December has been pretty consistent fishing for us. Water temps have been fluctuating between the low and mid 50’s, which are typical for this time of year. On the windier days, we have been finding plenty of speckled trout in the creeks off the Pamlico and Pungo. Speckled trout are the most popular fish in our area, and many other anglers are targeting them. The effects of the pandemic on outdoor recreation has put many more people on the water, so the areas with fish have been crowded. Luckily there have been plenty of fish to go around. Some days when the fish are a little more fired up the bite has been spectacular. Other days, particularly following a very cold night, the fish don’t seem to want to bite as well, but we’re still able to beat down a respectable catch. Suspending hard baits such as the ever so popular Mirrolure MR-17 or Yozuri 3DS have been the norm. This is slow, technical fishing and is one of the most difficult styles of fishing we do on our guided trips; however, with practice come reward and most folks are able to master this technique in a few short hours and are rewarded with some beautiful trout. That’s cold season trout fishing in a nutshell.
On the prettier days, we’ve been finding stripers out in the Albemarle Sound. That fishing has been really good when we can get around and find them. It doesn’t take too much wind to make that place rough, so we’ve been searching the lower Roanoke and Tar as well for a productive consistent bite out of the wind. Every year, it’s always tough to know when those fish arrive in the rivers. Much of it has to do with river flows, but I’ve seen them show up at random times independent of water conditions. It’s gonna happen soon, and I hope you’re there to see it.