INSHORE FISHING
Winter
Kayak Fish FOR FLORIDA SPECKLED SEA TROUT Staff Report
Winter is a great time to fish Florida Speckled Sea Trout. From December through February, the Speckled Sea Trout (also known as Spotted Sea Trout or “Speck”) catch is rated, not good, but excellent! Specks up to 3.3 feet and 17 pounds can give any angler a challenge. The Florida state record, by the way, is 17lbs, 7oz. Any experienced trout fisherman will tell you that landing one of these spirited fighters is quite a thrill. This sense of excitement intensifies when you fish winter Florida Sea Trout from a kayak. The excitement of kayak fishing is greater than you might think. First, you’re much closer to nature in these light craft and once you’ve hooked a Speck and the chase is on, you’re in for an entirely new experience. Read the tips below and you’ll understand how to be safe and avoid a Tallahassee toboggan ride. Accessibility: If you can’t find ‘em, you ain’t gonna catch ‘em. As you’ll see later in this article, Sea Trout’s’ favorite haunts in the winter include places a lot of boats can’t realistically reach. Kayaks allow you to embark from just about anywhere and to go where the Specks are most abundant and hungriest. Kayaks are quiet. Cruising along on a kayak is
26 BETTER OFF WET | WINTER 2016