Guide Ricky Kellum points to his home waters, the New River in Onslow County, N.C., as his go-to spot for targeting topwater trout in October. His favorite bait is a Super Spook Jr. with a chartreuse head and white body, a bait that fooled an 8-pound trout in the New last year.
“There are plenty of shrimp left in the river,” said Kellum (910-330-2745). “On an incoming tide, I’ll be on the trolling motor working the crab-pot lines, just blind-casting my way along the channel edge. All the bait seems to migrate along the drop, and all the gamefish and other predators fall right in line, which is why the crabbers drop their pots along the same route.”
Kellum prefers to make long casts and walk the dog back to the boat. Trout prefer a faster retrieve, while drum may bite better on a slower cadence. He’s also keeping his eyes open.
“I wouldn’t call it sight-casting, but if you see a flicker in the water, a mullet jumping and skipping, most times the trout will single out one bait and chase it down,” he said. “I’ll throw to that spot and work the bait, see if I can get that fish to change targets.”
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