Right now we are in the middle of the speckled perch season.

If you are new to the area or unsure just what speckled perch are, you are not alone. Speckled perch is the name Floridians choose to call the fish that others around the country call crappie. Often called white perch or sac-a-lait in Louisiana, they are delicious by any name.

If you have caught crappie elsewhere, you are going to be pleasantly surprised at the size of our specks. Here one pound fish are common and fish over two and a half pounds are caught often. When people from out of state think of Florida fishing, they usually think of red drum, sea trout or snook, but speckled perch may be the most sought after fish in the state.

They are found anyplace there is fresh water. The St. Johns and its lakes are the best, but most any pond can yield speckled perch. Each winter hoards of anglers from the southeastern United States descend on Central Florida to take part in the speck harvest.

Some years back I ran into four fellows from Georgia who were camping near Dead Lake in Flagler County for the winter speck season. They were catching so many they would take turns driving coolers of filets back up to Georgia. No doubt about it, each winter speckled perch fishing brings a boon to the local economy.

All during the warmer (OK, hotter) months, the perch stay undercover beneath the lillies and brush. They can still be caught, but in the winter they head for open water and then it gets much easier.

Large schools of specks will gather in lakes like Woodruff, Monroe, George, Crescent and all the others to spawn. There it is much easier to troll small jigs into the beds to catch your 25-fish limit.

I like to use tiny one inch plastics mounted on a 1/32 oz. lead head. In order to lower the bait in the water column, I may add a small spit shot or two as needed. I troll at least four lines and always begin with four different colors. White, pink, orange and red are my usual start.

Once the fish begin to bite, I pay attention to which line is getting the most action and eventually switch all the lines to that color. The same is true of the depth I will fish. If a line that is running deep is getting the most action, I will lower the others by adding weight.

This is light tackle fishing and the most fun is when you have more than one line down. Trying to bring in two at once will put you in a frenzy.

As I said, you won't find much better eating than specks. Mild tasting, firm white meat that lends itself to any recipe. Most scale the fish and gut them to prepare them for the table but I like to filet mine. Speck filets make a fish sandwich to die for.

If you have never fished Central Florida's specks, you may want to do at least one trip with a guide to learn the methods and locations. The season runs through April. Don't miss out!

Dan Smith has fished the waters of Volusia County for more than 40 years. Email questions and comments to fishwdan@att.net. His book, “I Swear the Snook Drowned,” is available for purchase for $10.95 at (386) 441-7793.

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