# Reported: 15# Speckled Trout Caught!



## mahimarauder (Jul 8, 2011)

If this was weighed on an official scale, it blows the state record out of the water! (Standing NC State Record 12lb, 4 oz. Wrightsville Beach, NC. 1961. Angler: John R Kenyon, Jr.) Waiting on details of location and official weight. 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.p...72704261.67874.100001602311454&type=1&theater


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## jakuka (Oct 12, 2009)

That's a nice fish.


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## don brinson (Apr 8, 2011)

I saw a pic of it, the pic said it was a florida fish


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Big sumbeetch wherever it came from...


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Looks like some surf rat throws back at the hot ditch!


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

*I think it is NC*

Check on the catcher's FB home. His name is Ricky Kellum, and his home is listed as Jacksonville NC. I know for a fact certain that Kellum is a Jax NC name. If I were a betting man, My money would go on the New River area of Onlsow County. Looks to me like a major new NC record. That thing is a real gator.

Bill:fishing:


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## JPChase (Jul 31, 2010)

That thing looks as big as Ricky!


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

http://www.speckledspecialist.com/captain.htm, Ricky is the man when it comes to specks.


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

rare spotted cobia?


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Capt. Ed Indian River, Fla. No state record broken here in NC.


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## Alexy (Nov 1, 2010)

Dang,
Thats a rod bender.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Ricky did not catch that fish. It was caught in Florida in the Indian River area as previously mentioned. Ricky's dad once held the NC record.


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Sounds like a controversy in the making!opcorn:


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## Ed K (Mar 1, 2007)

Ricky posted on his link to the photo where it was caught Indian River in Florida so don't see how any controversy. The only problem is the original poster should have done a little fact checking.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

AWESOME fish!!!!!


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## don brinson (Apr 8, 2011)

Drumdum said:


> Big sumbeetch wherever it came from...


yes it is,


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Netters in NC would never let anything grow that large


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Garboman said:


> Netters in NC would never let anything grow that large


20 in. with mirrorlures in there mouth and then a grease bath will not get that big either, recs harvest way more specks than comms. I feel that commercial fisherman take way too much harsh criticism than they should even though they are the ones harvesting the biggest fish IMO. Garbo this reply is in no way trying to contradict what you are stating as this much is very true.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

You are correct, rec anglers have been taking 60%-70% of the fish...but those fish average 1.25 pounds whereas gill netters and strike netters fish these fish swim thru the nets so the nets selectively take the larger fish


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

KB Spot Chaser said:


> 20 in. with mirrorlures in there mouth and then a grease bath will not get that big either, recs harvest way more specks than comms. I feel that commercial fisherman take way too much harsh criticism than they should even though they are the ones harvesting the biggest fish IMO. Garbo this reply is in no way trying to contradict what you are stating as this much is very true.


 To be honest,I believe Garbo was throwin in a hint of sarcasim to stir the pot a bit,unless he's changed his spots in the last week or so.... 

I'll just say it was a nice feesh,and can only wish I could catch one half that size....


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

"To be honest,I believe Garbo was throwin in a hint of sarcasim to stir the pot a bit,unless he's changed his spots in the last week or so...."

I was a bit testy yesterday, I wore the white boots and I admire those that still do.

One September Rodanthe beach seine haul in 1993 off of the point just south of "Serendipity's former location produced 75 some boxes of Specs, the minimum size in that school was perhaps four pounds. My associates spent the entire morning and into noon washing/packing them out. There were probably 25 or so fish approaching ten pounds.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Nice fish either way


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

speckhunter80 said:


> You are correct, rec anglers have been taking 60%-70% of the fish...but those fish average 1.25 pounds whereas gill netters and strike netters fish these fish swim thru the nets so the nets selectively take the larger fish


So your trying to make me believe that the ones the recs harvest quit growing at 1.25 lbs. haha.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

KB Spot Chaser said:


> So your trying to make me believe that the ones the recs harvest quit growing at 1.25 lbs. haha.


 Trust me not trying to stir this "chitpot" (rec vs com) but I think what speckhunter is saying is that a fish that size is beyond difficult to catch here in NC.. Short of livebait or someone REALLY in the know about specks,it ain't gonna happen.. Shame to say it,but been speck fishing off and on for MANY years now and haven't caught one any bigger than five and a quarter.. :redface:


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

KB Spot Chaser said:


> So your trying to make me believe that the ones the recs harvest quit growing at 1.25 lbs. haha.


No I am not. What don't you understand about average? The majority of weekend/fall time speck anglers catch fish 11"-18" in size. Gill nets do not catch fish that are smaller then 14" due to the mesh size, therefore the fish comms catch are normally 14"-24". It is very rare for a speck in NC to grow to 28" or more even if there were no gill nets just because of natural mortality etc. It is even rarer for a rec angler to catch one 28" or bigger. I can say that I have been speck fishing for 30 plus years and most of the those years concentrating mainly on specks and I have two 28" fish caught one week apart in the same spot and that was in 1997 or 98. I have probably 500 or more between 24" and 27". And I only fish artificial bait. Live shrimp should be banned.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

"And I only fish artificial bait. Live shrimp should be banned. "

Live Shrimp and Baby Spot and Live Finger Mullet is what Rodanthe crew use(ed) for the larger Trout, Spanish and Puppy Drum.
since Live Shrimp on the OBX are only available in certain areas and must be cast netted there are few people who get to use them. I will not reveal where they are at, but they are there and I used to sell them for $1.00 a dozen live to the Rodanthe Pier when it had a bait tank. No more Bait Tank, so the only one using Live Shrimp will usually be just me...

Biggest Pompano I ever caught was taken with a live Shrimp


At one time when I lived on Hatteras and in Nags Head I fished Trout a fair amount in the Fall/early Winter primarily with Mirrolures, I have a couple large cases of Mirrolures ready to go. Seen hundreds caught very ....very few over four pounds or so.

However ol Garbo likes getting bowed up and I have found the best way to do that is to use live bait


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

speckhunter80 said:


> No I am not. What don't you understand about average? The majority of weekend/fall time speck anglers catch fish 11"-18" in size. Gill nets do not catch fish that are smaller then 14" due to the mesh size, therefore the fish comms catch are normally 14"-24". It is very rare for a speck in NC to grow to 28" or more even if there were no gill nets just because of natural mortality etc. It is even rarer for a rec angler to catch one 28" or bigger. I can say that I have been speck fishing for 30 plus years and most of the those years concentrating mainly on specks and I have two 28" fish caught one week apart in the same spot and that was in 1997 or 98. I have probably 500 or more between 24" and 27". And I only fish artificial bait. Live shrimp should be banned.


 Me neither speck, it's just that with the explosion of recreational fishing over the past decade there are more fish that meet there mortality due to unnatural causes. I myself have been saltwater fishing for 30 yrs. and you see less big fish now than ever. I myself have caught big trout over 28" the biggest going 31" with another the same night going 27", http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081212-full-moon-biggest.html. I do 90% of my trout fishing mirrorlures in the surf at night/ early morning, some springtime river fish on plastics and topwaters but that is no where close to as good as it once was. The surf bite was fantastic this past fall/winter and I hope that those 40+ 20 in. that I released this past year make there way back out to the surf this Nov. I understand averages and I am not either, just feel that sometimes the netters whether it be your weekend spot-netter or the comm. guy who does it for a living take most of the finger-pointing for the lack of gator's in NC. Rec's due hurt the resource and some LEO's are on to it. This past fall up at Topsail there was a sting operation where several people were busted leaving the beach with a limit and then turn around to go get as many as they could. I saw the same thing happen at WB this past year, and didn't let it slide. I went up and told the guy I saw what he was doing and that the man is on his way. It was a real shame to see that guy running around like a chicken with his head cut uncovering illegal fish and throwing them back. Everyone and anyone is entitled to keep there limit within the law, but some things leave a bad taste in my mouth. Like the shrimp comment, to each his own. Not trying to stir it up guys, JMO. Talking about it can't wait til the big drum stop chewing this coming fall and then it will be time to put many miles on the beach under the cover of darkness in search of Gator. Now it doesn't seem so far away.


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## permit (May 10, 2003)

good lord i have never seen a speck close to that size, even in florida.......


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

back in the mid 70's the Delaware Bay was the place for big trout... fish in excess of 20# were not unusual...


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## dropinbrix (Jul 10, 2011)

Rockfish1 said:


> back in the mid 70's the Delaware Bay iwas the place for big trout... fish in excess of 20# were not unusual...


Theyre talking about Specks not grey trout. World record speck is 17lbs7oz caught in Florida.


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

dropinbrix said:


> Theyre talking about Specks not grey trout. World record speck is 17lbs7oz caught in Florida.


yup you're right... losing my mind with the advancing years...


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Rockfish1 said:


> yup you're right... losing my mind with the advancing years...


Had a guy from Delaware say the exact same thing you did.. I pointed out to him the world record speckle trout WAS NOT that big.. He still insisted they were specks... 

It takes a good fisherman and a decent individual to admit when they are wrong,not many do that these days....


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