Rodney Dangerfield fishing or Sea Trout Flys

[chuck s]

I call it Rodney Dangerfield fishing cause it seems they never get any respect but the lowly Sea Trout has saved more than one fishing trip! A few of us even target them with flies, especially when those biguns get on the sand spots during the colder months. What flies do you carry in your Spotted Sea Trout box? I'll add more later but a simple gold bodies bendback with a brown deer hair back and a yellow deer hair belly has to be close to the tops of my list. Come to think of it that fly has scored many a nice Redfish also..:secret:

 

[fredaevans]

Chuck, are you talking about Sea Run Brown Trout?

Fred

 

[chuck s]

Should have explained a bit. I was speaking of the Spotted Sea Trout, of the Weakfish, family and found from Texas to Virginia mol. For you left coasters, and folks from the NE states, it looks a lot like a Walleye crossed with a Brown Trout but often has a couple of wicked canine teeth! It's lesser cousin the Weakfish has a more silvery sheen and ranges further north and not so much south. All are related to the drums and are great eating, abundant and hit flies readily! One method involves fishing a big popper much like you would for Peacock Bass and that can get nerve wracking!

 

[Rip Tide]

We have weakfish, locally known as squeteague up here in New England Chuck, so we're aware
They like brook trout style flies believe it or not.
And by that I mean gaudy streamers.
A mickyfinn or a mickyfinn colored Clouser may be tops.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Chuck,

Like Fred, the first thing I thought was Sea Run Trout. Thanks for making that clear. I have never caught a Sea Trout on a fly.

Frank

 

[milt spawn]

They also have relatives out here on the left coast, they call them white seabass off SoCal. In the Sea of Cortez there used to be Totuaba, which were basically the same fish, but very large. They are believed to be extirpated now though. milt.

 

[chuck s]

Speaking of Brookies and their streamers, the first bendbacks I tied were Mick Finns and they do work well! I got lazy one day and dropped to just yellow with a brown bucktail back over a gold ribbed body and that turned out to be my top Speckled Trout fly.

 

[Capt Chris M]

You can't go wrong with a bendback when sight fishing for big trout in very shallow water. The bendback lands softly which is important. In the warmer months, you can target big trout with topwater flies such as deer hari sliders or popping bugs. EP mullet or pinfish style flies also land softly and mimic two of the trout's favorite foods.

 

[devon flyfisher]

Hi Chuck,

Like Fred, the first thing I thought was Sea Run Trout. Thanks for making that clear. I have never caught a Sea Trout on a fly.

Frank

Hi Frank,
You must try it sometime, chucking a fly at midnight in the UK is very exiting sport.

Cheers
Richard

 

[chuck s]

Nice picture and fish! I've never fished for sea run browns and brookies but have for Steelhead or Sea Run Rainbows. The salt sure puts a bit of super charger in those fish doesn't it?

 

[devon flyfisher]

Nice picture and fish! I've never fished for sea run browns and brookies but have for Steelhead or Sea Run Rainbows. The salt sure puts a bit of super charger in those fish doesn't it?

Yep the salt doe something for sure!
High on my list is steelhead, at least you fish for them at sensible times, sea trout are generally only fished for at night.
Cheers
Richard

 

[mrfzx]

I'm jumping on this thread late....but I've fished for spots out of Venice, LA. They can be a real blast, especially when they get into the 5-6 pound range. My favorite fly was a white or chartruese Deceiver pattern with some silver flashabou tied in. I also had some luck on a 1/0 epoxy shrimp pattern.

 

[swhite1989]

I have only been saltwater FF once, and it was mainly for Stripes in the Chesapeake. I caught the one in my avatar pic on a silver streamer, not sure of the exact name though. But those front two teeth are serious business on those things.

 

[ccnp11]

I went back to the states on leave last January and wanted to do some fly fishing even though the water was cold. My guide took me to a spot on Sarasota Bay and I banged sea trout all morning long. I don't think I cast more than three times without at least a solid strike. I landed perhaps 60 fish that day. None overly large but respectable fighters for their size and the water temperature. Yeah, they definitely saved that day when nothing else was moving.

Back when I fished in the NE I never went for sea-run trout but the next best thing was steelhead running out of lake Ontario. Nothing like trying to hang on with numb fingers in freezing temps to a screaming, 25lb, pissed-off steelie...not to mention contending with ice in the guides and slippery rocks and knowing if you fall in it's going to be a VERY bad day because the water is below 0C and is only liquid because it's moving and ice can't form in great quantities.

 

[bigjim5589]

In addition to Bendbacks, Deceivers & Clousers, Seaducers have worked very well for me. These are all flies I use frequently for many species, including LM Bass. Specifically for Seatrout, in addition to standard colors, I like to have some white/pink or white/hot pink combinations, as well as pink or hot pink & chartreuse combo's (Electric Chicken). I like to add lots of flash, and am particularly fond of holographic & pearl combinations. I also like copper & gold flash for dark colored flies. Sometimes there can be too much flash, but easier to remove it than add it on the water!

It's best to have a variety, from dark to bright colors, with some that mimic natural prey, and for whatever reason they do seem to respond well to gaudy at times.

 

[chuck s]

One neat trick for schooling Trout is to take a Pepsi or other 20 oz bottle, chop up a shrimp or two finely, cut several slits in the bottle near the top, leaving an airspace at the bottom, and tie it to a piece of Mono with a sinker. The bottle will bob with the waves sending out a chum line and drawing them in for your bendback or what every flie you choose. One day just off of Goat Creek myself and two compadres caught and release trout by the dozens doing this. Other than that and my favorite technique is targeting the potholes of sand among the weeds during the winter months for huge Sea Trout. This got me my best with a 7.5 lber fishing out of Capt Eric Perez's boat on Mosquito Lagoon!!

 

[swirlchaser]

The Weakfish around here seem to like San Juan worms in dark red colors. Just drift them with a floating or Int. line.

 

[chuck s]

Bet they think it's a small sand worm broken loose!