# Which way does it flow



## smuckinphartass (Apr 29, 2012)

I'd like to know which direction the current flows on the inland side of Ocean Isle Beach, NC. I got no response to my post to the kayak forum "ICW at OIB." Any of y'all got the lowdown? 
Thanks in advance


----------



## Eltonjohn (Aug 1, 2018)

Currents any where are either tidal or wind driven. If you are far from an inlet it's likely wind. If u are close to an inlet it's tidal.


----------



## bubbagump (Mar 7, 2017)

The Intracoastal Waterway on the inland side of Ocean Isle has two different tidal current flows. On the east end, the tidal flow is controlled by Shallotte Inlet. On the west end, the tidal flow is controlled by Tubbs Inlet and Little River Inlet. There is a demarcation point just west of the causeway bridge where the two currents collide on a rising tide. Some of the locals call it "the swirl". On a falling tide the current flows east on the east side of the swirl and flows west on the west of the swirl. Just the opposite on a rising tide. The exact location of the swirl moves around, depending on wind and lunar cycles, but it is usually less than a mile west of the bridge.


----------



## Papa-T (Sep 5, 2011)

Not Kayak friendly I’m assuming. Lol


----------



## bubbagump (Mar 7, 2017)

Actually, most of it is very kayak friendly. I would steer clear of Shallotte Inlet on a falling tide. That could be nasty. Most of the rest of the area is relatively mild current. Being the older dude that I am, I would time my trips around the change of the tide so I could be traveling with the tide starting out and coming back. My biggest concern in that location would be the dingbatter sport fisherman and their 3 to 4 ft wakes. Also, if any kind of tugboat and barge are coming through, I would slip up in one of the canals or beach the kayak completely to get away from them. They can suck and push enormous amounts of water. I fished those waters many times as a teenager in the 60's in a little 16 ft skiff. Trust me, if you see any kind of tugboat and barge, it's time to get the hell out of Dodge.


----------



## smuckinphartass (Apr 29, 2012)

Thanks, bubbagump!
That's just the kind of info I was after. I'll keep my ears tweaked for the sound of a tug. I've played my kayak in white water & surf but I have no desire to surf a wake with rods & tackle aboard, especially if oyster beds are part of the hazard! 
The swirl sounds interesting. Does it inspire or discourage the feeding of scaly predators or do they seem to care?


----------



## bubbagump (Mar 7, 2017)

The swirl is a good spot to fish. It's easier to locate on a rising tide. The converging currents can pile up the baitfish and shrimp. There are also a couple of creeks that come in to the ICW just west of the bridge and connect with Jinx Creek which runs between the island and the ICW just west of the bridge. One entrance to Jinx Creek is the closest to the bridge. The other enters from the ICW close to the swirl. Jinx Creek runs all the way to the end of the island and connects with Tubbs Inlet. Both of those entrances to Jinx Creek are very shallow, especially at low tide. Haven't been up those creeks in many years, but I recall the first one was the most shallow. I had a small skiff with a 5hp gas motor that didn't draw much water and I could get in earlier and out later than larger boats. Shouldn't be a problem with a kayak except for maybe at dead low tide. That was my go to spot for founder fishing in the warmest months (June-September). My parents owned Sheffield's back then and I kept my boat docked at the canal behind the store. It was a very quick run to get up into Jinx Creek. There weren't any houses or docks back then, but there are plenty now. Lots of good structure and some good oyster beds. I would think it should be a good spot for flounder, redfish and that other speckled species that no one publicly talks about where to catch them. If I were going out in a kayak there, I would get in when the tide is fairly low and check out the structure and fish the fishy looking spots as the tide came in and out. There is about a 6ft to 7ft tide there, so it's hard to see the structure unless you get in when the tide is low.


----------

