Plug/Popper cast and retrieve

[ACKblues]

Hey there folks. I'm a newbie to the NC shore and looking for a little help.

My experiences have all been in the Cape Cod area where using plugs and surface poppers is the preferred method.

Is there anything specific about the shore in the CB area that would make poppers and plugs less effective? I could imagine that the churn and chop close the beach would make these lures less effective. All things being equal I would rather use this method because I like to stay active while fishing.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[NCsurffisher]

Are you in Carolina Beach?

Big swimmers and poppers can work in NC but are more effective in late fall and winter when fish might be on bigger bait like adult menhaden (bunker) or if the fish happen to be feeding on the surface. They are also more relevant at the northern outer banks where we can get big blues and stripers late in the season. However, these lures are definitely not as popular in NC as they are in New England.

Mirrolures (hard plastic swimming plugs) are very popular in fall and winter for speckled trout and puppy drum (juvenile red drum) along the bars and sloughs just off the beach. Relatively light tackle is used (6-7 foot rods w/8-12 # test), as the fish are generally in the 2-6 pound range.

Metal lures like stingsilvers that imitate glass minnows/silversides are very popular here especially in summer/early fall for bluefish and spanish mackerel, and sometimes false albacore.

Small jigheads (1/4-1/2 oz.) with soft plastic bodies are also good for trout and puppy drum, as well as flounder, blues, and whatever else. Small bucktails can work well too.

The big difference between a place like Carolina Beach and Cape Cod is that you'll probably have to adjust your tactics and expectations toward the smaller fish that will hit lures in the surf - they are equally fun on well-matched light tackle. You won't be getting 20-30 pound stripers in CB but the variety, action and length of the season should make up for it. You'll have a run of big, skinny blues in the spring (April to June), but they tend to mostly be caught on bait. Most of the year, the blues you'll get on artificials will be 1-5 pounds. If you want truly big fish in the surf, sharking or fishing for big red drum at night are effective. You can also try kayaking a big chunk of cut bait or floating a live bait off the beach a bit. In addition to sharks, you could get a king mackerel or tarpon in season.

Good luck!

[ACKblues]

Thanks. I'll be at Fort Fisher this weekend and driving around looking for a good place to find a tight line.

When you say "late fall," is that now or more like December?

I guess my tackle box full of 3.5oz lures is a bit out moded here in the southern Carolina shore. Although my Hopkins should be OK, if not a tad big. I'll sure give it a try, but won't expect too much.

Any suggestions on a tackle shop in the CB area? Looks like I'm going to needs lots of help to learn the local ways. Definitely psyched for the journey.

[Spinning Reel]

Welcome to the area.

The two tackle shops I go to when I'm down are Island True Value Tackle & Hardware in Carolina Beach and the Trading Post in Kure Beach just before you enter Ft. Fisher.

Myself and 2 friends will be surf fishing this Saturday at the Fort. We'll be in a Silver Jeep Wrangler with a grey PVC rod rack on the front and a cargo carrier off the rear hitch.

The weather is looking good for the weekend. Stop by.

[ACKblues]

I'll be sure to look for you. I'll be in a Silver Toyota FJ with a roof rack rod holder.

Thanks for the tips.