Flying Around With Captain Lee Wow, time flies, what happened to 2016? Now 2017 is almost upon us, wow! The speckled trout bite has been on since the hurricane and it looks like it may stay that way for a while. With the temperatures falling, speckled trout fishing and the flounder fishing in November has been great with multiple slams (flounder, trout and drum) on many of the trips last month. Trout will be moving into the deeper holes at the end of the month but you still will find them in the shallows with current. I look for areas with seams and back eddies and work MirrOlures on the swing there. Most strikes will come at the end of the swing. When fishing with grubs, I fish the lightest lead head I can fish, popping them off the bottom with a sharp snap...your bite will come on the fall and only be a small “tick”. As a rule, you may catch more on grubs but the nicer ones come on MirrOlures. Don’t overlook the jetties and the wall around Masonboro Inlet...there is some great fishing there and nighttime can produce some big fish. Also, the flats at Topsail Island will hold them on the higher tides. Flounder will move to the ocean for the most part but some will still be found on the inside. Falling tides in the creek mouths is where I like to look for them. Mud minnows on the bottom or Gulp rigged on a worm hook work well and will produce a nice dinner here and there. Red drum will still be on the inside flats... you should fish slower for them. Bait, cut mullet, live mud minnows and dead sticking Gulp are your best bet. On warm days they will be more active. In the middle of the day, topwater and gold can be very effective above: Chad Defrene came from Louisiana to catch a for them. This nice red drum while fishing with Capt. Lee Parsons. is also the time they move back into the ocean. With the clear water you should be able to find them in the surf. The same baits as listed above will work well but I prefer to use MirrOlures like the Catch 2000 or the MR 17. Red (#26) and the PIN colors are very effective for them. You will find the stripers in the Cape Fear River. Trolling with deep diving baits is a great way to find them. Fishing in the shallower water and in small creeks I like small swimbaits, big grubs, Rattle Traps and MR17 MirrOlures. On the high tides, I fish next to the steep banks...as the water falls, I move to the mouths of the creeks. With the waters getting cold, be sure to fish with a partner; that way, if something were to happen, your odds will be better of surviving an unexpected dive out of the boat. Be safe on the water!
Carolina Beach December is here and the fishing is still steady! With our unseasonably warm fall this year, the fish are sticking to their patterns well. Speckled trout are my favorite fish to target in December, and you can catch them a variety of ways. If you are targeting them from a boat, the trout should be moving towards deeper water. I like to have six to twelve feet of water this time of year. The key to getting more trout strikes in December is working the baits slow! My favorite lure this time above: Capt. Luke Tippett with a fat trout of year is the Mirrolure caught on a recent trip. 52MR. Soft plastics on a 1/4-ounce jig head work well also. As we creep later in the season, I suggest using more natural colors. Trout can also be a blast to catch from the surf in December. The key to finding the trout in the surf is a deep slough. Walk the beach at low tide and find where the sloughs are. These deeper areas in the surf tend to produce the best spots for catching speckled trout. Red drum fishing is still hot as well. The drum will above: Ronnie Stone with limits of trout caught on start to move Down South lures while fishing with Capt. Luke. off of the flats and bays and head to the creeks. The trick to finding red drum in December is finding holes near structure. I like to target oyster beds and docks that have a nice ledge and hole nearby. I have the most success throwing Gulp shrimp in natural colors to these fish. Mud minnows and cut baits can also seal the deal on these redfish. The red drum, much like the speckled trout, will move to the surf as well during December. To target these fish you need to cover a lot of ground, but once you find them, they will be thick! I use gold spoons or soft plastics on a 1/2-ounce jig head for the reds in the surf. A long cast is crucial for these fish as they sometimes like to sit behind the breakers. My go-to set up for surf reds is an 8-foot rod rigged with a 4000 size reel and 20-pound test braided line. I hope you are able to get out and enjoy our fishery this month!
About the author: Captain Lee Parsons About the Author: 910-540-2464 Captain Luke Tippett www.gottaflyguideservice.com TopWater Guide Co. Located In Wrightsville Beach at the Bridge Tender Marina www.topwaterguideco.com 910-264-3472 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
12_2016 CAM W.indd 11
decemBER 2016
wilmington/fayetteville 11
11/16/16 6:37 PM