Inshore Fishing Archives - Page 242 of 287

July 9, 2026

The lower Cape Fear River

During the spring, Capt. Stu Caulder likes to fish the Cape Fear River between Carolina Beach and Southport. […]

April and May can be great months for bluewater fisherme out of Little River to fill their fish boxes with some big wahoo.

Hoo’s There? Mr. Wahoo!

Bluewater fanatics should gear up this month as eddies of warm water move toward the shoreline, kicking off a flurry of action from a favorite reel screamer, the almighty wahoo. […]

Heavy, durable lures are required for high-speed trolling applications.

Throttle down!

Jeff Burleson

Traditional bluewater trolling methods, gear and lure selection rarely allow for trolling speeds over eight to 10 knots. […]

Capt. David Cutler loves to fish for early-spring wahoo in the bluewater off Little River. He looks for color and temperature changes to hold wahoo.

Get an early start

Jeff Burleson

Whether inshore, offshore or in a freshwater environment, 90 percent of fish become more active as dark turns to daylight, and seas. […]

A big wahoo can knock a lure several feet up the line, away from the hook. Keeping the lure closer to the hook often prevents biteoffs.

The sound of a big reel burning off drag will quickly energize a crew on a bluewater excursion, but the instantaneous pressure release and a limp rod will discourage even the most-patient angler when the line is severed for one reason or another. […]

Shallow water, oysters and grass equal a good redfish flat.

Good ‘flat characteristics’

John Gribb

After a few years searching for redfish, experienced fishermen intuitively figure out what a good redfish flat looks like, but keeping a journal and cataloging their characteristics shortens the learning curve. […]

Keeping the slack out of your fly line increases chances of a good hookset.

Get the slack out

John Gribb

Blind casting has its hang-ups, literally. A jig and trailer tossed near oyster shells or grass will often get stuck, but you have to get the lure close to structure or you won’t catch many fish. […]

Poling is a common way to move a boat across a shallow flat for redfish.

Good St. Helena Sound/Coosaw River spots

John Gribb

Redfish spots abound around Beaufort, and most are indicated on the Top Spot map #N233. Knowing good spots gives you one-third of the equation for success. […]

Flounder fishermen who target flatfish around reefs and wrecks in the ocean aren't required to use circle hooks with live bait as are anglers targeting members of the grouper/snapper complex.

Circle hook regs don’t affect flounder fishermen

Jerry Dilsaver

When the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council passed a regulation several years ago that required circle hooks to catch fish in the grouper-snapper complex, fishermen were caught up in questions about whether anglers targeting other bottomfish species could use standard J-hooks – or were they faced with trying to catch, say, flounder, on circle hooks. […]

Try these prescriptions for spooky redfish

Dan Kibler

March Madness has a different meaning this year for basketball fans, but for redfish anglers, it’s still a mad time to be outdoors. […]