Trout...where?

[bohunterbiff]

Ok, I see lots of posts asking where are the trout or fish, most of the time people are looking for the guarenteed or current hot spot. I guess I am different in that aspect. I am not looking for anyone's specific "honey hole" or coordinates of the most popular places -

what I want to know is what characteristics to look for when targeting trout and redfish. For example what does the bottom have to consist of, are you fishing points, looking for sudden changes in depth, are the changes subtle or severe, are you looking for structure and if so what types.....etc. I like finding my own fish, but I live too far away to fish consistently, so I am trying to help the learning curve between fishing trips and rule out unproductive water.