How to Take Trophy speckled Trout Anywhere

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mark Nichols, the president of DOA (Deadly On Anything) lures, knows the Palm City area of Florida about 40 minutes north of West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Ocean like the back of his hand. He's learned how to take speckled trout, redfish, tarpon and snook. His tactics also will produce these species anywhere you fish with his lures. This week we'll look at how, where and why Nichols, one of the first anglers to bring Mossy Oak into the saltwater arena, uses the techniques he does to catch these inshore species. Nichols enjoys wearing Mossy Oak Apparel's TrekLite shirts, pants and shorts for saltwater fishing. As Nichols says, "I'm not wearing TrekLite clothes to hide from the fish. These clothes are just lightweight, comfortable and cool, they dry fast, and they define me as an outdoorsman. What most hunters don't know is that TrekLite clothing is also appropriate for hunting and saltwater fishing."

Question: If you want to catch really big speckled trout anywhere in the nation, what do you need to know?
Answer: Be quiet. Stay away from your boat, and wade if you can. Stay close to deep water. I don't think big trout migrate a long way and that's why they're still alive. I've seen a school of trout before that may only have five fish in it. But those five speckled trout all may weigh over 9-pounds each. Little trout and young trout get caught and eaten early. By the time the fish have lived long enough to weigh 8 pounds, all the young trout and dumb trout have either died or been killed off. I target big trout when the light is extremely low -- early in the morning and late in the afternoon. If I'm not fishing low-light conditions, I'll be fishing for big trout deep. My favorite way to catch big trout is to wade in knee-deep water just at first light.

Question: What effect does current have on big trout?
Answer: I like the last half of an outgoing tide that's pulling some cloudy water out of the marsh. I believe that big fish feed more when the water is dingy and they can ambush bait without being seen.

Question: What bait will you cast for really big trout?
Answer: My favorite speckled trout bait is the DOA shrimp. Even though this is a small bait, I feel that big trout, even if they're full of bait, will attack and eat a small shrimp like this one. I use bigger baits when the light is low. When I've got clear water and bright days, I use smaller lures to catch big trout. I fish the shrimp in water that's 4 feet or less. If I'm fishing 6 feet or deeper water, I'll be using the Terror-Eyz.

For more information on DOA lures, call (877) DOA-LURE (362-5873), or visit the website at www.doalures.com. To learn more about Mossy Oak Apparel's TrekLite clothing for hunting and fishing, go to www.mossyoak.com.