Oak Island -bust from the bank!

Hazmt

Six Pointer
Spent the past two weeks trying to coax something large enough to eat out of the surf at Oak Island. All I can say is wow, NC inshore fishing is horrible! We caught: sharks, crabs, pinfish, 3" long croakers and other assorted fish-tank sized fish and that was it. The only fish I caught large enough to eat was a spot in the surf - and truth be known -he was probably lost! My daughter caught a pretty nice jumping mullet with the cast net, but everything else was about the size of the holes in commercial nets. The only thing that salvaged our trip (fishing-wise) was an offshore trip out of Calabash where we did catch a few (enough for one meal). From Caswell to the Point at Long beach, I saw very few fish being caught at all. We did have a great time with family and spent a couple of days shooting clays at Low Country Preserve in Tabor City. Maybe my memory is failing, but I remember catching fish out of the surf at all times of the year when I was a kid. Shame my children won't be able to know what that is like...
 

skimmer

Six Pointer
Spent the past two weeks trying to coax something large enough to eat out of the surf at Oak Island. All I can say is wow, NC inshore fishing is horrible! We caught: sharks, crabs, pinfish, 3" long croakers and other assorted fish-tank sized fish and that was it. The only fish I caught large enough to eat was a spot in the surf - and truth be known -he was probably lost! My daughter caught a pretty nice jumping mullet with the cast net, but everything else was about the size of the holes in commercial nets. The only thing that salvaged our trip (fishing-wise) was an offshore trip out of Calabash where we did catch a few (enough for one meal). From Caswell to the Point at Long beach, I saw very few fish being caught at all. We did have a great time with family and spent a couple of days shooting clays at Low Country Preserve in Tabor City. Maybe my memory is failing, but I remember catching fish out of the surf at all times of the year when I was a kid. Shame my children won't be able to know what that is like...
Should of tried a different bait
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
There are times where the surf can almost be a dead zone, but there are always fish somewhere. If after day 2 you haven’t caught something, you gotta switch it up. Location, bait, time/tide, and presentation. If there’s nothing happening in the surf, wade in the inlet or the backside of the island. Maybe even hop over to another island.

We caught some Friday south of you. I’ve grown so accustomed to poor surf fishing in the summer, all I brought was 2 inshore rods. Pulled them out on the last day, got some fresh shrimp and hit the surf at 6:30. I spent the next two hours baiting hooks and helping take fish off for a 7 and 8 year old catching sea mullet just past the breakers. Mostly small but a couple of big ones mixed in. Good enough to eat fish for lunch.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Do the same trip mid October and you will change your mind. Yes....surf fishing sucks right now.

No no no no no no..............zero fish to be caught from the surf at Oak Island in the fall...............??

In all seriousness, it’s a different world in the fall. Summer= lots of people, very few fish. Fall=very few people, lots of fish................
 

CBD21

Eight Pointer
No no no no no no..............zero fish to be caught from the surf at Oak Island in the fall...............??

In all seriousness, it’s a different world in the fall. Summer= lots of people, very few fish. Fall=very few people, lots of fish................
Correct this time of year at oak island just plain sucks for fishing waters so hot and so many people. Spring of the year and fall of the year are a completely different story. I spent most of April on the island caught our share of whiting, blues, slot black drum and even a couple Spanish. I normally spend the month of October on the island like I plan to do this year as well. spots, whiting, blacks and reds, Spanish and flounder.
 

Hazmt

Six Pointer
We fished fresh shrimp, frozen shrimp, cast net caught mullet, mud minnows, cast net caught shrimp, and cut pinfish. We tried intercoastal, surf (in breakers and past breakers), caswell to point at long beach. I hope the farming will allow a trip back in September. I have fished summer months for the past 10 years or so from Carolina Beach down to Oak Island. Summer is not something to brag about fishing in the surf! Due to family obligations and work schedule fishing hasn't been a high priority for me (unlike hunting). We have only hit the surf (My boat hasn't been in the water in over 5 years). I am actively trying a little more now!
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Lots of good fish to be caught from the kayak in Oak Island right now. One October we killed it for several days from the surf. One morning I came down and there was a night in each side of our house. That was it for a few days.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

HotSoup

Old Mossy Horns
Correct this time of year at oak island just plain sucks for fishing waters so hot and so many people. Spring of the year and fall of the year are a completely different story. I spent most of April on the island caught our share of whiting, blues, slot black drum and even a couple Spanish. I normally spend the month of October on the island like I plan to do this year as well. spots, whiting, blacks and reds, Spanish and flounder.

Ill be there from the 3rd to the 14th or so
 
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