# Fripp Island info



## gspfish

I have a house rented with my family next week at Fripp on the canal/creek. I have dock access. Any idea how deep the creek is? Also, I will be taking mostly bass fishing quality spinning and baitcasting rods and reels. Looking to do some fishing from the dock obviously, but also looking to try our hand at some surf fishing as well possibly. I have a cast net so hopefully we can learn to use that and catch some shrimp and cut bait. I have some bottom rigs - 2 hooks, some egg sinker rigs, carolina rigs. 

I have tried to do some research on here as different fishing as I normally fish for largemouth bass. What can I expect to catch from the dock in the canal/creek? Surf fishing in the area - sharks, pomps, drum, etc? 

Any info you guys could pass along to a newbie would be great.


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## bluefish1928

docks:
best bet- pinfish (no one fishes for these things but they bite anyways) 
good target fish- spot, croaker, red drum, black drum, flounder, speckled trout
potential catches- whiting, bluefish

surf: bluefish, whiting, croaker, red drum, flounder, pompano, sharks, rays, skates

for depth, it depends on the tide in the creeks

use a 2 hook bottom rig with small, long shank no 4 hooks to start out
a carolina rig with a live mullet or mud minnow hook through the lips is what u want for flounder

for flounder, cast around the dock pilings or dropoffs in the surf. In general, when fishing the surf, fish in the sloughs or the edges of sandbars. for the surf use the longest rods u have. use ur cast net on mud flats in the creeks to catch bait (mullet, shrimp, and mud minnows are what u want)
medium tackle can land most species. For saltwater, a reel holding at least 10 Ib/150 yards is appropriate (something like 15/200 being betterl).


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## Tater639

I was there this past week. I used multiple 2 bottom rigs and caught nothing on the point between Fripp and Pritchards. Did catch a ton of crab there though in a large pot. We saw some guys who caught some flounder on a bottom rig with Shrimp, but they were too small to keep.
We went to Skip Jack Rd and went straight out on high to low tide and got into a school of Shark. We must have caught about 30 Small black tips. Caught one Ray, few perch, and a croacker using baits of shrimp, cut squid, and mullet. The squid is what worked the best the whole trip, shrimp was second best. The squid was the Killer Bee squid from Walmart (worked best) and we bought fresh whole Squid and it didn't get any bites.
We went down to the Ocean Point Rocks and caught some Black Sea Bass and Whiting, but did not get any flounder with a Carolina Rig. You're going to fins not a lot of people on here fish Fripp, so please post any results, pics, or sucessful baits used so I know when I go back too!


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## Tater639

Oh, and there were a lot of people fishing the pier before Fripp, but we didn't stop to see how their luck was. Also, need to fish two hours after each tide as anytime before there is a strong current to be able to have much luck from the pier or surf.


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## gspfish

Tater

I will be there from this Sunday to the next. I will post a report when I get back. You said that you fished the inlet between Fripp and Pritchards. How did you get there - Cabana Pool area or Tarpon Blvd? Also, any place you suggest for catching my own bait - shrimp and the such? I appreciate your help and will let you know how things go.


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## bluewaterfisher

I fished there last year and had great luck! There is a huge tidal pool on the beach down seahorse road that provided us with enough shrimp and mullet to last all week. The pier was ok, but all we caught were small bluefish, and some baby sharks. I never fished the creeks but im sure you could catch some nice drum in there. Finally the surf......we had the best luck there catching whiting, nice bluefish, rays, sharks, and a puppy drum. Best of luck to ya!


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## Tater639

Go to the end of Tarpon and I always back my golf cart right to the bank of the rocks and use the cart to hold my rods and sit comfortably. If you go like you're going to the Cabana club, don't turn left on the paved rd, keep straight and turn on the next dirt rd. It goes behind Camp Fripp and at the end in the pier. Walk down the pier and cross back under it on the left side and walk out to the water on mid to low tide. You're going to see some oyster beds and behind that, two white poles out of the water near the grass. From what I am told, the research campus put those poles there as a place for Shrimp to be attracted to. I don't know the science behind it, but when the shrimp are in, they'll be jumping out of the water there and around it. Most people throw out a cast net. At the start of the pier, I will throw a minnow trap down with bread and catch minnows to fish and thats usually pretty successful unless some kid comes by and picks it up to play with it... I don't cast for shrimp, I just go to Gay's and buy fresh off the boat shrimp and cut it up, minnows, etc. I don't have the resources to keep everything alive! Fiddler crabs are all over the beach and work well at the end of the pier in between the pier and boat pier (You'll see what I mean) for Sheepshead I was told about 3 weeks ago.


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## gspfish

Spent the week at Fripp from Sunday to Sunday. I got some fishing in, but found it to be a little on the tough side. First time I have really tried my hand at any kind of saltwater fishing. I found most people were fishing and have good catches near low tide. 

Off the dock at the back of the house (house was on ocean blvd right at Davis Love Park), I started fishing mainly the high tide mainly because last week high was always in the evening. The current was brutal with the incoming tide. Shrimp bought from the marina worked best. Later in the week, I fished some low tide and caught some small croakers and 1 small sheepshead (all in the 5-8 inch range). Saved a few and fished with them as cut bait at high tide later that evening. Something hit my rod (drag was not set very well) and in the midst of trying to battle the fish in the current and fix the drag, he broke off (20 lb test at that). The last evening there around 4-4:30, it was almost completely low tide and I was fishing with a 1 hook bottom rig and was getting bites, but they were hard to set and detect - figured it was some of those smaller fish or crab. I then switched to a lighter outfit with a carolina rig with shrimp. Thats when I began to catch some things - got a 20 inch black drum and a nice sheepshead in the 1-2 pound range. That was in a matter of about 15 mins. This was in addition to a bunch of smaller croaker and other unidentified fish. It apprears that low tide was the best time off the dock - too bad it took us until the last day to realize this. 

I fished the pier one evening near high tide and we caught a ray. That afternoon, my brother and I had spent some time in the tidal pool off sea horse catching some minnows (also caught some off the dock - caught one shrimp there was well). I tried fishing the minnows off the dock and pier but very little luck. I probably should have targeted catching some of the bigger mullet in the middle of the tidal pool and used them as cut bait. 

Never went down to Tarpon around the rocks to fish, but word around the island was that they were catching a ton of sharks there during low tide. It appears that low tide was the best time to fish regardless of where you were on the island. Hunting Island pier was crowded most of the time as well. 

My parents loved the house and island - wildlife is awesome on the island - fish, deer, alligators, etc. It appears that we will be renting the same house again next year. I look forward to trying some new things out next time I head down.


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