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Over the top: Topwater trout

Photo by FRANK SARGEANT

Captain Ray Markham, left, shows a whopper trout caught on shallow flats near Homosassa with captain William Toney.

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By FRANK SARGEANT

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 4, 2009

October presents so many angling opportunities, it's tough to choose one above the others. But for sure, one of the more interesting bites this month is topwater trout.

Sea trout can be caught all year in Bay area waters, but the fishing is never more fun than when the fish move into the shallow grass for a last feed before winter. And, though trout are easily caught on live shrimp or sardines at this time of year, topwater plugs are the choice of many expert anglers.

"I've just always loved catching fish on topwaters," said St. Petersburg's Eric Bachnik, CEO of L&S Baits, which is introducing a new topwater this fall, the MirrOprop. "You see the fish strike - sometimes they miss and hit it two or three times, and they fight right on top. It just adds a whole dimension."

There's some evidence that the surface commotion draws strikes from larger trout, too, while anglers who fish with jigs or live shrimp often have to sort through many undersized fish before they land a keeper.

Basically, fall trout can be found anywhere there's a grassy bottom with plenty of current and relatively clear water. The best depths for a topwater is 2 to 6 feet; any deeper and you pretty much have to switch to jigs or swim baits.

A wide assortment of topwaters do the job. The best choice depends on the water conditions.

When things are calm and the water is clear and shallow, a "stealth" lure such as the 7M MirrOlure or Yo-Zuri floater-diver minnow is a good choice. These lures have lots of flash, but they don't make a lot of noise that might spook the fish.

On the other hand, when the water is choppy, slightly murky or fairly deep, noisier baits such as the MirrOprop, Zara Spook, 5M MirrOlure, Chug-Bug and other "loud" lures will draw the strikes from fish that might not see a quieter lure. In fact, many topwater experts prefer a breezy day, because the fish are less likely to be spooked by boat, line or leader.

With zig-zag or "walkin' the dog" lures, the best action is a steady twitch of the rod tip, which makes the lure dart back and forth in a herringbone pattern. With prop baits and poppers, on the other hand, the usual motion is to pop the lure loudly two or three times, then let it set for a few seconds, then pop it again. The strikes usually come on the hesitations.

Most topwater anglers use a length of stiff mono leader ahead of 10-pound-test microfiber. The mono is not necessary to prevent cutoffs, as it might be when snook fishing, but rather to prevent the running line from looping over the treble hooks of the plug as it works back and forth.

There are endless good spots for topwater action at this time of year, but here are a few of my favorites gleaned from some 40 years of chasing trout along the Gulf coast.

At Homosassa, the holes on either side of the boat channel beginning about a half-mile from the river mouth can be great at this time of year, as are the grassy flats between St. Martins and Chassahowitzka points. Mason Creek, south of the Homosassa River, has kelp beds that produce great topwatering at this time of year, as do the flats off the mouth of Crystal River to the north.

There are miles-wide grass flats beginning roughly at Pine Island and extending to Anclote Key, and just about anywhere in this span can be great trout fishing at this time of year. The best fishing here is usually slightly deeper than in some areas, with most fish from 4 feet on out; fish congregate around shoals such as St. Martins Reef, too.

St. Joseph Sound between Dunedin and Clearwater is a good bet, with grass on the east side of the channel.

In Tampa Bay, a killer spot is Pinellas Point. Motor south and east until you find the broad flat, which stretches for several miles. This is one of Bachnik's favorite spots. The water is clear and there's lots of bait and usually loads of trout, including plenty of big ones.

Sarasota Bay has similar good spots around Long Bar and Ringling Flats. And at Charlotte Harbor, check out Turtle Bay, Bull Bay, Jug Creek Shoal and Pine Island Sound, among others.

Surface action continues until the first cold front of November, when the fish go deep. Until then, you can't top topwaters.

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