Top 3 Spring Lures For Speckled Trout (Plus A BONUS Lure)

What lures do you absolutely need to catch more trout this spring?

Keep scrolling down this page to find out what lures you NEED to target trout in the coming weeks.

Learn it all here!

Note: This blog post on the top 3 spring lures for speckled trout fishing was originally posted on March 8, 2022, but we’re sharing it with you again so you can fish with the right lures and catch more trout this spring. Oh, and be sure to check out all of the HELPFUL comments below this article!

Spring Lures For Speckled Trout [VIDEO]

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Featured Equipment:

• Slam Shady Bomber
• Power Prawn U.S.A.
• Alabama Leprechaun
• Moonwalker
• Paul Brown Fat Boy Pro

Speckled trout are at their largest size during the springtime and they are quick to eat anything you can get in front of their face.

Now could be your chance to reel in that PB trout you’ve been searching for!

1. Large Paddletail Lure

Contrary to common spring fishing practice, big paddletails are useful when targeting trout in spring.

Usually, smaller paddletails and lures are the way to go in the spring, however, trout are an exception.

Trout are on the lookout for high-calorie, easy meals.

Although most of the bait profiles will be small, there will be larger mullet scattered throughout the schools of bait.

If you see mullet leaping out of the water and running away from predators, this is an indicator to rig up a larger paddletail and target hungry trout.

Additionally, you are able to cover lots of ground in a short amount of time with the large paddletails.

During this time of year, 1/4 oz. to 3/16 oz. jigheads or weighted hooks are best because the fish are not always up in the shallows but are in deeper pockets of water.

You will find most trout sitting in deeper holes just off the flats or on ledges leading into a flat.

The larger speckled trout will more often than not strike your lure as it drops to the bottom rather than when you jig it to the surface.

Trout are ambush predators with an angled jaw designed for coming up from below and striking bait.

The #1 choice for spring speckled trout is the 5″ Slam Shady Bomber Paddletail.

This lure has the perfect tail wag and action on the drop that catches the eye of the big trout sitting in potholes on flats.

2. Stick-Bait Style Lure

You should turn to a stick-bait lure when the fish are extremely finicky and easily spooked by the vibration of other lures.

As spring really comes to bloom, there are certain temperatures and aspects of weather that cause fish to spook off easily.

The winds will lighten up and the sun quickly warms up the water which pushes the trout up into shallower areas.

In addition, trout have a much more exposed lateral line when compared to redfish.

An exposed lateral line leaves the trout more in tune with what is going on around them.

This makes trout a very tough fish to get close to.

During these types of spring fishing conditions, even the vibrations from a paddletail lure can scare the fish off.

As far as the specific stick bait presentations go, you want to have either a shrimp imitation or a split-tail jerkbait.

These are labeled as stick baits because they don’t have much tail vibration and the intended presentation is a quick darting motion up and down along the bottom.

As mentioned before, trout are ambush predators keyed in on erratic movement.

The drop of lures after twitching or jigging them off the bottom is what will trigger trout reaction strikes.

If you are fishing the edge of a flat or a deep channel, cast your stick bait out and twitch it a couple of times but let the lure settle down to the bottom after the twitches.

You will find the trout will just pick up your lure right there as it falls down to their mouths.

As far as fishing in the shallows, this is where the split-tail jerkbait comes into play.

Split-tail jerkbaits are an excellent choice for sightcasting in clear conditions.

You are mainly aiming to catch the attention of trout with a quick darting motion.

The #1 stick-bait for spring speckled trout is the Alabama Leprechaun Jerk Shad.

You definitely want a split-tail jerkbait in your tackle bag this spring and few are better than the Alabama Leprechaun.

3. Topwater Lure

Spring is one of the best times of year to break out the topwater plugs for speckled trout.

Trout are more than willing to get up and after bait swimming near the surface in the spring.

As they slide up into the shallows, trout will begin to strike larger baitfish.

The new Moonwalker topwater lure is designed with rattles in the rear of the lure to mimic larger mullet flicking its tail on the surface.

It is critical to fish with a topwater lure that has a rattle to mimic the sound of baitfish.

Trout are very sight-focused hunters and will be attracted to something moving quickly that is also creating a disturbance along the surface of the water.

A bonus topwater lure hint is to continue working your lure even if a fish pops the surface behind it.

The fish will continue following your lure until it decides to fully commit and strike the lure.

Topwater lures are also excellent for picking through the trout for the larger fish, however, are not the best for catching high quantities of trout.

BONUS LURE: Slow-Sinking Twitchbait

The reason this lure was not directly included in the top 3 trout lures for spring is that there is not a set situation to use this lure in.

You should throw the other lures mentioned above before trying this lure style out.

The advantage of this lure style is that it includes all of the movements of the lures mentioned previously.

You can walk the dog with this lure and it moves erratically back and forth like a stick-bait.

Also, the profile of slow-sinking twitchbaits is almost the same as larger paddletails.

The biggest issues with this lure are its failure to cover ground quickly and difficulty to learn in a short amount of time.

This lure is more of an “Ace up the sleeve” when you are struggling to get bites with the aforementioned lures.

The #1 slow-sinking twitchbait for speckled trout is the Paul Brown Fat Boy Pro or Corky lure.

Conclusion

The springtime brings back energized fish willing to aggressively hunt and prey on newly spawned baitfish.

Be sure to keep in mind how fish diets may change as well as their behavior in response to warmer temperatures.

If you want to catch more trout this spring, you can’t leave the house without the lures mentioned above!!

Do you have any more questions on spring lures for speckled trout?

Let me know down in the comments!

And if you know someone who wants to learn more about spring lures for speckled trout, please TAG or SHARE this with them!

P.S. – Want to know how to retrieve all the different types of inshore fishing lures in a variety of ways? Check out our Artificial Lure Retrieval Methods Mini-Course.

Finding The Fish Help

In order to help make sure that you are targeting the right areas based on the latest feeding trends and upcoming weather forecasts, make sure to use the following 3 resources because they will save you a ton of time.

1. Weekend Game Plans (updated weekly)

These regional game plans will show you exactly what types of spots to target in under 10 minutes… just click the video to start, and you’ll be informed on what to do on your next trip.

Weekend Game Plan Lessons

2. Smart Fishing Spots Platform (updated every 15 minutes)

This exclusive software literally shows you where the most fish are likely to be feeding based on exactly when you’ll be fishing. It factors in the tides, wind, and weather to help you quickly see which areas to target throughout the day.

Smart Fishing Spots App

3. Community Reports (live feed)

The Insider Community platform is what you can use to see what is biting near you, and you can get to know other members who fish in your area. Plus, you can use it to keep a log of your catches so you can use past trips to help predict future catches.

Community Platform