Spotted seatrout fishing in The First Coast

In The First Coast, spotted seatrout peak April–June and September–November and are around year-round, spawning in May–June, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: On the flooded grass at high water.

1. JanuaryAroundDeep river and ICW bends.
2. FebruaryAroundSheepshead spawn on the jetties and reefs; drum on the bridges. The biggest sheepshead of the year on the jetty rocks and nearshore reefs; black drum on the river bridges with crab.
3. MarchArrivingThe kings start; trout and reds spread through the marsh. Last of the sheepshead; the spring kingfish run starts late month on the nearshore reefs; trout and reds move out onto the marsh edges.
4. AprilPeakOn the flooded grass at high water.
5. MaySpawningKings, cobia and tarpon off the jetties; reds and trout in the marsh. Big kings and cobia on the reefs and the Mayport jetties; the first tarpon at the river mouth; reds and trout on the creek mouths on the outgoing.
6. JuneSpawningTarpon at the jetties; reds in the flooded grass; flounder on the drops. The Mayport tarpon fishery — pogies at the jetties and along the beach. Reds up in the spartina on the top of the tide, flounder on the creek drops.
7. JulyAroundSummer: jetty tarpon and bull reds, marsh reds on the high water. Tarpon and bull reds at the jetties on live pogies; marsh reds in the grass on the flood; trout early on the ICW points.
8. AugustAroundBull reds stack in the river; tarpon on the beach. Big bull reds in the St. Johns and off the jetties as the spawn approaches; tarpon on the beach bait pods; flounder on the drops.
9. SeptemberPeakBull red spawn in the river mouth; the mullet run begins. The best bull redfish of the year at the Mayport jetties and the river mouth; mullet start down the beach with jacks and tarpon behind them.
10. OctoberPeakIn every creek on the falling tide.
11. NovemberPeakStacked in the deeper creek bends.
12. DecemberAroundWinter pattern: sheepshead, clear-water reds, deep trout. Jetties and docks for sheepshead; low-water creek reds on sunny days; trout in the deep river and ICW bends.

Spartina marsh, oyster-lined creeks and the Intracoastal from Ponce Inlet to the Georgia line, the St. Johns River and the Mayport jetties, St. Augustine and Matanzas inlets, and the beaches. More like Georgia's lowcountry than the rest of Florida.

Fish Scouter charts 351 dock / pilings, 233 grass flat, 5 pass / inlet spots in the The First Coast map area — the kinds spotted seatrout hold on.

• Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
• Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
• PigfishFree-lined or under a cork on a 2/0 circle hook for gator trout; on the bottom for grouper.
• PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
• CroakersHooked through the back on a 2/0 to 3/0 circle hook, free-lined or on a Carolina rig — big trout and redfish can't leave them alone.

• Leader15–25 lb fluorocarbon
• Hook#1–1/0
• Jig head1/8–1/4 oz
• Braid10–15 lb

Feeds in 54–86°F water, best at 62–78°F.

All about spotted seatrout · The First Coast, the whole year