Seatrout, well worth the effort

Trout fishing is a time-honored tradition anywhere in the United States.

Most of us from out West or up North think of the start of trout season as a chilly spring outing to jumpstart warmweather angling. In Florida, though, New Year's Day brings the season opener and the chance to get these fish.

They're not wily like snook. They're not skittish like redfish.

They're not particular like tarpon.

But the final member of the four-species, coveted inshore grand slam — the spotted seatrout — is well worth pursuing.

They're easy to catch, and that is an essential element for children and angling newbies. No one likes to fish for hours without any nibbles or landings.

One time my husband Stan took a colleague from our former newsroom out on our powerboat. The self-admitted klutzy reporter had grown up attending elite schools in England with limited exposure to outdoors pursuits. Smart? Yes. Loaded with common sense and confidence? No.

I skipped the outing. Looked like it would be a long day, and my better half is much longer on patience than I am with my redheaded temperament.

Spotted seatrout But the day turned out action-packed.

The pasty-complectioned companion returned alive with fish tales that were true. He'd caught and released several dozen spotted seatrout and spoke with more confidence than I'd ever heard. He also talked about how he was going to buy a boat some day (which he did) and get out more (which eventually helped him get a bit of color into his cheeks).

Trout fishing causes me to recall an outing with a family of four we usually see at events such as piano recitals in town. It turned into trout fun when their two young children — eager to be anglers but at the time without many opportunities to go boating — caught and caught and caught trout.

Funny thing was, we'd only just launched the boat and were still within sight of the Pine Island ramp when Stan cut the engine, baited up the kids' hooks and told them to cast into the grass flats. Instant fun. Instant gratification. The kids didn't care we'd only idled out 10 minutes from shore.

Although I maintain that trout fishing is good for newcomers and children, it's also helpful for salvaging experienced anglers' egos. When the snook and reds aren't biting, hit the flats to catch a few trout just to reassure yourself that you indeed still know how to get fish.

It's quite helpful that the trout are easy to target. Shrimp plus bobber equals trout. But seatrout can also be exciting to hunt. Once you find them via the live-bait method, then switch to a top-water plug. The silvery fish will come blasting out of the water in pursuit.

Into fly-fishing? Trout can help your confidence there, too. Which is to say, they give your arm and your castingand retrieving skills a workout and opportunity to work on technique.

We're fortunate in Southwest Florida that there are so many trout around. In fact, when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent out notice of the season opener last week, it pointed out that the season had been "closed since Nov. 1 in South Florida to help maintain an abundant fishery." Note the adjective.

They're so abundant, in fact, that you can keep four per day in the 15- to 20-inch slot, which includes one trout greater than 20 inches.

Thing is, why keep a fish if you're not in love with how it tastes? Some locals tout the white flesh of seatrout as delicious fried or baked. You just have to keep an eye out for the worms. Yep, they're notorious for little parasites that are harmless when cooked but yucky nonetheless.

I'm not normally squeamish about anything that swims. Seafood comprises the majority of my meat-eating diet. But my hubby and I choose to salute spotted seatrout for their fun-factor while they're alive. They've made for many a memorable outing over the years.

Grab an angling newcomer or grab an old salt and hit the water. The trout are waiting for us all.

— Betsy Clayton is a freela ncer based on Pin e Island and also is Lee County Parks & Recreation's waterways coordinator. Contact her at boatingbybetsy@ yahoo.com.

GET THE TROUT

>>What: Spotted seatrout season >>When: Jan. 1-Oct. 31 in South Region — from the Flagler-Volusia County line on the Atlantic to Florida's southern tip and up the Gulf Coast to the southern boundary of the Northwest Region in Pinellas County

>>Regulations: Four per day, South Region. Size 15 to 20 inches, including one trout greater than 20 inches