# Cant find the specks, help!



## redfishreaper (Apr 23, 2012)

I am new to pcola so I do not know how to cach the specks. Can someone please tell me how and where to cach them. I also do not have a boat and I live around North east pcola. Thank you


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## ldw (Aug 30, 2009)

caught one Sunday morning with outgoing tide on a plastic jig. Fished a light on a dock Saturday night and didnt see one trout. So I'd say it was pretty slow. However the redfish and spanish bite was hot. I'd fish for them.


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## chicon monster (Mar 7, 2012)

I would use a 4 inch mirrolure soft shad in chartreuse with a little 1/8 ounce jig head. I would fish dock lights. The speck bite is alright now.it will be picking up soon


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## FATBOYSLIMM (Mar 19, 2011)

Specks are in transition to traditional spawning grounds, look.for oyster beds and grass flats that have deep water near them, specks usually spawn between dusk and dawn...when they are not making babies....they will eat whatever available in that area....when u catch a legal fish, and plan to keep it, cut open the stomach and see what kinda of surprise is in it


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Been doing ok tossing hard baits on grassy points in about 3 feet of water. Rising tide has been better than falling.


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## redfishreaper (Apr 23, 2012)

*where wher you*

that sounds good, wher did you fish? spasificaly what lure did you use again, thanks?IDU


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

*Newbie also looking for tips...*

Great question... I don't even live in P'Cola but my wife went to high school here, and we come visit her folks a couple times each year. I finally have a boat that I can take on the bay now, so I brought that down this trip and spent all day today fighting the wind.  Caught one redfish off a dock near the boat landing at um... Innerarity Point I think it is called? Other than that it was feeding pinfish a few dozen shrimp. We were mainly hitting boat docks around Grande Lagoon area, but we didn't find anything.

If any one has any further tips for where I might look for specks or redfish, I sure would appreciate it a lot. I can trailer the boat wherever, but I am afraid I need help with landmarks.... the tips on types of structure to fish are nice, but even more helpful would be specific suggestions of spots to try, since we only have this week and then we have to head home. 

Thanks to everyone for posting, I have been perusing and trying to soak up some knowledge!

Tight lines
Sam


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## Coastal Cowboy (Feb 12, 2012)

Bayou texar is good for them, and the reds are pretty good over by three mile bridge at night


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Nice, I'll take a look. Looking at the map, Texar seems like it should be decently sheltered from wind as well. Thank for the tip. 

Sam


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## kilntime (Sep 11, 2010)

*use big-live croakers*

Thats what I do,use live 12-16 ounce croakers,10-12 inches long in the shallows.Just free line it and give the gators a little time to swallow it,then let the fun begin.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Bob Sikes bridge is a good place to catch big specks right now at night.


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## chicon monster (Mar 7, 2012)

When the specks are hungry they will eat big baits.

Bayou chico and bayou texar are good spots to catch em


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

How does a speck change as summer gets hotter and hotter.


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## dabutcher (Apr 19, 2008)

The speck bite is very good right now if you know what to look for and you are willing to cover a lot of water. Escambia bay and East bay can be very productive. Since you are new to the area you need to concentrate on points and creek mouths that are holding massive schools of mullet. Google maps and a gps are invauluable tools in putting together an effective game plan. You also need to use tackle that afford you the ability to make very long casts. In the morning I will usually start with a top water bait. My favorite is the super spook jr. in the bone color. When the sun gets up I will switch to some type of jerk shad bait on a quarter ounce jig head. Many people like the gulp jerk shads but I prefer the zoom flukes. Both will catch a lot of fish. My other two main baits are a mirrolure mirrodine and a gold spoon. My favorite spoon is the vengence spoon by aqua-dream.

Don't spend much time in areas where you aren't getting many bites. If you come to an area that does not have a huge concentration of mullet, then you need to move. You can cover a lot of water using this pattern. You will be able to find productive areas and eliminate unproductive areas. After a few trips you will be able to establish a pattern that works on certain tides and spend a lot less time looking and more time catching.

Hope this helps and good luck.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

minkmaster said:


> How does a speck change as summer gets hotter and hotter.


They will concentrate shallow water early morning, and will move to deeper holes as the sun comes up. They'll also hit bigger baits, like live croaker or finger mullet.


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## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

FATBOYSLIMM said:


> Specks are in transition to traditional spawning grounds, look.for oyster beds and grass flats that have deep water near them, specks usually spawn between dusk and dawn...when they are not making babies....they will eat whatever available in that area....when u catch a legal fish, and plan to keep it, cut open the stomach and see what kinda of surprise is in it


Intresting that you say that, this was yesterday...


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## fsu alex (Aug 3, 2011)

dabutcher said:


> The speck bite is very good right now if you know what to look for and you are willing to cover a lot of water. Escambia bay and East bay can be very productive. Since you are new to the area you need to concentrate on points and creek mouths that are holding massive schools of mullet. Google maps and a gps are invauluable tools in putting together an effective game plan. You also need to use tackle that afford you the ability to make very long casts. In the morning I will usually start with a top water bait. My favorite is the super spook jr. in the bone color. When the sun gets up I will switch to some type of jerk shad bait on a quarter ounce jig head. Many people like the gulp jerk shads but I prefer the zoom flukes. Both will catch a lot of fish. My other two main baits are a mirrolure mirrodine and a gold spoon. My favorite spoon is the vengence spoon by aqua-dream.
> 
> Don't spend much time in areas where you aren't getting many bites. If you come to an area that does not have a huge concentration of mullet, then you need to move. You can cover a lot of water using this pattern. You will be able to find productive areas and eliminate unproductive areas. After a few trips you will be able to establish a pattern that works on certain tides and spend a lot less time looking and more time catching.
> 
> Hope this helps and good luck.


Everything he said!:thumbup:


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Awesome, thanks so much for the tips guys. I would like to see if I can find some specks while we are here... my wife is really wanting to hunt down some good redfishing but maybe we'll find time to do both. Now to find some areas protected from this southwest wind... phew, the run up Big Lagoon this afternoon from the Pass was pretty choppy. 

BTW, didn't do much at the Pass today, mainly were tossing shrimp at the jetty. Saw a lot of boats but wasn't seeing a lot of fish coming into them, but maybe I wasn't paying attention. The grass flats in Big Lagoon were a little too windblown by the time we left the pass. 

I wonder if there are specks and redfish up in the NW section of Escambia bay... hmm.


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## hewes15 (Sep 8, 2011)

im still learning, but w the big reds we have been finding them off dixey bar near shore right off ft.morgan. they have a public ramp there. we were using the big doa that look like a fish with a forked tail and added a sliding 1 oz egg weight to get in deeper. also, live croakers on a circle hook with a 1oz egg sinker worked awesome. the depth we used was about 8-10ft and just drifted the bait on the bottom and left the reel almost on free spool. im heading down today and "hopefully" they are still out there for the weekend!


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

SouthAlabamaSlayer said:


> They will concentrate shallow water early morning, and will move to deeper holes as the sun comes up. They'll also hit bigger baits, like live croaker or finger mullet.


Is the topwater bite good in midsummer still?


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## todd in the bay (Oct 3, 2007)

Hit any of the public parks in Gulf Breeze on the Soundside and stop at HOT SPOTS B & T first for pointers. Match the hatch, throw a bait net and hold yer face right.


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## Len53Pan (May 1, 2012)

.it will be picking up soon


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## RCB (Jan 29, 2008)

Catching Specks is easy!! Go by one of the local tackle shops. Buy a Mirro lure, preferbly a Mirrodine ($7.99 or so). Then head to Shoreline Park boat ramp. To the right is the public beach, and walk down a 100yrds or so and wade out to waist deep water and start throwing. Walk all along that shoreline until you hit the houses.


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## todd in the bay (Oct 3, 2007)

or use the old method, complex as it may be, of throwing the old live bait under a wine cork. One key, often over looked and mentioned only briefly for speckled trout, that the experts will agree on...but rarely found is: 

Silence. Stealth, dead quiet, no movement. 

Ssshhh!! Quiet, HUSH. Get it? ZIP.
and bam...


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

Not trying to be a smart+%$ but I like the orange shirt as you speak of stealth. I know what you mean to be true tho. Alot of times just long casts work for this. Sudden movement is huge on anything in skinny clear water


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

Long casts and pinfish under cork always works.


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## WATERWAYZ31 (Mar 29, 2009)

If you have a boat...shoreline pk in gulf breeze,fish the lighted docks at night ,live shrimp freelined produces 4# range pretty consistantly for me...hope this helps


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