[SCHOOLE D] GATOR GO-TO
CONFIDENCE BAITS FOR SPECKLED TROUT
BY RIC BURNLEY S
peckled trout are finicky and fickle. Unless your lure is the right color, shape, weight and action, you can forget about a shot at these prima donnas. We
asked three gator pros for their go-to speck lure. When the trout get fussy, these guys get fancy.
[M U LTI-S P ECI E S]
SIGHTINGS F
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SIGHT CASTING BY RIC BURNLEY
rom the flats of Florida to the open ocean off California and the lakes and ponds in between, hardcore paddlers have taken to sight casting for alpha predators. We squeezed three pros for their secrets to sight casting success.
Vision Test
Alpha predators don’t get to the top by being stupid—or obvious. Spotting one of these ghosts takes ESP. “Effectively ap- proaching the sight fishing game requires learning to look for subtle clues, like the arch of the back, fluttering pec fins, the ver- tical line of the tail or the shadow on the bottom,” says Chad Hoover, head angler at
Kayakbassfishing.com. But spotting a fish is only half the game. “I take every precaution to keep the fish from spotting me,” Hoover adds. “Sun behind the angler will throw a shadow that might spook the fish,” he says, “A slight breeze will create ripples that can distort my silhouette.”
Stand and Deliver
Forrest Short TOURNAMENT FIN ADDICT
M I D-A TL A NTI C Big baits mean big trout in my neck of the woods. I love topwater. I use large Rapala Skitter Walks. Everything else is just an imitation. Retrieve the lure in short bursts. I use dark colors at night and when the water is dirty—light colors in clear water on clear days. You have to be quiet to catch big trout. I’ll avoid paddling across a flat. Instead I’ll paddle around or stake out my kayak and wade. My kayak is only a vehicle to the fish.
Jerry McBride MULTIPLE FLORIDA CCA SPECK CHAMP
S O UTH E A ST
My go-to lure for the last decade has been the D.O.A. three-inch Shrimp. In clear conditions, my favorite big trout colors are the Holographic and Watermelon Holographic. When it gets murky, I might switch to the Gold Glitter. Use a seven-foot, very fast, light and sensitive six-pound spinning rod and use five- to 10-pound braid to maximize casting distance, tied directly (double uni knot) to three feet of 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon. Skip the hardware—no snaps or swivels to distract sharp- eyed trout. Everything goes on with a loop knot to maximize lifelike movement.
John Donohue HOBIE GATOR HUNTER
G U L F C O A ST The Gulf Coast of Southwest Florida is made up mostly of lush grass flats littered with potholes where the trout wait to ambush baits. For potholes, my go-to lure is the Bass Assassin BLURP Saltwater Shad in Golden Bream on a quarter-ounce Chartreuse Flash Pro Elite Saltwater Assassin Jighead. The trout usually congregate by size. If I catch a few short ones in a row, I move on to look for the larger fish. Many times the biggest fish sit in smaller sand holes by themselves, or mix in with redfish.
Kayak guide Jason Stock plies the flats around Tampa, Florida, for reds, specks and snook. “Standing in a kayak isn’t easy,” he ad- mits, “eventually everyone falls out.” For the best results, Jason recommends standing in the seat area, “the most stable part of the kayak.” He also suggests keeping the cock- pit clear of obstructions such as tackle, elec- tronics and other paraphernalia. “I only take a couple rods and a limited tackle selection,” he says. “Not only does other stuff get in the way, it’s more to lose if you flip the kayak.”
Inside the Box
After covering miles of water in search of fish, then paddling frantically to get within range, it all comes down to landing the lure in the perfect spot. San Diego kayak guide Kevin Nakada, calls it, “The corner of the box.” He tells anglers to picture a box around an incoming fish. “I try to hit a spot slightly past and slightly ahead of the fish,” he says. Land the cast too close and you’ll spook it. Too far away and they’ll never see the bait. “It all comes down to the difference of a few feet,” Nakada says.
DIGITAL EXTRA: To watch Kevin Nakada put his sight fishing tip into action, go to
www.kayakanglermag.com/0019 or download the Kayak Angler app.
www.kayakanglermag.com… 25
PHOTO: PAUL LEBOWITZ
PHOTO: JERRY MCBRIDE PHOTO: COURTESY JOHN DONOHUE
PHOTO: JERRY MCBRIDE
PHOTO: COURTESY FORREST SHORT
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