Three sad reasons Florida will always have bigger trout.
 

New article I just posted to my blog, Captain Devin's Louisiana Fishing Blog.

Three Sad Reasons Florida will Always Have Bigger Trout

Tell me what you think. Be sure to post here and use the Facebook comments at the bottom of the page on my blog.

Thanks for your input, guys!

I know people who fished in Fla and talk about the tide range they have. I think the reason Fla had larger trout is the lack of fishing pressure.

Our estuary are way better than Fla. Also people I spoke to always say that the water is so clear that trout are spooked real easy.

2nd thing is Fla has a huge coast and surrounded by water on two sides.


If I was too rank big trout states by pure numbers of big trout...i would place
Texas #1
La #2
Fla #3

And this is just off reading material over the years


I also don't think La waters has a 17lb trout but I know Big Lake could support a 15lber for sure

I do believe TX has a 17lber

If I remember correctly Floridas estuaries lack enough nutrients, unlike any of Louisiana's. Nutrients start primary production, this brings in forage, and the fish follow. I really don't think this guy really knows anything about fish biology. He mentions the thin gill plates(assuming he means the operculum) and turbidity. Yes if the turbidity is too high it can suppress gill function and a fish can suffocate. But this condition would usually be at the mouths of fresh rivers and bayous with low salinity where these larger trout would be anyway.

Nice article but maybe the title should be "Three Reasons I Think Florida Will Always Have Bigger Trout":)

If dirtier water is one of the reasons, then explain how Texas trout are that big

Once you get past Galveston the water really starts to clear up.

Fla. has a 2 speck limit...sucks! not even worth fishing for them...

I think Texas and Louisiana trout are definitely fatter. Florida trout are so skinny.


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Never been over there

Exactly... So Baffin Bay = clear water = big lake of Texas

To catch 17lb trout....find structure in ship channel....tie on 1 oz Carolina rig and 6" croaker and let sit in 15+ ft of water?? ;-)

Baffin is not clear

Genetics, genetics genetics.

If u catch a 17 pounder go buy a powerball immediatly!

After I stroke one off??

So true!

Wouldn't even have to stroke! If a 17# is in my boat it would happen spontaneously!!!!

I do believe there's something down there called "Brown Tide". Doesn't sound "clear" to me.

A few reasons: longer growing season, more diverse bait such as pilchards, greenbait (whatever that is), sardines, etc. Also lots of grass flats to hide in, which also clears the water considerably along with a sandy bottom.

Also, there are myriad species for anglers to focus on besides trout: snook, tarpon, redfish, bonefish, inshore grouper. Even stuff like jack crevalle, as Fla anglers are used to catch and release and enjoy the fight (I maintain they don't know how to cook fish, but just my opinion)

Trout are also much spookier due to clear water and the aesthetics of the state's waters, where every jack-leg with a grand in their bank account has a boat or jet-ski mucking up a fisherman's drift.

All of this adds up to contributing factors to bigger trout.

Guys, thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts and ideas on here and the blog.

And I would totally stroke one off after catching a 17lb trout..just saying!

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/r...tted-seatrout/

In the state's "southeast" region where the big trout are mostly taken, limit is four with only one over 20 inches. Also, Mosquito Lagoon/India River where many, many of the giants are caught, there's no tide. That's right, as hard as it is to believe, there's zero tidal water movement.

So, there's that.

My wife and I will be starting in Charlotte Harbor and working our way around the Panhandle of Fl to LA and as far as Brownsville. I do plan on making an unbiased assessment of the trout and redfish populations. We figure on 2 months of fishing as many areas as possible.
BTW, that is red tide not brown. A few years ago most of our trout population was killed off due to red tide. It has taken 5 years for them to make a comeback. There have been reports of more trout than ever, many reaching 30 inches. You can take 4 trout of which one may be over 20 inches. The Atlantic coast is where the world record was caught, near Ft Pierce. My biggest was around 7 lbs and 27 inches. Looking forward to all that I have been reading about regarding LA and TX fishing!

4 trout limit....L M F A O X1000000 boy I could limit out every day....even a bad bad bad day like today I catch 4 trout....

That is the most pathetic thing ever...trout multiple faster than rabbits