HookedOnFishingBoats.com presents:

Speckled sea trout—specks, as they’re often called—hit a lure with vigor, may be caught at different levels of the water column, and often pop up in the shallows. These factors make fishing for them incredibly fascinating; during different tidal cycles you may catch them up near the surface, then at mid depth, then down near the bottom. You might get your jig slapped or your topwater plug slammed. You might be casting in six inches, six feet, or 16 feet of water. Interesting? You bet. And you’ll catch more of them if you keep these five specktacular tips in mind every time you take a cast.

1. Specs usually like a vigorous, moving bait. Instead of slow and steady retrieves, stick with erratic, faster retrieves. When hopping jigs along the bottom, make them jump up quickly then freefall. Constantly vary the speed, and keep that lure moving at all times.

2. Never stop the retrieve short of the boat. Specks will often follow a lure right up to the surface and if you stop reeling when the lure is five or six feet away, you’ll end up missing some fish that would have charged and struck in the final seconds.

3. Moving water is key for locating speckled sea trout in the shallows. Anywhere the current creates a rip or is visibly moving, you’re likely to find these fish. Points, cuts and rips are prime speckled trout territory.

4. Don’t be afraid to search out cuts barely big enough to get your boat into. At times, you’ll find the largest speckled sea trout inhabiting five foot wide, two foot deep cuts that run into marshland. When patrolling a shoreline or marsh in search of specks, cast as far up into those little cuts as you possibly can. Remember that most of them will have slightly deeper patches of water on the inside of a bend, where you’ll often locate the best fish.

5. Bang the shoreline with your lures. Especially in areas where there’s a sharp drop-off, speckled trout will often be feeding within inches of marsh grass or sandy beach. Make your casts as close to the shoreline as possible, and whenever you can, cast parallel to shore and retrieve along it.

--Lenny Rudow