Finally, fall is really here and it’s prime time for speckled trout fishing! I really enjoy fishing for speckled trout and most of my clients can’t get enough of a good speckled trout trip. Speckled trout are great to eat and so much fun to catch! When the specks are biting well, like they do in November, it’s not really too hard to catch’em!
In early November I look for speckled trout in the creeks and channels just off the ICW, anywhere water is moving with tide flow. Speckled trout like current. Whether it’s fast current in a main channel or light current up a creek, you need current flow to catch trout. Both rising and falling tides can produce good trout fishing, so don’t let the tide keep you form going trout fishing! Marsh grass lines, oyster rocks that run into a channel and drop-offs in channels are all good places to find speckled trout in November.
Here is a list of my “go-to” speckled trout lures for November fishing. One key point I’ve found to catching trout is that on most days the specks will bite, but the question is what are they hitting that day? This is when you need to know where to start (ie: what lures to try.) One of my favorites is the good’ole MirrOlure; it’s been around a long time and is still catching fish. The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 27MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors: MirrOlures make a lot of different colors but here are some of my “go-to” colors around Wrightsville Beach area waters: MirrOlures color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC and HP.
Here are some of the soft baits I like for November specks: Berkley Powerbait Shrimp in colors natural and pearl white; these baits are getting harder to find! Berkley Gulp Firetail Shrimp is a new bait from Berkley. I’ve been using these baits for the last six mouths and they are good for trout of all sizes. The colors I prefer in the Firetail shrimp are Root Beer/Gold Chart Tail, Cajun Purple/Chart Tail and Glow White/Glow Chart Tail. Saltwater Assassin’s 4” Sea Shad in colors Chicken on a Chain, Sweetpea and Cantaloupe are all good choices for November trout.
There will be plenty of bluefish around in November; they can be a pain sometimes when you’re trying to catch trout! But they can be fun to catch on light tackle. If you have kids on the boat, don’t count out the bluefish! Casting or jigging spoons will catch you all the bluefish you con handle. Another fish that shows up in good numbers in November are black drum, there good to eat and they are really strong fighters, as well. Fresh cut shrimp on the bottom or Berkley Gulp 2” & 3” Shrimp are good bets for catching black drum. Look for both bluefish and black drum around all the main local channels and inlets.
Don’t count out redfish in November around Wrightsville Beach. Most of the redfish will start to leave the creeks but they will still be around the inlets and in the surf of local beaches. Give Berkley Gulp! Ripple Mullets a try in colors Root Beer/Gold with Chart Tail and New Penny for the redfish around the inlets and surf reds.
Tackle run down: Penn Battle spinning reels in 2000 and 3000 sizes for the bluefish, redfish and speckled trout. Rods: Fenwick HMG & HMX 6’6” and 7’ med/light and medium action. Line: Spiderwire Ultra-Cast in 8-, 10- and 15-pound test.
Thanks for reading Coastal Angler Magazine and good fishing to you!
FORECAST BY:
Capt. Jot Owens,
Penn Reels Elite Staff Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
