I am going to NC this summer with my wife's family. We are apparently staying in a 'beach' house on the ICW side of the island as opposed to on the beach side. The house, as well as most of the others on the street, has its own dock off the back. My question is basically how does one fish in this type of area? What kind of fish would be around? What type of bait would I use (plastic/live/cut)? I am very excited about the possibilities. If we don't have any luck, we'll probably take a charter. We're going in early/mid June so the fishing should be good in the ocean. Anyway, all suggestions will be helpful.
Stephen, summer is not the ideal time to fish inshore without a boat. I do fish in the summer at times but never expect to catch much unless you specifically target a species like say flounder. Spring and fall is the best time to inshore fish for a variety. Tell us where you are staying and some of us can probally tell you some spots to drive to for some surf fishing where you might have a better chance to get into some 1-3 pound blues, flounder, drum etc. I usually rig with a carolina rig and use frozen menhaden or ballyhoo for bait in the summer. The fall is when the finger mullet can be netted in the surf and they are my favorite bait. Other that, you can fish with shrimp, squid, blood worms, or cut mullet on a double drop rig and hope for the best.
Should be able to pick up some flounder and maybe a scattered red or two depending on the area. I place my focus at early morning or just after dark if your held to a dock area. Flounder will definately be around, what size is hard to say...but if you can cast net some mullet, mud minnows, or use some shrimp(the fresher the better). ICW I'd either free drift a bait or through on a carolina(fish-finder) rig. You can also throw plastics on jigs, try different stuff, but the Gulp baits have been doing real well too.
Thanks for the replies guys. I wonder if you might now what kind of bottom these areas have. Is their a lot of brush and hang-ups, or is it more smooth and grassy? Also, C_wernett, if I were to use Gulp baits, would this be a case where I would use the saltwater stuff like squid, jerk shad, and sandworm, or could you just use shaky worms and nightcrawlers? What about sizes? I apologize for my complete lack of knowledge, but we don't catch many flounders or reds or whatnots here in KY.
If I was close to Wilmington or Carolina Beach I'd be hanging out at Snow's cut or the mouth of the Cape Fear. Snow's Cut is snaggy but man there are some nice drum and flounder come out there. Not too uncommon to be spooled by jaws there either.
Check the area out at low tide. Sandy flats that flood during high tide should be good for flounder; deeper flats with holes, grass, etc. should be good for other inshore fish, such as redfish (red drum). If you're lucky enough to be able to get to a spot where the water channels through onto and off of a flat when the tide changes, that should be a great place to fish. Unfortunately for you, the area around the dock is usually dredged out so boats can pull up to it, but sometimes you can walk down the shore a little way and get to the flat.
Saltwater Gulp 101 for beginners in my book would include two main baits, white shrimp(3" or 4") and white swimming mullet in 4". The swimming mullet is sure to the hit by everything, however, it's a grub type bait and therefore loses the tail a LOT! You can try some of the others, but those two are mainstays, and you might just want to vary the colors instead. I'd expect there to be more of a concern with oyster rocks then brush hang-ups. You're not going to find bass and bluegill in the ICW. But you will find primarily: pinfish, lizardfish, bluefish, flounder, redfish, black drum, and speckled trout. Three could be others, but this will be what you primarily see in the ICW.
we vacation at kure beach just south of carolina beach.i am still learning to surf fish but i love it there.we caught several different types from the beach last year including spotted sea trout and flounder.if you want to charter a boat we go with the carolina explorer out of carolina beach.go to carolina pier and surf for a charter boat directory.alot of small personal guides that do the coastal trips at a fair price.we are going in oct. this year and i already have 2 days chartered.good luck.
Stephen, My family and I are also vacationing in Ocean Isle Beach this summer. We usually stay a little farther south of there but decided to give it a try. I went down a few weeks back to check out the fishing possibilities and the area really looks good. Don't know if you will be taking a boat or not but if so there is a good ramp as soon as you cross the bridge to the left. If not, there is also parking at the ramp for non boaters but the spaces are limited. You can park there and walk under the bridge especially at low tide and looks like there should be some good fishing up that bank to the left. There is also a bait and tackle shop close to the ramp.The one good thing about Ocean Isle is that most of the canals are deep water and they don't mud out at low tide so you should be able to catch some fish from your dock. Fresh shrimp is hard to beat but the pinfish will worry you to death sometimes. Bloodworms are also good. Just depends on what you are fishing for. Take a cast net and catch some mullett or mud minnows to use for flounder. Good luck.
Ocean Isle, just 12 miles south of where I reside. Capt, Brandt works out of the Ocen Isle fishing center, there at the public ramp. He knows where to fish.
