Calling all cold weather fishermen…January is here and the fishing is still good, albeit much slower than fall fishing.
You may catch fewer fish, but it is still a great break from sitting in the house. The best chance around the Harkers Island/Cape Lookout area will most likely be either fishing the marsh areas and backs of creeks or what I really enjoy is to go on foot and fish the beaches of Cape Lookout and Shackleford Island. Put on a good pair of chest waders and work the beach sloughs with soft baits and MirrOlures. The fish that stay up the creeks for the winter tend to feed a lot less. When fishing the cold winter months the one thing you really need to remember is to work your baits very slowly. These fish get very sluggish in the cold water and will not chase a lure as quickly as they do in warmer water. Remember when working the beachfronts you need to have a good pair of polarized sunglasses, so you can easily spot these schools of redfish and trout as they move up and down beach looking for food.
January is also the month that all the boat and fishing shows get going, perfect for those like to get out and see all the new fishing tackle and gear coming out for the New Year. I have been field testing several new items of tackle and gear for Star Rods, Salty Bay Baits and MirrOlures, just to name a few. The new Star Rods Plasma Edition is just one example of the new rod technology that is coming out, This rod is really awesome with a great feel to the new handle and a new guide system with with the (SIC) silicone carbide heat reducing guide material that reduces the heat as the line peels off when you have a nice fish, thus reducing the line breakdown and keeping your gear in tip-top shape. The new Salty Bay Baits additions include the new Red Devil, as well as a new line of jig heads to go with it. This is an awesome bait for larger trout and redfish, with pro staffers “Redfish Guys” Lee Padrick and Dwayne Smith winning several recent redfish tournaments using this bait. MirrOlures has done it again with the introduction of the new Paul Brown Soft Dine. This bait is really hot! It comes in the mold of the MR17 but it’s soft and sinks! In a few words, this is a killer bait that I used it this fall before its release to stores.
These are just a small tidbit of what you will be seeing this year, so come out to the NC boat shows and check me out. Shows will be in Raleigh on the weekend of January 10, in Richmond the next weekend and in Greensboro the week after that.
For anyone looking to do some winter fishing and wanting some local info, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I hope to see lots of familiar faces at the shows! I will also be hosting seminars each day as well. Come on out and enjoy the winter festivities.
I hope all of you had a very merry Christmas and I would like to wish everyone a great start to 2014!
Capt. Noah Lynk.
