Spotted Seatrout are very tasty and they can be prepared using many different methods. I prefer to fillet them and either season ,lightly batter and fry or season,coat with butter,drizzle with lime juice and broil. Silver trout tend to be to small to actually fillet so I like to scale them,gut them,cut the heads off and season,beer batter and deep fry them.

Catching both species can be a challenge. I have been finding most of the spotted seatrout in deeper creeks and canals about 3 to 6 feet. Fishing with a live shrimp,weighted with a small split shot on some 15 # test leader seems to get the best bite.

The silvers are a totally different game. Silvers tend to huddle up in the deep channels of  Tampa Bay from 15 to 35 feet deep. The method I like to use to target them is to first locate them on my bottom machine. Once found I anchor up and basically vertical jig for them. Using a 1/4 to 1/2 oz jig head baited with a soft plastic (color can vary) I will vertically jig it up and down in the water column to entice the bite. Once you get on these fish it can be one after another. I have had days when all things worked out and caught over a hundred silvers in just a couple of hours.

Now is a great time to target both species and put some tasty fish in the cooler. My personal opinion is that the cooler winter waters produce tastier trout.

Spotted Seatrout

Silver Trout

Trout season will be reopening in our area the first of the new year.

I have great confidence that I can put clients on some nice keeper trout this time of year so I wanted to do something different today. I like to offer a variety of species to catch using different methods so my charter’s stay fun and eventful. Being caught up in fishing the back waters and creeks I have neglected fishing the residential canals. Today would be the day I would scout them out.

I took a friend of mine with me today. John is a novice angler but he loves to fish and does not mind the scouting portion of fishing. Scouting is not something I can do with clients on board so when I do scout its usually by myself or with someone that enjoys scouting. You see scouting is not all ways about catching.

The time I had allotted today to scout probably wasn’t the best for canals as it was a negative low tide and I prefer a high out going when fishing them. But hey I had to go when I could as not to miss out on tonight’s party.

Methodically we worked the docks one by one,looking for fish and tossing small live shrimp under them. John caught on quick and began catching Redfish and Sheepshead.

After spending the time out there today I was not disappointed I went. It was not a banner day but it was productive. We caught about a dozen Red fish (red drum) and probably another dozen Sheepshead with a Snook thrown in the mix.

It was a good way to end an old year and bring in a new. It also adds an alternative fishing experience for my clients to enjoy.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year.

Capt. Steve Betz