Stay shallow around Little River for trout, redfish

Warmer weather has kept popular gamefish inshore and active

With winter showing up this weekend, inshore fish around Little River are in the shallows and taking lures on command. Unseasonably warm days after a period of cold weather are producing a good bite, and Capt. Mark Stacy is running steady with a mixed bag of redfish and speckled trout.

“We’re seeing a ton of nice reds in the shallows,” said Stacy (910-279-0119). “I watched several active reds ripping through the surface eating what appeared to be schools of tiny mullet.”

As the water temperature falls through the low 50s, the party is definitely in shallow water, and Stacy is catching them on artificials.

“Eighth-ounce Mission Fishin’ jig heads tipped with a Gulp! shrimp or swimming mullet are working real good for the reds on the lower end of the tide,” said Stacy, who fishes the last two hours of the falling tide and the first couple of hours of the rising tide when reds are concentrated in shallow water.

But redfish are not the only game in town. Stacy speckled speckled trout are still around and biting. While the majority have vacated inshore waters, a few decent schools will remain through the winter. He is finding plenty of trout in the same places as reds.

“There are lots of little trout, with a few nice ones mixed in. Just a few days ago, there was a school of 25 to 30 trout over 18 inches that seemed to be lounging in the shallow water soaking up what warmth the sun provided,” he said. “The Vudu shrimp is my go-to lure these days. The trout cannot seem to get enough of it.”