sand on the salinity scale, which is fine for school
trout or for chasing trout in the fall and winter when
they aren’t in spawn mode. When speckled trout are
in reproduction mode, which peaks in May and June,
salinity is a must have. Salinity levels of seven to
twenty parts per thousand is ideal. Besides, brown
shrimp also like salty conditions, and the brownie run
the last several years through the Rigolets has been
dead. These two things are essential for monsters,
and we are missing these key ingredients to find legitimate mules. Well, the Matrix Crew will do just
about anything to find a wall hanger trout.
Here at DockSide TV, we take our trophy trout
fishing seriously. We’ve been traveling all the way to
Florida in search of a panhandle wall hanger since we
feel our typical waters are going to be missing the
mules again this spring. Florida fishing is different to
say the least. Over the last several years, we’ve been
spending time in the Pensacola and Destin areas focusing on Big Lagoon, the Santa Rosa Sound, and
the Choctawhatchee Bay. The trout in these areas
are big and smart. Boat traffic is high, but not with
fishermen like we deal with back home. The waters
are filled with power boaters just cruising around but
causing enough commotion to bother these big
trout. In Florida, the trout we’re looking for are
called gator trout; and let me tell you, they are hard
to catch but most certainly there. Bringing over
basic Louisiana techniques such as pulling up to a
point, throwing out a popping cork, and catching 50
trout is to say the least, a fantasy. Stealthy approaches, early starts, and even fishing in the pitch
dark are some keys to success when chasing these
gator trout across the panhandle. Here at Matrix
Shad we just finished our first topwater lure called
the "Matrix Mullet," and it is a big trout killer. With
all the shallow grass flats in Florida, topwater at low
light hours is one of the best strategies to have. If
you plan to stay in the boat like we do, a trolling
motor should only be used to guide you, not power
you across flats. Allow the wind to push the boat by
always having it at your back. Be as absolutely quiet
as possible at all times, we even turn the live well off
when fishing these flats, it really is that crucial.
On our last trip to the panhandle back in May,
our best catch came in the midst of a drizzling rain
while using the "Matrix Mullet." We were using the
wind to our backs and the longest rods we had in
hopes of making the longest cast w