# Reading a beach



## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Hello all, a thread about taking baits out has got me thinking. People always speak about bars, guts, washouts, etc. I have come to be able recognize most of these areas, but I am sort of confused.
The area where I usually fish, Topsail Island around Surf City usually looks like there is only 1 main bar, somewhere around 100-150 yards out depending on the tide. In from there the beach seems mainly flat with a gut close to shore (high tide) and small depressions here and there.
Are NC beaches mainly flat, with one big bar or am I missing reading them? I remember up north in the OBX seeing what looked like two bars in spots but down in Topsail it seems to be a rather flat beach.
Am I missing something?
Thanks in advance!
pods


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## Phaedrus (Mar 25, 2011)

From what I remember from topsail, it is pretty flat. Go out at low tide and find any depressions or washouts. It is similar to Sunset beach where the majority of the beach is flat, but there are a few washouts to fish. You can also try the north side where the inlet is- same thing as the beach- go there at dead low and mark where the holes are! 

If you can find a way to cast out past the bar, you could have decent luck too with flouro drop rigs for pompano and such in the summer/early fall.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

A flat beach is the easiest beach to read. In fact I LOVE fishing what I call "The Flats".......Where you find these little pockets and runouts is where you will find the fish.


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Thanks for the information. I always kept looking for where another bar was. Guess there might not have been one at all.
I did like walking out at low tide and marking depressions. These seem to hold fish at high tide. As well as any washouts close by.
If not, I just try and make it past the bar.
pods


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

pods, your assessment of topsail is spot on. i fish there a lot. north end the beach is steeper, surf city flatter, and s topsail even flatter still in my experience. i fish mostly s end near JR pier. real flat with usually a bar 100yds or so out. 

if you can reach it i would always put some live fleas out "past the bar", no matter the tide....you may be pleasantly surprised...if you can keep the flea on your hook (bait peckers can be horrible sometime) you will get citation whiting and if clear citation pomps. you will have to really throw it though, if any kind of significant E wind it is usually unreachable for me with my anemic casting skills. otherwise it is "flats" fishing in close as DiTS would call it, at least at the s end, i like to play with steelhead rods and live fleas or finger mullet for the pups....lot of fun. but if i can reach it all my baits are going out past the bar b/c i like what cruises there at topsail. also better structure if you are willing to hoof it down towards the s inlet...but i have done fine in the middle of the "city".


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

Personally I have best luck when I am able to arrive at low tide to see the structure a little better. When it's not low tide you need to look for moving water, and any "white water" is good to fish around IMHO. Water moving outbound that goes through the bar is an outsuck and often is where fish find their way into the beach.

This is also a good read for those who haven't read it, or something similar:
http://www.stripersonline.com/t/417339/reading-the-water


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## Seahawk (Oct 3, 2013)

Excellent advice, fishhead, and thanks for posting a great link. 
I believe a fisherman can never go forth with too much knowledge. To that end, I suggest an excellent resource for any fisherman is a book by Dr. David A. Ross, PhD, oceanographer and Professor Emeritus at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in MA. The book is titled _*The Fisherman's Ocean, How marine science can help you find and catch more fish*._. It can be found at Amazon by clicking the previous hyperlink. In it, he shares his expertise and knowledge in easy to understand language of the ocean environment, fish behavior and influences on them, fish vision and color detection, weather and tide influences etc. Although he's a fly fisherman, the knowledge he shares in the book is applicable to anyone's method of fishing.


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Seahawk said:


> Excellent advice, fishhead, and thanks for posting a great link.
> I believe a fisherman can never go forth with too much knowledge. To that end, I suggest an excellent resource for any fisherman is a book by Dr. David A. Ross, PhD, oceanographer and Professor Emeritus at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in MA. The book is titled _*The Fisherman's Ocean, How marine science can help you find and catch more fish*._. It can be found at Amazon by clicking the previous hyperlink. In it, he shares his expertise and knowledge in easy to understand language of the ocean environment, fish behavior and influences on them, fish vision and color detection, weather and tide influences etc. Although he's a fly fisherman, the knowledge he shares in the book is applicable to anyone's method of fishing.


I will pick this up, thanks. I need something to do with it being a BIT too cold out to fish. 
pods


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## dlpetrey (Oct 30, 2013)

My dad got this book for Christmas guys and it is awesome. A great resource and very well written book. It's technical but I am finding it quite easy to read.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

I just got one off of eBay, 15 minutes ago, for just under $6.00 . . . $9.95, including shipping !


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## doubleb (May 19, 2009)

excellent post thanks fishhead


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

I always look for the foam going out too or a spot where it just lays there


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## aardvarkgraphix (Sep 30, 2005)

Go the the SC board, there is a sticky at the top for fishing tips and it is broken down with pics. GREAT INFO!!!


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