

cynoscion nebulosus

Seatrout Facts:
Seatrout are the most popular fishing species.
Seatrout average size is 3-4 lbs but can grow to over 15lbs.
Seatrout are croakers not true trout (salmonoids)
Seatrout move to the warmth of deep holes during winter months.
Seatrout survival is directly related to seagrasses.
Seatrout food value is good. Clean and ice asap to prevent deterioration.
Seatrout spawning occurs March - November in estuaries of bays and lagoons.
Seatrout of large size are the most prolific breeders. Release Gently.
Seatrout are making a strong comeback with the banning of gill nets.
Seatrout tend to school by sizes. Seatrout fishing is good all year but regulations apply.
Seatrout fishing regulation for Florida:

Size Limit: N.E. and South regions: not less than 15" or over 20"; N.W. region: not less than 15" or over 24"
Closed season: South region: Nov-Dec; N.W. region Feb; N.E. region Dec, Jan, Feb
Daily Bag Limit: South region 5 per day; N.W. region 7 per day; N.E. region 5 per day
Special Allowance: May possess one per day over maximum limit.

Finding Seatrout
Habitat
Habitat changes
Water color
Baitfish activities
Baitfish migrations
Protected inshore bays and lagoons are the haunts of the Seatrout anywhere in Florida's waters. They seldom travel far from their home area.
Sea grasses, particularly turtle grass, are the primary habitat for seatrout. Here they find an abundance of food and cover from predators.
Trout often hold where one habitat changes to another such as: different grasses, depth changes, structure or grass flat edges
Color changes also hold trout where clear water ajoins slightly clouded water as murky creeks running into clear bays. Some of the best trout fishing coincides with migrations of bait fish species. The Autumn mullet run into trout habitat is an example. In the Keys find trout in channels between flats, basins and drop-offs. Sometimes in shallows hunting mullet muds where food is flushed off the bottom. Edges of sand and grass or sand blow-outs on grassy flats.
Power plants discharge warm water. In the winter these areas will hold seatrout and other species and fishing can be exceptionally good.

Seatrout Food
Seatrout eat whatever Crabs, shrimp, mullet and other fish that are available at different times of the year. In the Indian River they eat shrimp in the summer and fall and eat fish from late winter to early spring. Smaller seatrout generally eat shrimp while large trout eat mostly bait fish.
Seatrout

Seatrout Flies
Flies for seatrout should imitate shrimp and a variety of fishes.
Hooks should be light wire to promote action and penetration. Barbless hooks prevent unnecessary damage to the delicate mouth tissue of the seatrout.
On the surface, Poppers, sliders and dalbergs work well for large trout.
At midlevel water, Deceiver style streamers and glass minnow imitations work well. Seatrout are attracted to brightly colored flies.
Top water flies should imitate baitfish tied with green, black or blue over white with plenty of flash.
Deer hair sliders work well for trout in Brown or chartruese good colors. Red color preferred by some fishers

Seatrout Tackle

Flyrod: Flyrods as light as 3-4 weight may be used for trout when calm condition allow. Windy conditions or use of large fly patterns will require a stronger flyrod. The 9 weight rod over powers seatrout but are necessary when larger species that live in the same habitat decide to bite. The seven (7) weight is widely considered to be the heaviest flyrod necessary for seatrout.
Reel
line
Backing
leader: Leader materials should be light as possible to allow maximum action.

Seatrout Methods
Seatrout feed best at dawn, dusk and low light conditions. Stealth is necessary for large trout. Wading method produces more trophy trout then fishing from a boat.
Cast to the edges of grass flats
Fish the tidal creeks or shoals at outgoing tides to imitate bait washing out to deeper water
Blind cast over grassy areas with a surface fly. Cast to mullet schools for the large trout hunting below or to the sides. Mullet muds generally have trout holding in the vicinity. Wading is the preferred method of fishing the shallow water. Wade or drift from shallow to deeper water to find where trout are holding. find the depth and bottom characteristics that trout prefer. Find large trout in undisturbed areas. old docks. deep holes. Poppers worked on the surface are often very productive. Do not over work the fly as this will put trout on the alert. One pop every minute or two or three is better letting the fly sit quietly between pops. The popping noise sounds like a trout hitting bait on the surface and draws trout from some distance.
If a trout misses on the strike, leave the fly on the surface, wait breifly then resume the popping technique.
Choose a subsurface fly on very calm days when surface commotion may spook the trout. Due to their wary nature, long cast are generally more productive than short casts.
In cold weather fish a deep fly slowly.

Hookup, Fighting and Release
While the top water strike is obvious the subsurface hit can be hard to perceive. Keep a tight line and set the hook immediately when a light tap is felt. The hook should be set gently . Allow them to tire before applying serious pressure. Pick up the trout gently rather than slinging them over the gunwale of the boat. The reason for this special attention is that seatrout have a very delicate mouth and heavy handed techniques can cause fatal damage.

Other Methods
Blind drift with shrimp suspended over the bottom by a cork. Use #1 fine wire hook and light tackle. Live shrimp are the undisputed best bait. Hook through crest or horn penetrating both sides of parapace avoiding the dark area.
For large trout, live 8" mullet on 4/0 hooks fished in strong currents, old docks and mangrove passes.
Plastic tailed jigs in chartruese, silver or brown. D.O.A. baitbuster , cottee glitter shad, zara spook are lures known to take trout readily.
The Zara Spook is a very effective lure using the "walking the dog" technique.
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