# New to Surf and Pier, Planning trip to Apache November 9th -12th.



## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

Hey Guys,
I'm new to the forum, and new to surf and pier fishing. I'm from east TN, and had my first experience surf fishing on a family vacation to Sea Grove Beach, FL this past summer. We have small children so I only got out twice for a few hours at a time, but with a little coaching from a local bait shop, I had a ball catching Pompano, Bluefish, and Ladyfish. As you can imagine fishing the surf is all I have thought about since, I'm hooked bad. Locally I chase everything from smallmouth to Striped Bass to Trout in the tailwaters. 

I am planning a trip with a couple buddies to Apache pier Nov 9th, bringing my popup and staying there at the campground. Any tips or advice you may have for a trip like this would be appreciated. It will be my first time to this area. It may not be the best time of yr, but I can't wait to get out there for a good time, good friends, and a full weekend to fish. Thanks!


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## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

Is early November the wrong time of year to try to surf fish, or will our best bet be on the pier? If pier fishing what would you suggest as far as tackle (fishing line, etc)? I plan on using my striper rods for the pier (7' MH w/Abu 6500 baitcasters), am I missing it bad?
Not to proud to ask for help.....


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

freshwater striper rods will definatley work but may actually be a bit too heavy. for pier, any medium or medium heavy bass rod will work. use 12 to 18 popund test line. for flouder/fluke use catfish rigs with a 2/0 hook and live mullet or mud minnows. buy a few bluefish fireball rigs and bait it up with cut mullet, this will catch bluefish, weakfish, and red drum.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*welcome*

welcome to the family.


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## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

Thanks guys I really appreciate it! 

Do people fish from the beach near Apache, if so is there a particular side that is better North or South? I have never pier fished and I love to fish the beach. I have a couple decent surf rods 8' and 10', is early Nov the wrong time of the year to try from the beach?

I know I'm plugging for a lot of info, I'm just trying to beat the Learning curve. I would rather be fishing rather than spending the three days trying to figure out what I'm doing.

Thanks for the help.


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## hokieboy (Jan 19, 2006)

If you are in the learning curve your best bet is gonna be the pier. You will have a good shot at some blues, whiting and the flounder and red drum might still be there. Alot of what you catch will depend on the water temp. I would start out on the pier and if you are catching them really well then you could move down to the surf. If your not catchin much from the pier i wouldnt move to the surf. You will deff get into some small sharks and the rays will be there as well. Your equipment sounds fine. The striper gear will be fine for the pier. You can pick up rigs at the pier shop and ask them what is biting. I would get some shrimp deff. The best place to get shimp is the little shack right before you get into the camp ground. He has really fresh shrimp that will work ten times better than the frozen shrimp at the bait house. Try the shrimp and if u catch a blue take him and cut him up for cut bait and u will get other blues, sharks, and maybe a drum if they are there. Hope that helps u a bit.


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## LiL John (Sep 24, 2007)

Is this the Apachie Peir in SC ...myrtle beach area?


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## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

Yes, Apache Pier in NMB


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## LiL John (Sep 24, 2007)

If Im not mistaken... it will be a great time to fish for spots...Depending on the weather that is...Usually they will start running in a few weeks and will last through nov. late... depending on weather and temp.


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

use a one o two ounce sinker no 4 hooks and someshrimp and you will be able to catch almost everything.


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## dlwedd (Aug 28, 2006)

Spots are usually gone by the end of October but Hokieboy is right. This is a pretty good time for whiting (and the other species he stated). If you can find a good hole in the surf you can do pretty well using sand fleas. If you dont wnat to walk a long way the North side of the pier is the best side to surf fish from.


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## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

Great info guys, thanks!

I have seen several references to cast nets on the board for bait, I use a 6' 3/8 mesh & a 7' 1/2" mesh Betts blue for gizzard shad in our lakes for striper fishing. How would i go about catching bait with my net at the beach or pier and once caught how do you keep it alive. I have Joe Malat's books on Pier and Surf Fishing and he shows a 5 gal bucket with holes drilled in for bait. Do you put bait in the empty bucket with holes and then take it to the pier and lower it to the water. Please excuse my ignorance, obviously I am in bad need of some instruction.


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

yes and be careful of blacktip sharks, they lve to hang arround bait buckets. blacktip sharks hanging around the pier are usually big 4 foot plus ones. watch you rod. i have seen two rods stolen by sharks at myrtle beach state park pier.


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## hokieboy (Jan 19, 2006)

http://www.pierandsurf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37433

Here is what i use for my bait. I usually get mullet and shrimp and this rig does great to keep them alive and cool. The best place to get mullet and shrimp is 54th avenue cherry grove. There is a boat ramp here and tons of bait. Take ur net up there and toss it around inte the channel. If u cant catch any go to the bait shop u pass on ur way in and buy some mud minnows. You should be able to catch bait though. Remember about a dozen bait per gallon of water esp with shrimp and mullet. Hope this helps...


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## smoldrn (Sep 10, 2006)

Couple ways to do it. Just take a 5 gal bucket w/ a lid, drill ya some 3/8 holes all the way around it about 1/3 of the way from the bottom, cut a "V" in the lid to be able to get your hand into for bait. Take another bucket & put some water in in & set your bait bucket down into that (for transporting bait). You can also use a small aerator, 5 gal bucket & lid.


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## aardvarkgraphix (Sep 30, 2005)

*Apache this past weekend*

Went down Friday to drop off the camper for the month. Fishing was far from good, at least the way I saw it. Caught a few Pompano to start, couple whiting, and then a few blues after someone was nice enough to give a few finger mullet(Friday). Saturday was HOT and MUGGY. Started at 6am fished till noon with only 3 fish. Gave up and rode around to look at some boat ramps for my October trip. All are right about the fishing here though. October is a great time of year to fish, it seems as though you can catch about ANYTHING you want then. From Blues on 
cut-bait, Spots on artificial bloodworms(best from what I have found), Whiting on shrimp(fresher the better, if you would not eat it, then do not use it). Flounder, Black drum, Reds you name it. The surf was FULL of finger mullet, definete on the cast net in the surf from the pier, add rope to the net for the extra distance. Pick-up a cheap yellow floating bucket and put few mullet minnows in there and that should last you the day. Good Luck on the trip, I will be there Oct. 19-28th. If ya make it earlier, look us up. We will be on lot 131.
Ken


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## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

Thanks! What about the size net, is my 1/2" or 3/8" mesh small enough or should I go buy a 1/4", I don't know how big this bait is I'm going after, I typically use my nets for 4"-8" shad, and I know from experience if I throw on a school of anything much smaller they end up gilled in my net. 

Also to catch bait I just walk out in the surf and throw my net? Typically how deep (ankle deep, knee deep, varies)? 

I can be pretty entertaining trying to figure this stuff out on my own. On my 1st attempt surf fishing I waded out chest deep trying to cast past a sand bar, as I heaved my new $80, 10' rod my feet came out from under me and I went down, it was pretty comical. All the while, my brother-in-law staying dry using his $20, 8' Diawa Dwave combo, dinked it out there 15 yards and had a fish on imediately.


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## K-Stater (Sep 22, 2007)

*Fishing Report*










Hey guys,

I really appreciate all of the help, this is a great online community. 

We had a good trip. Fished the pier Sunday. It was hot and cold, caught a few flounder 12 inchers, a nice 14" spec trout, several black drum, and a few skates. All in all it was a great trip. I asked several folks if they were on P&S and received mostly funny looks, although pretty much everyone we met were very friendly, especially this Shirley character who was on me in a flash when I pulled up the trout asking if I was going to keep it. I let her have it and it seemed to make her day. Next year we'll try again maybe a month earlier (mid-October). 

I did have good success with the cast net off the pier (it was impossible in the surf couldn't see a one) finger mullet was easy from the pier, monster schools, which I wasn't expecting after seeing another member posting a report that they were gone a few days before we arrived.

We went out with Capt Dicks Saturday for the 11hr Gulf Stream trip, the Capt and mates were great, very friendly, seas were not so nice! We had 7-9ft swells and a few probably over 10. I was on the bow all day and we actually dipped the nose of the 110ft boat twice, it got a little crazy. Capt did his best to keep us in the fish but the anchor wasn't doing it's job. Still ended up with more fish than we could eat and had an awesome fish fry back at camp Sunday night. The Apache security guards were loving us when we took them a few plates full of fried snapper. Surprisingly, I was the only one in our group of the 4 that didn't get sick, for many on the boat the trip was punishment, but I had a ball.

Thanks again,

Andy


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## hokieboy (Jan 19, 2006)

Great report man. Glad you caught some fish and had a good time!!!


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## aardvarkgraphix (Sep 30, 2005)

*Shirley @ Apache is a CARD for sure*

I am down every fall for a week or two and Shirley is well known on the pier. I took my boat out when I was down last month, NOTHING on the pier was biting. I brought my catch to the pier to clean them and she could NOT believe the fish(only29), I told her that I was fishing on the pier in the surf and caught them ALL. I could not understand why she had not caught anything. She just stood there with that lost look on her face, I told her she just must not be holding her mouth right or something. Anyways, glad you had a good trip. The folks on the pier are VERY nice as a whole, that is the reason I go every year. Fish biting or not, I HAVE A BLAST.

Ken


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