Speckled Trout Fishing in South Carolina

Speckled trout; some can argue they are the perfect inshore fish. They are voracious feeders, sustainable, fast growing and extremely fun to fish for. Speckled trout or “trout” for short, inhabit estuaries from the southeast all the way through the gulf states. They are readily available throughout most of the year in our waters in South Carolina, but late fall and mid spring tend to have a hotter bite.

Unlike your first thought, they are in no way related to an actual trout, but a part of the drum family. Like redfish, male trout use a drumming noise to attract females. They are broadcast spawners and could spawn multiple times a year, making them a much more sustainable species than redfish which spawn once a year. In South Carolina, the legal size for harvest is 14 inches, but even at this size may have spawned multiple times. Their diet consists of shrimp, crustaceans, and when larger baitfish. Most fish cresting 20 inches are breeding females, which produce a significantly higher amount of eggs. We strongly urge everyone to release over 20”, this will help promote a more successful spawn, and future for our fisheries.

Fishing for trout can be done in any fashion; bait, plug, soft plastic and fly. Live shrimp under a slip cork tends to be a favorite among bait anglers. Using a slip cork is great because your adjustment of depth is simple. Going from a deep jetty scenarios to pothole creek fishing is a just quick adjustment with out rig change. Soft plastics on a jig head are extremely effective as well, colors like opening night, and electric chicken are proven winners. Fish these in different cadences and depths, in my mind if they wont eat a paddle tail they wont eat anything!

My favorite ways to target trout are topwater plug and fly. Plugs are a great option at first light and sundown. Working grass edges, eddys, and other structure can prove deadly. Baits like a good old fashion Heddon Spook or a Mirrolure Top Dog Jr. are great choices. Classic red/white is always my go to! Trout on fly is super effective as well, not trying to be biased but a gurgler (topwater fly) is my favorite, but a clouser minnow is a hard one to beat. Clousers in chartreuse/white and chartreuse/pink are staples.

When choosing a rod for speckled trout fishing opt for a medium light fast action rod with a 2500 class spinning reel. Braid in the 10 lb range with a 10-15 lb flourocarbon leader is perfect. Fly rods in the 6-8wt range are best. Depending on scenarios both floating and sinking lines serve a purpose, so best to have both options available. If you do not want to carry a spare spool, a sinking poly leader will help get flies down in the zone.

Reading water is important in trout fishing. In my experience, the more current the better, find those deeper pockets in higher salinity areas and trout will likely not be far. They also cruise the same edges redfish do when the water begins dumping out of feeder creeks and grass. The bait coming out of the grass acts as a easy buffet to these ruthless feeders. The bite is what many trout anglers fall in love with. The ol’ thump! When trout commit there is no mistake. Many times with a bite there is more fish congregated in the same area, get that one in the net and fire another bait where you got bit. They tend to not travel solo.

Trout are also fantastic table fare. With their ability to sustain the stock, taking a few home is no problem. They do not freeze well, so take only what you can eat that night! The meat is white, flaky and mild. My favorite way to prepare is in an iron skillet with butter dusted with Cajun seasoning over rice and sauteed asparagus. In my opinion, they are the best eating inshore fish.

There is a reason some anglers have an undeniable addiction to chasing trout. They are the whole package; sustainable, available, receptive, and the big ones over 25” hold the term gator for a reason. The South Carolina coast offers opportunity for all types of anglers to target these fish, boat or no boat. So, pick your tactic and get after these great fish!

-Johnny