In Part 1 of Capt. Toney's presentation to us, we learned how to rig our rods and reels to target Spotted Seatrout.  In Part 2, we learned about all of the different bait and lure options we had to choose from, which ones he recommended and why.  Finally, in Part 3, he taught us how the seasons affect the trout bite and how to recognize potential 'hot-spots' where trout might be hanging out. 

He began by explaining to us that trout are low-light feeders.  Because of the location of their eyes on their head, they tend to always be looking upward and will ambush unsuspecting bait fish from below.  So optimal conditions for trout fishing will be during an incoming tide early in the morning or incoming tide late in the afternoon.  On bright sunny, windless days you won't find them feeding as much between those times because of the intensity of the sun beating down through the water.  They will feed more aggressively on overcast days or breezy, windy days when the water's surface is broken up a bit.  It's easier on their eyes.

If you look closely at the picture to the left, you'll notice a type of kelp grass under the water and flowing in the direction of the current.  This type of grass is sometimes called 'rock grass' because it adheres to hard bottom.  It grows all through the summer and is one of the trout's favorite hang outs because it's like a grass forest that they can hide in.  Capt. Toney suggested using a top-water lure here, for obvious reasons, and take a good 15-20 minutes to fish these areas because even if you sneak up on them in a quiet kayak, they may not bite immediately.   Patience is your best friend here.  In the Capt.'s words: "Being impatient blows opportunities"  At low tide, rock grass is easy to spot, but if you come across a patch at high tide, the water will cover it so mark it on a GPS unit, that way you'll be able to find it again next time you fish the same general area.  Again, good spot for shade during the hot summer (sunny) months.

Speaking of hot summer days...    There are different ways to target trout depending on the seasons.  The optimal water temperature for trout is approximately 68 - 74 degrees.




We'll start with the months of February, March and April.  During these months the Nature Coast waters are still pretty cold and we often have late season cold fronts blow in unexpectedly.  During low tide you can see limestone rock sticking up out of the water.  This exposed rock will absorb as much heat from the mid-day sun as it can before the tide comes in and covers it again.  That rock still stays warm under water for a little while longer and trout will seek these spots out to warm themselves.  Try fishing areas like this during the incoming tide.  Compared to the rest of the year, trout have a little bit more spunk to 'em when you're catch them on light tackle during these transition months.  When those rocks are covered at high tide, they've lost all of their warmth and the trout have moved back into deeper holes where the water may not be as warm but it's a stable temperature and they'll congregate there in higher concentrations. 

As spring moves into summer, you'll be looking at shallow water on windless days.  Capt. Toney suggested that we lighten up our tackle a bit during these months.  No heavy jig-heads plopping in the water.  This would be a great time to try that DOA 5.5 inch glow colored jerk bait that he showed us in Part 2 of our meeting.  This lure is a little heavier than most soft plastics which makes it easier to cast farther, thereby covering more ground....er....water.  The Capt. explained that this lure will hit the water lightly and the loop knot will allow it to 'wiggle' through the water during the reeling-in process.  Use a little 'twitch' action every now and then, too. 

 As the summer gets hotter, the shallow waters will get hotter, too.  This is when trout will move out to deeper, cooler waters.  If you're so inclined to follow them out there and find 'em, here's how you go about doing that:  Hypothetically you'll be in about 8-12 feet of water.  This is a system Capt. Toney called "Dragging", basically trolling for trout.  Use a 1/8 oz jig-head and a bait color of either rootbeer, new penny or electric chicken.  Color will make a difference in this instance and if you can get any of these colors with a gold flake added, do it.  Cast behind you and as you drift with the wind or current, your bait will drag behind moving at the same pace.  This is actually a good way to catch trout in deeper water.

Targeting trout in the late, hot summer months, like August for instance, will be a different story all together.  Just like people, the dog-days-of-summer leaves them with little energy.  The water heats up inshore and they're off to find deeper cooler temperatures.  That's not to say that you can't catch them inshore, though.  You know those late summer thunder storms that roll through on a daily basis and dump an hours worth of rain?  They are the catalyst that'll change conditions.  Cooler water temperatures will follow, welcoming trout to return to the flats to feed for a while.  Fish for a few hours after one of these afternoon rain storms and approaching sunset.  These overcast conditions will trigger fish bites.

As Fall approaches, it'll bring a nice change of pace from the hot, steamy months of summer.  What's also different is that Capt. Toney noticed that the typical trout bite on incoming tide seems to reverse during the months of September and October.  He's noticed a trend during these months where the trout bite is more numerous during the outgoing tide and said that he catches more trout using a top-water lure during this time of year.  These are the lures that will attract larger, more aggressive fish.

Then, of course, comes the dreaded winter!  This is the time of year when trout will head in one of two ways, either into the deeper parts of rivers like the Withlacoochee or into King's Bay where the water temperature is fairly regulated by the springs, or they'll go in the complete opposite direction and head out into the deeper parts of the Gulf (20-30 feet or so).  Quick temperature drops on the flats will freeze them out so it's their survival mechanism that sends them running when their bodies feel that permanent temperature change coming on.  So if you're targeting trout in the winter, look for the deeper areas (holes, channels, canals, etc.) and also look for dark bottom areas.  Remember, dark colors absorb heat (that's why we wear dark colors in the winter) and dark water bottoms do the same.  Find the 'hot-spots' you'll find fish, too.  This will be a good time to use a jig-head - to get your bait to the bottom, where the fish are.

After Capt. Toney gave us an overview of his basic seasonal trout tactics, he gave us a few other pieces of advice that just didn't seem to fit into any one of the earlier topics.  One of which was about slack line.  So often he'd have clients on his boat who've hooked into a nice size trout that ended up wiggling itself free before it was reeled to the boat.  Totally preventable!  One of the trout's instinctive moves is to run once it realizes something's wrong (that would be the hook in its mouth).  All too often that trout runs in the direction of the confused angler which causes the line to go slack.  This slack line, in turn, gives the angler the false impression that he lost the fish (when, in fact it's still on the hook and heading under the boat).  Unfortunately, that same slack line gives the fish enough room to loosen the hook and shake free of it.  A trout's mouth is very soft and easy to rip and that hook, within a matter of seconds, can create enough room through friction in a trout's mouth to dislodge itself with the help of a spunky fish trying its best to "get this thing off me".  If you're lucky, you'll feel the line tighten again once it's made it to the other side of the boat and you realize then that you never lost the fish to begin with.  Want to avoid that scenario altogether?  Capt. Toney said, "As soon as you feel the tug on your line, set the hook slowly.   You can yank a hook right out of a trout's mouth if you try to set it too quickly.  Then - reel - reel - reel and keep your rod tip high.  Don't give it any room to wiggle that hook out  .If you do have a trout on, it's the best way to ensure that you get it to the boat.

Secondly, trout will sometimes have 'soft takes' which means that they have larger than average mouths and can engulf a piece of bait or lure without the angler ever feeling the strike so it's important to pay attention to all possible strikes.   Try an experiment when you feel frustrated out there.  Cast out, then close your eyes.  Pay attention to the feel of the rod and line.  A small strike may not feel like much at first, but you may have a big-un on the line. 

Our time with Capt. Toney came to an end at around 8:00 p.m.  He really spent so much time with us explaining different aspects of targeting the Spotted Seatrout and teaching us what lures and tactics work best in his opinion.  But at the end of the day, he told us not to take fishing too serious or get too frustrated out there on the water.  Every day should be an enjoyable learning experience.  We were all anxious to get back out on the water and try out some of his ideas.  But, he had a little surprise for us before we ended out meeting. 

Capt. Toney brought a hand full of his favorite trout lures to introduce us to over the course of the evening and when he was done with his presentation, he surprised us by giving each of those lures away.  We handed him a container with our names in it and the lucky winners were:







Dot - won the glow colored DOA 3" shrimp

Marilee - won the MirrOmullet topwater lure

Martha Ann - won the Eppinger copper original Rex spoon with the chartreuse feather

Theresa - won the Eppinger gold original Rex spoon with the red feather

Sue - won the MirrOlure C17MR Suspending Twitchbait

In the first half of our meeting, Capt. Toney covered the basics of the Spotted Seatrout species and the gear he recommends to help us increase the chance of catching them and getting them to the boat.  Now it was time to zone in on the array of baits and lures available to attract them.  There are so many options but he narrowed them down for us and began by warning us that "lures were designed to catch fisherman first, fish second" - which made perfect sense, actually.  But, you have to find the fish before you can entice them to bite.  It doesn't matter what bait or lure you use if there are no fish around in the first place.

Live shrimp on a 2/0 circle hook and secured to fishing line by an improved clinch knot are always the most popular bait on the Nature Coast, but buying live shrimp every time you go fishing can get expensive over time and during certain times of the year bait fish will devour them right off your hook before a target fish ever knew it was there.  Live shrimp are best reserved for the spring time when the water is still a little too cool for bait fish to be around.

This DOA Deadly Combo Popping Cork with a 'glow' colored artificial shrimp is one of the most popular ways to catch trout in this area.  They come pre-packaged so all you have to do is tie it to your fishing line.  The sound that this set-up makes on the water attracts trout for some reason and the glow color of the shrimp seems to be one of the trout's favorite.  A few other colors that are just as effective are listed below.  The artificial shrimp can be used with or without a popping cork, the 'pop' of the cork just adds the extra element of sound. 

If you use the DOA 3" shrimp without the popping cork, the small weight inside (called a belly weight) allows it to fall in a smooth, slow horizontal fashion.  They are also 'scented' during the manufacturing process so they can imitate the look and smell of live shrimp.  As the lure is attacked, nibbled on and chewed on, more of the scent is released.  This can save you the extra cost (and frustration) of buying dozens of live shrimp only to have them all eaten by pinfish within the first hour of fishing.  Some of the most popular colors are listed below:

The D.O.A. 4" jerk baits are called "soft plastics" and they are so versatile that you can rig them for top-water or subsurface. They can also be used with jig-heads or positioned on a weedless hook, too.

This soft plastic lure in 'glow' color (below)  is one of Capt. Toney's favorite "go-to" baits.  He will simply 'nose-hook' them (see below) on a 2/0 circle hook, tied to the leader line with a Canoeman's Loop Knot, cast them out and slowly retrieve...no weight, no scent.  You'd be surprised at how well this works as simple as it is.  The loop knot that you tie is one of the reasons these artificial baits work so well.  It allows the lure to mimic the natural movement of a bait fish and this is what provokes an instinctive strike on the lure.  One more step you can make to increase or "stack-the-odd" in your favor is to add a small amount of scent to it or invest in a package of Gulp brand bait that is already pre-scented.

Next on the agenda was an impromptu canoe-man loop knot tying session!!

The Capt. gave us a 17 page D.O.A. catalog to thumb through in our spare time.  For more information on the D.O.A. brand, visit www.doalures.com

Another one of Capt. Toney's favorite lures when he fishes the back country of Ozello is The MirrOlure MirrOdine® C-Eye Pro series lure.  It features natural clear 3-D eyes, contemporary fish-catching finishes and premium black nickel hooks. Just like all of the other MirrOdines®, the C17MR has that bright, reflective, luminescent insert that attracts fish. It's a suspending bait which means that it falls slowly so it's okay to use in shallow water as long as you keep it moving during retrieval so it doesn't get hung up in grass.  With a twitching retrieve, this shallow runner darts from side-to-side, mimicking a wounded baitfish.   Typically, the strike will come between the twitches.  Trout, Redfish, Snook, Striped Bass and Tarpon find the C-Eye MirrOdine® to be irresistible.  Below are more options to look at.

From there we moved on to spoons.  Capt. Toney found common ground on that subject with our resident spoon expert, Martha Ann - the gal that hauled in a 33 inch redfish during the Nature Coast Challenge Kayak Fishing Tournament last month.  She is a die-hard believer in the effectiveness of spoons.  Although this lure is primarily used when targeting redfish, trout seem to be attracted to it, too.  Eppinger is the brand that he uses because it's one of the oldest American spoon manufacturers there is.  His overall favorite is the gold spoon with a red hackle (feather) but this particular lure comes with a split ring so it's one of those rare occasions that he recommends using a 10-20 lb swivel to connect it to your leader line.  This will eliminate line twists and tangles right there.  When he's targeting trout, though, he uses a copper spoon with a chartreuse hackle.  There's just something about that chartreuse color that drives trout mad!  If you use the 1/4 oz size, it is slower to sink so you can use it in shallow water just as long as you start reeling in before it hits the bottom so it doesn't catch on any weeds or grass.  You can twitch it a time or two if you want, just to change the action up a little,  but it's really designed to be retrieved straight and steady.  The vibration it makes underwater is sometimes enough to attract a fish and you can cover a lot of ground in a kayak using this as a search lure.  If you get a strike or two, chances are there are more fish in the area.

Now that we covered a lot of bait and lure options, we moved on to weather and season differences.  This info will be presented in Part 3...

Well - we were missing three of our usual members this evening but are happy to report that we had three new guests that filled their seats, so "Welcome" to Janie, Sondra and Lynn from the Inglis / Yankeetown Lions Club.  We hope they enjoyed the meeting enough to want to join in and return for the remainder of the year.  This new Lady Anglers club has been honestly very blessed to have some of the most outstanding names in Nature Coast fishing arena as guest speakers at our monthly meetings and teach us some basic information and a few tips and tricks about whatever topic they chose.  For our May 6th meeting, Capt. William Toney, President of the Homosassa Fishing Guides Association,  took time out of his busy week to hang out a while and educate us on our first target species of 2014, the Spotted Seatrout, his self-proclaimed "bread-and-butter".  We were all so excited and eager to hear what he had to say.  Her certainly exceeded our expectations.

The general conversation that developed while Capt. Toney was setting up revolved around a local television show that he was involved in which began as "Fishing with Ted & Russ" and evolved into Nature Coast Outdoors.  He took a few minutes to explain how the show came to be and why it's on a temporary hiatus at the moment.  His formal self-introduction went a little something like this:

He is from old Homosassa, a fourth generation native Floridian and fishing guide www.homosassainshorefishing.com .  His fishing roots stretch all the way back to his great grandfather and over the years he's worked on commercial vessels, crab boats and has pretty much been on the water his entire life.  He talked a little about his 23' custom build Tremblay flats boat and although he has a nice Mercury motor on it, he prefers to get around the old fashioned Florida way, by pushing a pole.  He says there's just no better way to stealth fish.

We listened as he recounted one of his most memorable trout experiences.  He and his father were fishing up in Keaton Beach, (see map below) later one evening and in shallow water.  They were using MirrOlure Top Dogs and he ended up boating his biggest seatrout ever at 33 inches and weighing in at 9.5 lbs, which is a big accomplishment.  His father used the same lure and caught a 29 inch trout less than 15 minutes later.   It was great story to retell and a perfect way to start off our meeting.

From there, he went right into the topic of discussion for the evening, Spotted Seatrout.  Everyone received a 4-page Sea Stats info sheet, courtesy of the FWC, that included more of the research and scientific species information but Capt. Toney was there to teach us the hands-on knowledge that we needed to catch them.  He shared with us some of those tips and tricks that he's learned over the years to help us when we're targeting trout.

For those of us who know very little about this fish, he laid a foundation to build on.  Seatrout (which aren't actually in the trout family at all, oddly enough) are one of the most prevalent species on the Nature Coast of Florida.  They can easily be caught from bay boats, flats boats and kayaks.  Everybody enjoys catching trout, they're sporty, fun to catch and good eatin'.  They're actually in the drum family and cousins to the red and black drum.  They grow an average of about 1 inch each month so they reach "keeper size" (15-20 inches) pretty quickly which is why there is such a liberal allowance on keeping 5 per angler per day.  Farther south, closer to the Tampa Bay area, they don't grow quite as fast so that regional limit is lowered to 4 per angler per day.  The larger trout (over 22 inches and/or weighing approximately 6 or more lbs) are called 'gator trout'.  They're usually females carrying roe and ethical anglers will release them.  Different regional environmental conditions have a large part to play in the growth of trout.  It seems those larger sized fish are reported in such areas as Banana River, Indian River, Mosquito Lagoon and other East Coast areas where there is access to the Atlantic sea water.  In fact, the world record Spotted Seatrout was caught in Indian River and weighted 18.5 lbs.  Capt. Toney suggested that if you really want to delve into all there is to know about Spotted Seatrout, pick up a book published by Florida Sportsman that is full of interesting information.

In order to catch trout, you need the right equipment.  Capt. Toney told us that a 7.5 ft. rod is really the best choice for this type of inshore fishing because the extra length and flexibility at the tip will help extend the length of a cast.  A longer cast means more water can be covered during the retrieval process.  He said that anyone can pick up a very reliable rod for approximately $100 but anything less than that will need to be replaced sooner.  He recommended a Star rod that is designed for 6-14 lb line.  The fishing line recommendation is always stamped on a rod somewhere so look for that stamp when shopping for a rod and learn what all of the information means that is stamped on that rod.  He also emphasized the importance of using the hook keeper device (pictured below) that comes on every rod.  This hook keeper is specifically designed for storing your hook when the rod isn't in use.  You should never use the rod eyes/guides for hook storage, even on a temporary basis.  A lot of damage can be done to the ring that way.

So now that we have our rod picked out, the Capt. gave us some advice about choosing a reel.  He recommends using a Shimano Sahara saltwater reel.  We were a bit surprised, but probably shouldn't have been, to learn that most spinning reels are designed for fresh water.  They are used for saltwater fishing but won't last as long as a saltwater reel.  A saltwater reel has a seal inside that protect the gears and mechanisms from salt water and such seeping in there and doing its damage.  This is especially important to kayak anglers because the rods and reels are much closer to the salt water and every paddle stroke, wave or thrash of a fish's tail can splash saltwater on a reel.  For this reason, he told us to always rinse our gear with fresh water when we get home.  We need to get as much of that salt residue off as soon as possible to minimize any chance of corrosion.  He also thinks it's a good idea to oil the reels occasionally.  These things will wear out eventually but do your best to keep them in good working condition for as long as possible.  He said that Walmart sells a product called Reel Magic that is inexpensive but works well as a reel conditioner.   One thing he did warn us against, though, is buying a reel that has an anti-reverse switch on it.  This switch allows an angler to 'reel backward' and is used a lot by the northern fishermen but isn't really necessary down here.  In fact, he said, it's just one more thing that can, and often does, break.  Once that switch stops working, you'll either have to have it repaired or replaced so it's best just to buy a reel without this switch.  There just isn't a need for it.

Okay - We have a rod now, with a saltwater reel.  Next is spooling fishing line on it.  Capt. Toney taught us to first spool the reel with about 50 feet of 10-12 lb test monofilament fishing line.  From there he told us to use a surgeons' knot to connect the monofilament to the actual fishing line. Although some folks still like to use monofilament as their fishing line, braided fishing line is pretty much the standard these days. He recommends Power Pro  because, compared to other brands, you get more line for your money.  However, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.




Monofilament Advantages:

Cheaper

Easier to tie knots

Monofilament Disadvantages:

After a while, the line holds a permanent 'curl' when it's off of the spool

It is more likely to deteriorate from direct sunlight "sun rot"

Braid Advantages:

It does not stretch

It lasts longer

You can put more of it on a reel because it's thinner than monofilament

Braid Disadvantages:

It gets into knots easier

It's more expensive

The colors fade quickly

He also mentioned that some of the local tackle shops will spool the fishing line on your reel for free if you purchase the line from them.  That's always an option if you don't feel confident enough to do it yourself.

Once the monofilament back line and mono or braided fishing line has been spooled onto the reel, there's one more small line connection that needs to be made before adding a hook and lure.  An 18 - 24 inch length of fluorocarbon leader line is an absolute necessity if you want to increase your odds of catching a nice trout, or any other fish for that matter.  The fluorocarbon leader serves several purposes.  The biggest and most important characteristic of fluorocarbon leader is the fact that it is almost 100% invisible under the water so your bait doesn't look like it's attached to anything and the fish are less 'suspicious'.  Secondly, it adds more strength to your fishing line.  Stronger lines hold bigger fish.  Big fish can stretch a thin leader line to the breaking point....lost fish! 

In addition to all of this great advice, Capt. Toney threw in a little secret advice, too:

Berkley sells fluorocarbon fishing line (150 yards for 10:00) - best value

Berkley also sells fluorocarbon leader line (40 yards for 10:00)

There's very little difference between the two so consider that if you're on a budget.

Now we're ready to put some bait & lures on our line - that'll be posted in Part 2  so stay tuned for that.....

Saturday morning arrived and we all left our respective homes that morning and headed to various launch sites around Yankeetown.  We were all excited about the possibility of one of us may catch the winning fish. 

Per the rules review portion of the Captain's Meeting the night before, Paul instructed that the very first picture taken with our camera Saturday morning MUST be of our kayaks at the launch site rigged and ready and with a clear picture of the tournament token and measuring device that had been given to us at the meeting.

Alice launched at Redneck Beach

Delores and Ty launched at Felburn Park.

Jim and Fern launched at Bird Creek Bridge.

Lucie and Paul launched at Levy Co. Park.

Martha Ann and Wayne also launched at Levy Co. Park.

The following hours from safe light at 6:30 a.m. to Check-In time at 3:00 p.m. were spent quietly thanking the powers that be for beautiful weather and studying the breeze and current directions for the best possible fishing spots.  Other than that, we just tried to relax and have fun, too.  After all, that's ultimately what it's all about anyway.

By 3:00 p.m. all of the ladies had paddled back to shore, loaded their gear, changed into more comfortable (and better smelling) clothes and met back at the IYLC for the official check-in.  Those of us who thought we were contenders for the top prize sauntered in with big huge grins on our faces.  Others not so much.  But.....things aren't always as they seem. 

We handed our camera chips and smart phones to Paul so he could sift through the hand full of wildlife pictures, birds, trees, crocs, etc. that were mixed in with actual pictures of quality fish, and analyze the data.  Then we made a bee line and headed straight for the left-over buffet table to chow down on some much needed nourishment.  We had really expended a lot of energy out there and needed to refuel.  The next half hour was spent sharing fish stories about "the one that got away" until Paul was ready for the big reveal.

Ty came in 3rd with a 29 inch Red Drum caught with a shrimp on a circle hook on the way back to the ramp. 

Delores came in 2nd with a 31 inch Red Drum caught on a 3" Berkley Power Bait (Gold Flake Shrimp) with scent.

And our very own Martha Ann came in 1st Place with the prize winning whopper Red Drum measuring in at a little over 33 inches and also caught on the way back to shore with a small crab.  What a beast!

So, not only did Martha Ann out fish the other 30 + competitors, walking away with a little more jingle-jingle in her pocket and a sweet little trophy to show off.  She was also lucky enough to have the first drawn raffle prize ticket which gave her first pick of all the donated prizes.  Those prizes happen to included two new concept gullwing paddles , one set went home with her.  So Congratulations are in order for that lady, she surely earned it and equally deserved it!

Wrapping things up....What an absolutely fun weekend we had.  Thanks to the Inglis Yankeetown Lions Club for putting on such a great tournament for the third year in a row.  It'll be exciting to see how it grows over the next several years as we, the NCLA, play a small part in it's expansion.  IYLC - thanks for everything.  We'll see you again next year!