Tuesday, November 22, 2005
11/22/05 Swansboro, NC Fishing Report/ Forecast
Speckled Trout- The speckled trout population has made a major comeback with the highest catches in over 10 years for this area... currently, our six hour trips aboard our local inshore guide boats out of dudley's Marina here in Swansboro are producing between 150 and 200 speckled trout ranging from 3/4lb to 4lbs each and mixed in the catch are some red drum from 16 to 28in. and small flounder between 1 and 2lbs. These fish will slowly migrate south along our beaches with small concentrations of fish also migrating up our local river to winter over while the majority migrate to southern waters of the US. So typically, as we move into late Dec. and Jan. you need to target waters upriver to continue to be successful catching the specs. Also, downsize your baits... 2 to 3in. baits and work them slowly...
Red Drum- The Red Drum are slowly moving through their migration patterns... The masses of large fish 10+lbs are heading south and offshore... the smaller fish from undersize pups to 10lbs are heading south along the surf stopping and feeding hard around the inlets and inlet shoals along the way.... the local population of reds from juveniles to several lbs are moving up the local rivers and mainland creeks of the sounds, and there will be some mixed size fish that remain in the deep water near the inlets and ICW for the winter which tend to move into the shallow bays of the sounds and creeks protected by the North Winds where the bay temps can rise as much as 10 degrees higher than the deeper water during the warm winter days with high sunlight.... Currently we are WEARING OUT the reds in the surf zone... carefully fishing the breakers from our boats and from the sand... These fish are striking most soft plastic artificials (ie. calcutta swim shad, zoom super-flukes on 1/2oz lead heads, and Berkley Gulp Shrimp/Minnows). If the fish get finiky... live mullet or cut mullet will work. Dudley's Marina (252-393-2204) here in Swansboro will be stocked with live mullet from 3 to 6in. long all winter as Capt. Mike Taylor and Myself will keep the Marina stocked.
Flounder- The summer flounder are migrating slowly offshore and can be easily targeted through Dec. by following them offshore... typically you will catch flounder in the 5 to 10 mile range throughout November and December... Places to target will be the live bottoms like Lost Rock, ledges, and artificial reefs like AR 330, AR 345... as well as wrecks like the Hutton and WR 13. Most of the smaller Southern Flounder tend to migrate up river and upstream mimicking the migration pattern of the bait (small shad, mullet, shrimp, and other small finfish) They can be targeted through December... then the bite halts till March as the water temps get below their feeding/functioning range... they enter a sort-of hybernation state as their metabolism slows and they bury themselves up in the soft muddy bottoms present up the rivers. There will be southern and summer flounder caught in the deeper water near the inlets and near-by feeder creeks and channels as well as the ICW throughout November and slowing in December.
Bluefish- The bluefish can withstand colder temps. than most fish but they are major migrators... Expect to catch blues throughout Nov. and Dec. on the internal waters and along live bottoms, wrecks, etc from the beach out. By January we tend to see very few bluefish along our area of the coast although some big fish might be present mixed in with the schools of Stripers coming down from up north as well as offshore in the deeper waters.
Striper (in NC). - Although we are seeing striper in Northern NC (Oregon Inlet and such) as early as November... we typically begin to see good runs of striper around Cape Lookout around the 2nd week of December and the concentrations last until around mid January. Then the water temps typically get very cold driving these fish farther offshore. although there have been good schools of stripers spotted along the face of Cape Lookout National Seashore in Late Jan. and Feb. on warm days. The best window of Opportunity for the average boater is still Mid Dec. to Mid January around Lookout to MHC. Aboard FISH'N4LIFE... Jan 2005 produced the best day ever with over 300 strikes/ hook-ups on topwater baits/ light 12lb test spinning tackle/ w/38 fish landed between 15 and 30lbs. Our largest fish in the 2004/2005 season was 40lbs on light tackle. I hope this season proves to be as good... especially since the Menhaden plant in Beaufort, NC is now closed!
I Hope everyone has a great Holiday Season! Get out and catch a few fish! and Be Safe!
Keep Fish'n4LIfe
Teach a Young One the Sport!
Capt. Jeff Cronk
FISH'N4LIFE CHARTERS
910-326-7512
