Pamlico Winter 2012-2013
Michael Carawan and Kenny Campen with a catch of speckled trout they hooked in some Neuse River creeks. Photo courtesy of Minnesott Beach Bait and Tackle.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are still seeing some exceptional speckled trout fishing in the lower Neuse River. Most of the fish moved back into the creeks during the cold snap a few weeks ago, but the warm temperatures lately have pushed them back out to the creekmouths and the main river. Anglers are hooking most of the fish on Gulp, D.O.A., and Fin-S soft plastics, along with suspending hard lures like Rapala X-Raps and MirrOlure MR17’s.
The speckled trout bite should hold up for the entire winter if there are no major freezes, with the fish moving deeper into the creeks as the water cools. Staying mobile with the trolling motor is the best way to find actively feeding fish, and where anglers find one, there are usually more to be had.
Striped bass are still on the feed upstream in the Neuse and Trent Rivers, where anglers can hook them on topwater plugs or soft plastics on Rock-N-Wobble heads.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that the striped bass bite around New Bern remains solid. Anglers are hooking the fish on topwater plugs near shallow structure and on soft plastics and jigheads near deeper ledges. Some speckled trout and puppy drum are feeding in the same areas and falling for soft plastics as well, and anglers are also picking up some freshwater fish like largemouth bass, crappie, and white perch.
The trout and red bite is also going strong in the creeks off the lower Neuse River. Suspending plugs like MirrOlure MR17’s and Rapala X-Raps are working along with the usual assortment of soft plastic baits. The water’s been clear lately, so natural color patterns are producing the best results.
Randy Holman, of Havelock, NC, with a pair of speckled trout he caught in Slocum Creek on an MR17 MirrOlure.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers can find reliable winter action with striped bass in the lower Roanoke River and western Albemarle Sound. Good days have the potential to produce triple-digit catches (with most fish 16-25”). Trolling Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and other diving plugs will connect anglers with fish, but better numbers come from casting soft plastics once anglers locate hungry fish.
When the water cools into the mid-40’s, the majority of the stripers will school up on deeper ledges in the river channels, where soft plastics like Z-Man MinnowZ and PaddlerZ on 3/8 and 1/2 oz. jigheads are the weapons of choice.
Big schools of puppy drum will also be feeding in the lower Pamlico and Pungo Rivers over the winter, and many of the fish will be around lower-slot size (18-22”) as the winter wears on.
Casting soft plastics and other lures on light tackle will tempt bites from the pups, and anglers can also tally some solid numbers while fly-casting.
Donald, of Custom Marine, reports that anglers are finding some solid action with speckled trout in the creeks right now (with plenty of solid fish and some citation 5+ pounders in the mix). Most of the specks are falling for MR17 and 18 MirrOlures, which are also getting attention from some puppy drum feeding in the same areas.
Jamie Grimes with a slot red drum he hooked in the Pamlico River while fishing with Capt. Richard Andrews of Tar-Pam Guide Service.
The bite should continue well into the winter, with the fish moving further into the creeks as the water cools, and anglers will need to slow down their presentations to tempt bites in the cold water.
Striped bass are feeding well around the bridges and other structure near New Bern. Diving plugs, Rat-L-Traps, and soft plastics rigged on wobblehead lures are the way to go for the stripers, and like the trout, they should be biting for much of the winter.
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the striped bass action around the Washington waterfront has been excellent lately. Deep-running Rattlin’ Rogues and Rat-L-Traps have been producing most of the fish, with some anglers hooking up while working soft plastics like Fin-S Fish.
Speckled trout have been feeding all the way up to Washington recently, with some fish in the creeks and some in the river. They’ve been a bit scattered, but the fish that anglers are finding have been solid. MirrOlure MR17’s in 808, electric chicken, and the new C-Eye colors have been doing most of the damage on the trout. They’ll be moving up area creeks as the water temperatures drop, but anglers who follow the fish should be able to find action for much of the winter.
Big numbers of smaller puppy drum are feeding around Bath and Belhaven, and soft plastic baits are attracting plenty of attention from them.
