The Neuse River flows from Falls of the Neuse Dam near Raleigh to the Pamlico Sound. From around New Bern downstream, it becomes speck -tacular. Some trout are occasionally caught upriver of New Bern in the Neuse and Trent rivers, but there is magic in the downriver areas. Speckled trout somehow know there is just the right combination of freshwater, saltwater and food and are drawn to it. Fishing is good most of the year, but the fishing can be excellent in spring when specks get active.
Trout habitat along the river is excellent, but trout tend to seek out the creeks to spend their winters. When they head out in the spring, they are hungry. The blended waters create an environment that is perfect for breeding baitfish, crabs and shrimp, a trout’s primary foods. Minnows hold the specks in the headwaters of the creeks all winter, and in the spring, they move out into gorge on more minnows, plus freshly hatched crabs and shrimp.
Warming water triggers this move, which usually happens in late March or April. A cold snap in the middle of a warm spring can set the bite back a few days, but when the bait arrives, the bite almost explodes.
Moving water is a key, but these waters don’t follow a lunar tide pattern. The wind pushes baitfish and shrimp up and down the creeks. Anglers who learn the area and the places that hold bait when the wind is blowing from different directions can usually find concentrations of hungry fish.
Be the first to comment