We’re now fully into winter and some might think there’s no reason to go fishing. It’s true, the water is the coldest it will be all year…but January can still be GREAT FISHING” but it’s all about the weather.
The best spot for catching any inshore species of fish is going to be the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty. This time of the year, there’ll be redfish, black drum, ‘taugs, sheepshead and trout, both speckled and gray around the jetty. Mostly, the redfish can be great this time of year as I’ve seen days in January when you can catch one after another until you are tired of catching them.
Really, any day there’s a light wind (under 10 mph) you’ll be fine to fish the jetty. The warmer, sunny days will be the best but I’ve seen cold days that are very productive. Live mud minnows and bait shrimp fished right along the rocks will work the best when the water is cold like this. Usually, if you hook one you’re going to really catch them because they’ll be in tight schools with the water being cold. The good thing about using bait shrimp you’re also going to pick up black drum and sheepshead. I’ve seen days in January where you can catch several sheepshead off the rocks.
January in years past has produced some the biggest speckled trout I’ve ever seen, caught by anglers wade fishing at night around the rock jetty. It’s tough fishing at night because of the cold and dark, but if you go with someone that has done it before, they’ll tell you it’s a big fish fishery! MirrOlures are the name of the game when fishing the rocks at night.
Also, the Cape Lookout Shoals around Shark Island can hold massive schools of redfish this time of the year. There again, you need light winds to fish. The best days for targeting the reds are going to be the bright sunny days, so you can see the schools of fish. If they’re there, you won’t have any problem finding them…just look for a huge dark spot floating around on the bottom. Casting Berkley Gulp Baits and live mud minnows will do the trick once you find them.
The Fort Macon rocks will be producing some fish but it can be hit or miss. Again, the most productive days are going to be light wind days with sunny skies. Black drum, sheepshead and ‘taugs will be around the jetty most of the month. They don’t feed everyday because the water is so cold, so one day might be great, the next slow. Bait shrimp fished right along the rocks on the bottom with small hooks will be the best for some action.
Now to the redfish – not all of them have moved out into the ocean…some will stay in the inside waters all winter. Core Creek, Newport River and the Haystack Marshes will be good areas to explore. A good thing about these areas is they’re close to the boat ramp, so they are short runs. If they’re not around, it’s easy to get your boat back on the trailer and head back to the house.
Again, like ocean fishing, it’s more of a sight fishing game. You’re not going to catch them by just blind casting like in the warmer months. The water is crystal clear so they’re not hard to spot. The bright sunny days will be the most productive because the reds will move up onto the mud flats to warm up. Sometimes, you might find a large school that just won’t bite because of the cold water and it being so clear. It’s a good idea to take along some cut mullet and live mud minnows if you’re going to take the time to go fishing. Taking along a variety of baits this time of the year can turn a slow day into a great day of fishing.
There are still some speckled trout way back in the creeks that will winter over in these areas. Just because you don’t catch them doesn’t mean they’re not there! How active they’ll be depends on how cold the water is. If the water is cold, at times they’ll just be dormant in one area and not even move. You have to fish very slowly to catch them. If you think you’re fishing too slowly, slow it down even more! The best lures are the 17MR MirrOlures, Storm Shrimp and Yo-Zuri 3DS Shrimp. They all work great because you can fish them slower to trigger a bite. In years past, January can produce the biggest trout of the season.
If the weather is good with light winds you can also head out to some of the nearshore reefs and catch some fish. AR 315, AR 320, AR 330, AR 285, Atlas Tanker, Northwest Places and the 1700 Rock will all be good choices to try. This time of year, who knows what you might catch fishing off the bottom. During the winter, we see some great black sea bass caught from these areas. Squid fished right long the bottom will be the best bet for action.
The bottom line on fishing in January: it can be hit or miss but on a warm, light wind day it’s always a good feeling to get out of the house to escape from some cabin fever. But there’s one thing for sure this time of year, I know sitting on the couch you’re not going to catch any. So, if you catch the weather right, come by the shop and we’ll tell you what we know and point you in the right direction. Remember when fishing during the winter months it’s important to use safety precautions even more.
