Speckled trout are on fire along Carolina coast

Topwater speck bite is unbeatable right now

The rut is cranking up across the Carolinas, and hunters are killing a lot of nice bucks. But the speckled trout fishing has been on fire as well, and these fish have been killing topwater lures lately. And one in particular is hooking its share, whether anglers are casting it in open water or in spartina grass.

The D.O.A. Lures PT-7, a hollow-bodied, one-hook surface lure, is getting the job done on specks. It’s a versatile lure that is easy to cast long distances. It’s primarily worked in a “walk-the-dog” pattern. And while anglers normally need to wait until they feel the pressure of the fish before setting the hook, that hasn’t been the case lately. The trout are hitting so aggressively that they are basically hooking themselves as they completely engorge the lure.

Redfish are also hitting this lure, especially in grassy cover

The PT-7 has one upturned hook that is buried in the skin of the lure, making it weedless, but still easy to set the hook. This means casting into some thick grass is not a problem. And with redfish pushing into those weeds during high tides, some anglers are also catching them. They are a little less of a sure thing when they hit. Their bottom-facing mouths mean they have to come up and roll a little bit before biting the lure. This results in some misses, but they are exciting misses.

These lure are available with a rattle inside that can be removed if you’d rather it run silent. And the body cavity will hold artificial scents which leave a nice slick of attractant in the lure’s wake.

Anglers fishing with the PT-7 are primarily using spinning rods and reels with 15- to 20-pound test braided line connected to a similar-sized fluorocarbon leader. These lures are very effective in low-light conditions like early morning, late evening, and during cloudy periods. But they work plenty good even in the middle of the day. Fishing them around points that have spartina grass, oyster shells, and small incoming creeks is always a good bet.