Post-Spawn Speckled Trout: Why Bigger Females Slide Deeper and How to Reach Them

When you’re doing some inshore saltwater fishing, there are all kinds of fish to chase after. One awesome species to target is speckled trout (especially the big females). While looking for them during the spawn may lead you to shallow water, chances are, if you go shallow during the post-spawn, you won’t have much luck. 

One key thing to keep in mind about speckled trout is that they actually spawn multiple times during the spawning season, which runs from late spring into early fall in some places. This spawning routine is important to know about because it takes a toll on these fish.

Larger females are going to be the ones with the most eggs and the most spawning occurrences. This leads them to spend more energy than a species that only spawns once per season would. Because of this, these fish are going to need a long time to recover in an area with plenty of food available to build up their energy again and stable temperatures.

Food availability and temperature stability are the key factors in why the big female speckled trout go deep after spawning. To properly recover, these fish need to be in an area that isn’t going to have major temperature swings. Shallow water tends to vary too much for them, while deeper water is far more consistent.

It’s also common to find that the main foods they target are in the deeper water rather than the shallower water. When their food moves deep, that’s where they’ll follow as well.

Smaller speckled trout act a bit differently. They aren’t as sensitive to the temperature swings and can find food in the shallower water areas. Because of this, you will tend to find some of these fish on the flats near where they spawn, but it’s almost never going to be one of the giants you’re after.

Now, we know that the big female speckled trout are likely going to be in the deeper water areas. But what structure should you be looking for, and what’s the best rig to catch them?

Some of the best places to look for big speckled trout are going to be drop-offs next to grass flats. These are the perfect places for a big, energy-depleted trout to easily slip into deep water and recover.

Channel edges and deep bay pockets are another great spot for speckled trout as well. Look for these areas in the 8 to 20-foot depth range. Ledges can be great too, especially in areas where food is abundant. Trout can use the areas near these ledges as ambush points to get an easy meal.

In all of these areas, it’s also important to pay attention to the tides. Any time the water is moving out there’s a good chance that baitfish like mullet are going to be concentrated together. This is the perfect situation for a speckled trout to feed. Pay attention to your electronics to find these big schools of baitfish.

There are some great options to consider when deciding what to tie on your line for these trout.

The first to try for speckled trout is a jig head with a soft plastic. You’ll want to pick a heavier jig head that can quickly and easily get down into the deeper water that the trout are going to be in. When picking your soft plastic, the two best options are going to be paddle tail swimbaits and shrimp. Both of these are great at mimicking what the speckled trout want to feed on.

When fishing a jig head with a soft plastic, cast it beyond the area that you think the fish are in and let it sink to the bottom. Then, slowly retrieve it back to you, mixing in plenty of pauses to allow it to sink down further as the water gets deeper.

Another solid option to try for speckled trout is a suspending or deep diving hard bait. These baits are great at getting down to the fish, whether they’re suspended in the water column while transitioning, or if they’re sitting tight to the bottom. Both of these options are designed to mimic baitfish closely, helping to entice strikes from these fish.

To fish either of these hardbaits, you’re going to want to do an erratic retrieve, mixing in plenty of twitches and pauses. These movements will mimic the erratic movement of an injured baitfish, while also creating enough time for a big female speckled trout to strike.