# Ocean Crest Pier Report



## saltyweeks (Sep 15, 2003)

Went down to Oak Island for a day of fishing at Ocean Crest Pier. To give you the short story—a ton of blues, a few keepers, some nice gray trout (a 14 ½ inch fish and some other keepers) and some big whiting. An all around great pier fishing day, with details below.
Ocean Crest is a nice pier with a friendly staff and lots of experienced anglers roaming about. Not a lot of people fishing yet, but that’s how I like it. I got there at 6:30, and for a while the only action was small throwback blues near the surf line. The blues hit small jigs and bait on the bottom. After a while a fisherman plugging the east side with a blue-headed Gotcha made some noise about losing a big trout at the surface. Having nothing better to do, I switched sides for a second and started plugging it with my own blue/green Gotcha. On the second cast the plug stopped dead and the fight was on—it was the nice gray trout. With no net, a friendly neighbor hand-lined her up. That was about it for the morning, no more trout could be roused.
The wind picked up and I left for a few hours. When I came back the surf was up with the wind, and there were just a few fishermen. One lady fishing near the surf on the east side said she had been doing well, so I plopped it down near her and went at it. The next three hours were a blur of fish coming over the rail. I was trying to fish the bottom with shrimp and cut bait, and then plug when I got a chance with my second rod. Using both I landed what I know were at least 50 bluefish, about ten that were just right for the pan (11-12 inches). The rest were thrown back except a few I used for bait. In the midst of this the trout started slamming the bottom rig, and I got at least ten of them, though only three were 12 inches plus. I also lost at least four of the ‘weakfish’ whil reeling them up. Then, I had a fish on I thought might be a drum, but turned out to be a 13-inch whiting. The whiting started hitting so well (I am not making this up) the guy next to me took one with a Gotcha, not fouled hooked but just really hungry. I also got a keeper spot and a bunch of little throwback hake(?). The action subsided as the day lengthened.
Overall, despite a strong wind, it was a great day and left me with a cooler full of fish. I found that on the bottom the trout liked either shrimp or shrimp with a piece of bloody bluefish to go with it. The blues would hit anything including several times what I think were bare hooks.
Ocean Crest Pier has a picture of my first trout on their web page. My own website is down at the moment, but will be up soon, and you can hopefully see some of the catch at www.simonssez.com/aprilfishpics.htm . I think I’ll try and get down again this week and see if the action is still good.


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## ponchojoe (May 10, 2003)

Jeffery, I saw that trout on my visit to the OCP pages, nice fish and a great opening report for the beginning of the season. 

I was wondering what happened to your site, it is one of them that I visit. Glad to know it will be back up soon. After I saw you on the OCP site, I checked yours to see if you had a report on.

Next time you go down tell 'Dave' that Ponchojoe said hello.

Keep fishing Jeffery, I enjoy your reports.


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## saltyweeks (Sep 15, 2003)

Thanks, my site is now back up. Have a report for Tuesday when I went back to the pier. Short story is a lot of fish but not much size. Tons of blues and grey trout but only a few blues worth keeping (no trout above 12 inches tuesday). Skates, sharks, small spots and perch, and one really nice black drum I helped a guy land. Hope to go back Saturday, those grey trout have got me hooked.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Those seamullets (whiting) are a "personal favorite" of mine,we are just now starting to catch them in Hat.. Excellent report,saltyweeks...


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