Finding fish is a skill borne of experience,
so anyone not familiar with local waters will
certainly benefit from the expertise of an experi-enced
guide. Professional guides are on the water
all year and know how to put you in the fish.
If You Catch a Tagged Fish FORTUNATE anglers sometimes catch a
speckled trout with a tag. Look for a thin,
yellow, numbered tag trailing from the
underside of the fish’s belly. Through the
speckled trout tagging program, the North Caro-lina
Division of Marine Fisheries offers rewards
up to $100 for the return of trout tags. Visit their
website at www.ncdmf.net for details. They also
offer a citation for all speckled trout heavier than
5 pounds if weighed and registered at an official
weigh station.
In North Carolina, there is a creel limit of four
speckled trout and a length limit no less than
14 inches. Fishing in coastal waters requires a
Coastal Recreational Fishing License offered
on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
website or through area bait, tackle and sporting
goods shops.
Top: Anglers employ a variety of hard and soft baits to attract the
specks at various depths. Right: Bob Rehder, the author’s son,
landed this speckled trout at Hutaff Island.
ROBERT REHDER ALLISON POTTER
36 february 2022
WBM