Gator trout love the fall weather, and this is why anglers do too
Among the distinguished chains of islands of the Cape Fear coast lies the radiant coastal community of Wrightsville Beach. Popular among locals and tourists for its gin-clear waters, high surf and dazzling shorelines, the fishing can also be exceptional. At times, these waters can produce pure angling pleasures, and fall conditions along the rock jetties that line Masonboro Inlet on the south end of town spawn an unbelievable fishery of jumbo speckled trout fully eligible for a chapter of its own in North Carolina’s angler almanac. Even though speckled trout frequent the waters around Wrightsville Beach almost year-round, it’s not until fall conditions arrives that the huge, gator trout become plentiful. It is not uncommon to catch a limit of 3- to 4-pound fish, with a few exceeding 5 pounds at times. The huge rock wall and jetties double as a major feeding center for these snaggle-toothed beasts, but very few trout can be caught at the jetties before the waters start to cool.
The creeks and estuaries in the Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro Island region offer excellent cover and food for mullet, shrimp and other small fishes. Speckled trout, bluefish, redfish and flounder will usually not be too far behind. These fish will patrol the marsh edges and creek channels for the bait, which is swept along by the tidal currents, but falling water temperatures will force bait and predator fish packing for greener pastures.
Capt. Stu Caulder of Gold Leader Guide Service, who targets speckled trout throughout the year, will change his tactics when fall weather conditions arrive.
“Fish are in the backwaters behind Masonboro (Island) and in the creeks at first, and then (they) move to the jetties and rock wall as the water temperatures drop in the fall,” said Caulder (910-264-2674).
Specks will follow the bait through the season, but it isn’t until fall that the move to the jetties begins. Large schools of mullet and other trout delicacies are sensitive to cooler waters and will seek out more temperature-stable areas towards the ocean. As the waters cool, the jetties become a popular attraction for speckled trout and other predator fish.
While some trout come to the jetties from local estuaries, the majority of the arrivals migrate in from the north, according to Capt. Jot Owens of Jot It Down Fishing Charters.
“These fish are migratory, and we believe many of these fish come out of the Pamlico Sound and stage here due to the amount of food coming out,” said Owens (910-233-4139), who can hardly wait for the water temperature to cascade into the lower 60s each year; that’s when these fish begin to stack up at the jetties.
“The bite at the jetties starts at 65 and gets better once the water temperature reaches 60 or less,” he said.
Whatever the reason for their arrival, these fish are welcomed by many each October and November, but the cool weather that brings these fish to the jetties will also shut down their feeding behavior without much warning. Water temperature controls feeding behavior in trout, as well as many other species. To say fall weather conditions can be unpredictable is an understatement; air temperatures can plummet to near freezing at night after being around 70 degrees the previous noon. According to Owens, if the water temperature rises much above 65 degrees, their activity level drastically decreases, but they won’t venture too far, if at all, even when conditions deteriorate.
“Fish will stay at jetties for most of winter, but (they) get hard to catch when the water temperature drops below 50,” said Owens, who prefers to fish when it starts to warm back up or when the water temperature stabilizes after a cold front. “They seem to bite better then, but they can bite at anytime.”
Wrightsville Beach’s tidal range is fairly dramatic, causing significant current to pass through the inlet and along the wall and jetty rocks. Speckled trout rarely move too far between tides, but they will move some distance to find the right location to ambush passing food. Owens times his jetty sessions around sequences of the tide and stays away from slack tides when he’s targeting specks.
“Fish the last three hours of the fall and the first three hours of the rise … day-in and day-out; you will catch more fish at that time,” he said.
Owens will fish along both jetties and on both sides of both jetties. While the water generally gets deeper towards the end of the jetties, over time, some rocks have shifted, creating meaningful depth changes next to the exposed structure that creates ideal ambush spots for these gator trout.
Caulder fishes along both sides of the jetties too, but he prefers different sides of the jetties on alternating tides.
“Certain areas of the jetties just fish easier on certain tides,” he said. “The inside fishes better on falling tides, and the outside fishes better on the rise.”
Trout prefer areas with significant current or areas affected by currents and tides. The inside of the jetties in the inlet itself will always have current, but the outside will sometimes lack current.
“On the rise, water will move down the beach into the rocks and then be pulled around the tips of the jetties into the inlet. Trout want some flow and will set up along the outside of the jetties on the rise,” Caulder said.
But trout will be situated on both sides of the jetties on the rise or wherever there is significant current. They will be sometimes packed tightly in confined places or scattered in small groups along the jetties and rock wall. Caulder sometimes fishes the entire length of the jetties looking for groups of fish.
“Drop trolling motor and treat (jetties) just like a grass bank,” he said. “Drift slow and fish (your) lure effectively.”
The level of the tide will change Caulder’s choice and placement of lures. Trout will hold tight to the rocks on the higher end of the tide and then move off the structure when the water drops away from the jetties.
“On higher tides, toss a (sinking) MirrOlure right into the rocks and fish real tight for the real big ones, but as the tide falls out, switch over to grubs and fish from the rocks down the shelf, hopping your lure along the bottom,” he said.
Caulder prefers MirrOlure’s 52M in white knight (Color code 51) up on the rocks or D.O.A.’s half-ounce shrimp in clear or clear with chartreuse tail. For grubs, he prefers a quarter- to 3/8-ounce black jighead with D.O.A.’s C.A.L. shad-tail grub in silver mullet color.
Fall speckled trout will be schooled in groups of different sizes and often suspended between the bottom and the middle of the water column. Owens will also lure some of his specks on the edge of the structure at higher tides, but he finds most of his fish in the lower half of the water column just away from the visible rocks.
“Cover at least 5 feet under the surface to the bottom using live bait or artificial lures,” he said. “Cover the water column until you find the fish, and then you can catch them pretty good.”
Speckled trout primarily feed on mullet and small croakers from fall to early winter, but live shrimp is a delicacy any time of year. Owens and many other fishermen keep Motts Channel Seafood (910-256-FISH) and local shrimpers in business.
“Live bait works great,” he said. “Live shrimp and finger mullet are the best choices.”
Shrimp are fished either suspended with floats in shallower waters or sunk near the bottom in deeper areas. Owens uses his fair share of live shrimp in fall, but he will have similar success on a variety of soft and hard baits. He prefers to use 3-inch Gulp! shrimp in pearl/white, molting, sugar spice glow, and watermelon/chartreuse tail) and 5-inch Gulp! Jerk Shad (in chartreuse-pepper, neon and pearl/white). Choose lure color depending on water color. Under stained conditions, Owens uses darker colors and then, lighter colors under clearer conditions.
Because Wrightsville Beach’s water remains clear most of the time, Owens recommends fluorocarbon line for casting lures and soft baits. The translucence of fluoro can be critical for seducing a gator trout under clear, fall conditions. He uses a 15- to 24-inch segment of 15- to 20-pound Berkley ProSpec fluoro when trout fishing at the jetties.
DESTINATION INFORMATION
HOW TO GET THERE/ WHEN TO GO — Wrightsville Beach and the Masonboro Inlet jetties are southeast of Wilmington. I-40, US 17 and US 74/76 will get you on the island. Excellent access is from a public boat ramp on Wrightsville Beach at the US 74/76 draw bridge. Boaters can also access the area from the south through the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Carolina Beach or Snow’s Cut. The fall speckled trout run at the jetties will begin as soon as the water temperature falls to and past the 65-degree mark; the best fishing is typically between 53 and 58 degrees — which can be from October through December.
BAITS/TECHNIQUES — Live shrimp and finger mullet floated along the jetty rocks and rock wall are unbeatable, but hard baits, artificial shrimp and shad-bodied soft plastics will catch their fair share of speckled trout. Sinking hard baits, such as MirrOlure’s 52M series will often entice the biggest fish around when cast to the rock. A half-ounce D.O.A. shrimp will be very effective on high water around the rocks. Use a short, jerky retrieve with both baits, pausing to allow them to fall. Away from the visible rocks on lower water, use quarter- to 3/8-ounce jigheads in black or red with 3-inch Gulp! shrimp and 5-inch Gulp! Jerk shad. D.O.A.’s C.A.L. grub is also a very effective lure. Soft lures should be allowed to sink to the bottom and then hopped along from edge of the jetty structure, down the ledge into the deep water. Spinning gear is preferred to cast light jigs and live bait, but baitcasting tackle can be used for heavier hard baits and live-bait rigs. Use 6-1/2- to 7-foot rods in light to medium actions. Braided line between 10- and 14-pound test is preferrred, with an 18- to 24-inch section of 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader.
GUIDES/FISHING INFO — Capt. Jot Owens, Jot It Down Fishing Charters, 910-233-4139 or www.captainjot.com; Capt Stu Caulder, Gold Leader Guide Service, 910-264-2674 or www.goldleaderfishing.com; The Intracoastal Angler, 888-DBH-HAUL or www.intracoastalangler.com. See also Guides & Charters in Classifieds.
ACCOMMODATIONS — Wrightsville Beach’s Vacation Bureau, 877-406-2356 or www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/Wrightsville-Beach; Sleep Inn, 5225 Market St., Wilmington, 910-313-6665.
MAPS — Navionics, 800-848-5896 or www.navionics.com; The Good Spots, 800-411-0185 or www.thegoodspots.com.
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