Wrightsville Beach, NC Fishing Forecast-December 2023
Can you believe its already December?? November just flashed by!! But hey, there is still good fishing to do around Southeast, NC! So far this fall the temps have been fair in my opinion, we are actually having a fall this year! We have had a few cool/cold days (Like this last week) but then we have runs of mild weather. This typically keeps the bite going, Fingers crossed for good weather!
In December I catch some of the biggest Speckled trout all year, but you need to know which lures work better for bigger trout. Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. One key point to trout I have found is that most days Specks will bite, but what are they eating that day? This is when you need to know where to start; what lures to try? The series I prefer are the 17MR & 22MR (Catch 2000jr) suspending, 18MR, 51M and 52MR sinking baits.
Colors; MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Southeast NC area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, 706, CFPR, CH, EC, HP and Capt. Jot Custom color #1 (Pink back/white belly), #2 (purple back/pink belly) and #3 (Blue back/pink belly) colors in 17MR, #1 in 22MR & 52MR (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop) Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes or at MirrOlure.com. Fishing Depths to use these lures; 17MR & 22MR use these lures in two to six feet of water (suspending). 18MR, 51M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth teen plus feet of water with current (sinking). If your lure is hitting the bottom go to a shallower running lure (suspending type).
If you have ever done any trout fishing at all you know that the grub/jig (soft plastic) lures work very well for Speckled trout. Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me lately are Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp and five-inch Jerkshad. Gulp comes in many colors, but here is a few that I like for trout in (shrimp pattern); sugar spice glow, pearl white, Sangria & Scooby. The new chrome series of Gulp baits have really caught my eye. I have only used them a little bit by so far good results.
Keep your eyes peeled for the new Saltwater Berkley PowerBait series I worked on this project, and I am really excited about these lures! There are eight new shapes in this series and a new saltwater scent: different from the regular PowerBait scent. I am really liking the Bonga Shad, Bonga Shrimp and Bonga Stick of this series! These baits are in stores now!
I rig all my trout soft plastic lures on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red, gray, or white and I always use a fluorocarbon leader when trout fishing. I prefer Berkley Pro Spec twenty pound in clear, thirty pound if the blues show up in numbers.
Do not count out live bait if you enjoy fishing with it. Try live smaller mullets (when their legal to use), mud minnows and live shrimp. In shallow waters of two to six feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook. In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small #1 or #2 Eagle claw L42 offset circle hook. Just wait until you feel that trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths fast hooks sets but with light power work best.
In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer, and light wind days is schooling Redfish. I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats just off the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but sometimes finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish are scented grub like the Berkley Gulp jerkshad or shrimp; Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty-pound fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or gray should get the redfish to bite for you. Sometimes a light Carolina rig with a small piece of cut shrimp; for those stubborn fall/winter Redfish may help get a bite.
Just a little inland in Southeast, NC runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there is one of my favorite winter fisheries, the Striped Bass. These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures like Berkley Power Bait Grass pig lures and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad. These lures should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on your line. I rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). I use TroKar TK170 and TK178 swimbait hooks, super sharp! Do not forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle III DX and New Authority Spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500. Low profile PENN Fathom 200 size, if that is your game! Fishing for Redfish, Speckled trout, and Striped Bass Rods: Fenwick Inshore HMG 7’& 7’6” med/light (Speckled Trout) and medium action (Redfish & Striped Bass); line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight- or ten-pound test for Speckled trout fishing and ten and fifth-teen pound for Reds/Stripers.
Thanks for reading, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and good winter fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
