BIG TROUT LIKE A BIG LURE
THAT IS BARELY MOVING. PHOTO: RIC BURNLEY
Skills guide
Speckled Trout
From the Gulf Coast to the mid-Atlantic, speckled trout are one of the most popular species for food and sport. While it’s one thing to bail school-sized trout for a fish fry, it’s another thing to chase trophy gators for bragging rights. Ocean Kayak pro Lee Williams combines tactics from all along the trout coast to target speckles in Tidewater, Virginia.
Nervous Twitch Big trout often lurk deep, waiting for a clueless baitfish to swim overhead. To give the fish what it's looking for, pros around the country are using suspending twitch baits. These rubber or hard plastic baitfish imitations are designed to sink slowly and swim erratically. “The key is to work the bait slow,” Williams says. Cast out the lure and count as it sinks to the appropriate water depth, then work the lure back by alternating a strong twitch of the rod tip and a hard turn of the reel with a motionless pause. “Count each pause to control how deep the lure sinks between twitches.”
Anchor Aweigh Speckled trout will often hold in the current waiting for the water to bring a meal. The best strategy can be to anchor down current of the fish and bounce or slow-roll a soft plastic jig. Williams uses an anchor trolley system to keep his kayak in place. “I run one trolley to the bow on the left side and one trolley to the stern on the right side,” he explains. This allows him to anchor with either his nose or stern into the current. Williams warns to use caution when anchoring a kayak, especially in current or rough water. “Throw the anchor and clip the line in the carbiner on the anchor trolley then work the line to the bow or stern,” he instructs. When the kayak comes tight on the anchor rope, Williams secures the line with a cam cleat. “I can release the line quickly and it won’t get tangled or cause a snag.”
Paper Mouth Trout have a soft mouth. Use thin wire hooks that have some spring to forgive the fish's wild head-shakes. Set a light drag and use a limber rod. "Whatever happens, don't let any slack in the line," Williams says.
Gear & Gadgets LiveTarget's Softbait Shrimp
In recent years, lure makers have gone overboard designing imitations that perfectly mimic the real thing. Not only does
LiveTarget’s Softbait Shrimp include long antennae and life-like colors, but the plastic is mixed with real shrimp flavor. To produce a realistic movment, the shrimp’s feet move like a shrimp kicking itself through the water.
www.livetarget.com.
www.kayakanglermag.com … 37
PAPER MOUTH. PHOTO: ROB CHOI
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84