Fishing is still on fire in the Southport/Oak Island area

speckled trout
Anglers in the Soutport/Oak Island area are calling the speckled trout bite one of the best they've ever experienced.

The cold fronts haven’t slowed the bite at all

Even after a couple of pretty brutal cold fronts, the fishing in the Southport/Oak Island area is still on fire. The speckled trout bite is so hot that some anglers are saying it’s among the best they’ve ever experienced. Capt. Chris Foster of Yeah Right Charters agrees.

“The speckled trout fishing is some of the best I have ever seen. They are biting literally every type of bait you fish around oyster beds and drop offs, but the Halo Shad and MirrOLures have been working exceptionally well. A Trout Trick rigged on a 1/4-ounce jighead and tipped with Pro-Cure scent will get you plenty of bites as well,” he said.

And it isn’t just the trout that are keeping anglers busy. Anglers are catching plenty of other inshore species, and the offshore bite is also going strong.

“Some flounder are also being caught. We have to release them currently, but they are still fun to catch. Anglers are also finding some nice black drum in the creek channels. Whiting have begun showing up in the river channel. Anglers are catching two at a time with two-hook rigs baited with peeled shrimp,” said Foster.

speckled trout
Anglers are catching specks on a variety of lures and live bait right now.

Anglers specifically targeting king mackerel are catching their share of these fish, which are beginning to school up for the winter. Foster said if you can put together structure with bait, and the correct water temperature, you can catch them on every line in a spread. And if you can’t find live bait, that’s not a problem.

“Dead cigar minnows on a weighted rig will get the bites this time of year, and you don’t even have to search for live bait,” he said.

Grouper and snapper are also stacked up for bottom-fishing anglers.

“Be sure to drop a couple of cigar minnows to the bottom along with some squid, and you’ll quickly have a cooler full of black sea bass, snappers, and groupers,” Foster said.

Forget staying indoors by the fire. Bundle up and get on the water. The fishing is as good as it gets right now.

To book a trip with the Yeah Right Charters crew, give them a call at 910-845-2004.

About Brian Cope 3029 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@carolinasportsman.com.

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