First timer

[rbgfishboy]

Hi everybody! I look forward to talking with you folks and hopefully learning some new tricks.
I was born and raised in Greensboro, but my mom's side of the family originally came from the Russel Creek area near Beaufort, so I'm more at home east of Raleigh than I am in my own hometown. I have a great wife who tolerates my fishing habit very well, and two sons who regularly fish with me. Our favorite fishing spots are Topsail Beach and the Neuse River, particularly around Northwest Creek and Broad Creek. We fish the Neuse are about three or four times a year, and that's not enough!
We bass fish here, but would rather chase specs, reds, stripers, and flounder. We just spent Thanksgiving in New Bern and caught a handfull of fish, mostly specks around 1-3 lbs. and had a blast.

I need an education - where do the specks go during the year? We seem to find them fairly well in the fall, but can't buy any in the spring and summer. We become "bank beaters" in the spring and summer and generally catch puppy drum, with an occasional striper or largemouth. But never a speck. Where do these guys go in warm weather? Also, what's the best lure overall. I just fished a Mirrolure, called the Mirrodine in a #18 color, and the few specks we caught wouldn't look at any other bait. Anyway, I hope some of you can shed a little light on the specks without giving away any of your secrets. I'll be talking to you again soon!