The speckled trout bite is hot around the North and South Carolina borders in June. This is the peak of the spawn. There are plenty of smaller sows and males that are legal keepers but If you catch some of the big sows that are loaded with eggs it might be a good time to join the Fishing C.P.R. Club (as in Catch-Photograph-Release). As usual the favorite bait is shrimp and if you don’t have live shrimp, check out last week’s blog on artificials. Our Club President, Steve Heins, reports good success with Vudu Shrimp. One of the easiest ways to catch trout with live of artificial bait is under a popping cork. Adjust the depth of your leader to keep the bait suspended a little above the bottom. If using artificials and don’t hesitate to add scent and a couple of beads to get that clicking sound that live shrimp make. The cork going down makes it easy to see a strike, give it a second and set the hook!  You just might also snag a redfish or two.

Hot spots are shell points in Dunn Sound and along the Little River jetties. Trout also gather around grassy points, creek mouths, oyster rocks and other places that concentrated baitfish and shrimp.

In the early morning or late afternoon trout feed most aggressively and topwater lures can be very effective and add a whole new dimension to fishing fun and excitement! Use the “walking the dog” retrieve and when you get a strike be sure to wait until you feel the weight of the fish before you set the hook Too fast on the hook set will result in a frustratingly low hook-up percentage.