GARY DAVIS ON SPECKS AND REDS

Locating Mobile Bay's Speckled Trout

EDITOR'S NOTE: Captain Gary Davis of Tidewater Fishing Service in Foley, Alabama, has fished the Alabama Gulf Coast all his life. From March 1 through December 1, he consistently brings in large catches of speckled trout and redfish. During the winter months, Davis catches numbers of sheepshead. A few weeks ago Davis and I started the morning by fishing Dixie Bar at the mouth of Mobile Bay out of Fort Morgan, Alabama. This week we'll learn where Captain Davis fishes and how he catches his fish.

Question: Where do you find speckled trout in this area, and how do you fish for them?
Answer: Alabama has built several inshore artificial reefs made out of oyster shells around Mobile Bay. These reefs hold numerous speckled trout and redfish. The speckled trout also hold around the oil and gas rigs in the Mobile Bay.

During the hot summer months when the speckled trout hold close to the bottom, we rig our equipment as if we plan to fish for redfish, except we use lighter leads on the line. We use a 1/4-ounce slip sinker up the line. Instead of fishing with croakers, we fish with live shrimp. In the spring and fall, we rig the same way, but we don't have any leads on our lines. If little to no current flows, we may tie the hooks directly to the lines and not use swivels.

Question: What size trout do you catch?
Answer: The fish weigh from 2- to 8-pounds each. Last week we caught one trout that weighed more than 8 pounds, and I caught three trout that weighed more than 6 pounds.

Question: How do you bait the shrimp when you fish for trout?
Answer: During a hard-running current, I tail hook the shrimp. During a slow current, I prefer to hook the shrimp through the horn. I also fish with D.O.A. artificial shrimp. The trout really seem to like these baits. I think the D.O.A. shrimp is one of the best artificial lures for trout on the market today.

Question: What size test line do you use to catch trout?
Answer: I downsize my line when I fish for trout. Although, I occasionally use 10-pound-test line, most of the time I fish with 8-pound-test line.

Question: How do you rig for trout?
Answer: I use 8-pound Berkley Trilene XT as my main line. Then, I put a 1/4-ounce to 1/2-ounce egg-shaped slick sinker up the line. In a strong current, I use a lead. I place a plastic bead under the lead to keep the lead from weakening the knot. I tie a barrel swivel on the main line below the bead. Then I tie 2 1/2 to 3 feet of an 8-pound-test leader on the other end of the barrel swivel and a No. 6 hook to the end of the leader.

Question: When do you set the hook?
Answer: When I use a shrimp as bait, I immediately set the hook when the trout takes the bait. But if I fish with live croaker, I let the fish take the bait a little bit longer before I set the hook. When you fish with light line, set the hook so you won't break the line or tear the fish's mouth. The trout practically will set the hook themselves.

Question: How do you play the fish?
Answer: I use my rod to pull the trout to me, and I drop the rod tip down to reel in the slack. Never reel when the trout runs.

Question: In a day of trout fishing, how many fish do you expect to catch?
Answer: I usually catch 20 to 30 trout that weigh from 2- to 6-pounds each or more.

To contact Gary Davis and learn more about fishing at Fort Morgan, call (251) 943-6298.

TOMORROW: REELING IN TOUGH-FIGHTING SPADEFISH