Heck of a trout bite today

darenative

Twelve Pointer
^^ yep.
Zara spook, chugbug, skitter v.

We fished hyde county after lunch today. Think we had about 15-18 drum on top water and littleman lost one heck of a speck. The speck bite was less than stellar today for us. Think we boated 8 or 10 with most of those being shorts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gus

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We fished hyde county after lunch today. Think we had about 15-18 drum on top water and littleman lost one heck of a speck. The speck bite was less than stellar today for us. Think we boated 8 or 10 with most of those being shorts.

What type of areas are you using the topwater? I have caught pretty well on bait and plastics but not topwater. I used one this past weekend for awhile without a bite. I'm guessing the type of water makes a difference.
 

Redheadduck

Eight Pointer
What type of areas are you using the topwater? I have caught pretty well on bait and plastics but not topwater. I used one this past weekend for awhile without a bite. I'm guessing the type of water makes a difference.
I fish in the sound and river. Grass points, small feeder creeks, mud flats. I start with top water early and usually put it down by 8:00 or so. I generally don't throw one in dirty water, or after a big rain. If you are seeing a lot of bait on top, its worth throwing one on my opinion. My preference is a walking bait like a spook or spook jr. Some folks like a bait that makes a ton of noise, I personally don't. A chugging bait is also a good choice. Oyster beds with 2-5ft of water also produce well for me.
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
What type of areas are you using the topwater? I have caught pretty well on bait and plastics but not topwater. I used one this past weekend for awhile without a bite. I'm guessing the type of water makes a difference.
Redheadduck pretty nuch nailed it.

Shell bottom, grass bottom, and creek mouths in 1-3' of water. Usually outgoing tide is a little fishier, at least for me in the areas we fish.
The hook up ratio can be poor with drum on top, but it's a blast to watch and very addictive. It's about like watching a bulldog chase a ball that doesnt quite fit in his mouth.
 

Sportsman

Old Mossy Horns
I’ll echo Redheadduck and darenative. I love it. I’m stubborn though....hard for me to put it down to use another lure once the water is as hot as it is now....especially on a cloudy day. I’ve caught them on top off and on all day long many times and that ruined me. Hard headed.
 

redbow

Ten Pointer
On fishing with live bait, around Belhaven and the Pungo I've had good luck using large "bass minnows" at bridge pilings on a slip bobber rig, to suspend them just off the bottom in the channel. I would buy them the day before from bait shops, and with a little care they stayed alive in an aeriated live well to fish the next day. Also had good luck with the slip bobber rig on the rock jetties at Masonboro Inlet, but there we used mainly shrimp purchased form Motts Channel seafood, and pinfish caught in a cast net from their docks The slip bobber rig allows you to fish in deeper water than just using a float. I never had much luck with mud minnows, although I know some people do.
I'm gonna try the slip bobber next week when I go back down. Had a family with two young ones pull up yesterday right at dusk. I watched the two kids catch at least 10 nice trout, including a 22 incher, fishing minnows under a cork. It was a blast watching them catch fish.
 

Redheadduck

Eight Pointer
I'm gonna try the slip bobber next week when I go back down. Had a family with two young ones pull up yesterday right at dusk. I watched the two kids catch at least 10 nice trout, including a 22 incher, fishing minnows under a cork. It was a blast watching them catch fish.
A slip float with live finger mullet or shrimp is deadly. Set it 1-2 feet off the bottom.
 

Sportsman

Old Mossy Horns
I'll get flamed for this.....but do you guys feel like your cheating a bit using live bait??? ducking, bobbing, weaving!!! LOL
 

Redheadduck

Eight Pointer
I'll get flamed for this.....but do you guys feel like your cheating a bit using live bait??? ducking, bobbing, weaving!!! LOL
I would rather use artificial baits, I can be fishing quicker without having to catch bait. I don't feel like I'm cheating too bad when I catch a 5 pound trout on a big finger mullet 😂😂
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
We used to fish the hot ditch in va during the winter when the power plant was still online. Half the crew that fished in there was diehard livebaiters. They always caught a lot of fish over 10 pounds, but the true giant specks were usually always caught on artificials.
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
We used to fish the hot ditch in va during the winter when the power plant was still online. Half the crew that fished in there was diehard livebaiters. They always caught a lot of fish over 10 pounds, but the true giant specks were usually always caught on artificials.


was that the plant in surry
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
Had the power plant not been shut down, i suspect that area on the ER would have likely produced the next world record speckled trout.
 

redbow

Ten Pointer
I'll get flamed for this.....but do you guys feel like your cheating a bit using live bait??? ducking, bobbing, weaving!!! LOL
I don't feel like I'm cheating. I only fish live bait under certain circumstances. I also catch my own bait. That being said I fish artificial 90% of the time.
 

Sportsman

Old Mossy Horns
I’ve never live baited for inshore fish, other than stripers on the Roanoke many years ago. Not saying I never will live bait for trout....in fact I’d like to try it for the heck of it. I’d love to try it with some 5-7” croakers.
 

seedrooster

Eight Pointer
We used to fish the hot ditch in va during the winter when the power plant was still online. Half the crew that fished in there was diehard livebaiters. They always caught a lot of fish over 10 pounds, but the true giant specks were usually always caught on artificials.

Caught a lot over 10lbs... BUT the true giants were caught in artificial??? Holy heck what is a true giant???? Lololol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
Caught a lot over 10lbs... BUT the true giants were caught in artificial??? Holy heck what is a true giant???? Lololol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
12-14#. I've never had one that size up there, but saw a few caught that were that size. Biggest i ever personally caught up there was a little over 10#.
 

seedrooster

Eight Pointer
12-14#. I've never had one that size up there, but saw a few caught that were that size. Biggest i ever personally caught up there was a little over 10#.

WOW... I thought the world record was something in the 14-15 pound range. I would be tickled to death to catch 10 pound trout !!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
WOW... I thought the world record was something in the 14-15 pound range. I would be tickled to death to catch 10 pound trout !!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There were some big dang fish up there before the plant shut down. It was a world class fishery for big specks.
 

Sportsman

Old Mossy Horns
Great day of inshore fishing w my nephew was close to being an epic day. We caught 10 decent trout and 2 slot drum, one was probably 24-25”. Had we 1) not lost what I would guess was a 23-24” trout at the boat; 2) hooked the BIG trout that exploded on my topwater lure twice; 3) hooked one of the bigger drum we saw....it would have been epic.

Lost the fish at the boat because I didn’t realize how big it was and didn't call for the net (damn I missed Bux today!!! 😁 ). I didn’t realize how big it was until it rolled up literally 1’ from the hull....then made a desperation run and pulled off.

I give my nephew credit, he threw a popping cork rig at the drum for 30 minutes trying to get a bite with no luck. We could see them, so I’m sure they could see us. 4-5 nice fish, all 30-40”.

Maybe next time we’ll snag a big fish.
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
Y
Great day of inshore fishing w my nephew was close to being an epic day. We caught 10 decent trout and 2 slot drum, one was probably 24-25”. Had we 1) not lost what I would guess was a 23-24” trout at the boat; 2) hooked the BIG trout that exploded on my topwater lure twice; 3) hooked one of the bigger drum we saw....it would have been epic.

Lost the fish at the boat because I didn’t realize how big it was and didn't call for the net (damn I missed Bux today!!! 😁 ). I didn’t realize how big it was until it rolled up literally 1’ from the hull....then made a desperation run and pulled off.

I give my nephew credit, he threw a popping cork rig at the drum for 30 minutes trying to get a bite with no luck. We could see them, so I’m sure they could see us. 4-5 nice fish, all 30-40”.

Maybe next time we’ll snag a big fish.
Ya'll seeing a good sign of flounder?
Last trip we made over there they seemed to be right thick. We probably had more flounder than everything else combined
 

Sportsman

Old Mossy Horns
Been fishing Bay/Neuse River, and haven’t seen a flounder. Have been walking the dog 90% of the time and throwing Yozuri minnow or 17 the rest of the time.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
My first and probably last opportunity to post on a trout thread. :)
On Tuesday Captain Brian Dehart of Manteo took me, my Mom and SIL on a trip that was mainly to honor my Dad who Brian became friends with while he was in college in Greensboro. He encouraged Brian to pursue his passion for fishing and helped him early on with his contacts in the fishing business.

We caught so many trout that the count would be hard to believe in this time of year and the size was outstanding according to Brian. He measured several that were 20 inches. The man knows his stuff. We just knew how to fish according to his instructions. We also caught stripers ,blues, spanish, and croakers.
A few bit topwater and jerk baits but Zman trout tricks caught the vast majority.

Sometimes it just works perfectly.
 
Top