2023/08/23 09:17:50
dpms
eyesandgillz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_rXXdO4i0g



 
Heck of a fight there on that stand up tackle. Pretty ideal situation with low surf making yaking out baits the way to go and probably much more productive than fishing in close with casted baits. 
2023/08/23 11:03:18
Porktown
dpms
Porktown
I love the point area of EI. One of my favorite places.



We fished down at Fort Macon one morning and that place looked very sharky but we were casting lead for spanish. The point looks like it would be great but access seems to be an issue? I found one small public lots a few blocks from the point and one access walkway to the point. It looks like quite the trek to carry all of the gear. Is there a different way to access it? 


It is just that one lot about a mile trek...  Our first year going to EI, we stayed about 200 yards south of the pier.  Parked at that lot and made the hike.  It was horrible, I had a pretty bad case of heat exhaustion from it.  The next time, I looked for a place near the point. Ended up being a 5 minute walk from our place.  The fishing for spanish and blues was just as good from the beach directly in front of the house.  I only made the walk to the inlet a few times since they were just fine biting without it...  The next time we did the same thing, different place though.  Fishing was a little bit harder right in front, but I was prepared.  I took my bike and looked like Pee Wee Herman with a back rack, milk crate, rod holders, etc.  I biked to the point gate and bike rack there.  Still a bit of a trek from there, especially with cast net, bucket and other gear.  Definitely want to get that morning dump out before venturing, not that I know the pain of rushing back from experience multiple times...  Did okay on the backside and inlet, but stupid flounder rules had me throw back a doormat and a few other keepers.  Only one spanish that whole trip too, which made some excellent ceviche.  One of the only areas down there that you can do surf fishing, inlet fishing and sound fishing all within walking distance.  The back side access in EI is extremely limited.
 
Not sure how the shark fishing would be there, assume pretty good.  I don't mess around with them.  During low tide, there is a huge sand bar at the inlet point that extends out 100 yards.  I am sure this changes every storm though.  But last two times down, this created a huge "swimming pool" just to the north of the inlet.  It is only waste deep for most of it, usually crystal clear, almost Florida Gulf like conditions when things are calm down there.  Great place for little kids during the day or float around on a tube, etc.  Not the best for fishing in that stretch during low tide though.  During high tide or high enough on incoming or outgoing, the spanish and blues will trap baitfish up to those sand bars and have blitzes.  I tended to see the best action with spanish/blues early morning/late evening if there was an outgoing tide.  Pretty sure this was sucking the glass minnows out of the inlet into that section.  When it is too low and sand bar is above the water, the inlet was productive or can fish the end of the sand bar way out there.  Walking out on that sandbar at dusk or dawn was a bit sketchy though, especially if incoming tide.
2023/08/23 11:55:08
dpms
Porktown
 
It is just that one lot about a mile trek...  Our first year going to EI, we stayed about 200 yards south of the pier.  Parked at that lot and made the hike.  It was horrible, I had a pretty bad case of heat exhaustion from it.  The next time, I looked for a place near the point. Ended up being a 5 minute walk from our place.  The fishing for spanish and blues was just as good from the beach directly in front of the house.  I only made the walk to the inlet a few times since they were just fine biting without it...  The next time we did the same thing, different place though.  Fishing was a little bit harder right in front, but I was prepared.  I took my bike and looked like Pee Wee Herman with a back rack, milk crate, rod holders, etc.  I biked to the point gate and bike rack there.  Still a bit of a trek from there, especially with cast net, bucket and other gear.  Definitely want to get that morning dump out before venturing, not that I know the pain of rushing back from experience multiple times...  Did okay on the backside and inlet, but stupid flounder rules had me throw back a doormat and a few other keepers.  Only one spanish that whole trip too, which made some excellent ceviche.  One of the only areas down there that you can do surf fishing, inlet fishing and sound fishing all within walking distance.  The back side access in EI is extremely limited.



 
Sounds like Fort Macon is a much better option for inlet fishing. Easy parking and access to the sound, inlet and surf is all there. Only thing that sucks about Fort Macon is it is gated and opens after prime fishing and closes before prime fishing. When we were there, the gate didn't open till 8am and closed at 8pm. We went down at 8 and say lots of birds working but it shut off soon thereafter. I bet at sunrise, the spanish were right on the beach. 
2023/08/23 13:43:37
Porktown
Those hours stink for summer fishing, probably just fine in spring and fall though.  I'm sure mostly set up for swimming and other beach stuff.  Still a small window of opportunity, but need to be there when the gates open and not sure if they shut them on you at night when you are getting into a school.  I had that happen to me at Point Lookout in Maryland (where Potomac and Chesapeake meet).  The park ranger had to open the gate and escort me out, while I was having fun with a school of stripers.  Said it would be a fine if I did it again...  NJ Island Beach State Park has those similar hours, but is 24 hours if you are fishing.
 
I am sure you would figure out more access points if you lived in the area or spend more time scouting.  I do like Hatteras Island better for the amount of easy access points, being that all of the beach and most of the sound side is national seashore. 
 
We went to Okaloosa Island, FL last year (Fort Walton Beach/Destin area).  The amount of different fish in that area is pretty awesome.  I really want to check out the Pensacola/Navarre area, since that is mostly national seashore too.  The drive down there is pure torture though.  EI is painful enough for me.
 
2023/08/23 17:12:00
dpms
BTW, the water was crazy warm down there. 85-87 degrees. 
2023/08/24 08:12:00
psu_fish
Water was 81 in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach the week I was down 8/12-8/19. Had a lot of heavy S/SW Winds that made the water pretty stirred up for fishing. 
2023/08/24 08:50:33
Porktown
Bummer when there is a storm or high wind come through during vacation time.  
2023/09/07 07:52:07
dpms
Hey eye,
 
What is your rod and reel setup? I plan on upgrading to a bit heavier. Looking at a Daiwa BG8000 reel and the Tica Surge 11 to 12 foot spinning surf rod rated at 3-8 ounces. 
2023/09/07 12:25:15
eyesandgillz
https://www.tackledirect.com/tsunami-trophy-ii-surf-rods.html  My bigger spinning rod is a 2003 circa version of this, Tsunami 10'-0" Med-Hv, with a cork handle.  Think I got it during a big sale at Academy Sports back then for $49.99.  
I broke my Okuma Eclipz EZ-90 spinning reel last year and replaced it with a cheapy this year:
https://drfishtackle.com/products/saltwater-spinning-reel-13-1bb-48lb-max-drag-rsyg?variant=39954475221034
 
My bigger set-up is a 12'-0" Oceanmaster Med-Hvy surfcaster with a Penn 4/0 HLW.  That is circa 2003 as well.  
 
But interestingly enough, all the sharks this year came on a cheap, 8'-0", old surf rod with an Okuma Avenger Abf-8000 reel that I bought in 2022.  I bought it originally as my Eclipz replacement but didn't pay close enough attention and the line capacity was WAY too small for any kind of long drops from the beach.   Still serviceable for a short cast in the first gut but I was down to the last few wraps of mono backing on this, on the big shark I ended up losing this year.  Still fit plenty of 50# braid on it for that short cast but if something decent picks up the bait, may get spooled with only 26lbs of drag available and limited line capacity.  
 
Need to get one more bigger spinner set-up for next year...and need a kayak!
2023/09/08 07:34:44
dpms
I was looking at those Tsunamis online. They seem to have a lot of great reviews and are reasonably priced. Thanks for the info. 

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