# Speckled Trout Info



## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

Before anyone wants to bash me for this, I am respectfully just passing along a little info, I am not judging anyone or telling anyone what to do.

It appears the Speckled Trout bite is real good right now;and decent numbers of big fish are being caught. Many of these fish are spawning, if we kill too manythen we take fish away from the future. I remember a couple of years ago, the studs were all but non-exisitent!

The big ones, 5lbsor more,are almost exclusively females, because the males don't live long enough to get that big.

Nothing better then a nice fish fry, or fish on the grill, _*I'm in*_, I am just pointing this out so maybe, after you catch your dinner, you or your partner cut that next big spec loose to spawn another day!

Happy Fishing and have a great weekend!

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## stonedv8 (Oct 10, 2008)

Well put and if we police ourselves then in the future we wont have to worry about "Guvment" stepping in and trying to tell us what is and isnt good for us.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke (Oct 4, 2007)

By the way fish is at the Taxidermist being mounted.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

i let my fair share go, but you can chalk up 1 more dead gator tout come saturday.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

What's a tout?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

> *JoeZ (5/14/2009)*What's a tout?


i'll have a good one you can check out on saturday joe


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## snakeman14 (Apr 17, 2008)

Yep Bay Pirate has it right we need to start watchin what we catch, in the end it will mean more, bigger fish for everyone.

Not trying to derail but while this subject is up Ill add in my $0.02. I mainly fish for flounder, and we have gotten to the point where after dinner is caught fish under 15" are let go. In the last 5 years of really fishing for flatties we have seen a major decline in the number of big ones (4lbs +)we catch. I think this goes for both fishermen and giggers, once you have 2 or 3 in the box let the smaller ones go. 

Its just like deer hunting, if yah wantmore, bigger deer, you have to let the little ones walk, and the big ones breed.


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## Jighead (Feb 11, 2009)

A couple of trout questons


I heard trout spawn twice per year is this true?

When fishing is good, my fishing buddies and I have self imposed a 16 inch size limit for trout(I fish in AL. I'm not sure on FL size limits). With the big females in mind, what should be the size cut off to prevent keeping a big female rather spawning or not?


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## Dragnfly (Jan 25, 2008)

I agree, selective harvest. If you still want to be catching those gators in the future, you have to control it now and always. Of course, the State could always step in with more regs. if we cant govern ourselfs.


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## fishitall (Oct 22, 2007)

Good point BP. I think the smaller legal ones are better eating size anyway.


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## redshiner1 (Dec 26, 2007)

Spotted Seatrout are capable of spawning from late spring into early fall. How many times for an indivdidaul fish is variable but more than twice is common. That is one reason they are plentiful. They are alsocapable of spawning at an early age- around 14 inches. 

The argument for releasing large females is that they produce many more eggs than a smaller fish. On the other hand there are many more smaller fish. Either way they are very prolific and the population is probably moredependent on environmental factors (warm, salty water in spring and good habitat) than fishing pressure - GIVEN THECURRENT REGUALTIONS.

Releasingrarely hurts and is the right thing if you have enough fish, just don't feel too guilty about keeping a big one.


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## Flounderpounder (Oct 3, 2007)

Yeah, there is a lot of fishing pressure on most species. Personally I don't like to have a lot of fish in the freezer. Fresh is best IMO, and it gets me out on the water more often (ideally) that way! Keep a few, put the rest back for next time. Of course there are times I don't catch enough to put back!

:angel


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