March is a month of watching the weather forecast and like the weather the fishing can be the same too. So far “warmish” weather, but in March that can change quickly!! Yeah, you know the NC weather roller-coaster!! Same with the fishing; One day slow fishing the next they are jumping in the boat! Here are the species I like to target during March around Southeast NC area waters.
In March the Redfish finally start to move around a little more than they have all winter. Not that they do not move around in the winter; they just start to show up in place’s they like during warmer times of the year. This is the time of the year you need to get out and find where the Redfish are going and are showing up. In the cooler months I have seen crustacean patterns work better for Redfish; since these baits are a little easier to catch, than say baits like fish pattern lures.
On warmer days the crustaceans and baitfish will move a little more; these are the days you need to be looking for Redfish in March. Working scented baits like Berkley Gulp in patterns two-or three-inch shrimp, also the new Turbo shrimp *see here https://alnk.to/fSi93CW will get the Redfish to bite. The Turbo shrimp has the best action I’ve seen out of a Gulp bait in a while! I recommend working these lures slowly, the water is still pretty cool. The Redfish will not be moving too quickly nor will the bait.
Rigging the Gulp baits on light jig heads will help with this slow presentation. I use 1/8oz Fusion jig heads, one of the better built on the market. *See here https://alnk.to/28RH5yg Find those banks where the sun can warm up shallows just a little more than other places. Look for dark bottom banks and places with less current these are the areas where the water will be warmer and the Redfish will be more likely to be feeding. Remember to keep your eyes peeled in the shallow water areas for Reds, March can be a very good sight fishing month; just make sure you work the baits a little slower with a fluorocarbon leader (twenty pound) for those clear spring waters. I prefer Berkley Pro-spec Fluorocarbon. *See here https://alnk.to/aLJ9PR2 Oh and a great pair of Smith sunglasses will really help to see those, Reds!
March is another mouth when Cape Fear River Striped Bass fishing will pick up. The Striper size is very mixed during early spring. In March the Stripers will start to move in to shallower waters, I look for the Stripers in three to eight feet of water during early spring. This is when you need to also shallow up your presentation, go lighter with you tackle. I prefer Berkley PowerBait five-inch Cullshad *see here SW colors https://alnk.to/h6GNDA8 and FW colors https://alnk.to/9T9W6Dc . Gulp jerkshad in six-inch; I use colors pearl & chart pepper neon (Gulp), and Crazy chrome Violet. *See here https://alnk.to/gKQ67Wp . Using a swimbait hook in sizes 6/0 or 7/0 in ¼ or 3/8 ounce should put a Striper on the end of your line. I prefer Trokar TK 170 swimbait hooks. *See here Trokar Magnum Weighted Swimbait Hook with Spring Bait Keeper – Eagle Claw You can also cast mid-water crank baits that dive three to eight feet, do not let the lure drag the bottom to much or you will lose your lure to a stump or log! Look for Cape Fear River Stripers around mud-flat edges, bulk-heads, creeks, and shallow reed-grass edges on sunny warmer days. CFR Stripers are closed to keep; catch and release only. Keep your eyes out for tagged Stripers, there are quite a few out there!
Do not count out a nice Speckled trout during the month of March! But what is a trout going to hit in March? This is when you need to know where to start; what lures to try? One of my favorites is the good’ole MirrOlure; it has been around a long time, and it is still catching fish, but if it is cold so work them SLOW! The patterns I prefer are the 17MR, 18MR, 52M and 52MR. Colors: MirrOlure makes a lot of different colors but here are some of my go too colors in clearer area waters. MirrOlure color codes: 11, 21, 26, 51, 704, CFPR, CH, EC, HP. Any local tackle shop can help you with these color codes. Best depths to use these lures; 17MR use these lures in two to six feet of water. 18MR, 52M & 52MR use these lures in four to fifth-teen plus feet of water.
Good looking scented lures that have been working very well for me when the water temps are cool. 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
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. *See here https://alnk.to/cSIC5G1
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
There is another kind of fishing I like to try in March but there is no saltwater involved. I like to hit the upper Northeast Cape Fear River and Sutton Lake the do a little Large-mouth bass fishing. If you want to try something different try some bass fishing, they are a lot of fun to catch on lighter tackle. Most of the time I use heavy sink worms, Berkley Powerbait MaxScent “The General” *See here https://alnk.to/af1STVJ in colors black, cinnamon purple, green pumpkin watermelon and green pumpkin candy red. I rig these sinko style worms with a 6/0 Eagle Claw wide bend worm hook with no weight. Work these worms very slowly off banks and stump beds. If you like to fly fish, try slow sinking small minnow patterns along the grass flats in Sutton Lake on cloudy or foggy days.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle IV https://alnk.to/eZHlnEs or Slammer IV https://alnk.to/aWD5L7j Spinning reels sizes 2500, 3000, 3500. Low profile bait-caster PENN Fathom 200 size https://alnk.to/dAmWQIH for the Redfish, Speckled trout, and Striped Bass. Fenwick HMG Inshore 7’ medium rods 8-to-15-pound class *see here https://alnk.to/4MClHmk and line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten or fifteen; Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader for leaders; 20 pound for trout and 30 for all other species. Tackle Storage I prefer, Plano Guide Series *see here https://alnk.to/gKQItqB and Z-series https://alnk.to/9bu8in4 with the NEW, much lighter in weight and waterproof StowAway’s!! https://alnk.to/2QA3HPH
Thanks for reading, Happy Spring, stay warm or cool and good fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
910-233-4139