# Best baits for surf fishing on Oak Island



## Bill Lamb

Thanks for all the answers to my first post. I think I have learned a lot so far. Middle of Oct. I have rented a house on west end of beach. I dont really care what kind of fish we catch, we will only be fishing in front of the cottage. What baits work best and does anyone catch their own? Any books or websites out there that might help my poor fishing skills improve? Thanks


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## fishinmama

don't fish Oak Island...but the best info i can give u is to "match the hatch" -- get a lure or bait that is what is in the water. 
good luck & have a great time!


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## surfchunker

*Oki*

fished it a few years and all the normal baits work .... shrimp, bloodworms, cut bait, fresh mullet, squid, sand fleas ..... 

what are you going to target


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## Bill Lamb

*Any fish is a good fish!*

Dad & I would be happy to catch most anything we could eat. We have never had much luck with surf or pier fishing. Dad is in his 70s now and we plan on fishing only in front of the rental house. Any tips would be appreciated.


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## hamlet

one item you will need or be real glad to have is sand spikes. About $5 apiece at Walmart or tackle store, or make them your self from PVC pipe from Home Depot. The longer the better... I have 24" ones and 36" ones and I always grab the long ones when I go to the beach.

Nothing more irrtating that trying to bait a hook while balancing your rod/reel on your leg or hold it under your arm

Catching bait is fun and for many its part of the whole gestalt but if your goal is to catch anything then go Walmart and get a bag of frozen fresh shrimp heads off (or just any supermarket) and then go to a bait store and get a box of frozen squid. You can catch anything thats out there on those (whiting, spot, croaker... all fine eating). To catch bigger stuff, use a bigger hook and a bigger strip of squid. Blues will hit it. When you catch a small pinfish, cut it into chunks and used a bigger hook on that for more blues.

Also get a box of kosher salt at the grocery store. When you are done fishing on day one, put your leftover bait into the salt... get a tupperware container, layer of salt on the bottom, layer of bait (cut the tubes/bodies off the squid... toss the heads and jellp... peel the shrimp), layer of salt, etc. put it in the fridge. Refreezing and thawing over a few days will make the bait mushy. Salting in the fridge will toughen the bait, it will stay on the hook real well, and it wont smell.


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## Bill Lamb

*Thanks Hamlet, Great bait info!*

Thanks, that info helps a lot. What do you think of Sand Flea rakes. Can I find Sand Fleas on the beach that time of year? My five year old is going with us and your right, she would love to help find the bait. I also wonder, is it legal to take any little fish I can catch and use it whole/live on a larger
rig in hopes of catching something larger. I hear you have to buy a license to surf fish now, any rules with that I should be aware of? Thank you


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## hamlet

NC fish limits (size and number per day) are here

http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/recguide.htm

Heres a nice page for fish identification

http://www.ncfisheries.net/fishfind/fishfin2.htm

In general, if the species is not on that list there are no limits. For bait stuff, you might catch pinfish (looks like spot but have pointier nose, have golden vertical stripes) and they are legal for keeping smalls for bait. Whiting, croaker, spot, perch all no limits and all good for cut or whole small baits, and all good eating. (actually i once kept a large pinfish to try eating... it tasted fine to me).

Blues, no small size limits though you are allowed 15 a day. King mackeral fishermen use these for large live baits on the piers.

You might catch a black sea bass or two... ugly, black, those have size limits (12")

Trout (specks and gray), flounder, striped bass, black drum, red drum (redfish) all have limits and all might get caught in the surf.


For sand fleas (mole crabs) you dont need a rake. A rake makes it faster and keeps you dry... so if its cold and you find sand fleas a rake would help with the dry aspect. My kids love digging them with hands. The real problem is finding them. Some beaches have them, some dont. The soft sand is more likely to have them. OBX have lots, Ocracke, etc. I have found fewer down OI way.

If you want the kids to be happy, try surf fishing a smaller rod (7' or so) with smaller hooks and let them catch you some pinfish for bait. Pinfish are bait stealers and will eat your hooks clean if you have larger hooks that they cant get in their mouths and you are using soft baits like shrimp. Try #4 hooks, maybe even #6 so they can catch them and have some fun.

Licenses

You will need a saltwater license now in NC for surf or private boat fishing Many bait shops and Walmarts have them. You can get a short term (a week or so) salt license for something like $10. A full year combo salt and fresh is something like $30. Under 16 requires no license so your kids wont cost. If you fish off the piers you dont need a license as they have a master commercial license to over their customers... same for going out on a head boat as a paying customer.

Seems like a ton of rules, regs, and stuff to wade through doesnt it. Hard to just have fun in today's complex society but it's worth wading through.


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## fishinmama

*Bill*

go here for info on licenses--
www.ncwildlife.org

since you are a NC resident, the license is cheaper to you -- the 10 day is only $5.00 -- or you may want to consider an annual or lifetime


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## Bill Lamb

*Thanks hamlet! Lots of great advice!*

Thank you hamlet, you have helped a lot. How did you learn so much about surf fishing? Do you ever go to Oak Island? Things have really changed there. My inlaws have lived there for about 15 years. With all your help I am sure we will catch some this year. One last question please. Can I find sand fleas myself in the edge of surf that time of year? Do I just dig with my hands where I see a hole? Thanks


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## hamlet

here is what you are looking for

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerita_(genus)

I am not sure what time of year, if any, they leave. I assume you can still find them in October. 

Look for them in the wash, where the waves hit the beach and then recede. As a wave goes out, when the water is one inch deep or so you will often see them pop out of the sand and then dig back in. Dig down with your hand, they will be only a few inches down in the sand. They dont pinch or bite. They might tickle. They will be the size of a dime up to a quarter or so.

You might see bubbles or small holes. If the sand is hard, you might not find any. If they are there, and you jam your hand down in the sand at waters edge right when a wave washes out, you will feel them like marbles on your fingertips.


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## Ryan Y

*THat end of the beach*

YOu should do fine with a few pounds of shrimp, a few bottom rigs and small hooks. THere are allot of seamullet, pompano and croakers in the water now along with the bait fish. You can pick up some cut bait as well or turn a few of your smaller fish around for bait too. For bigger blues, a little bigger hook will help and it would do you well if they were a longer in the shank. You could expect anything I mentioned up top including flounder, puppy drum black drum and spots......Speaking of which are starting to thickin up a little. Best bet for those are red worms or fish bites. Youll have no problem finding sand fleas....I dont have a rake for them myself....


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## Bill Lamb

Thanks Ryan for taking the time to post. How close is Carolina Beach to Long Beach? Could you recommend hook sizes & line & weights? A friend said we should use 12 lb Spiderwire because it wont stretch and is smaller in diameter. What line do you like to use for surf fishing? Thanks, Bill


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## fishinmama

you can easy find those sand fleas digging with your hands -- "so easy a caveman could do it" -- hamlet has given you a good idea of how to look for them -- once you get em, you'll never have to ask again -- its really pretty easy -- as long as they are there!


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## Ryan Y

*not far.....as the bird flys*

Carolina beach is to the north around the point of bald head. ITs about a thirty minute ferry ride and then five to 10 minutes north. If you drive, through wilmington, it will take you atleast an hour to go around.

Hook sizes? I guess about a number two long shank would be a good all-around choice. I dont know about your gear but Id say with a seven to eight foot rod, I would not use more then three ounces of lead with rods in that range. 

Line....some good 10 to 12 pound test should sufice for the reall small stuff. I dont use a whole lot of braid. hope it helps.


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## Bill Lamb

Thanks, by the way, are they still allowing the shrimp boats to come in close to shore? I think that really hurts pier/surf fishing. Last time we were at Oak Island a shrimp boat got so close to shore it beached itself and had to be towed back out. Also, what do you think of fish bites and are they better than natural bait? Thanks, Bill


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## fishinmama

FBBW are awesome -- don't know what you might expect in Oct., but, speaking personally, in the OBX in aug & sept, have had great success with them--pomps, croaker, sea mullet, spot, and the occasional puppy.

might wanna give the new Gulp Alive! a try too --a little pricey, but worth it. in my honest opinion, i really don't think any bait to be too overpriced if it produces -- & think of the catch & the stories that you can tell -- priceless!


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## Bull Durham

The beach around ocean crest pier was loaded with sandfleas Labor Day weekend. If you cant find sandfleas, you might wanna try some fiddler crabs, you can catch these at low tide at 17th Plaza West public access. Clems seafood on the right before you get to the airport sells bait shrimp and live shrimp. There is a public access at..either 40th or 44th street where you can castnet shrimp and minnows. I spent two days at Oak Island labor day weekend, and the locals taught me more about where to find bait in those two days than I learned in years at Atlantic Beach. Already put a deposit down for a cottage next year


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## Ryan Y

*FIsh bites and other baits..*

Ill start off by saying that I like the fish bites. They have worked for me. 

However, I have had days when the fishbites didnt produce at all, other days it did. Bottom line is that I would use them, or try them. I have some now. BUt I would also keep my options open with other bait as well.....

Not to sure about the shrimp boat deal. They have been in full force now here around CB. Not to sure about the last few days with it blowing 20 to 30 kts. Heck, I actually working some OT so I havnt been out myself in the past few days...Gonna wait for the wind to die down. Good luck though.


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## dlwedd

*Fishbites*

Here is the deal I have found with fishbites (bloodworm). If the bite is heavy they work great. If the bite is moderate to slow they do less than average. If the bite is slow you are best off using bloodworms redworms sand fleas or shrimp. Keep in mind this is for bottom fish.


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## Shellback2

*bait on Oak Island*

If you have a cast net be sure to take it along. Should be some finger mullet in the surf. There is a walk way at 40th street east where you can get shrimp and finger mullet when the tide is right. As mentioned earlier get you shrimp at one of the seafood stores near the airport. Bait sized(also good for eating) should run around 3.99 a lb.
Hold on because at that time of the year you never know whats out there. Have fun:fishing:


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