Spring is in the air and everyone should know that early spring in the lowcountry means gnats and spring trout! Longer days, warming water, good shell beds, and grubs or topwater plugs are all that is required for a chance at some nice trout runs. While I typically do not catch as many trout in the spring as I do in the fall, the fish I do encounter are typically larger in the spring. Here is the skinny on what has worked best for me over the last couple of years on the spring trout:
When: Mid to late March through Mid May.
Tide: Last couple of hours of incoming, first couple of hours of out going tide. Just as tide starts out of the grass works best for me. Action is usually slow for about ½ hour right at the peak of the tide when the water is not moving.
Where: I prefer built up dead oyster beds with scattered small outcroppings of live clusters. These dead beds are generally easy to fish with few snags and the scattered outcroppings offer a protected structure for bait. I prefer to be able to hit the top of the bed with my bait and allow it to fall down the ledge of the bed during retrieval.
Bait: During daytime hours I prefer grubs and use both scented baits such as Berkeley Gulps as well old reliable Mister Twisters. I vary type and color according to water clarity and ambient light. I use both ¼ and 3/8-ounce heads depending on tidal flow and depth. When fishing grubs I prefer a slow retrieval that allows the bait to bump along the bottom.
While springtime water temperatures are on the rise, trout become quite aggressive and will slam floating and topwater baits much like a large mouth bass. In the early morning and late afternoon is when I have the most luck with these topwater baits. Baits are cast right over the top of the beds and popped back to the boat. Mirrolure floaters, Mirrolure Top Dogs, and Zarra Spooks are all great topwater plugs for trout.
Set up: 8 to 12 pound test is ideal for these fish and will have enough backbone for the occasional redfish that may come along. I t