Specks are December specials

Speckled trout are top choice for SENC anglers

Speckled trout are among the hottest biting fish in the Wrightsville Beach area during December, and Capt. Jot Owens of Jot It Down Charters (910-233-4139) said it’s a great month for catching big specks.

“In December, I catch some of the biggest speckled trout all year,” he said.

The trick, according to Owens, is to know which lures to use, especially when targeting bigger fish.

“You need to know which lures work better for bigger trout,” he said. “Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me, and for many other anglers over the years.”

He’s found some lures that work consistently well this time of year, but he said every day is different, so it’s best to have a small variety of lures, then cycle through them until you see what the fish are biting best that day.

“You have to start with something, and what I usually start with are baits like the 17MR  and 22MR suspending, and the 18MR, 51MR, and 52MR sinking baits,” he said.

When fishing water between 2 and 6 feet deep, Owens said the 17MR and 22MR work best. In water that’s 4 feet deep and deeper, especially when current is present, the 18MR, 51MR and 52MR are ideal.

“If your lure is hitting the bottom, go to a shallower running, suspending type lure,” he said.

Soft lures, live bait

Soft plastic lures work well too, said Owens. He said those with built-in scent are essential.

“You can’t beat Berkley Gulp, and I like their 3-inch shrimp and 5-inch jerkshad. I rig these on 1/16- and 1/8-ounce jigheads, and occasionaly go as heavy as 1/4 ounce. I like jigheads that are red, gray or white, and I always tie a fluorocarbon leader to them when trout fishing,” he said.

Owens likes to stick with 20-pound test Berkley Pro Spec leaders, but if he finds a lot of blues are in the area, he’ll bump that up to 30-pound test.

For anglers who like to use live bait, Owens said they will work well this month too.

“If you enjoy fishing with live bait, try smaller mullets, mud minnows and live shrimp,” he said.

The best method to fish these depends on water depth.

“In shallow water up to 6 feet deep, I like to float the bait with a cork and a small treble hook,” he said.

And in deeper water, Owens suggests opting for a Carolina rig with a small, No. 1 or No. 2 Eagle Claw L42 offset circle hook.

“Just wait until you feel that trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook,” he said.

Owens said he can’t stress the word “lightly” enough when talking about setting the hook on a speck.

“Remember, speckled trout have very soft mouths. So fast hook sets, but with light power, work best.”

When fishing for specks, Owens uses PENN Battle IV spinning reels in 2000 and 2500 sizes, paired up with Fenwick Inshore HMG rods in Medium-Light.