First Decent Sized Spec, Need Help

[dhami013]

I live in Norfolk, VA and there is a brackish water river bank walking distance from my house.

I was throwing a Yozuri white to blue backed rattling jerkbait and nailed my first decent sized speckled trout.

Now I know down in TX gulp alive shrimp on a popping bobber on a jig head or just on a jig head work pretty well. But I was wondering if it would also work in VA where using shrimp isn't as common.

Also what types of lures catch specs? I was thinking maybe some white w/ pink tail grubs. Maybe a red and white rattling spook. I was also gonna pick up some other rattling cranks but I'm not sure what colors are the most productive.

Some help would be appreciated as I am pretty stoked knowing that I can catch specs literally 5 mins of walking from my house. Here's a pic.

[basscrusher]

Classic trout lures include all of what you mentioned, plus a few others. Mirr-o-lures are a must. And grubs work well in a multitude of colors, not just the basic whites and chartreuse (smoke, rootbeer and watermelon are good ones for saltwater). You may want to try Gulp grubs. and I would not hesitate for a second to throw a Gulp shrimp, especially around shallow grass. people use those in alot of places outside Texas, with success. My best speck ever (on artificial, that is) came on a 3" Storm Wildeye Shad swimbait (in the natural shad color). So I'd throw whatever your favorite bass swimbait is.

(by the way, I still have that swimbait and it has a big bite taken out of the belly. It looks like that Mighty Bite swimbait they sell in the infomercials, but mine got like that the hard way...)

[SirSnookalot]

If it's brackish water there will be incoming and outgoing tides, plus the current and water levels are constantly changing. Fish the bait that the conditions allow, personally I'd stick with what's already worked, until it no longer does. I'm sure grubs or artificial and live shrimp on a jig head would work, although that's a technique I don't care for, I like moving baits, just more exciting and fun for me.

I would not overlook in line spinners.

[dhami013]

If it's brackish water there will be incoming and outgoing tides, plus the current and water levels are constantly changing. Fish the bait that the conditions allow, personally I'd stick with what's already worked, until it no longer does. I'm sure grubs or artificial and live shrimp on a jig head would work, although that's a technique I don't care for, I like moving baits, just more exciting and fun for me.

I would not overlook in line spinners.

What's the best tide to fish for them? I've been concentrating on the first 2 hours of incoming and out going.

[SirSnookalot]

I'm not an expert on that species, but my my general rule is outgoing tide. I'm going to be out there fishing anyway but if I were to hand pick a situation I would prefer the last of the outgoing tide just after sunrise. Day by day the tide change gets later, less bait shows up and less fish. I do plan my outing locations and target species based on tides, wind direction and more important the fish that are "running", the " hot bite".

Just to throw a monkey wrench in, some of my finest fish have been caught when you weren't supposed to catch them.

[dhami013]

Right on. I'm new to fishing in brackish water so I'm trying my best to familiarize myself with the techniques and lures. I appreciate the feedback.