# Carolina Beach surf fishing -- what happened to it?



## dj1100rt (Apr 5, 2009)

Just go back from CB on Saturday. CB surf has been dead all week. Murky water for sure; water temp was claimed at 74. This is about the fourth year that I have been there with poor results. Used to be a great place to surf fish. 

We threw fresh shrimp, fz squid, fz shrimp, cut whiting, and fresh mullet. Talking to others all up and down the beach, it was the same. Night fishing didn't see any better action.

I've heard that beach replenishment has hurt the surf fishing. Also, heard that commercial over-fishing was the culprit.

Am I just on the beach too early in the year? Been surf fishing for almost 30 years, but only one week a year thanks to living in Ohio.

Dave


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Not real sure. Seems that everything kinda slowed this past week for some reason. We went offshore yesterday and didnt do as good as usual either. Im sure beach renourishment has a lot to do with it down here. But it's been two years since they put sand on CB.


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## granddaddy (Sep 23, 2004)

renourishment killed all sand flees. No bait, No fish. Before renourishment, I could dig up sand
flees and catch bull size whiting and pomps in the surf. Not now.


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## yerbyray (May 18, 2010)

Ryan I am not doubting you but I was under the impression that they did beach renourishment just last April/May (2010) at Carolina Beach. I was there last weekend and didn't see a single sand flea in three hours of walking the beach and fishing. There was plenty of bait fish in the water from my observations when I fished the planks.

It would be nice to be there when the catch was on as I like the thougt of good fishing at CB. 

I am sort of regretting the annual permit to Freeman Park; that place was way too crowded for me and probably will be for the year. Man has the city found a cash cow there. It would be neat to see the income and expenses for Freeman Park.


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## Fish Hunter (Jul 31, 2002)

Fishing in the surf has been slow up and down the se coast. Period.


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Not been there this year yet, but last year caught plenty fleas, all 3 varieties of whiting, pomps,blues ,drum from the surf. Blues and smacks from Kure pier plugging, plus tons of spot and whiting in the fall !! This year only plugged at Jolly Rog as thats where my wife likes although she will go other places.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

I'll be down at Kure/Fisher the weekend of the 25th. Hopefully a bite turns on by then.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

It may have been last year. You could be correct. It's running together to me. Im with you though. It kills the fleas, fishing, etc. It does however allow more people to have more beach to drive on (on) the norht end of CB. I grew up on that end of the island and unfortunately it will never be the same. Old man freeman would probably fence it off if he could see what the town turned it into today. This is the first year I didn't get a pass for that end in a long while and I will not get one this year. I bet there were three times as many people out there then Ive ever seen at the point in Hatty; all partying. Heck, even the sand up there is grey now from all the vehicles on the beach.

"Dude",
You should do good by fishing that area. I like the old Bromine intake down there for sheepshead, seamullet and black drum. Now Kure Beach wants to pay to have it removed fromt he water.


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Just a thought, maybe that murky water is from the river coming out the mouth of the Cape Fear and being pushed north by wind,tide, and current. Maybe same effect by out going tide from Carolina Beach Inlet ? Seen some real nasty water at Surf City too in summer, took 6 or 7 tide changes to get rid of it!


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Guys, fleas have been scarce all over the place for almost 2 years - even in places where the beach hasn't been messed with.

I know you guys are all old dogs, and I probably couldn't teach you anything - BUT - I have found that on our beaches, some days we get lots of soft sand, and some days we get hardly none. (depending on tide, swell, etc) The fleas ARE there. They are deep. In our beaches, where you find the dinky little clams, you usually find the fleas. You will also find fleas in rips on the beach. (look for deep cutaways that repeatedly rip in the same spot) They aren't always visible, and they are sometimes DEEP.

Beach "renourishment" has been a dirty word for a long time, and maybe it is a bad thing. But I don't think it is the source of all the blame. (that is not an endoresment, I am not that educated on the subject)

Let's also remember that our summer weather patterns are settling in, which means lots of easterly winds. (every day for almost a month and a half here) That means murky water, choppy and big surf, and other ills - i.e., jellyfish and man 'o war. You are bound to have some bad fishing days. Hell, in the summertime here in Florida, there are more bad fishing days than good from the surf. I am all about the winter time fishing...


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Check out- surfchex- the cams at kure , nc and wrightsville beach,nc right now are showing some beautiful water!!!!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Indeed.


Whoever is controlling the Kure Pier cam right now is doing a helluva job.


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## dj1100rt (Apr 5, 2009)

Ryan Y;669960
You should do good by fishing that area. I like the old Bromine intake down there for sheepshead said:


> Is that the pipe near Atlantic Tower? I fished it too, hoping that the structure might be holding some fish. Nothing.
> 
> I have to add that sand fleas couldn't be found up or down the beach.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

No, the pipe near atlantic towers is what us surfers call the "Shitpipe". Thats a storm water runoff pipe the town of CB put in about ten years ago when they annexed the area that was known as "Wilmingotn Beach". 
The Bromide Pipe was further South about a mile where the old metal testing site was. There are four or five lots for sale there on the ocean side with a beach access to the south of them.


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## 1SHOT1KILL (Jul 31, 2010)

I was down in Kure Beach 23-29 May and I fished every day, at least 4 hours and most days from 8am to 5pm, just 300yds north of Kure Beach Pier. There were 4 of us fishing every day and all we caught were 7 12"-15" whitings, 8" spots, maybe 18 6" croakers, 1 29" black drum, 2 skates, and 2 sharks. Like I saud there were 4 of us that had anywhere from 4-8 lines each in the water at all times. To say fishing was slow is an understatement. I talked to some locals and some bait/tackle shop guys and they all say the same thing, the dredging/renourishment they did last year really hurt the fishing, but I was told that they did more dredging/renourishment this year back around February. The dredging/renourishment filled in a lot of the holes that used to right on the beach and made a bar out about 75-100yds offshore, that is hard to cast beyond. The bigger fish we caught were all caught on the far side of the sand bar.


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## stoneman (May 8, 2002)

I was down there too....I fished at the rocks at ft fisher and then moved down to the long rock walkway at the end of 421/buzzards bay.....caught quite a few of whiting, spots, one nice black drum and a couple small sea robins....no one fishing anywhere around which was really odd. Went up to Kure pier just seeing what was happening...nothing but a couple of tiny whiting......I've been going there for the better part of 30 years at least 2-3 times a year.....fishing looks pretty bad...headed back again in July....hoping it picks up.....


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