CAPTAIN DAVE'S PAGE
Fishing is a great way to relax and enjoy nature


GATOR SIGHTING (Sep. 2007)
As in 'Gator Trout'
by Captain Dave Rogers

Possibly one of the most difficult angling accomplishments is to sight cast a "Gator" trout. I have fished for bonefish and big trout for years and I think catching a big trout in shallow water is just as hard if not harder than catching bonefish. These big boys did not get big by being stupid. They are very wary of their surroundings and the slightest movement can send them scurrying away. The Mosquito Lagoon is home to some of the largest trout in the world. There are some monster "Gator" trout in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon.

There are several questions that have many opinions about catching big trout. When is the best time of year to catch these monsters? What is the best type of bait to use? How do you approach these spooky trout? Hopefully I can give you some answers to these questions so you can catch a big "Gator" trout.

There are many arguments as to when the best time of year is to catch big trout. Some will say the summer months will provide our best chance. I agree that summer is the best time to catch a big trout on top water plugs, but the sight fishing is not as good. I have caught several large trout in the summer. Summer is when I will find big trout tailing in shallow water, although the water is not as clear. They also tend to be more aggressive in summer and will chase down bait. Usually trout spawn in June and can become super aggressive before and after they spawn. They need the energy to do their business. There is nothing more exciting than hitting the water before the sun rises and tossing a top water plug. Using a live pigfish will almost always produce quality trout. They hate pigs.

Other anglers will say spring is a great time to catch these big boys. When we experience the spring mullet run trout can become very aggressive. The bait of choice this time of year can often be a free line mullet or artificial bait resembling a mullet. One of my favorite all around trout baits is the Rip Tide 3 inch Mullet rigged on a Rip Tide 1/8 Pro Jig head. There is something about the tail action of this bait that drives a trout crazy. My largest trout, 10 pounds 31-1/2 inches, was caught on the Rip Tide 3 inch Mullet in electric chicken. That is a whole other story about that fish. Jerk baits work great in the fall and maybe the best for shallow water. I usually fish in 2-4 feet of water in the spring around the grass and sand holes.

Winter time is going to be your best chance to sight fish a "Gator". The water is gin clear and you will see them lying in and around sand holes. They like to warm their bodies as the light reflects off the sand. I have seen some absolute monsters this year. We have also caught some really nice trout so far this winter. It really takes skill and a perfect cast to hook up with a monster. Even then, they will not always eat your offering. Work areas that have a nice mixture of sand holes and grass with bait fish prevalent. Big trout love to swim with schools of mullet and you often see them mixed in with the mullet.

On a recent charter my client Doug Childs was able to sight cast to really nice trout. We were working some sand holes behind the edge of a sandbar and the area was loaded with mullet and big trout. Doug made a perfect cast to three trout in a sand hole and the smallest of the three took the bait. After a short battle he landed the trout which was just less than five pounds. The other two probably would have gone 7-8 pounds. There were several reasons we were able to catch that fish. One, we were in stealth mode. Secondly, Doug's presentation was perfect and three, the trout was hungry. The presentation was a cast about 10 feet past the fish and Doug worked the bait within a foot of the trout's nose. He just could not resist. It was the second trout he had sight cast that morning and it was the icing on the cake. Doug was using a jerk bait on a 3/0 Daiichi circle hook with the hook run through the nose.

The keys to catching "Gator" trout are a stealthy approach, selecting the right bait by matching the hatch and knowing when to go and where to look. If you want to truly sight cast for the big trout, winter is your best bet.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing!

---

Click here to visit Captain Dave's charter web site: www.aaahawgwildcharters.com