# Help on specks and reds



## SHAKE N' BAKE (Jul 31, 2012)

Havent been able to catch many specks or reds this year but I would really like to try to get on some. If the rain slacks up I may try to get out there but am wondering what they are hitting the best. Im thinking around some grass flats near some docks but im not real sure on what to throw. Usually i just stick to topwater or mirrodines but they have failed me recently. Any suggestions to catch some? Any help is greatly appreciated!


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## scott44 (Aug 17, 2013)

SHAKE N' BAKE said:


> Havent been able to catch many specks or reds this year but I would really like to try to get on some. If the rain slacks up I may try to get out there but am wondering what they are hitting the best. Im thinking around some grass flats near some docks but im not real sure on what to throw. Usually i just stick to topwater or mirrodines but they have failed me recently. Any suggestions to catch some? Any help is greatly appreciated!


Free lined shrimp or under a cork will tell ya if there are eating fish there.If you don't catch one quick move.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

scott44 said:


> Free lined shrimp or under a cork will tell ya if there are eating fish there.If you don't catch one quick move.


You can't get better advice than that. First you have to locate them and only then can you try to catch em the way you want to catch em.


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

here is my 2 cents on that

look for the ONE that one flat that is different or has all the ingredients 
1.Near by deep water 2. docks and or with brite lights 3. sparse grass or really tall grass 4. mixed bottom hard and soft 5. dramatic points drop off and ledges 
6. Steep banks

once you find trout they will bite just about anything but one lure will always out fish another based on conditions

Your first cast should be b4 first light

Tides*** rising tide with sun or tide and wind in same directioin

Let the wind be your friend and rite now we have tons of it. Drift down the flat or bank or wherever you're fishing until you locate the fish, Ride out bro I promise if you cover enough water you will find them... fish only use about 10% of all the water surrounding them so try and find what it is that they relate to inorder to catch an easy meal.

Be stealthy make long casts look for ambush points and busting bait or floping mullet or diving birds

try throwing flukes on EWG hook or carolina or texas rig or a Jerk bait which is like a Mirrodine MR17 but guess what Jerk baits can eigther suspend or float and they all have some type of raddle or clunk as where Mirrodines are silent. Finger Mullet is my all time #1 live bait for specks and red 

Tight lines go OUT and LIMITOUT


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## kowboycc (Feb 2, 2014)

I have been catching specs in the blackwater ward basin area on the little pre made spec rigs, with and without the popping cork


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

Well, this morning, I caught a 34" 17lb7oz Red on a gold spoon in BW Bay, in the channel. Also caught 3 Sail Cat - 3 1/2 - 4 3/4 lb.


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## NoleAnimal (Apr 3, 2014)

SHAKE N' BAKE said:


> Havent been able to catch many specks or reds this year but I would really like to try to get on some. If the rain slacks up I may try to get out there but am wondering what they are hitting the best. Im thinking around some grass flats near some docks but im not real sure on what to throw. Usually i just stick to topwater or mirrodines but they have failed me recently. Any suggestions to catch some? Any help is greatly appreciated!


Where ya fishin' at? I've been getting skunked pretty regularly in the Santa Rosa Sound.


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## boomyak (Mar 21, 2014)

Since May I've caught only a few specks in all my time at various spots on choctawhatchee bay and the few times I've hit rocky bayou. Reds, and even the black drum have been a lot more present and hungry. But we don't know where you're fishing...


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

boomyak - Blackwater Bay in Santa Rosa County to ur West. I also fish Choctawhatchee - launch at Joe's Bayou. Normally fish more south than Rocky Bayou.


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## JV22 (May 11, 2013)

We've had kinda crappy luck this year too...found a spot last year we could basically limit out every day we went but no such luck this year. Started throwing jigs for flounder a couple weeks ago and turned up a few reds and specks with em. Seems they'll eat anything if they're eating, hard part is finding em


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## SHAKE N' BAKE (Jul 31, 2012)

I fish around the Johnson's beach sound side area and all around in Big Lagoon where i normally have pretty good luck but haven't this year.


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

My neighbor absolutly slays them everytime and has a deep freezer full. He likes to night fish the docks. Been begging me to go with him but our schedules just don't match. Gave this mess to us this past weekend so I de-barked them and passed off to the team at work.


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## SHAKE N' BAKE (Jul 31, 2012)

Holy Cow Stoker, that is absolutely slaying them. I would make room in my schedule to go fishing and catchem like that!


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## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

Stoker1 said:


> My neighbor absolutely slays them everytime......


Hope your neighbor stays within the limits....that's a lot of fresh looking trout! Nice of him to make you the recipient.


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## Glastronix (Apr 14, 2008)

Hope he has about 4 people fishing with him. If FWC catches him with 3 times the limit on board it's gonna be costly. :-(


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

He had a friend out with him last weekend and is well within the limits. Don't let that stress ya'll. 10 per person 14" tail


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## Glastronix (Apr 14, 2008)

5 per person 15 inch tail with one fish over 20...I'm not judging, I just don't wanna see anyone have to pay 500 dollars a fish for every fish over...looks like about 3 grand for two people fishing...be careful


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## FurBurger (May 27, 2014)

Topwater search bait.


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## FurBurger (May 27, 2014)

Must be fishing in bama.


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## Glastronix (Apr 14, 2008)

yeah must be...I forgot the limits were so much nicer over there


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Roger that.... I responded but forgot to include this is in the Alabama waters.


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## 49913 (Apr 18, 2014)

Stoker1 said:


> My neighbor absolutly slays them everytime and has a deep freezer full. He likes to night fish the docks. Been begging me to go with him but our schedules just don't match. Gave this mess to us this past weekend so I de-barked them and passed off to the team at work.


 Man, beautiful mess. If your neighbor ever needs somebody along to defray costs, tell him to shoot me a PM. Or go in my boat. Not looking for anybody's honey hole, just curious about methods/tides, etc.


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

UncleMilty, this guy is just as humble as they come. I'm the type that pays my way (half the costs) when invited like it or not and we've discussed this more than once. He's kind of like me in the sense that he's just wanting some company but again, our schedules just don't match for when he leaves out.

Usually when we're walking the dogs, he'll stop me for a chat. During this time he's always showing me new techniques, lures etc. But mainly likes to throw a live/dead shrimp. Once in a while he'll stop in at my place and look over my gear, offering a tip on using a barrel swivel, fluorocarbon leader etc. etc. etc. One key thing is how to hook a pin fish in about four different areas for various action/bottom fishing, current etc.

Don't mean to highjack the thread but the Kiddo and I were out this evening in the lower Fish River and picked up a few white trout bouncing jigs in the drop offs. (i'm too cheap for live bait).


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## testoner (Oct 18, 2014)

*Good Luck*

I live in Navarre about a block off of the sound. I wade fish about 2-3 times a week and have had pretty good luck consistently with the Trout and Red Fish each trip spring through fall. I only fish artificial lures and or fly fish. I normally try to follow the tides, but fish when I have the time so it is what it is. I've been out before before sunup, but really don't do much better than when I was fishing during the day except for the JUL-AUG times. 

No magic here. Find some underwater seabed structure, even minor, and you will find the trout. For me, there are several drainages/minor creeks that flow into the Santa Rosa Sound near the house (when I say minor, I mean ditch size). However, that is enough for high tide to have water flow in and they have developed minor sand bars and other structure the bait fish are attracted to. That is enough for the Trout as they pursue the bait fish. Also, docks attract bait fish which attract Trout. I know which docks are lighted at night and fish near those in the day. Trout move, but not as far people think on a day to day basis, so they will be near those same docks in the day. Fish the edges of the weed beds with a moderate speed retrieve with a few twitches in there. I've never waded more than about 2 1/2 feet and cast into water about 2-4 feet deep.

I've been having the best luck lately on Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad in the Pearl and Steel Blue colors. For flies, the tried and true Clouser in white with some attractor colors. However, they have hit pretty much any shad imitation, just you will find one they like more than others. Last week, I got lots of follows right up to me. I also caught a Cow Faced Rays on the same bait. I haven't had much luck on spoons; in fact no fish in hand, only a few minor hits. The Reds were caught with the Trout and were mainly on the sand beds between the grass beds. Normally, a slower retrieve is what got them. Overall, I fish about two hours each trip and normally have, on average, 10 Trout in hand with about the same number of losses due to head shakes. I have yet to lose a Red Fish once hooked (knock on wood) and average 1-3 a trip.

Overall, I would tell you the fish are out there. You just need to find the specific areas they are clustering (or fanning out in to hunt) and figure out what they are eating. At times of the day, they won't be eating as aggressively. This is normally at slack tide times. Currents move bait fish and that moves the hunters. The greater the current, the more aggressive they seem to be. However, the downside is faster currents cause cloudier water. Trout are primarily sight hunters as are Red Fish, so that detracts from the fishing. As the water cools, they will move more dramatically as they seek warmer water.

In summary, I think to many people travel pretty far to catch watch is right there in front of them sometimes. I've seen this phenomenon when I Fly Fish rivers as well. Guys don't fish the closest waters first in search of better waters. Their loss oftentimes.


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## NoleAnimal (Apr 3, 2014)

testoner- if you ever want to fish from a boat- I'll trade you some of your local knowledge for a ride on the boat...


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

EXCELLENT sportsmanship and an excellent way to meet other anglers and friends...


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## testoner (Oct 18, 2014)

NoleAnimal, I'd be happy to go fish with you. I'm not an expert, having only been in the area for about a year and a half. I'm an avid fly fisherman and grew up from an early age reading the water/habit, the fish, and listening to others with experience. Not having a boat has forced/allowed me to intimately learn the habit near the house/along the northern shore of the Santa Rosa sound. 

Today I was out for about an hour and a half from 9:30 to 11:00 AM and caught 11 Trout, about the same number threw the hook; a 24" juvenile Tarpon (a first); and three Red Fish. I shouldn't have posted I've never had a Red Fish throw a hook. Today a good sized one did about 10 feet from me. That is how the big man upstairs makes you humble. The Tarpon really surprised me as I at first thought it was a very big Lady Fish. I had to look it up on my phone to be sure. It came off as I was trying to take a picture of it.


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