Spotted Seatrout
Also called: Speckled Trout
Spotted seatrout are the bread-and-butter of inshore fishing — silvery with scattered black spots and an eager appetite. They school over the grass flats and bust topwater plugs at first light.
Plentiful and willing, trout are a great way to bend a rod and learn the flats, with the occasional 'gator' trout for a real prize.
- Size
- Typically 14–24 inches; gators top 25 inches
- Fight
- Lively, head-shaking strikes
- On the table
- Good — delicate, white, mild
- Best season
- Year-round; cooler months are prime
How we catch Spotted Seatrout
We drift and wade the grass flats with shrimp, soft plastics, and topwater early and late on inshore, nearshore, and fly trips.
On the table
Trout are a tasty, delicate fillet best eaten fresh. Handle gently and release the big breeder females.