Swansboro/Emerald Isle – December 2022
Mickey, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers getting out on the pier or fishing from the surf are finding a mixed bag of speckled trout, bluefish, sea mullet, and blowtoads.
Those headed deep to do some bottom fishing are catching grouper, triggerfish, vermilion snapper, and jumbo black sea bass.
Offshore trolling efforts are producing wahoo and blackfin tuna.
Back inshore, anglers are seeing the beginning of this trout season as being slower than years past. There have been a bunch of trout still out in the surf zone. The trout bite hasn’t been focused on one tactic or bait, as there has been success on live baits, suspending lures, and a variety of soft plastics.
Anglers looking to get out over the early winter can find pufferfish or sea mullet when fishing off the surf or over in deeper areas such as Morehead City’s Turning Basin.
Hard structures such as the Cape Lookout jetty will hold action on black drum and sheepshead.
Locally, the speckled trout will be schooled back up in deeper areas of the mainland creeks.
Joe Caprarola, Jr. hooked this 24″ gag grouper on a live ringtail offshore of Emerald Isle. He was fishing with Capt. Tony Stoll of Fin Finderz.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that the sound is starting to clear out with the cooler water temperatures. Anglers have been picking away at the scattered red and black drum still hanging around, and they’re using Carolina-rigged shrimp and paddle tail baits on jig heads. Most of these fish have been up in the creeks and rivers, and the majority of the fish are a smaller size.
The speckled trout bite is solid in mainland creeks up into the rivers. Live shrimp, mud minnows, pinfish, or peanut shad are all having a lot of success under a slip cork, and anglers looking to fish artificials are getting strikes while casting suspending shrimp or shad imitation baits.
Outside the inlets, there have been plenty of false albacore out on the beachfronts and over the nearshore reefs. Sight-casting 1 oz. Stingsilvers works well for getting strikes from these surface-feeding schools.
You can also drop these same jigs down over bottom structure to hook into gray trout.
Tom Dempsey caught this redfish sight fishing in the Morehead area. He was fishing with Capt. Joe Tunstall of Carolina Traditions Guide Co.
Matt, of Friendly City Fishing Charters, reports that with water temperatures now into the 50s, most of the speckled trout action is being found in the mainland creeks. Live mud minnows under a slip cork have been a great bait choice, and on most days the mud minnows have produced just as well as shrimp. The added bonus is how hearty these baits are, lasting much longer than shrimp do.
Moving into the winter, start targeting the deeper holes more towards the backs of these creeks where the trout set up to hold over during the winter months.
Anglers back in the creeks will also find smaller black drum around structure.
Scattered red drum are being found back on flats in the marsh. Moving into the period from late December to March, bigger numbers of red drum will have moved their way inshore and have made the sight-fishing action more productive. Anglers can entice strikes by fishing light (1/8 oz.) weedless-rigged Fathom soft plastics in darker or neutral color patterns. The other tactic is to fish a Carolina-rigged cut mullet and let these schools move to you.
John, of Early Riser Fishing Charters, reports that the king mackerel bite has been on fire. Most of the fish are staying in that 10-15 mile range off the beach. With each passing cold front, though, look for these fish to move out a little bit further.
This time of year, there is the added opportunity to stumble upon a blackfin tuna or late season sailfish while fishing these offshore structure areas.
Inshore anglers have found the red drum have started moving together in larger schools throughout the marshes and on beachfronts. These pre-wintering reds have been actively chewing, and anglers are having success casting very light weight (1/8 oz.) jig heads rigged with Gulp shrimp or white paddle tails. It’s a good idea for anglers to try and pattern these red drum schools, taking note of tide cycles and time, as the reds will very likely return to the same spots when conditions or timing matches.
Anglers have already had trips where multiple citation speckled trout have been caught, and it is shaping up to be a strong winter bite. If conditions stay stable, anglers can expect strong trout fishing throughout the colder months. The lack of rain has seen these trout make a big push up into the rivers, as they are scattered anywhere from the main bodies of water to creek mouths to the backs of creeks. As the weather cools, that pattern of pushing into the backs of creeks to school up becomes the norm.
Anglers have caught most of the larger fish on topwater plugs (when the trout will cooperate), but on some days the trout are only hitting MirrOlure or similar subsurface plugs. If all else isn’t working, you can typically get the job done with live shrimp (if you can get some).
Scott Chiccarello and Joey Tirak, of Lincolnton, caught these 5 lb. and 6 lb. speckled trout using live shrimp in the White Oak River. The were fishing with Capt. Rob Koraly of Sandbar Safari Charters.
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that there have been some good-sized black drum (to 4 lbs.) being caught by anglers as we come to the end of the season.
A few bluefish are still around, but the ocean temperatures cooling should push most of the blues off the beach shortly.
Bottom fishing is producing a mixed bag of sea mullet, gray trout, and blowtoads.
