Sun, Sandbars, and Sea Trout

Sun, Sandbars, and Sea Trout

Happy Monday, Spacefish!

Have you ever done a load of laundry — specifically, a load of towels? Picture this: you’ve just washed about a dozen bath towels. You throw the load into the dryer, and about 20 minutes in, you realize you forgot the fabric softener. So, you open the dryer and stick your head in there. It feels like it’s about 150 degrees — the air is hot, humid, heavy, and sticky. Miserable, right?

Well, that’s exactly what it feels like outside right now — from about 8 AM to 8 PM. It’s been hot, y’all. Miserably hot.

Fishing during these dog days of summer can be a grind. While nothing is ever guaranteed on the water, I do believe there’s one inshore species that stays reliably active, keeps lines tight, and helps make summer fishing a bit more bearable: Cynoscion nebulosus, also known as the Spotted Seatrout, Speckled Trout, or — if you’re feeling fluent in Cajun French — Truite Gris.

The Spotted Seatrout: A Space Coast Classic

The spotted seatrout is one of the most iconic inshore fish along the Space Coast and beyond. Their range stretches from Maryland through the entire state of Florida, but here in our local waters, they thrive on flats, in mangrove pockets, and deep in backwaters.

Despite the name, seatrout aren’t true trout — they’re members of the drum family (like redfish and black drum). During colder months, they’ll push way up rivers and creeks chasing warmth and bait. Whether you’re tossing a topwater at first light or drifting a shrimp under a popping cork, trout are aggressive, accessible, and just plain fun to catch.

Gators vs. Schoolies

Before we dive deeper, let’s make a quick distinction between Gator Trout and what many call “schoolies.” Gator Trout are the big dogs — typically 20 inches or more — and are often spooky, solitary, and smart.

Then you’ve got the schoolies — those scrappy little guys under 12 inches that gang up and compete over bait. These juveniles can be a blast on light, ultralight, or micro tackle. I’ve had plenty of days chasing snook or tarpon that ended up being saved by running into a pack of hungry trout and catching 20+ fish on the way back to the ramp. It’s fast, fun, and reminds you why you got out there in the first place.

High-Percentage Areas for High-Volume Fishing

This week I focused on volume-catching trout, and I fished the areas I mentioned in last week’s report with my family. I also went back the next day for a solo trip. My focus: spoil islands and sandbars in the Indian River Lagoon near Grant.

Both days I launched from Fisherman’s Landing and concentrated on the handful of islands just south of the ramp. Often, I’d beach the kayak and wade-fish, targeting drop-offs and deeper water around the islands.

I’ve included two photos in this report with red X’s marking areas where I caught at least 3 or more trout in short windows. The pattern I used is one you can take with you to other parts of the Indian River, the Banana River, and Mosquito Lagoon. The key ingredients are: depth change, wind (aka moving water), and bait.

Wind, Depth & Movement

Wind is relative this time of year. On my solo trip, the wind started around 2 mph and topped out at maybe 6–7 mph. Other times of year, it can absolutely rip across open water. But even a 5 mph breeze helps move water, push bait, and oxygenate the shallows — which makes it more livable for fish during the extreme heat.

Deeper water also stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter, so those drop-offs near islands can hold fish year-round.

When approaching a new area, I like to circle an island first before anchoring, beaching, or settling in. If there’s no bait, I keep moving. Even early in the morning, if the wind hasn’t picked up yet, I’ll still scout. One of the fastest ways to come home with a short stringer is to waste time in dead zones.

Simple Lure Strategy

Finding the fish is the hard part. Once you’re in them, you don’t need a huge tackle box to get tight. A small selection of artificials or a live shrimp under a cork will do just fine.

Last year, my wife caught a 24-inch trout fishing a wind-blown point of a lagoon island using that exact method: paddle up, cast out a live shrimp, let it drift — boom! Three trout over 20 inches in one session. Sometimes it really is that easy. But if we’d gone more than 20 minutes without a bite, I’d have moved us.

Personally, I’m more of a plastic pitcher than a bait soaker. When trout are feeding, almost any 3–4 inch presentation will do the job — but two in particular stand out:

1. Topwater Magic

Topwater and trout go together like heat and humidity. I’ve caught big trout, little trout, and everything in between on walk-the-dog plugs and even buzz frogs.

This summer, I’ve used the Salt Strong Moonwalker (4 inch) and the Rapala Skitterwalk (3.5 inch). My go-to color is either white or bone — simple and effective.

I look for bait schools and work the edges. Trout often hang just beneath the bait, and working the outskirts of the school can trigger strikes from fish looking to pick off a straggler. Trout tend to be more willing to chase down topwater plugs than snook or redfish — but as always, experiment with cadence until you find what they want.

2. Paddle & Curl-Tails on a Jighead

My favorite trout setup is a 3-inch DOA CAL Shad on a ⅛ oz jighead. No need to overthink the color. I keep it to one light and one dark.

Lately, the hot pattern has been Silver Mullet — dark back, silver belly, silver flash — paired with a chartreuse jighead. The 19.5-inch trout pictured at the top of this report came on that exact combo.

Other top performers include white with silver flash, Figi Chix/Chicken on a Chain, and good ol’ white on a red jig.

Shrimp-style lures (DOA Shrimp, Vudu, Gulp!, Thumper) and twitchbaits will also catch a ton of trout. But for volume fishing? A paddle tail on a jig wins every time — thanks to castability and speed of presentation. Like with topwater, play with retrieval speed until you dial it in.

My Setup

• Topwater: 7′ casting combo, 30 lb braid to 50 lb mono leader
• Paddle Tail: 7′ spinning rod, 10 lb braid to 20 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Jig size: ⅛ oz is the sweet spot, but keep some ¼ oz handy for deeper or windier conditions

Final Thoughts: Make the Most of the Dog Days

The dog days of summer are no joke — and they can turn a day of fishing into a sweaty slog. If the bite’s been slow or you’ve taken a few skunks to the chin, remember that schoolie trout are out there. They may not all be giants, but they can turn a frustrating morning into a high-volume confidence booster. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

Thanks for reading the report! If you’re in the market for kayak gear or paddle fishing accessories, please consider supporting Kayaks By Bo. They’ve been a huge supporter of our kayak fishing content here at Spacefish — and you can support us by supporting them.

Stay cool, stay safe, and go rip some lips. Until next time!