Top 3 Fishing Lures To Catch Big Speckled Trout This Fall
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Want to catch fat speckled trout this fall?
These fish are hungry this time of year and in this video, I’m going to share with you my top three favorite lures to catch them.
You’ll also learn:
- How to choose which lures to use based on the conditions
- How to rig them for more strikes
- How to use them after those early cold fronts come in and seem to “turn off” the bite
- And more
Check out the video below!
Top 3 Fishing Lures For Big Fall Trout [VIDEO]
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You can get these lures from our shop here:
Topwater Lure For Big Fall Trout
I love watching trout blow up on topwater lures and the fall is one of the best times to catch them this way.
Look for schools of baitfish and/or points where wind or current is whipping around to maximize your chances of catching trout on topwater.
My favorite topwater lure is the Super Spook Jr. in bone, but if you’re fishing before the sun comes up or after it goes down and you’re not getting hits on the bone color, you can switch to a darker topwater.
As a rule of thumb, if the conditions are lighter, use a lighter color lure.
And if they’re darker, use a darker color lure.
These lures are best early in the morning or if it’s overcast out, but once the sun comes up, I’ll switch to one of these next two lures.
5″ Jerk Shad For Big Fall Trout
If the water is clear and calm, I’ll go with a 5″ jerk shad, like the Alabama Leprechaun.
This color and profile works well in clean water because it doesn’t cause too much of a commotion to spook the fish, but does dart very well through the water and elicits strikes from big trout.
I like to rig them on a weighted swimbait hook (like the Owner TwistLock hook) with a 1/16 to 1/8 oz weight and a 3/0 to 4/0 size hook.
The weight depends on water depth so if you’re fishing a shallow shoreline or flat, use the 1/16 oz. weight.
If you’re fishing in water that’s 4-5′ deep, go with the 1/8 oz weight.
You can also rig these lures on jig heads if you’re fishing deeper docks or holes, especially after a cold front comes in and the fish go a little deeper
5″ Paddletail For Big Fall Trout
If the water is dirtier, especially at the beginning of the fall, I like to use a 5″ paddletail, like the Slam Shady BOMBER.
Baitfish are at their largest in the fall, so I like to use a larger paddletail here, rather than the 3-4″ paddletail I prefer during the rest of the year.
These lures work great in dirty water because the vibration given off by the tail attracts fish to it.
Also, the Slam Shady color pattern has gold and silver flakes in it that give off an attractive flash that gets fishes’ attention
As far as rigging goes, I use the same rules for the paddletail as I do for the jerk shad in deciding on a jig head or weighted hook.
Conclusion
Fall is an awesome time of the year to catch big trout and using a topwater in the morning, then switching to a jerk shad or paddletail (depending on water clarity) as the sun comes up is a great gameplan.
You can get these lures from our shop here:
Have any questions about using these lures to catch fall trout?
What’s your favorite fall trout lure?
Let me know down in the comments!
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I have used the Alabama Leprechaun successfully with light weights. It darts erratically. I would like to use it to imitate a shrimp in 8 to 10 feet of water with some current. Under those conditions, and with a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig head, will it still dart erratically or just move with the motion of the heavy jig head? Also, how do you feel about using this jerk bait vs using the power prawn when trying to imitate a shrimp?
In water that deep it can be tough to get the same action as you would in shallow water. Mainly due to the angle at which you’re retrieving. It would be more of a “jigging” action which can still imitate a fleeing shrimp. If you try to do more of an erratic retrieve in water that deep it will keep the lure too high up in the water column and out of the strike zone. Jerk shads imitate shrimp very well along with baitfish, but the biggest deciding factor when choosing between the 2 of them will be casting distance. A jerk shad will cast further than a shrimp lure, so a little more of an advantage if covering water and/or having to cast in the wind.
When you say find points where wind or current is whipping around, are you fishing in the eddy behind it, or in the current directly?
You typically want to fish the protected side of the point. That is where the fish will position to go after food that comes by since it will be a calmer area. However, you want to present your lure naturally with the flow of the current to have your lure come around that point into the strike zone.
Hi Tony, As always “ thanks” for the great information. I have a question, is it best to pull these baits against the water flow or pull them with the water flow. I fish canals that have pretty good water movement and I’m not real sure which is best.
Thanks,
Mark R
Hudson, Fl
Hey Mark! With artificial lures the general rule of thumb is to retrieve them with the flow of the current. This can be directly inline with the current, or at an angle to it.
It’s always best to work you’re lure or bait with the current. It looks more natural that way. Good luck Mark.
Corky Fat Boys for the big girls in Texas.
Good stuff! I haven’t tried them yet but I do hear that they work well.
I noticed you don’t have treble hooks on the top water. Why?
Inline hooks are better for the fish if you plan on releasing them. Treble hooks tend to stick the fish in areas that cause more damage. I tend to lose more fish on treble hooks as well because of the small size of the hooks. Another benefit is the inline hooks are much easier to manage if they are in a net, and also for removing from the fish (less of a chance of hooking yourself)
Tony,
what is a good size/brand to use for replacement on spook jr.
love the lessons with text and video for reinforcement.
Hey Michael!
For treble hooks, I use The Owner #4 size and for Inline Hooks I use the Owner 2/0 size.
Tony thanks for all your tips. I cannot learn enough, so p;ease keep ’em coming.
My favorite top water for trout is the red and white Chug Bug, and I will heed the advice given in your video.
My pleasure Ed! The gears are always rolling to put out as much info as we can to help you guys out!
In creeks off of Chesapeake bay and Great Wicomico River i like to use spook jr in chartreuse head and black body.
Also sea assassin chicken on a chain color on a jig head .
Mirorlure is a good choice also.
Great choices as well!
The choices were plain to see. Please do a 3 baits for fall trout video. I have not seen very many live bait videos, in recent times, from SaltStrong. Large baits are the best choice for gator trout during the fall months. In my opinion.
Yep large live baits are great for bigger trout. Live pinfish, pigfish, and croakers are some of the best options. If they are unavailable or you can’t catch any, a jumbo shrimp on a cork cant be beat. Also, believe it or not, cut bait can work very well for big trout as well.
One of the best lessons SaltStrong teaches anglers of all skills is to keep things simple. You can save a lot of money on tackle with these 3 baits.
Thank you for the awesome feedback Thom! Definitely keep it simple. All I bring with me on a trip is one small box with hooks and jig heads with a few top waters. A couple packages of soft plastics and I’m set.
Nice Job Tony and explanation. For trout I like Bombers as well up here in NE Florida especially when fishing around rocks and such. The good ole Spook Jr is one of the best in SO many circumstances and species…
Agreed, Bomber’s Badonk-A-Donk is my favorite artificial lure, for fall gator trout.
Thanks Mike! I haven’t used them but i know Luke has been testing out the Bomber top waters with some pretty good results. We all definitely have our own “go-to” lures just based on our own experiences. At the end of the day its all about location and presentation.