Spotted Sea Trout
Life Cycle: Spawning occurs inshore from March through November.
Migration: Spotted seatrout move into deeper still waters during colder months. They spend their lives within a mile or two of home.
Fishing Tips: Free-line live shrimp, small pinfish or mud minnows near the bottom to entice trout out of grass-bed holes. Attaching a float will allow these baits to drift over the grass beds as you search for trout. Casting with soft-bodied jigs, topwater poppers and spoons can be effective. Trout are very delicate, so returning unwanted or illegal fish promptly to the water is necessary to maintain a healthy population.
Food Value: Spotted seatrout are among the best eating fish.
Regulations:
5 per day
15″-19″ with pinched tail
One of the five fish may be over 19″ if you are lucky enough to catch one.
No closed season
State Record: 17 lb. 7 oz., caught near Ft. Pierce
Expect to catch fish in the 2-3 pound range.
The weakfish is very similar to the trout but does not have spots on their tail. The regulations for weakfish are different than trout.