Fishermen crawling grubs through deep holes in Pamlico Sound and its tributaries during the winer should expect a familiar by-catch: striped bass. The Neuse, Pamlico, and Pungo rivers all harbor huge wintering schools of stripers.
The sound is full of a variety of baitfish, and the cold weather will concentrate them in the warmer, deeper areas. Striped bass will patrol the rivers and creeks, staying close to any substantial food source, so expect them to compete with speckled trout when bait is found on deep ledges, around the mouths of ditches and on sun-warmed flats.
Stripers will eat everything that a speckled trout will, and any lure or bait used to target trout is fair game for stripers. However, if stripers show up in a winter trout hole, anglers can switch to more aggressive presentations. Stripers are usually more tolerant of cold water and can be caught with a more aggressive approach in winter. Deep-diving crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, surface poppers, swimbaits, bucktails, and large, soft-plastic baits will produce good results.
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