north carolina vacation

[Chrisper4694]

if there's a better spot for this post, just feel free to move it...

i'm going to be in north carolina last week of june/first week of july and i'm wondering if anyone has any tips about fishing the area. I'll be near kittyhawk on one of the canals. any significant fishing in the actual canals that will be in my backyard? I've never caught redfish or speckled trout which i'm thinking and hoping i can knock out from shore. I'm also looking for info on a good charter to go after some kind of warm saltwater species we don't get up in NJ. maybe grouper.

any suggestions or comments appreciated!

[porgylber]

if there's a better spot for this post, just feel free to move it...

i'm going to be in north carolina last week of june/first week of july and i'm wondering if anyone has any tips about fishing the area. I'll be near kittyhawk on one of the canals. any significant fishing in the actual canals that will be in my backyard? I've never caught redfish or speckled trout which i'm thinking and hoping i can knock out from shore. I'm also looking for info on a good charter to go after some kind of warm saltwater species we don't get up in NJ. maybe grouper.

any suggestions or comments appreciated!

Congrats, you’re headed to a prime spot for shore based fishing. Lots of room on the beaches, especially late afternoon and early morning. In addition, plenty of fishing piers available too. The Nags Head Pier is closest to where you are staying. $12 per day, $30 for a 3 day pass. There’s a tackle shop right there, and you can even rent equipment if needed. There’s also a restaurant there that will cook your catch if you wish. www.nagsheadpier.com
Keep in mind, you’ll need a license. $10 for a 10 day non resident license.
YouTube has several videos on surf fishing in NC. Check them out on what you can expect to catch.
Enjoy!

[cfish71]

In regards to fishing Pirates Cove Marina and Oregon Inlet both offer open boat trips for both inshore/ offshore trips. At Pirates Cove the Country Girl offers party boat trips ( only 26 peeps ) but you must make reservations.

Great places to eat : Tortuga's Lie Covington Inn Bluewater Grille Fishbones on the pier for Happy Hour. You will not be disappointed. Been going there for decades.

[Chrisper4694]

Congrats, you’re headed to a prime spot for shore based fishing. Lots of room on the beaches, especially late afternoon and early morning. In addition, plenty of fishing piers available too. The Nags Head Pier is closest to where you are staying. $12 per day, $30 for a 3 day pass. There’s a tackle shop right there, and you can even rent equipment if needed. There’s also a restaurant there that will cook your catch if you wish. www.nagsheadpier.com
Keep in mind, you’ll need a license. $10 for a 10 day non resident license.
YouTube has several videos on surf fishing in NC. Check them out on what you can expect to catch.
Enjoy!

thanks, and i didn't know i needed to pay for a saltwater license there, thanks for telling me (i hadn't run into that piece of info yet). the house we're renting has the jean guite canal in the backyard and from the looks of it i might be able to catch some red drum and specks right out of that!

[Chrisper4694]

In regards to fishing Pirates Cove Marina and Oregon Inlet both offer open boat trips for both inshore/ offshore trips. At Pirates Cove the Country Girl offers party boat trips ( only 26 peeps ) but you must make reservations.

Great places to eat : Tortuga's Lie Covington Inn Bluewater Grille Fishbones on the pier for Happy Hour. You will not be disappointed. Been going there for decades.

thanks, my wife and her family planned the trip, i mostly care about the fishing haha, but i do have to eat too :D

[Harpoon]

Agreed with the rest, you are in a good place to fish and eat! Swing by TW's bait and Tackle in Kitty Hawk and pick up your bait/rigs/license and local knowledge. F&G patrol often so don't even think about skipping out on the license.

While the peer is great I've had some of my better luck at dusk/night on the beach next to the pier. Call me cheap but with everyone literally throwing bait over the peer, the feed can be good....especially when the pier lights come on.

Drive down rt 12 (beach road) or the main road and don't be afraid to drop a line at all the small bridges around for some reds/spec trout. I've had luck with both gulp and cut bait.

I've done charters on Outrigger (sportfishing type) for mahi and tuna and Outer Banks Outdoors charter (custom type boat) for cobia and reds.

Cops in MD/VA and NC patrol those back roads you will be taking down, so watch your speed.

Heading down myself in May...good luck and have fun!

[Skolmann]

Plenty of charter boats run out of Wanchese Marina for inshore, nearshore and offshore trips. Boats can either be chartered by you or you can do an open boat trip (call marina office to check availability & make arrangements).

Just a side note, if you plan on keeping any fish for the table, the boats do not clean fish but there is a fish cleaning service at the marina that charge you by the pound.

[Brewlugger]

Caught sea trout in a canal down there. We drifted live shrimp off a bridge with a slip bobber. My dad got a 10lb sheepshead too. A friend of mine does good with the Kayak in NC.

[Capt. Debbie]

I crabbed and fished inside Cape Hatteras ( Pamlico Sound) AWEFUL!!!! That was last August.


Let me know how you do?


if there's a better spot for this post, just feel free to move it...

i'm going to be in north carolina last week of june/first week of july and i'm wondering if anyone has any tips about fishing the area. I'll be near kittyhawk on one of the canals. any significant fishing in the actual canals that will be in my backyard? I've never caught redfish or speckled trout which i'm thinking and hoping i can knock out from shore. I'm also looking for info on a good charter to go after some kind of warm saltwater species we don't get up in NJ. maybe grouper.

any suggestions or comments appreciated!

[Fortunate Son]

Inshore reds and trout are fun on light tackle. Hired a guide out of Oregon Inlet Marina and my wife outfished me as usual.

[Chrisper4694]

thanks for all the info so far guys. has anyone had any specific personal experience with any of the charter boats that run open trips? I don't have good luck when i randomly pick a boat (always seem to pick the guys that don't give a crap and think they're just taking out tourists that want to kill the day away). I want a captain that's going to put in the full effort.

[atcojg]

Check out Rock Solid out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Great cobia and redfish guy. If you want some good bar food check out Chili Peppers. The bartender there is pretty hot as well, if she is still there.

[porgylber]

While you are down there, you might as well get some good BBQ. Check out Pigman’s BBQ. Good stuff! http://www.pigman.com

[Chrisper4694]

will do, thanks guys

[Mr Maj]

One related suggestion. We went out on a crabbing and shrimping boat in the bay area (forget the name) down near Kitty Hawk. They drop a small drag net, drive for 10-15 mins and pull up a huge amount of each....then we measure, and sort and do it again. Was a 2-3 hour trip and we had 2-3 bushels of crabs and 60-70 lbs of shrimp and that was with only 2 adults sorting (and 5 kids playing with crabs), so with any focus could have had double. We had so much shrimp we drove back to NY with a ton in the cooler.

Good for the women and kids, not too long and a fun time out on the water. The only suggestion would be, do it early in the week...we did it second to the last day and had to buy enough coolers to bring the shrimp home.

Good time though.

[porgylber]

One related suggestion. We went out on a crabbing and shrimping boat in the bay area (forget the name) down near Kitty Hawk. They drop a small drag net, drive for 10-15 mins and pull up a huge amount of each....then we measure, and sort and do it again. Was a 2-3 hour trip and we had 2-3 bushels of crabs and 60-70 lbs of shrimp and that was with only 2 adults sorting (and 5 kids playing with crabs), so with any focus could have had double. We had so much shrimp we drove back to NY with a ton in the cooler.

Good for the women and kids, not too long and a fun time out on the water. The only suggestion would be, do it early in the week...we did it second to the last day and had to buy enough coolers to bring the shrimp home.

Good time though.
Wow, this site always amazes! I wish that I knew about this on my last trip to the OBX. I just looked it up, http://www.obxcrabbing.com
Thanks again!

[Chrisper4694]

Wow, this site always amazes! I wish that I knew about this on my last trip to the OBX. I just looked it up, http://www.obxcrabbing.com
Thanks again!

that's pretty cool. i probably won't do it as i'm the only one that would eat any crabs or shrimp, but it's very neat to know this exists for another time maybe!