Ocean Isle...Beach or Pier?

JONOV

Twelve Pointer
Any thoughts on if one is more productive than the other? I'll be down for the weekend and was looking to do some fishing...

I haven't surf fished before but I've gone on the piers a couple of times. I don't much have a preference for what I catch but would like to catch something for lunch if possible.

Any tips on bait are appreciated too...thinking Gulp Minnows/Shrimp on a jig head...
 

23mako

Ten Pointer
I've never fished down there but it wouldnt hurt to have some metal tied on for spanish and bluefish early in the morning.

You can also soak some bait using a two hook bottom rig or a river rig. There's some good info on here from other posters about the river rig. Both are easy to tie. As far as bait, get some shrimp or dig up sand fleas if available.

Lots of stuff has been caught on jig heads and plastics as well.

Good luck.
 

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We used to park and walk to the inlet near Holden. It’s a long walk, take a chair and a tent if you can. We did it for a few hours then.....now I’d plan at least half a day to make it worth it. Seen a lot of flounder brought out of the inlet on boats.....never had luck from the bank myself. Maybe a little shark or two.
 

JONOV

Twelve Pointer
I've never fished down there but it wouldnt hurt to have some metal tied on for spanish and bluefish early in the morning.

You can also soak some bait using a two hook bottom rig or a river rig. There's some good info on here from other posters about the river rig. Both are easy to tie. As far as bait, get some shrimp or dig up sand fleas if available.

Lots of stuff has been caught on jig heads and plastics as well.

Good luck.
I know the river rig and have a few already so that’s good news. For sand fleas how do you find them? Could I catch bait on a Sabiki off the end of the pier like I do in a boat?
 

23mako

Ten Pointer
You can catch bait with a sabiki rig for sure on the pier. I have typically caught little shad before with a sabiki. They are great live baits for spanish but also probably make good cut bait.

This video does a decent job of showing what fleas look like in the surf:

Once you see what you are looking for they will be very easy to spot. I usually hook them through the shell from the bottom but check out what conman said on the other thread "Not the ones I've been getting in to. Falling tide, sandfleas dressed with Fishbites in the trough on rips. I've caught a dozen or so in the one pound class. That fish yesterday was the best, so far. 2# 5 oz. "

Fishbites makes a good sand flea flavor product that is orange. The mullet seem to like them and it sounds like the pomps do too.

You don't need a big rake like that. Any sieve style product will do. I use half a minnow trap if you are familiar with those or have one.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I know the river rig and have a few already so that’s good news. For sand fleas how do you find them? Could I catch bait on a Sabiki off the end of the pier like I do in a boat?

Look for fleas in receding waves, or cluster of bubbles in the sand right as the water recedes.

Yes to the sabiki. Everything loves a sabiki. Don’t be surprised if you fill your cooler (eaterfish)with a sabiki tipped with tiny pieces of cut bait or fish bites s
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have never found many sand fleas at Ocean Isle, that includes this week. There may be a few scattered, but not many. At the OBX, I can walk out anywhere on the beach and have a rake full in no time.
 

JONOV

Twelve Pointer
Fishing was slow...Pinfish mostly.

The guys that had live shrimp for bait were the ones really killing it on trout.

I didn't/don't have a cast net and the trip wasn't exclusively a fishing trip so in the interests of marital bliss I declined that boondoggle and contented myself with a few pinfish. Live and learn.
 
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