# Portsmouth Island / North Core Islands



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

If I could tap the collective knowledge of this forum... I have 3 questions:
1. Is there a ferry that transports me and my truck from Ocracoke to North Core Island?
2. Any advice for surf fishing on the sound side of the North Core Islands, are the waters canoe-able?
3. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

thanks!!


----------



## Byron/pa (Mar 14, 2007)

1 - no
2 - no, advice that is
3 - 19 fps

welcome


----------



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

1. no.
2. Yes canoe-able, and lots of fish there in the creeks and tidal pools. 
3. No two swallows are the same.


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

Thanks!
Is there any other way to get to Ocracoke other than the Hatteras ferry? My goal is to get to Frisco after camping on Portsmouth without going all the way to the up the mainland coast.


----------



## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

Extra_Medium said:


> Thanks!
> Is there any other way to get to Ocracoke other than the Hatteras ferry? My goal is to get to Frisco after camping on Portsmouth without going all the way to the up the mainland coast.


ferry from cedar island to ocracoke , ferry from ocracoke to hatteras island ...
@ 3.5 hours for trip to ocracoke , then @ 40 minutes to hatteras


----------



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

It's a pretty short canoe trip from north end of Portsmouth to south end of Ocracoke. Last time I was at Portsmouth (6 or 7 years ago) a big group of kayakers paddled over from Ocracoke and camped out on Portsmouth.


----------



## bctom (May 25, 2007)

With the mosquitos this time of the year, no way........


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

Am I reading the nps website correctly? I don't need the fancy Hatteras Shoreline beach driving permit to drive on the beach at North Core or Point Lookout?


----------



## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

Extra_Medium said:


> Am I reading the nps website correctly? I don't need the fancy Hatteras Shoreline beach driving permit to drive on the beach at North Core or Point Lookout?


not yet .....


----------



## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

Extra_Medium said:


> 3. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
> 
> thanks!!


African or European?


----------



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Kwaji-Tom makes a very valid point. I nearly needed a blood tranfusion after 3 warm, windless October days on Portsmouth. Bring long sleeves, pants, gloves, and bug spray (100% deet, not the sissy stuff) if you go.


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

I've got a bunch of 98% deet that I will be bathing in. 
I have not had much look finding fishing reports from the sound side. Hoping to hook flounder, pomp, maybe a small blacktip, drop some crab pots and a bit of clamming. I hope to use a cast net for bait. 
Hoping to do a lot of eating what I catch at camp before it has a chance to go bad.


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

I see in the regulations that there is no size limit for small coastal sharks. Which ones are good eating and how should I go about catching one? 5/0+ hook to 9" single stran wire to 5' 50# mono to 25# mono main line - is what I am thinking for my shark rig. 9' eagle claw rod with 3/0 senator (or 209 penn). 
Is the name of the North Core Island really named Cedar Island? 
Which would be better, sound or Atlantic side?
THANKS in advance.


----------



## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

> Is the name of the North Core Island really named Cedar Island?


no it's portsmouth island .....
google morris marina in atlantic nc for ferry reservations to get there


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

Ferry reservations are set on CALO Ferry. ($10 cheaper). Is also appreciate any advice for camping... I have the bug spray taken care of already.


----------



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Bring everything you need and then some. The ferry will bring supplies, but at a premium. Netting bait shouldn't be a problem on the sound side at CALO, but you know how these things can go. Case in point, my first trip to CALO my buddy and I struggled immensely to produce any bait with the cast net, it just wasn't around. The next trip, we noticed tons of mullet in the little roadside ditches and creeks between Morehead City and the end of the world where the ferry is located, so we stopped and netted bait there. 

Take plenty of ice, big block ice if you can find it. 

Take more coolers than you'll need, with more drinks and food than you'll need.

Triple-check the 4 wheel drive system on your truck. Go ahead and grease the zirc fittings, check distributor fluid levels, make sure all vacuum lines are good, and make sure 4 wheel drive is really working before you go. 

Air down your tires to 15 psi each on the ferry ride to the island, as this makes driving on the beach much easier on the vehicle. 

Carry more tackle than you need, and don't focus on one approach, the island is too awesome to get caught up fishing for one species. Take fresh shrimp for panfish (bring a lot since it's pinfish season), mullet for flounder and drum, and bring a few packs of Gulp baits too for a little bit of everything. 

Fishing the sound, you'll be fine with a 7 ft. freshwater rod and reel. Such a combo will catch most of what you'll get on the surf side too. Bring a couple of these combos if you can. 

If I could go to Portsmouth or CALO right now, I'd have a tackle box loaded with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigheads in various colors, Gulp shrimp in white and new penny, and Gulp flukes (swimming minnows I believe they're called) in watermelon and white, primarily for sound side fishing. Finger mullet on a carolina rig or a jighead works well too. I'd have my rendition of the River Rig (#2 to #4 Owner circle hooks on dropper rigs made of flourocarbon leaders) for panfish in the surf, and Carolina rigs with 4/0 and 7/0 circle hooks for flounder and drum in the surf. Bring egg weights from 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. for Carolina rigs in the sound, and bring pyramid or frog tongue weights from 1 oz. to 8 oz. (if you've got a rod for that) for the surf. 

As soon as you get to the island drive the entire length of it. If you have a way to mark GPS coordinates, be it by phone or GPS, use that to mark promising beach structure. There's a ton of places, and it's easy to lose track of each one. Talk to fishermen along the way too to see what's biting.

Finally, regarding camping, once again prepare for anything that might possibly happen. Make sure your rain fly is good on your tent if you're using one, and be prepared to weather some nasty storms since it's that time of year. Bring long sleeve sleep attire for the mosquitoes that get into the tent, because it will happen. Bring sand friendly food, i.e. food that requires little preparation and therefore little exposure to the elements from the time you open it to the time you eat it. Sandwiches, grilled foods, anything requiring cooking or prep in the open gets a nice addition of sand. Sardines, crackers, canned pasta, ready made canned soup, and beef jerky do not. CALO is only for fishing, not for enjoying camping, including savory camp foods. 

Don't forget to alter your sleep schedule so that you are awake through the four hours around high tide and four hours around low tide, these provide the best fishing. Good luck!


----------



## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

?? thought you were going to portsmouth ......................


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

DERFM said:


> ?? thought you were going to portsmouth ......................


Hmmm....guess I need to change my reservation. Thanks for getting me straightened out.


----------



## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Mosquitoes the n c state insect is not as big a deal as green head flies, deer and dog flies, no see em black flies that rise in clouds off the beach and all the black widow spiders on the sound side. I was a caretaker there when Don Morris had it.


----------



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

DERFM said:


> not yet .....


 Jody has told me IT IS COMING,Fred......


----------



## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

Drumdum said:


> Jody has told me IT IS COMING,Fred......


yup , and just like Hatteras ; we will get screwed there too and not even get kissed !


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

Ended up going to Cape Lookout. Caught a 3 & 1/2 foot lemon shark. Then had a nice stay at Drumdum's and caught nothing on Hatteras Island, gonna have to make a second trip to correct that.


----------

