Choosing an effective speckled trout rig is not difficult. You will find various options in the shop for speckled trout, and shrimp is the best bait for this rig. Shrimp is a common, favorite food for multiple species, and speckled trout are mostly attracted to it, even in deep water.
Live shrimp helps catch lots of trout, redfish, pier fishing, and more.
Tips to Rig Shrimp for Speckled Trout
You can fish with shrimp using a popping cork, clacking cork, or a small float. Popping cork requires an 18-inch leader, live shrimp, and 1/0 or 2/0 hook for rigging. The popping cork does not have any rattles to scare away the fish. The float has a little weight inside to make it heavier and upright to avoid drifting across the surface in a deeper water column.
You will need a proper hook size that matches the shrimp action. If the shrimp size is average or 6 inches, one should expect an octopus hook. #2 size hook with Albright knot is good for smaller shrimp. Also, match the leader with the size of the trout. A 20-pound fluorocarbon is best for trout.
The length of the fluorocarbon leader depends on the depth you are fishing trout from a kayak or the bank of the river/pond. Five feet depth needs 5 feet leader line. To rig the shrimp, slide the leader to a slit and leave at least a 6-inch line at the top.
So the live shrimp will be six inches off the bottom. The process is almost the same with another smaller float or clacking cork. Make sure the shrimp won’t tangle at the bottom with seagrass.
How to Rig a Shrimp On a Hook
The line should be down from the slit. Avoid the black spot if you want to hook the live shrimp towards the head. Hook the shrimp right in front of the back spot or right beneath the horn. The horn has a couple of black spots.
Insert the hook at the number four black spot area so the shrimp will look good and can swim naturally in the water. Use a proper trout spinning rod, so it doesn’t break down between the fishing.
Also, this way, the hook will last a long time. You can hook it forward of the black spot or the dead center of the mouth so the hook will come out of the horn.
Another way to hook the shrimp is to pinch the tail off, insert the hook at the end of the shrimp body, run the hook all around, and come it out at the center of the body.
The shrimp will stay on the hook nice and straight.
What is the Best Bait to Use to Catch Speckled Trout?
Speckled trout are willing to strike both live baitfish and artificial lures. Pinfish, shrimp, mud minnows, and greenbacks work effectively for them.
These plastic baits are also effective in a topwater cast. Use the treble hook and jig head and find the perfect fishing spot to check their movements. Using a perfect Shimano reel or reels from other renowned bands will allow you to play with shrimp comfortably.
The fishing time should be early morning and late evening because inshore fishing is effective with natural bait at this time. Go to the shallow water. You can also use artificial bait.
Best Rig for Fishing, Live Shrimp
Shrimp can drift in the current below a popping cork or another float. They can be rigged in many ways.
The best rigging ways are on a jig, tail hooked shrimp, and Texas rig. Check the tidal movement, then present the lures in deep holes and grass flats.
What Size Hooks for Live Shrimp?
Number 1 or 1/0 J hook is popular in live shrimp fishing. Use the same size circle hook to minimize deep hooking.
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