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Spotted seatrout, a North Carolina gamefish
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Captain Rick Scarborough of Hatteras, N.C. with two nice specks.
Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulous), also known as speckled trout or specks, inhabit inshore waters along the Atlantic and Gulf states’ coasts. North Carolina is a prime fishing location for these fish.
Speckled trout eat mainly baitfish, like mullet, menhaden, anchovies, and mud minnows, but they will also eat any shrimp or crabs that they happen to discover. Artificial lures and natural baits may be utilized by anglers in pursuit of these fish. The same baits will also work for other fish, such as red drum. Spotted seatrout grow to over 17 pounds, and are easily distinguished from gray trout (weakfish) by their large, isolated speckles, most of which are along the back and upper sides, primarily toward the rear of the fish. Gray sea trout have many more spots that are much smaller, and seem to blur together.
Spotted sea trout will inhabit many different aquatic habitats. They may be found in backwater, grassy areas, such as lagoons, or in open sound waters, in inlets, around river mouths, in the surf, or offshore. Fishing around docks is often an easy way to catch trout when a boat is not handy. The Pamlico Sound is a great place to fish for specks in North Carolina, particularly in the eastern side of the sound, around the Outer Banks. The Cape Fear area in the southeastern part of the state is also a great place to fish.
There are many different angling techniques to use when fishing for sea trout, and these fish do quite well in the frying pan, both of which contribute to the popularity of the species. They are also great all-around game fish, and certainly among the most popular inshore fish.
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