One could debate which of Florida's saltwater game fish is the most glamorous quarry to pursue. And, if you choose to do so, bring your lunch. Devotees of tarpon, snook, permit, bonefish, wahoo, billfish, cobia, and even redfish, can be quite passionate -- as well as long-winded -- in their views. But when it comes down to which species is the most popular and widely available, the discussion is brief.

There's no doubt that in terms of angler-hours, the spotted seatrout is the Sunshine State's most sought-after saltwater fish. Not only is it readily available from the Keys to the westernmost reaches of the Panhandle, and along the entire east coast, but there's no season of the year when they are not biting.

Heat of the summer, dead of winter -- it makes no difference. If you know where to look and stay at it, you can find at least some seatrout that will eat.

Expert trout anglers, however, know there's one time of year when the looking is less and the biting is more. And that time is right now.

If there is a peak trout season in Florida -- both for numbers of fish and trophy class fish -- it's the period from mid-April through mid-June. During this time, trout have moved from their winter haunts and are getting down to the serious business of eating anything they can catch. Whether your goal is an 8-pound-plus trophy for the wall, or a limit of school trout for the table, there's no better time of the year to collect them.

Just how you do that is wide open. This is not a season where specific techniques are the order of the day. In fact, angler options are varied, and depending upon whether you are seeking a trophy or a fish dinner, several options can prove effective.

If you're looking for an 8-pound fish, don't venture out without a topwater plug tied onto at least one rod. Big trout are geared to ambush from below, and topwater plugs have a legendary ability to entice them. The current world record of 17.7 pounds was taken on a walking plug in May on the east coast of Florida.

At the same time, don't neglect a floater/diver minnow lure like the Bomber Long A, Rapala, or Storm ThunderStick. Some anglers feel that when twitched quickly, just below the surface, they are deadlier on big fish -- and especially during those frustrating periods when trout just blow up behind a surface bait. Shift to a jerkbait, and a lot of those boilers become biters. These lures also catch more than their share of school trout, and often pull the larger fish from that school.

Though some big trout have fallen for soft plastic grubs on a leadhead jig and similar lures (like the D.O.A. Shrimp), these are normally a better bet to collect your limit of eating-sized fish.

These baits don't always have to be bounced along the bottom, either. Anglers on the shallow grassflats of the Gulf Coast find them deadly when fished under a rattling cork on a 2-foot leader. Not only does the cork draw trout, but it keeps the jig out of the grass.