# Looking for Gator Trout - help?



## mssbass (Nov 23, 2008)

My daughter and I went out on a limb and entered the Alabama Deep Sea Rodeo (speckled trout jackpot) - just wondering if there are any pros/nice guys out there that can help us out with a PM on where we might find some this time of year. We've found the reds and small trout but are targeting the larger gator trout. We've hit OB, Wolf Bay, Perdido Bay, Gulf Breeze soundside and Fort Morgan all at night. We're using 17MR, TopWater and live (large Mullet, Shad)... I've thought about the ship channel in Mobile where the gator is a 'norm'; however, I don't know the area that well. Unfortunately, all we have is a small 16ft aluminum boat but I'm a very experienced boater. We just have to be careful where we go.

Fort Morgan really isn't an option because boat traffic in and out during the tournament as well as the size of my boat.

I've been pre-fishing now specifically for these trout for about 2 weeks straight and cannot find any. At this point, my head is hanging pretty low and I don't have a plan. I was also thinking about Little Lagoon but kinda shying away from that option because there is only 1 place to target in that area and that's the pass. There's usually such high pressure there as well and water depth isn't very conducive.


----------



## SWAngler (Sep 13, 2014)

Unless you are Limit-It-Out  , live pinfish, and especially pigfish will usually catch the bigger trout over lures. I was kayaking next to this guy yesterday, while catching my usual 8-13" (lately) trout on Matrix. He was trailing a live pin while working a Mirrodine, and caught a nice 18" keeper, then lost another bigger trout at yakside, both on the pinfish. He caught a dink during that short time on the lure.

Cast a lure, and drag a live bait. Great combo, although I am way too lazy to fish bait. Lures so much easier, and less messy. But come tournament time, I hate to say, live fish are the ticket to get on the leader board.


----------



## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

mssbass;

I mainly fish the upper bays for convenience.

I find my big trout are solitary, I don't find the real big females hanging out in a school of small male trout, unless they are actually in a pre-spawn fertilizing period when she needs their company, otherwise...she's off somewhere cool waiting to feed.

The biggest trout for me always come off current, less than a couple hundred yards from deeper water. I rarely find a school of big trout, only once has that happened in the past 6-7 yrs.

And I hate to say it, but my Milton trophy trout hunters keep telling me I must use live bait to score on the 28"-32" range fish we have around here.

My advice is fish deeper water, I would use a finger mullet over a pinfish myself if going the live bait route. Good luck in the tournament.


----------



## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

deeper water w/ structure... think the rigs in the south part of the bay or the big river or the industrial canal... also speaking of LL.... there's WAY more than that one spot in there... lots of big trout have come from the lagoon this year... none near the pass... biggest I've seen so far was a 31" about 3 weeks ago... but the thing about the LL trout is it might be 30"+ but only weigh 7-8#... long skinny trout in there... but there are a lot of them

with a 16' aluminum boat your best bet (IMO) would be LL, big river, or TIC


----------



## mssbass (Nov 23, 2008)

*Gator Trout*

Thanks for everyone's input! I've found a spot way back in one of the bays with some deep water where I'm catching large reds but haven't caught a trout yet... I'm not sure I want to hang out there but the water temperature is a few degrees cooler than the rest of the bay due to the deeper water. I need a bigger boat want wanted to prove to myself I can do it in what I got. I've definitely spent the time on the water but still not holding my mouth right I guess.


----------



## willie mckoy (Oct 20, 2010)

pm sent


----------



## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

My son caught this one on June 24 from a dock near Navarre on about a 4" live pinfish. This big mama was released in good shape.


----------



## LIM-IT-OUT (Aug 26, 2014)

Best of luck in the tournament! My advise.... hire me... ill tell u everything


----------



## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

mssbass, hope this article helps.

LATE-SUMMER TROUT TACTICS
A FEATURE ARTICLE FROM AUGUST, 2001
BY CAPT. SCOTT JORDAN

SUMMER TROUT BEHAVIOR

In the summer, big speckled trout can be lethargic and unwilling to bite. Sometimes, it seems they are like “ghost fish” — fish you hear about, but never get to see.
It can be frustrating to anglers who haven’t realized what makes these big trout active.
There are several tips I can give you to help put more and bigger trout in your boat when it gets really hot.

As water temperatures rise along the coast, trout will shift gears into different types of behavior and their appetites change.
Shift your fishing to suit what they’re doing and you’ll stay on fish. Here are a few things I use to help me put people on fish when targeting late-summer trout.
In my opinion, speckled trout are harder to catch in late-summer than during any other time of year. I also believe the
“bite,” especially along shallow-water locations, only lasts for a brief period of time around the tide changes, say a couple of hours
around the first part of the incoming tide and a couple of hours when the tide begins to fall.

These two times, with the exception of first daylight and right before dark, are the best times to be on the water because this is when the bigger trout feed.
This is especially true if you are trying to fish “skinny water” along a shallow point along the Gulf beach or over on oyster reef.
Big specks also seem to prefer big croakers over most any other live bait you could offer them. When I say big trout, I’m talking about specks in the 4- to 6-pound class, which are fine trout for our area around Dauphin Island or anywhere for that matter.

It’s also important to realize that because these bigger fish are feeding on larger baits, it probably won’t take many to fill their hunger urge. If you have ever wondered why big trout quit biting so suddenly, it’s probably because their bellies are full on a couple of large croakers they nailed on the first part of the tide change.
Get there on time to maximize your potential for catching the bigger fish.

Croakers are usually plentiful at area bait shops and you can even catch your own with a net or by using small hooks baited with a small piece of shrimp and fished on a bottom rig.
I always get excited at this time of year when water temperatures in our area start climbing into the 80s because I know the croaker bite is about to bust wide open.

A couple of weeks ago, Dean and Laura Hubbard from Gautier, Miss., came over and found out firsthand just how well big trout like big croakers in the warmer months.
By 9:50 that morning, we had landed 26 trout with the biggest 20 tipping the scales at Dauphin Island Bait and Tackle to an awesome 84 pounds.
That very same morning, Capt. Wayne Ladnier probably had more total weight then I did since he and
his party were “wailing away at them” as he says. He, too, was fishing live croakers.
The bottom line is this: If you find yourself catching a smaller grade of trout, switch to what the bigger fish are wanting at this time of year.
You probably won’t get as many bites, but when you do get bit, it’s going to be a quality fish, maybe even a fish you can put on your wall.
One of my friends, Chris Esfeller, says if he ever catches one weighing more than six pounds he’ll sell his boat. Well, Chris, it probably won’t take too long if you tie on a croaker!
.
SMALL MEANS BIG

There are many “small” things you can do to help increase your chances of catching bigger trout, especially in the summer months.
Big trout are not big by accident. Believe me, there are plenty of good trout fishermen in our area and for these fish to avoid getting caught is a small miracle in itself.
Big speckled trout are also spooky. Unnatural noises, bulky swivels and heavy weights that are obvious to older, wiser fish just won’t get it if you’re after a “gator.”

Try downsizing your line to 8-pound or even 6-pound test and see what happens. You’ll probably lose a few fish, but you have to get a bite to enjoy the fight.
Also, make extra-long casts, especially when drifting in shallow water.
Drift your bait way back under a popping cork in shallow water or slip cork for deeper presentations until you can’t see it, then wait a few minutes before starting another drift.
You’ll be amazed at how many times you’ll get hit during the drift. It’s the most natural presentation for the fish.

Try “free-lining” for a change. This is the most natural presentation you can put in front of a trout. It also produces bigger fish.
It’s a little harder to fish this way and requires more concentration and skill because it’s not a visual strike, like with a cork, but you’ll get some “reel” results if you learn to fish this way.

SUMMER TROUT
HANGOUTS

There are several types of structure on which I concentrate in the summer months to locate active fish. Usually, by fishing several of these types of structures, I can find fish.
Summer trout love the comfort of cooler, deeper water. Look for anything in the deeper water attracting bait and you’ve probably found the fish.
Bridge spans, rock piles, rigs etc., will all produce when the summer heats things up.

Believe it or not, but at times, summer trout are still being caught shallow along beaches, grass flats and oyster bars all along the coast.
The bite here is not as consistent, but it still warrants my attention during the tide changes or when fishing early and late.

Try skipping a topwater plug at daylight and you just might catch a big fish in the shallows before she heads for the comfort of deeper water after sunrise.
One of the absolute best ways to catch a big trout in the heat of the summer is to try fishing a light after dark. Lights along the many docks, piers and rigs along the coast hold huge schools of bait, which in turn attract trout -- and lots of em!

I have a friend who regularly catches 5- to 6-pound trout almost every week under his light. At times there seems to be hundreds of specks cruising in and out of the shadows, chasing glass minnows and shrimp to the surface.
He calls me all the time and says these trout keep him up all night when he leaves his bedroom windows open. With all these big trout “slurping and smacking” all night, he says he just can’t seem to get any sleep these days.
We should all have those kinds of problems. 
I hope you have a good summer fishing and maybe this might help you catch some big trout later when it really gets hot. Good Fishing!


----------



## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Kanaka, for a "jaded ole phart", that's a good article you dug up there.
Sound advice for anyone at any level.


----------



## mssbass (Nov 23, 2008)

*Gator Trout*

Awesome article! Well, time is clicking and it's about time to set the ole' alarm and hit the water! I've got an interview about 11:30am, but should be off the water pretty early. I'm going after some large reds in the morning, then switching gears and targeting large specks. I'm going to take all the advice I've been given and will run with it. Too bad my little ole' boat is only made for back bays but I'm going to give it my best shot. Wish I had time to get a professional guide but unfortunately, my time has run out. 

See those of you at Dolphin Island (hopefully) - Wishing all those fishing good luck and all of you others, enjoy the weekend... I'll catch up to let you know how we:thumbup: did!


----------



## feef706 (Oct 18, 2011)

Great article thanks!


----------



## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

barefoot said:


> Kanaka, for a "jaded ole phart", that's a good article you dug up there.
> Sound advice for anyone at any level.


I have a few more on file. Downloaded em before Gulf Coast Outdoors went off the grid.


----------



## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

Nice article. I've also found croakers to be the key during the summer.


----------



## mssbass (Nov 23, 2008)

*Gator Trout*

Well guys - only stuck with the redfish just because I knew I was on the right size. My daughter has a 26" and I have a 24" - she may place... We'll see - heading out to the Rodeo soon...:thumbup:


----------



## SparetimeII (Apr 29, 2009)

Great article and hope you placed in the rodeo. Just a little FYI gulf coast outdoors magazine is still around just under a new name it now the great days outdoors magazine. It is still a great magazine with a variety of articles that helps all who love to fish and hunt.


----------

