Speckled trout fishing may be hot - but it's hard to resist the lure of going after the "Big Fish."
- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters
It has been relatively easy to dial in the big critters. With all the bait fish moving in, the big fish are right there with them. We are seeing huge explosions in and around big rafts of mullet and pogies. FYI, some of these schools are in waist-deep water right off the beaches from Waveland to Gulfport. On a calm day, you can literally drive your car down Beach Boulevard or Highway 90 and see them! My favorite technique is to chase schools of feeding lady fish. We usually catch a couple on any old plastic baits we have laying around. Next, chop the ladyfish into big 4-inch chunks and send ‘em back into the school. There is almost always something big underneath them. I use a 6-foot medium heavy spinning rod, a 65- class Okuma Coronado (with the bait feeder). I like 80-pound braided line, a foot of #9 wire to a 7/0 circle hook. We set one weighted and one free floating. The big fish should be here all summer, so you have plenty of time to get in on the fun. It typically doesn’t matter about an early morning bite. We usually mess with the trout first, and then go play with the big fish before it gets too hot. If you’re bringing kiddos or newbies, you gotta let 'em catch big fish. It’s awesome!!! As always, have fun and be safe. Enjoy this feature?
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