.The weather is great now and Spring has arrived! Speckled trout are starting to show up in numbers and although the number of catches may not be as great as in the Fall, there is still plenty of action. The amount of bait that trout feed on is also increasing. Count these as small mullet, mud and glass minnows and, of course, shrimp. Water temperatures are rising too and specks like ranges from 55 to 65 F. Tides also play a part in the temperature ranges. So as the tide falls and the warmer water filters out of the shallow marsh areas. In a Carolina Sportsman article (April 2021), Captain Tripp Hooks recommended fishing along the ledges of the ICW and the Calabash, Shallotte and Lockwood Folly Rivers. He targets 3 to 7 feet of water along grass lines and shell banks. Although he prefers live bait good artificial baits like slow-moving, suspending lures may also be effective. Options include Rapala X-Raps, MirrOlure 17 MRs, and the like.