Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast-January 2022
January is the kind of month that I watch the weather forecast very closely. Weather changes much quicker during the winter around our area and can be a big influence on the fishing. I look for warmer, lighter wind and mostly sunny days, even better if we get a few of these kinds of days in a row. January is definitely a pick your fishing day kind of month for the best possible bite chances. I’ll tell you though, you can have epic fishing days during January, they are just harder to come by because of the weather. January is starting out mild and this could setup a good winter season start but watch that forecast closely; winter could show up any day!
Large winter Redfish schools are one of my favorite fish to look for during winter mouths. On calm, light wind days you can find these Reds on dark mud flats and oyster rocks. You can also find large schools around inlets and sand bars just off the local beaches. When you find these schools approach very slow and quietly, for they spoke very easily; also, a high-quality pair of polarized sunglasses will help big time seeing the schools of Reds. I really like Smith optics with ChromaPop. Most of the time the winter school Reds will bite pretty easily, but one thing that will help is scented baits like Berkley Gulp. I prefer Berkley Gulp three- or four-inch shrimp in colors sugar spice glow, scooby and sangria for the flats Reds. When I am targeting the inlet and ocean bar Reds I like to cast five and six inch Berkley Gulp jerkshad in colors pearl white and Chart pepper neon. Sometimes you may need to work the bait a little slower during colder months, so try using a lighter jig head; this will allow you to work the bait slower. Jig head weight; Inshore Reds 1/16oz to 1/4oz, ocean Reds 1/4oz to 3/8oz.
You can also use as fresh as you can get cut shrimp or mullet on a light Carolina rig with a Eagle Claw #4 Bait holder hook if you prefer to use bait. I only use cut bait for the inshore Reds not the ocean fish. Don’t rule out a Black drum or sheepshead while using fresh cut shrimp during the winter months. Typically, if you find one Black drum there are others around, I’d stick around a little while if you catch one.
During January you can find some of the big Speckled trout, you’re not going to find big numbers, unless they are smaller fish; but the big ones will bite when it gets colder! Work your lures slower and know that you’ll fish for hours, but the payoff can be great! Try to have patients when winter fishing!
A lure that always seems to help me find more winter Speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 51M and 52M or MR. Fishing lighter colors due the clear water we sometimes get during the winters here. Working MirrOlures slowly in deeper water breaks and drop offs can produces some very nice trout. If the water gets a bit dirty due to winds or rain/ice/snow, give Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp, shrimp and five-inch Jerkshad a try. Another winter lure I like Berkley Pro Twitchtail’s on lighter jig (weight 1/16oz) heads; here again work them just a bit slower due to the colder water temps. Don’t rule out a nice Gray trout (weakfish) mixed in during the winter while Speckled trout fishing. Look for the bigger trout to be sitting close to the current, but just off and out of it. Remember these fish are not going to burn calories so they don’t have to be swimming against the current. Remember with clear cold water it’s very important to use a high quality fluorocarbon leader material, it will make a difference; trust me!
Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historical downtown Wilmington runs the Cape Fear and North East Cape Fear Rivers. During the winter months usually starting in December the local population of Striped Bass start to bite in the rivers. These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs on the edge of the river, docks and creek months is where you can find the Stripers. I prefer using swim bait lures like Berkley five inch PowerBait Grass pig or Berkley Gulp Jerkshad rigged on weighted swim-bait hooks. Colors that I prefer are pearl white, swamp gas (grass pig) and chart pepper neon. Mid-water diving crank-baits work too but, be careful around pilings to not get hang-ups and lose your lures, it’s very easy to do in the Cape Fear with all the timber on the bottom. You can catch these Stripers on any tide, as long as it’s moving. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX & Slammer IV series spinning reels sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500 for the Redfish, Speckled trout and Striped Bass. Rods: Fenwick HMG Inshore in seven foot; med/light (Speckled trout) and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight, ten and fifth-teen pound. Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader material, twenty pound trout fishing, thirty or forty pound Redfish and Striped Bass. Tackle Storage I prefer, Plano Guide Series Tackle Bags with Plano EDGE Boxes.
Have a Happy New Year, good fishing to you and thank you for reading!
Capt. Jot Owens
910-233-4139
