Speckled Trout

[EricF]

Here they are from the Cape Lookout rock jetty. Wednesday and Today (16th)....

Wed...had two grey trout, ten specks, one sea bass. All on Gulp! 3" shrimp white using red 1/2oz jig head.

Today...had ten specks (gave two to my neighbor), released twenty plus red drum, released one black drum, released one sea bass. All on mud minnows carolina rigged with 1/2oz sinker. Larger class of fish today...I saw at least three today go over six pounds on neighboring boats.

With the abundance of shrimp this year and the mild winter last year...our trout should be showing larger and more numbers...I think it's only the beginning of some 8-9lb trout in the next couple weeks as they move. Wednesday's trout were as big and bigger than the majority of what I caught last fall...and today was even bigger. On these two days, I was able to limit in less than two hours with all the other fish mixed in.

Tomorrow I will get a bushel of oysters to go with some trout fillets! Unless I get bit by the bug and decide to hit the trout again, then get oysters.

[jellybear]

Sweet!But I dont think they will be here like they were last year,It was unbeliveable.We havent seen too many around here because of the blues are too thick.

[troehrs]

Any body heard of any big ones up near the buxton area yet? H
eard they were catching them in nags head like crazy last week.

[newsjeff]

Yep.

But still a little to the North.

[saltydawg]

They are here BETTER than last year. With another mild winter of growth, the average sized fish is BIG.

[John M]

nice fish....Im gonna dust off the trout rod

[crashq]

Nice. Its good to see that they are showing up. We go down there too early to get them routinely, but I really love catching them.

[surffisher]

Originally Posted by jellybear

Sweet!But I dont think they will be here like they were last year,It was unbeliveable.We havent seen too many around here because of the blues are too thick.

I caught some nice 2-3 pounders in Wrightsville early Nov., but struck out there and at Topsail this weekend...just a few blues.

[jellybear]

The blues have been gone for a few days now and I expect there will be some Trout moving in soon,the water looks good but the temps are still a little too warm,btw,they are getting some at night.

[HASH]

Not meaning to higjack but the Western Pamilco has heated up too. Not as crowed as the jettie and a good small boat water. The average size is smaller than the jettie but I saw some 7 lbser at the boat launch.

[EricF]

I'll trade all them trout for those flounder! Nice catch!

[HASH]

Sorry you would have to fight my wife. The Flounder is the only reason I get to go. I have never seen the flounder bite that good this late in the year. We landed over 20 flatties (mainly shorts) There were stacked in 10 foot water and hungry.

[EricF]

All this grass/organism stuff has kept the pound nets from being rigged down this way. It banks up on the nets by the ton. So, with that, I'd suspect the flounder should be a little more plentiful to the hook/line fisherman. I did gig some nice thick ones a few weeks ago...I should plan another trip soon.

[jellybear]

Man,Yall are killing me!What did you catch those fish with?Live bait or Gulp?Thats a mess of fish.

[EricF]

Both. Mud minnows from the dock at the house and/or Gulp! 3" white shrimp. I use mud minnows on a carolina rig with 1/2oz egg sinker and 1/0 offset eagle claw hook...something kinda small so the minnow can move around with it.