What exactly is a Speckled Trout? I know it's salt water fishing but I dont know much about the fish or fishing for it.

It's not a trout despite the name.

 

The Speckled Trout, also known as the Spotted Seatrout, is a member of the Drum family.

Scienids are the largest family of inshore fishes over the world. 

Here, they're whiting, croaker, drum (black drum, redfish), west coast is corbina. 

Speckled trout is a primary piscivore, built to chase and eat fish.  They have canines for grabbing bait.  In the northeast, they're called weakfish, because their jaw membrane tears easily when hooked.  They range from surf to river tidal boundaries.  Inshore in Atlantic and Gulf estuaries, they are the apex piscivore. Also just about the best eats that come from the coast. 

 

A fish larger than the 17-23" slot has the highest probability of being female.  The slot has the highest probability of being adult male, and I can only remember one slot fish I filleted that was female.  Smaller than that are nursery trout with a 50% chance of being female.  The adult females stake a breeding turf in the estuary that can support the fry they produce.  Nursery trout live where you catch them.  The adult males school together and chase bait.  Both males and females will travel 20 mi/day to feed.  E.g., tide passes and natural phenomena that concentrate baitfish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We take advantage of schoolie males chasing bait on new moons every winter.

Arroyo Colorado barge channel in far S. Texas - one side is lined with houses and dock lights.  They sweep the lights all night, and we get limits every night. 

 

 

 

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Trout heaven, Lower Laguna Madre