Spex on the Beach. Hot Fun in the Summertime

Transcription

1 Spex on the Beach Hot Fun in the Summertime

2 Speckled trout may be the most accessible salt water fly rod fish They range from the tip of Texas all the way around the Gulf Coast and as far North as New England They often travel in large schools that feed up and down the beachfront in the summer They re aggressive feeders that aren t finicky about what they eat

3 Three pieces in the speckled trout When are they on the beach? How do we find them on the beach? puzzle How do we catch them on the beach?

4 Specks are summer beach fish Other than rare individuals, look for trout to start showing up on the beach around the full moon in May Beach trout are at their best in June and July August usually sees a decline in number but an increase in size of the fish By September, most of the school trout have moved to deeper water

5 Moon phase seems to impact speck movements Peak numbers of fish are usually on the beach 5 or 6 days on either side of the full moon Lowest fish numbers correspond to last quarter and dark of the moon Or not

6 Tides also influence trout patterns The first half of a falling tide normally marks the best action Second best bet is the last half of a rising tide Slack high and dead low usually aren t good times, but not always

7 Time of day has some impact There s almost always a daylight bite Likewise, the last hour of daylight can trigger a bite Moonrise and moonset are good hours to try Midmorning to noon often is the peak action of the day.

8 Read the beach to find trout Fish will be where the bait is concentrated On beaches with guts that parallel the shore, most of the time the fish will be in the second or third gut, probably in the deepest part On flat beaches, find the sharpest slope and wade as deep as you can Look for any change in beach contour, like runouts, wrecks, or cuts through sandbars

9 Parallel Gut Beach

10 Single Gut Beach

11 Flat Beach

12 Structured Beach

13 Pay attention to water quality Clear green all the way to the beach is ideal Clear olive is usually OK Sandy brown with decent clarity might have fish Muddy brown: might as well fish for hardheads

14 Wind direction affects water quality and fishability Summer mornings often have light offshore breezes, the best condition Mid-afternoon usually brings stiffer, on-shore wind. Not ideal for the fly rod, and detrimental to water quality Sometimes, parallel wind can be strong without killing the bite

15 Follow the bait for best success Mullet schools are shadowed by trout Dark patches moving parallel to the beach are usually menhaden schools Shrimp aren t obvious, but sometimes will jump across the surface if they re chased

16 Birds and dolphins are your scouts Hovering, diving, groups of gulls are dead giveaways. Terns are less reliable, but if they re staying in one place, check it out. Pelicans don t seem indicate anything in particular Feeding dolphins are sure indicators of fish in the area Never pass up a slick

17 Gear Up for Beach Trout Rods: 6 to 8 weight, 9 or 10 feet Reels: anodized aluminum, sealed drag Lines: tropic saltwater, floating and intermediate Leader: 4 to 8 feet; 2x to 20 pound tippet Beach fishing is hard on gear; think twice before using your best stuff.

18 Fly Patterns for Spex Feeding trout aren t usually selective Carry two or three favorites in three categories: Topwaters Midwater and suspenders Bottom bouncers

19 My favorite topwaters 1. White foam popper 2. Parrothead popper 3. Schoolmaster 4. Charlie s Plopsicle Fish these for the daylight bite as long as it lasts; try them any time the surface gets slick

20 Midwater flies are good searching patterns 1 Blue 4M 2 BEF Minnow 3 Bulkhead Mullet 4. EP Minnow Try everything from full speed hand over hand to stop and twitch retrieves

21 As the sun gets higher, go to bottom bouncers Clouser minnow Bud Tuggli Billy Trimble shrimp Genuine Imitation Plastic Try to make these behave like leadhead jigs

22 A Production 2011 Bruce L. Sublett On the web at