The best early-winter speckled trout bite in the last three years is occurring at the southeastern coast.
“Speckled trout are the main story right now,” said guide Lewis Emery of Wilmington’s Tails Up Charters (910-617-2194). “We’ve been having a great speck trout bite at the Carolina Beach Yacht Basin. I’ve weighed in a bunch of 3-pounders and a 5-pounder.”
Emery also works at Island Hardware & Tackle of Carolina Beach, owned by former town mayor Dennis Barbour, whose daughter, Sgt. Kimberly Munley, was involved in the taking down of U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed several soldiers during a deadly Nov. 3 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
“Most guys are using DOA shrimp (lures), MirrOdines and TT MirrOlures (for specks),” Emery said. “But you need to catch the tide right. The best time is the start of the rising tide.
“There’s also been some specks caught at the Dredge Pond (an area south of Snows Cut on the west bank of the Cape Fear River), and there’s a pretty good surf bite. People have been using Halo Shrimp, DOAs and MirrOlures to catch specks at most area piers. They’re also being caught at the Fort Fisher Rocks at The Riggings (near the island’s last set of condominiums).”
That area also is known as Cochina Rock or The Cove.
Best time to fish for surf specks also is the first of the rising tide, Emery said.
“They’re catching a lot of little ones, around 18 inches, but sometimes there’ll be a bigger fish mixed in,” he said.
For anglers wanting to venture off the beach during calm weather, a good sea bass bite has been available at Johns Creek and the Liberty Ship.
“Diamond jigs and stingsilvers are what most guys use,” Emery said.
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