# Holden Beach, 19-26 May '12



## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Well folks, it's that time of the year again.

Will be at Holden for a week, on the far west end by the inlet. I will try to post reports daily, but as with any beach trip, there will be much drinking and forgetting.

Any current reports on fishing/water/fleas/other?


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## WNCRick (Sep 24, 2007)

*Drinking?!*

I'm always willing to drink........... Took the family to the east end the other day. Didn't see a heck of alot of catching. Walked down to the lockwood inlet and darn that looked fishy. Looked for feeding fleas along the walk but didn't see anything, didn't see any bait worth casting for either(doesn't mean it wasn't there). I don't know a heck of alot about the west end but I'm a professional at drinking and forgetting. If you need help in that dept just shoot me a PM. Heck I may even knock the dust off the surf rods.
Best of luck
Rick


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Report:

First evening, a few black drum on shrimp. 20-22" size, except for one dink.

Second day, more of the same. Also a couple small doggies, one nice ladyfish, one big pinfish, and one ~12" bluefish.

This morning just after sunup, another nice black drum and a slot red at 26"


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)




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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Before lunch today, more drum.

Another red and another black. Both at about 24" 




These sure are gonna be good on the grill.


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## abass105 (Jun 13, 2006)

Nice. Keep the reports coming. Hope you continue to have good luck.


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## Sasquatch (Jul 9, 2010)

I taught 'em everything they know... except the drinking part!


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## Hop (Jun 29, 2009)

Hey Dude,
Save some for me. Got me a long weekend coming up and I like to catch me some of them drum.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Sasquatch said:


> I taught 'em everything they know... except the drinking part!


Ha!

Hows it going, rook? 



Hop said:


> Hey Dude,
> Save some for me. Got me a long weekend coming up and I like to catch me some of them drum.


I'll try to leave a couple. Maybe. 

Caught our first winged creature today after the wind turned.  Hopefully it won't become a trend.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Another lovely morning. Could use a bit more wind, and some fresh shrimp. Maybe some bacon as well. 


One whiting and one red this morning on the incoming. Red went right at 26.5"

Saw some fish in close chasing tiny baits out of the water. Probably little blues, but didn't hook up with any.


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## SaltSlinger (Aug 14, 2006)

Those are two really nice lookin' reds...perfect size and healthy. What have they been eating...shrimp or cut bait, and are you getting them in the suds on high/low rigs or out further on a fishfinder? Keep up the good catchin!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Everything on salted shrimp so far. Nothing touching cut bait at all.

We have a nice hole right in front of the house, and everything has pretty much come out of there on incoming tide. Some in pretty close, some out at the mouth on the bar, but most right inside the bar where the water chops up.


vvv *VIEW FROM THE PORCH* vvv


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## yossarian (Jan 27, 2012)

I need that hole near my place on OIB. Will you move it to the top of Beaufort St., OIB?


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

There are several holes like it down here on the shoals. We're only about 1/4 mile up from Shallotte Inlet.


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## Daddydobber (Mar 28, 2006)

yossarian said:


> I need that hole near my place on OIB. Will you move it to the top of Beaufort St., OIB?


Swim across the inlet and you will be there :}

Nice lookin Pups Dude looks like supper with a chilly or twelve !


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## yossarian (Jan 27, 2012)

Fact is, there are occasionally holes like that on OIB. no way I am driving all the way over to Holden after driving 7 hours or so to OIB. If I need Holden Beach seafood, the wife will drive over there to buy it.


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## N topsail fisher (Feb 13, 2005)

Good looking fish and thanks for the biting report.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Daddydobber said:


> Nice lookin Pups Dude looks like supper with a chilly or twelve !


You read my mind. 

14 drum fillets ready to go on the grill? Yes, please.  Gonna be a good day, tater.
______________________________________________________________________


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

No text needed.


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## SaltSlinger (Aug 14, 2006)

Awesome...that's some good eats right there


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## BubbaHoTep (May 26, 2008)

Yeah man. Great work and some good eatin for sure.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

A little late to the party this morning, due to excessive vacationing. :redface:

Nothing to show for the after sunup attempt, but things picked up a bit this afternoon. Managed several small whiting and a few pinfish.

Then almost at low tide time, waded out on the bar and threw as far as I could. Was rewarded with a nice Pompano at 18.5"


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## SaltSlinger (Aug 14, 2006)

That is a citation pompano, probably 2.5 maybe close to 3 lbs...and likely the only thing better tasting that your fish last night!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Yeah, I know, but I ain't really into paperwork.


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## Hop (Jun 29, 2009)

Was the pomp also caught with salted shrimp?


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Hop said:


> Was the pomp also caught with salted shrimp?


Yes sir, on a 2 hook drop rig with purple faceted beads. #1 Mustad Ultrapoint Demon Circle fine wire, I believe. Didn't really hit hard like a sight feeder normally does. Thought it might be a decent Whiting or small Black Drum until I got him in about a foot of water. Then he went bananas. 

Just filleted him out and his belly was stuffed full of shellbed matter, so I guess he was bottom feeding.


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## Hop (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks for the report. You made my 4 day work week a long one. : ) now for 4 days of some fishing.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Send that ladyfish my way so i can have a nice little casting bait for sharks


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## JPChase (Jul 31, 2010)

Good lord, that's a lot of good eating on your trip!


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

damn nice pomp!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

He'll be going in some hot grease today with another black drum from last night. Plus what ever we can manage to catch today.


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## Sasquatch (Jul 9, 2010)

You've made my 12hr/days not suck so bad this week! I've looked forward to reading these reports every morning. Counting down the days until Oct...


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

The spoils of getting up at the break of dawn...

Again, on shrimp. Red is 24.5", Pompano is 15"


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## abass105 (Jun 13, 2006)

Nice going.


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## JPChase (Jul 31, 2010)

Your dexter russell is getting a pretty serious workout this week!


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## wavygravy (Oct 28, 2008)

Man those are some nice feesh. Might I ask how you are salting your shrimp down? Ill be down fishing the beach in SC next week and could use some hints from a pro!


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## Ghostrider (Jul 27, 2010)

*What block number are you on????*

Will be there Sunday for a few days?


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## jeffreyweeks (Feb 5, 2009)

some good eating fish in this thread! great job at Holden!!
if you anyone can get up the nearby Shallotte River they are catching some monster flounder.


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## Oldscout2 (Sep 15, 2008)

Very nice catch dude


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

JPChase said:


> Your dexter russell is getting a pretty serious workout this week!


Actually a Rapala Saltwater, but yes, quite a bit of use. 



wavygravy said:


> Man those are some nice feesh. Might I ask how you are salting your shrimp down? Ill be down fishing the beach in SC next week and could use some hints from a pro!


Peel, salt, fridge, drain, salt.



Ghostrider said:


> What block number are you on?


West end. All the way down by the inlet.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Well gents, standby for some good pics. 

Midmorning when this NE blow/cell started to move through, the bite turned on. 

2 small Whiting...

3 nice Pomps. One at 15", one 16", and a beast at 19.5" 

Also 4 Reds. Two at 18.5", one at 24.5", and one right at 27" 

About half and half on shrimp and sand fleas.


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## JPChase (Jul 31, 2010)

dudeondacouch said:


> Actually a Rapala Saltwater, but yes, quite a bit of use.


Oops, I just saw the white handle and assumed.

Nice job on the tablefare... again! What are you going to do with all the burgers and dogs you brought on the trip?!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

JPChase said:


> Oops, I just saw the white handle and assumed.
> 
> Nice job on the tablefare... again! What are you going to do with all the burgers and dogs you brought on the trip?!


Take 'em back I guess. We're gonna have a mess of fish to fry tonight, for damn sure.

Might go back out after while to try for some more of those Pomps, or maybe some black drum. We're almost limited out on reds today.


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## Mattb (May 24, 2012)

dudeondacouch said:


> Actually a Rapala Saltwater, but yes, quite a bit of use.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A few questions for you since Ill be there in two weeks. In shalotte inlet or the surf near it? Two dropper rig, purple beads, and pyramid sinker bottom fishing or dragging the bottom? 

Thanks for the posts, great to see the reports!


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Mattb said:


> A few questions for you since Ill be there in two weeks. In shalotte inlet or the surf near it? Two dropper rig, purple beads, and pyramid sinker bottom fishing or dragging the bottom?
> 
> Thanks for the posts, great to see the reports!


Out in the surf on the shoals east of the inlet. Be aware that we are in a gated private community, and if you aren't staying in Holden Beach West, you won't be able to get through the gate during the day, and there isn't any public parking/beach access.

2/3 hook dropper rigs. Deadsticking both with and without beads. Didn't seem to make any difference.

All fish caught on salted shrimp or sand fleas.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Prepping up for a fry-a-thon. 

Gonna be some kinda good.


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## Mattb (May 24, 2012)

dudeondacouch said:


> O
> 2/3 hook dropper rigs. Deadsticking both with and without beads. Didn't seem to make any difference.
> 
> All fish caught on salted shrimp or sand fleas.


Dead sticking meaning floating below a cork with the current?

I am familiar with the term but not in salt water. We catch crappy here with similar method we call dead sticking.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

I'll explain after this epic dinner.


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## flounder1 (May 9, 2010)

doesnt nc have a one red fish per day limit


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

flounder1 said:


> doesnt nc have a one red fish per day *per person* limit


*edited for accuracy


Yes, but we have 6 licensed fishermen.  (Well, one of them is my sister, so "fisherpersons" I guess it would be.)


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## flounder1 (May 9, 2010)

congrats on the fish that all of you caught .


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

nice work, know the 1st pomp came way out deep, curious whether the other big ones were in close in the hole or out deep? i have yet to catch one over 3lbs in real close, at least at topsail.


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Sorry for the late reply... been on mission.

The first pomp was way out, but most certainly not deep. It was several hundred yards out to the outermost bar, so nothing we caught came out of more than 4' or so of water. A couple of the pomps came from closer to the inlet, but most were from in the hole and on top of the bar at the mouth, after the water filled up.


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## Drumbeater (Jul 18, 2010)

Dammit Man, that was some serious fishing there buddy NICE WORK! The southern and western areas are really turning out at alot of beaches this year...


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Yup, a pretty good week.


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