gator trout

Spring has been pretty good but now that we are transitioning into summer, the big trout are chewing throughout the Indian River in Mosquito Lagoon.

These big fish can be very wary, so you want to approach the areas that you’re trying to fish for them with extreme caution. Any odd noises will often make these fish move off in the opposite direction. I like to use large baits for big trout. A full-size mullet, threadfin, pilchard or croaker tend to be my go to baits when targeting a gator size fish. Any trout over 20 inches is a great catch these days but I’m looking for 25+ inch fish when I’m talking about a big “gator” trout.

I tried to concentrate around areas that have shallow and deep water ambush points. This provides the trout multiple opportunities to target some of these bait fish that I mentioned. Mullet will often be on shallow points or in grassy areas on the flats. You can see them feeding and rolling first thing in the morning. A well placed Skitter Walk plug or 5 to 7 inch Assassin soft plastic jerk bait rigged weedless are dynamite lures to use in this situation. Later in the day, I find a lot of my big trout near drop offs, channel edges, undercut mangrove banks or spoil Islands where pilchard, threadfin, mullet and croaker often hang out. It’s always an exciting time when you hook a big trout because they run hard and often do incredible head shakes reminiscent of a big snook. Just remember to lighten up on your drag because the trout has a very soft mouth and can easily rip or throw the hook if too much pressure is applied.

If you’re looking to get out and chase some of these bigger fish, I’d love for you to give me a shout at 321-432-6202 or you can book me on my website at finelinefishingcharters.com. Let’s go catch your next memory!