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What to throw?

9597 Views 86 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  trigger22
Spent the entire day on the water, trout were stacked like cord wood all day long. Trout were blowing up on mullet, it was an entire day long feeding frenzy.
I managed to catch fish with my popping cork but was wondering what to throw top water. I threw everything but the kitchen sink and the trout were not interested.
Do any of you have a "go to" topwater bait for trout? Again, I threw everything I had in my box the resembled small mullet, nothing ( an occasional short strike)
I threw the cast net and was catching 3-4" mullet, this is what the trout were feeding on all day.

Thoughts?
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It's mighty hard to beat a super spook jr. If it's rough out though I like a she dog. Another thing usually for trout I'll work the lure with a slow wide cadence.
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I threw a Spook Jr (white/red head) also threw a 4" mirroMullet also not interested.


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They weren't interested in Topwater then. Next time follow up with a 17mr or catch 2000
They weren't interested in Topwater then. Next time follow up with a 17mr or catch 2000
Probably right, not interested in top water. I suppose they have plenty other eats to choose from:) I threw 17MR for about an hour as well, dont own a Catch2000
How many did you catch on the cork rig. I'm interested in this trout assessment of stacked up all day like cord wood. If they were feeding you should have caught the whole time. Don't worry about trying other things if you are catching on something. As far as topwater goes, and I have caught alot on top, I only use a spook jr. Color dont really matter unless its dark IMO. Work it slow with a good side to side motion. I'm just curious if the trout you found feeding weren't gar or bigger mullet. There are tons of both around right now. Not saying your wrong just want to get a little more info of how the fish were acting. I usually don't see trout going crazy to much unless it is first thing in the am. Gar go all day.
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This brings up a question I've been wanting to ask. I know I've been viewed as obsessive with Virginia Creek but that's were it is super convenient for me to fish. By convenient I mean that if I couldn't get my kayak in so easily and get out fishing in minutes I wouldn't be going much at all.
Is it possible to have too much bait in an area? I've been out 5 times with zero fish and I've had a total of 3 or 4 short strikes targeting drum on top water. I am being casting-haven't seen any tailing or pushing. There are gobs of mullet of every size imaginable so I am thinking there is a combination of too much natural bait AND not exactly a whole bunch of drum.
Today I even paddled to a spot someone told held a lot of fish. It was up the ICW and I paddled for 1-1/2 hours to get to it. Into the wind the entire way only to arrive and see nothing. I made my way back going through the Marsh opposite the ICW and, again, saw herds of mullet. I even resorted to a popping cork but got no love.
Please let me know some thoughts on the plentiful bait theory.
I don't mean to hijack this thread so if it advised that I start a new one I'll be happy to do so.
Thanks

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How many did you catch on the cork rig. I'm interested in this trout assessment of stacked up all day like cord wood. If they were feeding you should have caught the whole time. Don't worry about trying other things if you are catching on something. As far as topwater goes, and I have caught alot on top, I only use a spook jr. Color dont really matter unless its dark IMO. Work it slow with a good side to side motion. I'm just curious if the trout you found feeding weren't gar or bigger mullet. There are tons of both around right now. Not saying your wrong just want to get a little more info of how the fish were acting. I usually don't see trout going crazy to much unless it is first thing in the am. Gar go all day.
Definitely without a doubt trout, all day long. I fished with Dean yesterday (Calabash513) and he witnessed it as well. The trout were going aerial as well. Majority of what I caught were undersized trout on a white/chartreuse tail DOA shirmp
This is in order what I would have tried in 808 or ec color with the 17. I would have tried an x-rap also.
Stacked like cordwood is hard to beat.
At the deadest of low tide trout were blowing up, all around in less than 1' of water. At one point I even threw a 2" Gulp shrimp, then I retooled and threw a DOA shrimp on a 6" leader under a popping cork. I was convinced that the gourmet of mullet and shrimp had them interested in nothing else.
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This brings up a question I've been wanting to ask. I know I've been viewed as obsessive with Virginia Creek but that's were it is super convenient for me to fish. By convenient I mean that if I couldn't get my kayak in so easily and get out fishing in minutes I wouldn't be going much at all.
Is it possible to have too much bait in an area? I've been out 5 times with zero fish and I've had a total of 3 or 4 short strikes targeting drum on top water. I am being casting-haven't seen any tailing or pushing. There are gobs of mullet of every size imaginable so I am thinking there is a combination of too much natural bait AND not exactly a whole bunch of drum.
Today I even paddled to a spot someone told held a lot of fish. It was up the ICW and I paddled for 1-1/2 hours to get to it. Into the wind the entire way only to arrive and see nothing. I made my way back going through the Marsh opposite the ICW and, again, saw herds of mullet. I even resorted to a popping cork but got no love.
Please let me know some thoughts on the plentiful bait theory.
I don't mean to hijack this thread so if it advised that I start a new one I'll be happy to do so.
Thanks

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No worries, I too am interested in knowing if the bait is that thick should you pack up and move on. In my case I was catching, but rarely was there a keeper to be had.
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I like the Bomber Ba-donk-a-donk, golden mullet (black back, gold sides and orange belly) with a slow cadence.

Just in case you might need the Kitchen Sink.....:)
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Are you sure they weren't Jacks of Ladyfish ?
Trout love topwaters & slow sinking sub surface lures.
Color matters alot to Trout, too. ....... ICM

You may want to send PM me that location, just to make sure they're Trout.
No thanks necessary. I'm just willing to help. ........ :D
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This was a day filled with aerial acrobatics, no doubt that it was trout. Could there have been other species of fish present? Absolutely


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Usually unless it is a full moon spikes are going to be with spikes. I would have threw that 808 17 or a xrap too. Ripped it. In all my yrs trout fishing I have never seen skying trout. Sounds fun. I ve seen trout feeding on top but rarely at all have I seen one jump out of the water that won't hooked. I wouldn't tell a would where this honey hole is.

To answer the othe question, sometimes the congregation of lots of bait dosnt mean a congregation of preditor fish.
I was thinking jacks or lady fish too
May have been the short strikes
Usually unless it is a full moon spikes are going to be with spikes. I would have threw that 808 17 or a xrap too. Ripped it. In all my yrs trout fishing I have never seen skying trout. Sounds fun. I ve seen trout feeding on top but rarely at all have I seen one jump out of the water that won't hooked. I wouldn't tell a would where this honey hole is.

To answer the othe question, sometimes the congregation of lots of bait dosnt mean a congregation of preditor fish.
Trout were jumping literally 10 feet from the boat. I fish this place first thing everyday on moving tide. When I arrived I was by myself, three hours later there were several boats as well as a few of the local guides fishing the area. Not sure if the guides landed fish I was too busy being impressed with the show :)


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Cool. Not saying your wrong just never seen it in 30 yrs on the water. Maybe you have a trout circus.
I fish this area all the time, I have never seen this. It was busy yesterday, absolute circus today. To clarify, I did pull trout all day long, rarely a keeper to be had


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Like I said. Spikes are going to be with spikes. That's when you leave.
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