[soilman]

When I was a kid, I remember my father taking me to the pier @ kure beach and us pulling up spot two at a time, all night long and having a great time and eating well long after it.
I tried taking my daughter last year and we loved the pier at night but hardly caught anything. My father is no longer with us so I have no one to ask.
When is the best time to go and does anyone have any tips so that I can show the next generation the joys of the piers in north carolina. Thanks for any tips that will make this inland catfisher look like an old salty dog in front of his daughter!

 

[Finger_Mullet]

Spots

You can check the pier reports on Kurebeachfishingpier.com

The spots generally run in October thru the first part of November. I think there are a lot of variables that bring the spots thru. Water temp would probalby be the biggest.

In my opinion they do not run like they used to. I remember catching tons of spots all year long, many moons ago.

I am not a spot fisherman but I do check their reports. When the spot show up the big drum are not far behind.

Darin

 

[greg12345]

October is probably the best month. The best time to go is when they are biting (really)...they travel in huge schools and if the school is there everyone will be catching them. Can be caught at any time, but rising/high tide w/rough & muddy water is good, will bite into the night as well. Fish shallow (from just beyond the breakers to middle of pier) on the north side (they migrate down the coast in the fall) with standard 2 hook bottom rigs w/size 4 hooks...bloodworms, fresh shrimp, and bloodworms fishbites all work. Real bloodworms work best but are pricey. Can get kind of crazy when they are running though as everyone is crammed shoulder to shoulder on the rail and lines are getting tangled, people squeezing into your space, etc....kind of a headache.

 

[Hurricane44]

To add to Greg's post - Its been my experience that the weather actually pays a big part of the fish catch timing. I've been at locations where it was warm and calm just ahead of a front and we caught nothing, when the front passed and the water got choppy/muddy the fish started coming over the side 2 at a time. Spots like crappy weather, so late Sept./early Oct. during a cold front passage has been the most profitable trips that I've seen. Good luck and tight lines.

 

[TopsailSurf]

October is probably the best month. The best time to go is when they are biting (really)...they travel in huge schools and if the school is there everyone will be catching them. Can be caught at any time, but rising/high tide w/rough & muddy water is good, will bite into the night as well. Fish shallow (from just beyond the breakers to middle of pier) on the north side (they migrate down the coast in the fall) with standard 2 hook bottom rigs w/size 4 hooks...bloodworms, fresh shrimp, and bloodworms fishbites all work. Real bloodworms work best but are pricey. Can get kind of crazy when they are running though as everyone is crammed shoulder to shoulder on the rail and lines are getting tangled, people squeezing into your space, etc....kind of a headache.

That is exactly right about the north side of the pier. It's one of the damndest things I have ever seen. If you are on the north side, you can literally bring them up 2 at a time as soon as your hook hits the water. However, get on the wrong side and you won't catch anything. Why those things don't swim through the pilings is a mystery to me.

 

[JeepMike]

Just about any NC pier in October will produce spots. They aren't hard to find right now IMHO.

 

[greg12345]

I think they don't swim under because that's where the big brown doormats like to hang out...sometimes if a big school comes in from deeper water they will come in on both sides of the pier...but get there early and lock down a place on the north side.

 

[baitsnatcher]

A good NE wind helps alot.