Although a live shrimp under a popping cork is probably the best bait for speckled trout from May through September, most shrimp leave North Carolina’s inland waters after the first big fall cold fronts.
That leaves artificial lures as the top trout-getters, but the main problem is choosing a lure that works. Trout can be finicky, especially about colors.
“For creeks and marshes, I like to fish jigs and soft plastics,” said guide Robbie Hall of Swansboro. “You don’t want a jig that’s so heavy it’ll be on the bottom most of the time. You want to use one that rides off the bottom at a place where there’s enough current to keep it from hanging up. You also want to be able to swim it slowly when you retrieve it.”
Hall’s favorite jighead is a 1/8-ounce Bluewater Candy model and his favorite soft plastics are Zoom or D.O.A. lures.
A pink D.O.A. shrimp often works well in semi-clear water. While its color may grab a trout’s notice, the lure also has soft-plastic legs, and the 4-inch size best mimics fall shrimp.
Other lures Hall favors include a gray Zoom Fluke or Super Fluke in smoke king shad and goldfish colors. Paddletails, curlytails and jerkbaits by other lure-makers also will work.
“Depending on how fast the current’s running,, sometimes I crimp a 1/4-ounce split about 2 to 2 ½ feet above my lure,” said angler Tommy Jones of Swansboro. “A fast current will keep a 1/8-ounce D.O.A. 6 inches to a foot off the bottom.”
“You can fish any of these lures under a floating cork, too,” Hall said.
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