I can't remember the last time I've seen so many sea trout. This year's crop rivals those that I used to experience when I was a kid. Many times, my dad and I would get up on cold mornings and in the space of one hour, catch 40 to 60 trout using those gaudy old Christmas Tree lures.

I definitely believe that trout populations go in cycles and after the killing freeze back in the 1980s, it seems that it just hasn't been the same.

That is, until this year.

No matter who I talk to, the story is always the same: trout -- lots of trout -- even though many are undersized. But hey, the way I see it, these "peanuts" will grow and grow and guarantee a great late season or show up next year big, fat and feisty.

It is said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks but in my case, it is more like you can re-teach an old dog tricks he has forgotten. Usually when the trout start showing up, I load up an ultralight spinning rod with six-pound test line and throw screwtails for them. My color of choice is a white head with a darkish, lime green tail with silver speckles on it.

I use a very slow retrieve with a flick here and there and usually do pretty well. There is something special about these beautiful fish, especially when hooked, because almost always they come to the surface shaking their heads.

The old dog trick I mentioned was "old school" cork fishing. You know what I mean, those footlong corks with the bead and a piece of string so you can adjust the depth. I hadn't done that type of trout fishing in a long, long time.

As the water gets cooler, the trout don't disappear, they move into deeper water. With screwtails, you pitch them on the edge of the grass, but now that the water has chilled, try cork fishing with live shrimp away from the bank in 6-12 feet of water. Adjust the bait so it is bumping along the bottom and I pretty much guarantee you will catch trout, along with redfish and even an occasional flounder. If you can't find live shrimp, try using the same rig with Berkeley's new 3-inch GULP shrimp. Trout and reds eat 'em up!

For me, trout fishing is more of a social event. Unlike fishing for redfish, where it is a game of stealth and cunning, trout are not quite so easily spooked. When a school shows up, it is a free-for-all and often you hook one on each and every cast. Add to the whole scene the reddish glow of a winter sunset hitting the purple and silver sides of a speckled trout and it just doesn't get any better than that.

To further illustrate, that exact scenario happened this past weekend. A friend asked me to come over and go trouting for a couple of hours and off we went to a couple of drops in the May River. As is often the case, we ran into two other boats with friends of ours, so each time one boat found the trout, they would signal the other two to join them.

As we were all anchored just feet from each other and everyone was landing fish, one person said, "I don't care how wealthy you are because what we are doing and seeing right now is all the wealth anyone could hope for." He was right.

My recommendation to you all is to get out there right now. It is a bumper crop of trout this year, the marshes are breathtaking and the autumn colors reflecting off the water are definitely "Kodak moments."

Also, try fishing deeper using the "old school" cork and shrimp. When you think you are too deep, go just a bit deeper.