Shore fishing in NC...help!

[Clark]

The end of July will see me in Corolla, NC vacationing with my wife's family for a week. I went ahead and booked a half-day trip with a local (Kitty Hawk) guide for fishing in the sound (Bay? Brackish water? Inside passage? Not sure what to call it.)

I know that shore fishing is a thing and a friend has some rods and reels that he claims are good for saltwater fish. My father-in-law and myself are looking to get away several mornings or evenings and try fishing from shore. However, I have no clue what to do or how to do it. If it's not fishing from a boat in a lake then this midwestern boy is a bit lost so I'm hoping some of you have some ideas or experience you can lend me. Thank you!

Clark

[terrifictimbersllc]

You usually benefit from being able to cast as far as possible. Gear: open face spinning reel, longest rod you've got best if it is a spinning rod with larger guides at bottom. About 20 pound mono maybe 30. 30 pound braid would also be great. For bottom fishing a 3way swivel with 2-3 oz bank sinker on 6-12" mono line and another 2ft line going to proper hook and bait for what's there. If using lures line going to snap swivel  with 2-3 oz Kastmaster or Deadly Dick pretty versatile. Local tackle shops or a local Walmart will have usually what is needed. The tackle shops or other people fishing there will have good advice about what to try for. It's not that complicated but regional differences keep from giving specific advice. Others will surely chime in here too.

Also a good idea to go online to look up  North Carolina saltwater fishing regulations, There's probably a simple chart of it that will come up, showing season and species and size limits, and you could look there also as to whether you need a salt water permit which you can probably just get online very easily. Others who might know that too

[Southside]

Ok, ok, How many times you going to ask me?  I will come along and show you how to do it.  :D

Seriously, as a guy who would crawl through thickets to drown a worm for a brookie I am jealous of your conundrum. 

Have fun!!

[nativewolf]

First things first:  Enjoy!  I grew up on the inter coastal waterway just down from there.  

Guided fishing in Pamlico Sound is a great way to get started, not so different from fishing in MN except the water is less clear, there are shifting sandbars, oyster beds and such that the guide will know all about.  The guides will also know all the regs and will know what is and isn't biting which changes quite a bit as the sound warms up and fish migrate into and out of the sounds depending on what temps they like.  

Shore fishing is popular and your guide can also set that up for you.  You'll need a heavy rod.  The tackle on your line is also fairly stout, from there it depends on what you are targeting.  The common targets are speckled trout, red drum, stripers (striped bass), blue fish, and flounders.  Again, read regs.  

https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits/recreational-limits

Note that flounder season is completely closed.  Easiest way to not accidentally catch flounder is to not fish tackle designed to catch them.  

Bluefish on light tackle is a ton of fun, striper fishing is a bit of an art -they can rip light tackle apart and get quite big.  

It's nothing like what it used to be.  Here is an article by my closest uncle on growing up in the 40s.  My grandfather had been relocated to setup & run the Reigelwood papermill and settled the family in Wilmington NC. 

http://capefearaudubon.org/Documents/Newsletters/2012_July_Skimmer_No_20.pdf

My uncle is still an ardent outdoorsman, my kids learned prescribed burning on his property in NC.  He went on to win the national science fair and solved two fundamental questions in science, including proving that chlorophyl was originally a separate organism- he solved that as a bet as a PhD student at MIT.  If he'd kept up that line of research he'd have a Nobel.  His other research was all bio chemistry related and ground breaking but he left it to go back to having a farm.  You can tell by his writing that he was a talent.  

I spent many many hours in the marsh and sounds growing up just a canoe and osprey, now just about impossible with jetskis and boats everywhere.  Almost no place for solitude.   I don't quite have the gift with the pen that Mike does.  

[Clark]

Thanks for all the replies! Southside, you are welcome to come along. Just bring lunch for everyone, bait, tackle and knowledge of how to catch fish and we'll have a great time!

I'll definitely be working the guide for information on shore fishing. Good to know the local Walmart (or whatever they might have on the tenuous piece of terra firma called the barrier islands) should have everything. Let's be honest, I'll be in a house with 20 people and any excuse to get out of there is welcome! Thank you for the information.

Clark

[Wudman]

Run down to the Kitty Hawk pier one night and see what the folks are catching.  The locals will give you some advice and most are more than happy to talk with you.  It is a social event for the most part.  Folks running the pier will be more than happy to help you out.  Have fun.

Wud