FORECAST BY: Capt. Butch Foster, Yeah Right Charters
Website: www.yeahrightcharters.com • Boat: 336-239-5429 • Office: 910-845-2004
February means a lot of different things to a lot of people but I am going to concentrate here on what February means to me. After I started Yeah Right Charters, I didn’t have the time to hunt anymore, so the fact that most hunting seasons are closed now is not a factor for me…but in February, nearly all hunting is over, and the reason I don’t have time to hunt anymore is because I now dedicate all my time to fishing, so I can stay on top of what’s happening pretty much all the time in both fresh and saltwater. With that being said, I am going to start in the backwaters on our “hunt” for fish.
Fishing in February is very much “cold dependent “ and where and when you “hunt” for speckled trout will most likely be depending on just that. But, on a normal February trip with normal February weather, I look for the trout in the backs of the creeks and in deep holes in the creeks as well. The key to catching cold water speckled trout is to fish s-l-o-w. I will try to be where I want to fish so I can maximize my time on the last few hours of a falling tide. You might disagree with me on that, but like I said earlier, this is what I like to do and it catches more fish for me. Baits I like to use here are the ones you can fish slowly. Some of these include the MirrOlure Mirrodines. These are “jerk” baits with a smaller profile and work well for us. Another good choice is the baits from Berkley Gulp! These should not be overlooked as good fish catchers. One bait that is very fast becoming my “go-to” bait is the Betts Billy
Bay Shrimp in 1/4 ounce Chartreuse Sparkle or the New Penny. These baits are balanced and fall slowly and naturally and you fish them as you do any “jerk bait.” When you put a few drops of Pro-Cure Bait Scent on one in the Inshore Saltwater Super Gel this makes a combo the speckled trout will “hammer” when fished really slowly in cold water!
Another very sought-after species here in Southport/Oak Island is the Whiting (Virginia Mullet.) These fish are some of the tastiest pan fish that swim in our nearshore waters. We fish for them in the mouth of the Cape Fear River and rig up with a two- to four-ounce sinker, tie a double-drop rig in the eight-pound test line and attach two #6 long shank hooks. I use light to medium light tackle for this fishing to get more fight from the quarry. My choice of gear here is the Fenwick HMG rod in 7’ ML and a Mitchell Avocet spinning reel. As for bait, fresh shrimp is the best. At this time of year, I will go to the seafood section of the grocery store and buy frozen raw shrimp. That way, if the fish aren’t biting you can always eat your bait afterwards!
February will find some nice black bass closer to the beach now at areas like Light House Rocks. Here again, I will tie a double-drop rig in my line, add an eight-ounce sinker and tie on two Mustad 39960-D circle hooks in 10/0. No, that’s not a misprint, I like Mustad’s 10/0 size in circle hooks for this fishing! As far as bait goes, you can’t beat squid for this bottom- dropping. Farther offshore, the bottom fishing will be good for a wider variety of bottom species. I will use the same rigging and my choice of rod and reels here will be the Penn 4/0 combo spooled with 50- to 100-pound test line. These combos can handle just about anything you hook up with while bottom fishing. If you like spinning gear, I opt for a Fenwick 7’ HMG in heavy action with an IRT reel in 700 or 800 series with southport-offshore 100-pound braid and a 80-pound test “Top Shot”. Keep an eye on the braid, it tends to wear fast in the rocky confines of bottom areas and will cause you to loose lots of fish if not retied often.
Also offshore in February you can usually find some king mackerel somewhere out in the Frying Pan Tower area and beyond that are willing to bite. Just look for
water in the 65+/- degree temp and bait and there should be some king mackerel nearby. If you head offshore after some king mackerel this winter just get some
boxes of frozen cigar minnows and rig them on some Pirate Plugs and this will get you some action if the kings are there!
One other thing, don’t overlook fresh water fishing in winter! This too can be some of the best catching you can have! I won’t go into detail here, because this could take up another whole page! But I guess the best thing I like about February is that when it’s gone we will be into March and the fishing/catching will start improving almost on a semi-daily basis then.
Yeah, it’s February, the winter is about over and I bet you still haven’t serviced your tackle for the new fishing season. If not, this is your reminder!!!
“Til next time, I hope to see ya’ on the water, be safe and God bless you all!