Wow it is December and winter has shown up, just like that! Where did fall go, it was pretty good fall!! So, December with much cooler weather; hard, fast change of weather, more like January. Here is what I am going to fish this much cooler weather in December.
December can be a good month for bigger speckled trout, especially when we get colder weather fronts. Knowing what to cast, can make a big difference in what you catch. Hard baits like MirrOlures have put some big trout in the boat for me and for many other anglers over the years. The different series I prefer are the 17MR & 22MR (Catch 2000jr) suspending, 18MR, 51M and 52MR sinking baits.
Colors; MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go to colors around Southeast NC area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, 706, CFPR, CH, EC, HP, and Capt. Jot Custom color #1 (Pink back/white belly), #2 (purple back/pink belly) and #3 (Blue back/pink belly) colors in 17MR, #1 in 22MR & 52MR (only found at Tex’s Tackle shop) Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes or at MirrOlure.com. I’m really loving the new 17MR Chameleon series!! *See here: NEW! Chameleon Series Mirrodine Fishing Depths to use these lures; 17MR & 22MR use these lures in two to six feet of water (suspending). 18MR, 51M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth teen plus feet of water with current (sinking). If your lure is hitting the bottom go to a shallower running lure (suspending type). If the water is in the 50’s slow down your presentation. I am a firm believer in “you can work a MirrOlure to fast, you really can’t work them to slow.”
As water temps drop, I really do enjoy using soft plastic lure. The reason I enjoy them more when the water temps fall is, less darn trash fish!!! Like Puffers, Bluefish and lizardfish that eat up my soft plastic lures!! Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me when the water temps drop. Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp, five-inch Jerkshad and of course the new Turbo shrimp. Gulp comes in many colors, but here is a few that I like for trout in (shrimp pattern); sugar spice glow, pearl white, nuclear chicken, pink belly and flamingo chrome. See all Saltwater Gulp here: https://alnk.to/6mPofv6 Lots of Gulp is on sale now!
The Berkley PowerBait Bonga saltwater series really impressed me last season and this one so far. I worked on this project, and I am really excited about these lures. There are three shapes in this series that I really like and come with a new saltwater scent; different from the regular PowerBait scent. I am really liking the Bonga Shad, Bonga Shrimp and Bonga Stick of this series! Electric chicken and sight flash colors have worked well for me lately. *Check them out here https://alnk.to/cSIC5G1 PS: they are on sale too!!
I rig all my trout soft plastic lures on 1/16oz, 1/8oz and 1/4oz jigs heads in colors red, gray, or white and I always use a fluorocarbon leader when trout fishing. I use the Fusion 19 jig head series. *See here https://alnk.to/28RH5yg I prefer Berkley Pro Spec twenty pound in clear, thirty pound if the blues show up in numbers. *See here https://alnk.to/aLJ9PR2
Do not count out live bait for Speckled trout if you enjoy fishing with it. Just understand as it gets colder live bait will be harder to come by. Try live smaller finger mullet, mud minnows and shrimp. In shallow waters of two to six feet I like to float these live baits with a cork and a small treble hook (#6). In deeper waters of six to ten plus I rig them on light Carolina rigs with a small #2 Eagle claw L42 offset circle hook. Just wait until you feel that trout take off with the bait and lightly set the hook, remember trout have very soft mouths fast hooks sets but with light power work best.
In December another fish I really like to hunt for on sunny, warmer, and light wind days is schooling Redfish. I find these schools on oyster rocks/flats, sand bars in the surf and shallow flats just off the ICW. In December the Reds are not hard to catch when you find them, but sometimes finding them can be a challenge. My go to bait for the winter Redfish is scented grub like the Berkley Gulp Turbo Shrimp https://alnk.to/fSi93CW or Gulp shrimp https://alnk.to/58q5o7A Redfish love these things. Rig grubs with thirty-pound fluorocarbon and a darker colored jig heads like red or gray should get the redfish to bite for you. Sometimes a light Carolina rig with a small piece of cut shrimp; for those stubborn fall/winter Redfish may help you get a bite.
Just a little inland in Southeast, NC runs the Cape Fear River and in the Cape Fear there is one of my favorite winter fisheries, the Striped Bass. These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well even in cold water. Working drop offs and grass lines on the edge of the river is where you can find the Stripers, using swim bait lures like Berkley Power Bait Cull shad https://alnk.to/h6GNDA8 These lures should put a few Cape Fear Stripers on your line. I rig these lures on swimbait hooks for weedless fishing, (lots of hangs in the river). I use TroKar TK170 and TK178 swimbait hooks, super sharp! Do not forget that the Cape Fear River Striped Bass Fishery is closed; catch and release only!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle IV https://alnk.to/eZHlnEs and Slammer IV Spinning https://alnk.to/aWD5L7j reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 & 3500. Low profile PENN Fathom 200 size https://alnk.to/dAmWQIH, if that is your game! Fishing for Redfish, Speckled trout, and Striped Bass Rods: Fenwick Inshore HMG 7’& 7’6” med/light (Speckled Trout) and medium action * See here: https://alnk.to/4MClHmk (Redfish & Striped Bass). Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight- or ten-pound test for Speckled trout fishing and ten and fifth-teen pound for Reds/Stripers. Tackle Storage I prefer Plano Guide Series *see here https://alnk.to/gKQItqB and Z-series https://alnk.to/9bu8in4 with EDGE https://alnk.to/eZH8FjA boxes inside.
*There are lots of sales going on now for a short time, here is the link to all of the tackle I use https://linktr.ee/capt_jot_owens PENN Authority spinning reels at 40% OFF!! Fenwick rods, Berkley baits and line are on sale as well for a very limited time. Check out my tackle link here for everything I use! https://linktr.ee/capt_jot_owens
Gift Certificates make great gifts for you or someone else who likes to fish. Buy now at 2025 prices and use during 2026!!
Thanks for reading have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, a Happy New Year, and good winter fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139