Florida targeted fish
Spotted Seatrout
Cynoscion nebulosus · speckled trout
Turtle-grass flats, potholes, and sandy edges of bays. They stack in deeper holes after a cold front.
Season on this coast
Best in cool months. Summer grass-flat fishing slows in midday heat.
- Slow
- Fair
- Good
- Prime
How to fish them
Work a popping cork over grass in two to four feet. After a front, slow down and fish the deepest pothole in the flat. Light fluorocarbon and a quiet approach for the big ones.
Typical size. Eaters 15–20 in; gator trout over 25 in live on isolated potholes.
Bait
- Live shrimp under a popping cork
- Soft-plastic shrimp
- MirrOlure-style twitchbaits
Regulations
Slot and bag vary by zone. Southwest gulf trout rules have tightened — look up the current FWC slot before you ice a fish.
Captain’s brief
What’s biting, and where to start
Sign in and ask for a one-page briefing for a city, a month, and a target fish. Written for this coast — not a generic chatbot.