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Large Trout Are The Ticket

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By BILLY NOBLES

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 10, 2009

GO FISHING is a look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Billy Nobles, left, with "Reel Animals" partner Mike Anderson.

The trout bite is still on fire in St. Joseph Sound. Live shrimp are a good bet, either on a jig head or under a popping cork. This seems to be the way to go when the fish are being finicky.

Another good combination is the DOA Shrimp under a cork. My preference is to use the Gulp on a 1/4-ounce jig head around the spoil islands for the larger trout. Fish of up to 30 inches have been reported. You can drift the grass flats in 3 to 6 feet of water and catch plenty of 15- to 20-inch trout, with silver trout, pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish mixed in.

One thing to remember is to be courteous to fellow anglers and boaters, as this area is very popular and there are a lot of people on the water. Take your time, and be thoughtful of others.

Offshore this week, Mike and I shot another episode of "The Reel Animals" fishing show here at home. We left out of The Club and Resort at Little Harbor, caught a live well full of bait and were off.

Once we were about five miles out, we hit a thick fog bank, but the seas were calm, so we throttled back and took our time.

The first stop yielded amberjacks up to 30 pounds, and on light tackle they were a blast. We must have caught 10 in short order.

Then it was off to the next spot. Mike dropped a greenback, and quickly caught a red snapper. They were so thick you could barely get your bait to the bottom, and if we did we would catch a scamp.

Catch captains Billy Nobles and Mike Anderson on the "Reel Animals Fishing Show" on Saturdays from 6:30-7 a.m. and Sundays from 11-11:30 a.m. on WFLA, Channel 8, and on Sundays from 8-10 a.m. on 1040 AM. To book a charter, call 1-866-GAMEFISH or visit

reelanimalsfishingshow.com.

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