The surf waters of North Carolina’s Outer Banks roll in hundreds of miles from where you stand in the ocean water up to your knees, holding a fishing rod in one hand while you wait for a fish to pull on the fishing line. North Carolina’s coastline features some of the best locations to fish for surf fish along the East Coast of the United States. These locations include Cape Hatteras and Wilmington.
Unlike the pricey fishing gear that some anglers show off in there social media feeds, the fish dont care. The fish care about the bait and how they present it into the surf zone. With the proper bait, presentation, and timing of the trip, you stand a chance of landing a variety of fish species including red drum and Spanish mackerel.
There are a few truth about the sport of fishing that separate those that do not catch a single fish from those who land many before lunchtime. Seasoned fishermen do not pass these truths along in bait and tackle shops. These truths are learned through the mistakes made when a fisherman snaps their fishing line or misses the bite of a fish.
Essential Tips for North Carolina Surf Fishing
1. Mastering the Timing of the Tides
By mastering each of these truths, the Atlantic Ocean will generously provide fish to the angler. The most important factor that new fishermen who is eager to learn how to surf fish ignore is the importance of the timing of the fishing trip. Fish are active and eat the most during the two hours preceding low tide and the two hours following low tide.
Fish are also active when the ocean waters begin to flood onto the coastal shore. These four hours around the time of low tide are active hours for the fish. During high tide when beachcombers stand on the shoreline, the fish are casting the bait into deep ocean waters that the fish tend to pass by without seeing the fishing bait.
Fishermen must plan their driving and sleeping schedules around the tide charts instead of the clock on there phones. The tide chart is more important than the clock. There will be a noticeable difference in the number of fish that are caught with proper timing of fishing trips.
2. Choosing the Right Bait
Another important factor in fishing for surf fish in North Carolina is the type of bait that is used. When choosing fishing bait, consider what the fish are eating on the day of fishing. Shrimp, sand fleas, bloodworms, and cut mullet are the most common fishing bait used in North Carolina’s ocean waters.
Using fresh bait is the best way to catch the fish, however, if the fresh bait isnt available frozen bait is better than using no bait at all to attract the fish. In the fall when the mullet are active a live finger mullet hooked in the lip will attract the attention of the fish. In the summer when the ocean waters are warm a piece of fresh shrimp placed on a circle hook will bring in a variety of fish species.
The most important rule when fishing for surf fish is to use the bait that the fish are eating. Watch the birds to see what bait they are diving into or check the stomachs of the fish that you catch. A thirty-second autopsy will yield more information about the bait used than reading the most popular fishing forum on the internet.
3. The Carolina Fish Finder Rig
The fishing rig used to catch surf fish in North Carolina is both simple and strong. It must be strong enough to withstand waves that reach six feet in height during a nor’easter. The most common fishing rig used by anglers in this part of North Carolina is the fish-finder rig, also referred to as a Carolina rig in freshwater environments.
The pyramid sinker for this fishing rig is placed on the fishing line with a swivel followed by two to three feet of leader fishing line with a circle hook. This fishing rig allows the fish to pick up the bait and swim away from the fishing spot without feeling the weight of the sinker. The benefit of this type of fishing rig is that the fish will hook onto the bait instead of the short striking of the fish at the fishing spot.
4. Using Pyramid Sinkers
Fishing for surf fish requires that a variety of sinkers of different weights are in the fishing bag. From two to six ounces of weight is offered in sinkers that are offered for purchase by most fishing and sporting goods retailers in North Carolina. A skill that most surf fishermen do not consider when they are fishing for surf fish is the importance of reading the beach.
5. Reading the Beach and Sand Sloughs
Not every spot on a beach in North Carolina has surf fish in it. Look for sloughs which are troughs in the sand that run parallel to the beach and past the first break of the surf. Fish use these areas to travel through the ocean waters.
Look for jetties or points on the beach. Another factor to look for is the color of the water. Water that changes color to a lighter shade indicates the presence of rip currents.
These currents pull the fish out into the ocean and provide an easy target for the fish to target. Walk the beach for ten minutes before beginning to fish. It may seem like a waste of time to walk the beach but the amount of fish that will be landed by one person while another person fifty yards away goes without a single fish with there expensive fishing rod.
6. Essential Surf Fishing Gear
The gear used for fishing for surf fish is more important than the fishermen that fish for surf fish would like to admit. Fishing rods range between seven and nine feet in length and possess a medium-heavy strength. For the spinning fishing reels a twenty-pound braid line is used.
The benefit of using braided line is that it does not stretch when the fish are using the bait in the colder ocean waters. Monofilament fishing leaders that are thirty to fifty pounds in strength are used. These types of fishing leaders will hold up against the red drum rubbing against shells of seashells or rocks that have barnacles on them.
Cheap fishing reels will quickly break when used in the ocean water so invest in an affordable fishing reel that features a good drag system and sealed bearings to avoid strain on the wrist and to maintain fishing pride after a fight with a thirty-pound red drum. Patience is the most important part of the game of fishing for surf fish. The ability to fish for twenty casts without landing a single fish and the willingness to change the bait and location after a few casts will reward the patient angler with abundant catches of red drum, Spanish mackerel and other fish species.
The best times to surf fish are the hour before the sun rises above the horizon or the hour after the sun reaches its zenith. These are the hours when most anglers have finished their fishing trips for the day. Bring a comfortable chair and a headlamp for the fishing spot.
7. Practicing Proper Fish Handling
The willingness to stand on the beach until the surf fisherman knows that it is time to head home will ensure that the fishermen earn every strike from the fish that are in North Carolinas Outer Banks. The care with which the caught fish are handled determines the health of the surf fishery. North Carolina implements fishing size and bag limits for species of red drum, flounder and sea trout.
These fishing limits are in place for a reason and must be learned prior to heading to the beach. Use circle hooks to catch the fish because these types of hooks catch the fish in the corner of the mouth. Avoid using the dry hand to touch the fish.
Wet your hands prior to touching the catch to protect the fish slime. If the caught fish is legal to keep, quickly and humanely kill the fish. If the surf fishery decides to release the catch hold the fish in the water until the fish swims away from the fishing spot with strength.
These actions are necessary to ensure the next angler or the children will have the same opportunity to catch these fish species. Finally, respect the ocean because the ocean does not show respect for man. Always check the weather forecast before heading to the ocean and tell another person where you plan to be.
8. Staying Safe in Ocean Conditions
Watch the waves because sneak waves can knock a fisherman off his feet. Sneaker waves are powerful and strong as they roll onto the beach but rogue waves that come out of nowhere can knock a man off his feet. Sneaker waves and rogue waves are dangerous to fisherman and should be avoided by wearing boots with felt bottoms or wading shoes to provide support for the ankles.
Apply sun block, wear polarized sunglasses and a hat to stay protected from the sun. The sun can cause fishermen to overheat if they are not careful with applying sunscreen and wearing a hat. Taking a few minutes to prepare for an ocean trip will ensure that the fishing trip does not turn into an expensive rescue mission for the fisherman.
North Carolina’s surf fishing spot does not require the use of expensive boats or rods that cost one thousand dollars. All that is needed is the willingness to stand where the land meets the ocean water, feel the presence of a fish pulling on the fishing line and understand the rhythm of the North Carolina surf fishery. Ensure that your timing is correct, read the beach for the best fishing spots, fish in a clean way and above all else, stay safe while performing this sport that the sportfisherman loves.
If you take the time to learn how to fish on the terms of the fish they will find you in there habitat.