Smaller puppy drum have been reported from all the state's sounds, rivers and bays. They also roam the surf zone and navigation channels. After reaching maturity at age 4 and a length of about 32 inches, adult fish head offshore to spend their adulthood, with the exception of the Pamlico Sound breeding population, which return to spawn.

The smaller fish can be caught all year 'round. By May, they are feeding in schools along grassbeds, oyster beds and bars. Anglers can catch them by sight-fishing with flies or lures or by casting live or dead baits into structure areas and bait-holding areas.

One of the most exciting ways to catch redfish is by casting topwater lures along docks or flats where red drum are known to lurk. A red drum has difficulty in getting the hook in its mouth, resulting in multiple strikes before the fish gets "the point."

When fishing with topwater lures, anglers should therefore wait until they feel the fish's weight before setting the hook. Otherwise, they will jerk the lure away from the fish. The trick is to keep the lure moving at the same retrieve rate and rhythm as the fish strikes and misses. It's not an easy thing to do with adrenaline shakes in the hands.

SPOTTED SEATROUT
The spotted seatrout, or "speck" is the third most popular inshore game fish in the state. Aggressive at attacking lures or live baits, specks do not offer spectacular fights. But when caught on light tackle, they still give thrills.

Sometimes referred to as the largemouth bass of salt water, specks can be caught with bass tackle, often by using the same types of lures. Standard lures are jigs tipped with natural or synthetic hair or soft-plastic trailers, minnow imitations and topwater "spook"-type lures or propeller lures.

Specks feed on mullet, croakers, menhaden and shrimp. The top live bait for speck fishing is a live shrimp. However, some of the largest specks dine on pinfish the size of an angler's hand.

Specks form dense schools that concentrate wherever there's a supply of baitfish or shrimp. Creek mouths, jetties, riprap, oyster beds and pier pilings hold massive schools at times. They can often be caught in large numbers at ocean fishing piers. They are such a staple at the Oak Island piers that live shrimp can be bought at the pier houses during the speck runs in the early summer and early fall.

Live shrimp are usually fished on a float rig. It's the same rig freshwater anglers use for catching bream and crappie. However, a No. 6 treble hook is used to hold the bait. The mouth of a speck has tender membranes that are easy to tear. The treble offers extra holding power after the cork goes down and the hook is set.

Veteran speck anglers use light-action rods with plenty of flexibility. When fighting a speck, they keep the fish's head beneath the water as it approaches the landing net to keep the fish from tossing the lure as its head shakes when it breaches the surface.