In North Carolina, speckled trout begin spawning in April and will continue through September. The summer is an ideal time ideal to latch onto a large sow trout, but these trophy-sized fish will be bulging with roe and should be returned to the water. The future of the trout fishery depends on these fish surviving and completing their reproductive duties.
Sexually-mature female specks become a critical component to the local population. Most trout will be sexually-active in one to two years. Specks will spawn every few weeks through the spawning season, producing millions of eggs. Every roe-carrying female removed from the population could eliminate as many as 20 million potential fingerlings. While a low percentage of eggs survive to become adults, spawning females are a vital link to future trout populations.
Spawning occurs at night, and trout will move into feeding mode with a vengeance. Quite often, big females will be the first to explode on topwater baits at sunrise. Anglers should enjoy the fight but should take extra care with these fish and return them quickly to the water unharmed.
Trout have a thick, slimy coating that protects them from germs and potential diseases. Anglers should prevent removing this coating from the fish if handled. Anglers can wet hands before handling fish or can use rubber-coated nets in order to remove hooks. De-hookers can also be used to prevent any skin contact at all.
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