Swansboro December 6, 2007
Jeff, of FishN4Life Charters, reports that over the course of December, anglers will be able to hook up with red drum and speckled trout in the surf, around the inlets and nearby structure, and far up local rivers and creeks.
In the backwaters, fishing will be much better on mild weather days when the rising water temperatures will spur the fish to feed. Small scented baits such as 2-3” Gulps should entice the fish to bite, and it’s important for anglers to use smaller 1/16-3/16 oz. jigheads with these little baits, going slightly heavier in strong current situations.
When looking for the drum, anglers should target dark, muddy bottoms usually found further up the creeks and rivers since they absorb the sun’s heat more readily, warming the surrounding water. The best areas will have shallow, dark bottoms adjacent to deeper water, and bays and creeks that are sheltered from north winds and holding bait offer even better opportunities for anglers searching for cold water reds.
Red drum should also be holding on the inlet shoals and along the surf zone for most of the month, and anglers can cast Mirrolures or a variety of other artificials to tempt these ocean fish to strike.
Large striped bass usually show up in Onslow Bay and around Cape Lookout Shoals in mid to late December, where they’ll be feeding on menhaden, gray trout, croaker, spot, and any other small fish they can find. Until the water temperatures fall below 50 degrees, anglers may well find big red drum, bluefish, and false albacore feeding alongside the stripers.
Anglers can target the stripers by trolling with deep-diving plugs and Mojo Rigs, live-lining menhaden or eels, jigging with large bucktails, or casting topwater plugs to fish busting bait on the surface.
When and if the stripers make an appearance, they should be around the area until early February.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the falling water temperatures will have the fish headed either far up the rivers and creeks or out to the inlets and ocean as December progresses.
Speckled trout from 12-20”, and some undersized reds should be holding in the inland creeks, and both will fall for live shrimp or Gulp baits fished on jigheads.
Near the inlets, anglers will find larger trout feeding around mud bank drop-offs, where they can be targeted with live shrimp fished beneath slip floats. When glass minnows are present, Mirrolures or soft plastic jerkbaits will likely produce more bites.
Inside the inlets, large numbers of 16-18” puppy drum are feeding near structure, and a live shrimp, Gulp bait, pinfish, or chunk of cut bait pinned to a circle hook should draw bites in short order if the fish are around.
Larger (25+”) reds are feeding on the shoals outside the inlets and will take an interest in cut mullet and menhaden or live mullet baits. Anglers can even throw topwater plugs at the fish on calm days with great results.
Sloughs up and down the beaches are holding plenty of specks, too, and Mirrolures are top baits for casting into the surf.
Some flounder are still feeding in the deep holes near the inlets and back in creeks. Live shrimp or mud minnows should produce fast action with these flounder on warmer days, although most are small.
False albacore are working bait from 1-20 miles off the beach, and anglers who find the schools can hook up with them by casting diamond jigs or Stingsilvers that approximate the size of the baits they are eating.
Jamey, of Coastal Carolina Charters, reports that striped bass action is hot in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, so it shouldn’t be long until they end up in NC waters, and hopefully they’ll be feeding off Cape Lookout by early January. Anglers can target the stripers by crossing Lookout Shoals and searching for gannets “dive-bombing” the water, which will pinpoint the location of the bait schools and, consequently, the fish. Once anglers locate the stripers, trolling Stretch 12 and 25 diving plugs along with Mojo Rigs should entice them to bite. When the fish are feeding on the surface, casting topwater plugs to the action should produce some incredible strikes.
Bottom fishing should be hot throughout the winter at structure around 35 miles offshore. It may take searching a few spots to locate the fish, but once anglers find them, action will be fast and furious. A heavy spinning rod rigged with a Butterfly Jig makes for a fun way to target the groupers, but anglers can also bait up with dead cigar minnows with good results.
Bluefin tuna season is underway, and the fishing should only get better over the coming weeks. Unlike their relatives, bluefins feed fairly close to shore, and when the bite gets good, the NW Places and Big 10/Little 10 should be hotspots.
Gulf Stream fishing will also remain good over the winter, and boats fishing around temperature breaks in the blue water should find a mixed bag of wahoo, tuna, and a few dolphin.
Greg, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers are catching whiting, black drum, puppy drum, and some speckled trout. The surf action could continue for another 3 weeks or so, or could slow up depending on the weather and water temperatures.
Speckled trout are also feeding in the creeks and around Cape Lookout. Mirrolures, soft plastics, and live shrimp or mud minnows will draw strikes from the specks.
Striped bass may show up at Lookout Shoals depending on the water temperatures around Christmas.
A few bluefin tuna have already been reported, and they should be getting more numerous over the next few weeks. Boats can target the bluefins by trolling horse ballyhoo/Ilander combinations around structure and bait from the beach out to 20 miles offshore.
Stan, of Capt. Stanman’s Fishing Charters, reports that bottom fishing should be excellent in deep, warmer water all through the winter. Anglers will find warmer water in 15-20 fathoms, and they can expect to hook grouper, snapper, grunts, and other tasty bottomfish while fishing bottom structure in those depths. Squid, cigar minnows, and mullet are all excellent bottom fishing baits.
Anglers can expect a brief flurry of bluefin tuna activity to take place over a few days around the Keypost, AR 345, and Christmas Rock sometime in the coming weeks. If there are menhaden in the area, the fish should stay for a longer period.
Citation-size kings should be feeding east of the shoals, around the Atlas Tanker and Chicken Rocks on bluebird days throughout December. Dead cigar minnows or flying fish will draw strikes from the big kings, and live menhaden are even better if boats can find them.
