Wow! 2019 is here after 2018 went by in a seemingly blur.

Article by: Capt. Jeff Wolfe

Wow! 2019 is here after 2018 went by in a seemingly blur. After a few changes in our fleet, we are now solely a Kencraft-Bayrider company. Starting 2019, we have 2 Bayrider Skiffs, and a Bayrider 239 Bay. These are truly top of the line inshore boats that can accommodate several different types of fishing. Although we went through some of the roughest and rainiest weather to date in the Cape Fear region, we were able to crank out another successful and fun filled year with some of the BEST customers and friends. Now that we are now in the dead middle of the winter season and also our winter special rates, the numbers of species has minimized but the red drum bite has not. This is our one go-to winter time fish that thrives even in the coldest of weather. With that being said, here is a look ahead of what you can expect when fishing with us in the next few months.

Speckled Trout-

The next few months should hold decent numbers of trout but if it is going to be anything like we have seen over the past couple months, they may be on the small side. The colder months however, sometimes will push some bigger fish into the creeks. Fishing scented soft plastics such as Gulp or Z-man will be the most common technique. Usually, we will scale down to a lighter jig head such as a 1/8th or 3/16th oz jig head if the conditions are appropriate for it. The slower the better when the water temps cool down. If we can get our hands on live mullet minnows or live mud minnows, you can also guarantee catching trout if the are anywhere in the area. Rigging them on the same jig heads as the artificials is the simplest way to fish the live baits. For the most part, the trout and reds will tend to lay in the same areas so a mixed bag isn’t uncommon.

Red Drum-

This typically is our bread and butter this time of year. Finding them can be difficult at times but when you find them, the numbers can add up pretty quick. Historically, double digit days are average with the potential of having much higher final tallies. The weather obviously plays a big role in how we fish for reds but even in some of the crappier days throughout the winter, we still have the possibility of having very good days. Normally we like to fish for winter time reds with a focus on schooling fish. Sometimes that may be the open flats in the bays, or back in the creeks where the water temps warm up quicker than most surrounding areas. The ticket is finding muddy flats or deeper holes that may produce a food source such as mud minnows or small crustaceans. Gulp shrimp and other small scented lures seem to be the best bite producers when fished on jig heads (similar to the trout tactics) but sometimes when all else fails, pieces of dead shrimp or live minnows can be a day saver.

Black Drum-

The next few months we should see a handful of black drum but the numbers will be relatively low. The closer we get towards spring, we should see a push of fish into our backwaters. January and February are most often our slower months for these fish but that doesn’t mean we wont catch them on occasion. We will target them with dead shrimp on a Carolina rig or a jig head also in similar locations as the reds and speckled trout.

So to wrap things up, the Cape Fear area can offer some fantastic fishing in the winter months. Spring will be right around the corner so if you are trying to squeeze in a winter trip, give us a call or shoot us a message/email. The winter rates will end at the end of February and our normal rates will resume. We will be making a few website changes over the next couple weeks so we would love to have you guys check out some of the new additions that will be put on. Happy New Year and we look forward to a “fishy” 2019!

God Bless,

Captains Jeff and Christian Wolfe
Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters
Carolina Beach Inshore Fishing Blog
910-619-9580

Capt. Christian L. Wolfe
Mobile: (910) 619-5053