# Places in Wilmington



## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

I am planning on visiting Wilmington around the end of Sept or beginning of October. I haven't ever been but I am considering relocating there eventually. I would like to do some pier fishing and perhaps surf fishing in the mornings and evenings and check out the area in and about Wilmington during the middle of the day. Targets include pups, whiting, pomps. I am an experienced bass fisherman but have only pier fished a few times so I am a real newbie particularly from the sand. 

Can someone recommend the better month for fishing and a place to stay with "very reasonable" rates ? Close to the beaches / piers would be nice. I don't need the Ritz but don't want to come home with bed bugs either. 

Thanking you in advance, Keith in Canton, GA


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

End of Sept and first of Oct should be a good time for what you are targeting, depending on weather. Add to the list flounder,spots, blues. I would suggest the Carolina / Kure Beach area. Two ocean piers. Surf fishing is usually good near the Kure pier. Good beach access. Should find offseason rates by then. IF staying in Wilmington AVOID the cheap motels on Market st. Sure others will offer other good ideas. Have a good trip! - glenn


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

What gshivar says. 

Bill:fishing:


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

What bstarling said.

Darin


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

....what both of em say....Wilmington is a nice place to VISIT.....BUT I DAM SURE HATE LIVING HERE!!!!!...check it out close.....old over-taxed people and college crap......fast food and medecine......


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

Loner, your profile indicates you are retired making you one of those old people. Not sure what college crap means to you but it means hot looking women to me and although I am too old for them I'm not too old to look. It also usually means some decent small restaurants, bars, and good music. 

Where I live I pay State Tax, Sales Tax, and City Tax, so tell me about it. Plus I can't smell the ocean at all from here and the nearest lake is so over crowded you can't fish during the day in the summer. 

I want to move somewhere near the coast. Florida is too damn hot, Hatteras and Beaufort are too dang far. Somewhere just a bit cooler than Atl (Wilmington) sounds pretty good to me. I guess we'll see. It all depends if I can find work. Medicine ? That means nurses.  

Thanks Glenn, Bill, Darin, Loner Any suggestions from others for specific hotels would still be appreciated. Maybe somewhere near Kure.


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

We lived on Harbor Is., Wrightsville B.; Mohican trail, Monkey Jct.; Hickory Knoll, Monkey J. Traffic patterns, roads and time of day can be challenging. Beaches are too crowded in summer ( Check out Wrightsville beach and Kure Beach on Surfchex ) early till late for surf fishing. Pier fishing O.K. Inland waterway crowded if you don't know places. Cape Fear river- local knowledge advisable. What Loner said 2X. I'm lucky to have friends that fish who live there. Don't be too discouraged, you can have plenty good times fishing when you hit it right.


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

kbamhi said:


> Loner, your profile indicates you are retired making you one of those old people. Not sure what college crap means to you but it means hot looking women to me and although I am too old for them I'm not too old to look. It also usually means some decent small restaurants, bars, and good music.
> 
> Where I live I pay State Tax, Sales Tax, and City Tax, so tell me about it. Plus I can't smell the ocean at all from here and the nearest lake is so over crowded you can't fish during the day in the summer.
> 
> ...


...New Hanover County is the SMALLEST COUNTY in NC...However we STILL PAY BOTH CITY AND COUNTY TAX......YES I am one of those over-taxed oldies.....The beach here is entirely INFESTED with NORTHERN IMMIGRANTS ALL SUMMER..no surf fishing without a weapon..no matter HOW EARLY u GET to the beach the "College crap" will run over U with their surf boards...
Come on down....allways room for one more....Wilmington WAS the BEST PLACE i had ever Lived......NOW ITS THE WORST!!!!

...u CAN'T SMELL the ocean here either....to many different kinds of suntan oil....
just a word to the wise...CHECK IT OUT CLOSE BEFORE U JUMP.......IF i COULD GO BACK I WOULD MOVE TO MOREHEAD/ATLANTIC BCH..


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

Loner, I tried to PM you but I got a message indicating your box was full.


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## WNCRick (Sep 24, 2007)

Looked at several houses in Wilmington a few years ago, left to go further south almost immediately.


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## wilm.bob (May 5, 2010)

Moved here 10 plus years ago and still like it. Yes it gets crowded on weekends and holidays but you learn to work around the busy times. We have one pier at present on Wrightsville beach with another under construction. One in Carolina beach and one at Kure Beach. The fishing in the spring and late fall can be very good for chopper blues and red drum in the surf but you have to spend time looking for holes and sloughs at low tide. Learning to read the water(i.e. surf ) is a must. Plenty of decent hotels and some really quality restaurants are here. As far as the college kids are concerned I feel they lend some color to the area. Have fun and come with an open mind, you just may like this area.


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

Thanks Bob, I appreciate your opinion.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Head down a little further south, supply/oak island area. The get a big boat and ill bring the reels if you take me feeshin


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

Gee Kingfisher, I have the rods and reels but don't have the boat, which puts us in the same boat.  However that is the second recommendation I have received for the Supply area. I was planning a trip to Wilmington late next month but am now reconsidering and I am going to research the Supply area a bit more before solidifying my travel plans. Any value based places to stay in the area ? They don't need to be on the beach but walking distance would be nice.


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

I SECOND Supply area(s),(If fact it's really just a "cross road" on Highway 17 & 211 way out in the Country "kinda"...), Winnabow/LeLand/Pender County, (Rocky Point) Area(s), Best of Both Worlds, Bass Feeshen, AND Salt water, Country Living,Minutes AWAY from ILM,(AND several beaches), Lower Taxes, YET you'll have Salt & fresh water access, (depending on your place of residence), best of 2 or 3 Places...
Oak Island Beaches/Carolina/Ft. Fisher/OR Topsail/New River area(s)..... 
Need Help, PM ANY of us Locals...
LIKE the REST, YOU really DO NOT want to Live in ILM itself... I Do and HATE it!, but hey, beggers cannot be choosy... But then again, I'm 10~15 minutes from the Beach, I like nurse's and Like EYE CANDY....(College Gurls)...
There ARE little *out of they way places* in New hanover Co.... Outside the City Limits, that are "cough/cough" cheap.... Though they ARE HARD to come by...

SUPPLY per se DOES NOT have Hotel(s) Motels.... Closest are in Shallotte/Holden beach/Oak Island...OIB, (Ocean Isle Beach)/Southport..
Wilmington,,, ON the BEACH there are a quite a few from OMG to very nice,,, the SEA Ranch, is recommended...(It right on the beach, AND has AWESOME fishing on the beach in front of it)... STAY AWAY from Hotels/Motels in ILM itself, unless you want "critters" crawling on you @ night...


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Ocean crest motel is pretty good, 15 min to oak island from supply then another 5 max to get to the motel off the new bridge


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## happycaster58 (Nov 2, 2009)

I lived in Wrightsville or 2 1/2 years in the late 90s and it was getting bad then for fishing. The only good place to surf fish was the south end of the island and they started leaving the parking meters up after "tourist season" and I have actually put quarters in to surf fish! The new Johnny Mercer's Pier looks like a concrete bridge that stops out in the ocean and there is a flat bottom there with very little to hold fish. 
My best suggestion for fishing and a town I would relocate to in a second, if I could, would be Swansboro, NC about 1 1/2 hours north. My next choice would be the Southport/Carolina beach area just south of Wilmington. Both have much better fishing with more water to explore, and lack the aforementioned problems of Wilmington. Check out all you can and decide wisely! Oh yeah, if you are looking for a place to stay in Swansboro, you can't get better than the Waterway Inn in Cedar Point, NC. Google it and check out the reviews at TripAdvisor.com


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

Thanks Leaddraft, Kingfisher, HC58. I really appreciate your opinions. It helps me minimize time and expense trying to learn what you guys already know. 
Not sure I want to travel further north HC. That just puts me further from family and friends. But Southport seems a good suggestion and the same general area others have mentioned. 
It looks like I may make some reservations at Ocean Crest for the end of September. I'll plan to fish mornings and evenings and explore outward from there during the day. Sound like a plan guys ?


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Sounds like a good idea, should be good feeshin then. If I'm down ill shoot you a pm.


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## kbamhi (May 9, 2013)

That would be great NC.


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