-David Ulgenalp
The spotted seatrout is the fish species I most commonly target while wade fishing. They're beautiful, abundant and taste great. Trout inhabit near shore waters year round, eagerly strike artificial lures and put up a good fight on light tackle. I also enjoy the challenge of finding trout and figuring out what it's going to take to catch them. Their habitat and behavior changes from season to season and so does the strategy and tactics I use to catch them.

As summer arrives and water temperatures soar, I target grass flats peppered with sandy potholes and high tides that occur during the first or last two hours of daylight. Under these circumstances and If there isn't too much grass, I use a loop knot to tie on a red and white or chartreuse, Storm® Ratlin' Saltwater Chug Bug®. I start my retrieve with a quick, hard popping action and continue to work it back with a series of starts, stops and pops. Often a trout will bump my lure but not strike aggressively. When that happens, I let the Chug Bug® rest a bit and then give it a tiny twitch, which more often than not, results in an aggressive strike and hookup. If my top water bait is picking up too much grass or I'm not getting any action, I switch to a jig and plastic bait combination. I tie on a 1/16th or 1/8th oz red or chartreuse C.A.L.™ Short Shank Jig Head by D.O.A.™ and attach a 3" C.A.L.™ Shad Tail or 4" C.A.L.™ Jerk Bait in Nite Glow or Arkansas Glow. With shad tails I use a steady retrieve keeping the bait just above the grass. I prefer to work the jerk bait with a slow, hopping action that has the bait dancing in and out of the grass.

As fall arrives and water temperatures drop below 80 degrees, activity picks up. I wade the same areas I fish during the summer, but the cooler water brings baitfish near shore followed by schools of larger trout that feed on them. I prefer to fish the last two hours of an incoming tide and first two hours of an outgoing tide. Early and late in the day I like to throw a Chug Bug® but when the sun is high, I will switch to a Capt. Mike's ADL Weedless Spoon in white, chartreuse or gold. I add a small swivel to the split ring and tie my leader to the swivel using a uni-knot. I like a steady retrieve with just enough speed to keep it nicking the top of the grass, rocks or oyster beds I'm targeting. If the spoon isn't producing, I use the same jig and plastic tactics that I use during the summer.

Winter can present difficult fishing conditions but it is my favorite season to target large numbers of big trout. My best winter wading spots are adjacent to the many causeways connecting the mainland and beaches or one side of a bay to another. They typically have deep water within casting distance, provide good tidal flow and offer a bottom of sand, rocks and grass. On high water I target the areas where sand and/or rocks meet the grass. These areas include potholes and the areas where a sandy or rocky shoreline transitions to grass. On low water I seek deep holes that are often found in the middle of an otherwise shallow flat and the edges of flats adjacent to a channel or deep water.

During the winter I fish almost exclusively with a jig and plastic bait combination. I prefer a 1/4th oz, red C.A.L. ™ Short Shank Jig Head and a Rootbeer/ Gold Glitter colored C.A.L.™ Paddle Tail or Shad Tail. I cast and let the jig hit bottom before starting my retrieve. I want to feel the lure making contact with the bottom as I very slowly reel in my line and gently raise and lower my rod tip. I always pay close attention to my line as the bite of a winter trout is often very subtle and easy to miss.

During the spring, I continue to find schools of large trout but the warmer water expands the areas I may have to search to find them. I fish my favorite fall spots in addition to my winter spots and add spoons and top water plugs to my fanny pack. As the water temperature hits 70 degrees, I also start looking for schools of large trout along the beaches. They like areas of beach with sandy, hard bottom mixed with rocks and/or limestone outcroppings. These areas aren't always obvious and often aren't visible from the surf. I search new beaches with a jig and plastic bait combination; walking and blind casting until I find the fish or run out of beach.

These strategies and tactics work for me and they can work for you, so throw on your waders, get in the water and start catching some trout.

Dave Ulgenalp is the creator of Waders Guide™ fishing charts and offers guided wade fishing trips. His website is www. wadersguide.com and he can be contacted at dave@wadersguide.com. Read his fishing reports @waderdave on Twitter.