Inshore Fishing Archives - Page 246 of 288

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October 10, 2026

Sheepshead are much more aggressive feeders around reefs and wrecks in the ocean than they are the rest of the year around docks and rocks in creeks and rivers.

Bull Sheep

Diehard anglers willing to tough out February’s chilly breezes can face a commanding challenge from one of the most powerful fish of winter. […]

The author caught this nice redfish casting from a boat just off an Onslow County beach.

Hot reds in the cold surf zone

Jeff Burleson

The bone-chilling conditions of February offer some of the best light-tackle angling of the year in the surf of Onslow Bay. […]

Fishermen need to stay a long cast away from schools of red drum feeding in the surf zone; even though they don’t have great vision, they’re always on the alert and will spook if threatened.

Keep your distance

Jeff Burleson

The winter red drum fishery along the beachfront offers anglers a unique experience, with thousands of fish in skinny, gin-clear waters. […]

Wintering fish will stay very close to the beachfront.

Abandon ship

Jeff Burleson

Winter weather patterns usually direct winds from the north and west, laying down the ocean off the beach fronts along the Onslow County shoreline. […]

A scented soft-plastic bait is often the ticket to drawing a strike from a redfish lurking in the surf zone, feeding by sight and scent.

By definition, the surf is the area where waves break upon the shore. Given that prevailing winds blow offshore during thewinter, some ground swell will arrive at the beachfront each day under any condition, quickly topping over within the shallow waters of the shoal. […]

Clumps of barnacles or marsh mussels, often found attached to docks and pier pilings in gelatinous masses, can be great sheepshead baits.

Chummin’

Jeff Burleson

Sheepshead are no different from any other fish; they will take handouts from anybody. In fact, chumming for sheepshead is quite effective inshore and nearshore. […]

An underwater camera can give fishermen a bird’s eye view of where sheepshead are holding on reefs or wrecks.

See what’s down there

Jeff Burleson

Winter sheepshead fishing around local reefs offers some of the best action of the year. […]

Inshore Fishing

Take extra precautions in winter

Jeff Burleson

February is the middle of winter, and even in South Carolina, conditions offer lethal dangers, with little room for error for adventurous anglers. […]

The National Park Service has formalized restrictions on the use of off-road vehicles on the Outer Banks beaches.

Outer Banks residents, businesses take big hit from final NPS decision on beach driving

Craig Holt

The National Park Service announced on Jan. 23 its final rule for off-road beach driving and public beach access at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and, as expected, it drew mixed reviews from Outer Banks residents, businesses and environmental groups. […]

Rob Beglin, a guide and IFA redfish pro from Pawley's Island, S.C., won't return to North Carolina to fish any tournaments as long as it's legal for commercial netters to take redfish.

Visiting fishermen say gamefish protection would benefit coastal tourism and economies

Jerry Dilsaver

Even in the current depressed economy, fishermen plan their vacations around catching fish. It’s the opinion of many fishermen that North Carolina is losing out on plenty of tourist dollars that could wind up in the state’s economy if the legislature designates red drum, speckled trout and striped bass as gamefish. […]