I'm getting into this in my old age. Anybody into surf fishing and fishing the sound?

I go to Cape Lookout and other parts of the OBX pretty often.

Looking for tips and tricks.

6/12/2026 10:03:09 AM

Try this one weird old tip that seafood houses don't want you to know! . . .

6/12/2026 3:11:22 PM

6/12/2026 4:08:54 PM

Yes, I am into surf fishing when I am at the beach. My parents are actually the lighthouse keepers at Cape lookout this week, last year I took my gear over on the ferry and went fishing there.

It is hard for me to just sit and do nothing on the beach, so throwing a line in gives me something to do but still able to relax and enjoy the beach

6/13/2026 8:37:17 AM

were they the lighthouse keepers last weekend?

if so, I met your Dad

6/13/2026 10:34:08 AM

They were there 11-18. They have been doing it twice a year since they retired and enjoy it. Thanks for talking to my dad, he loves hanging out on the porch to shoot the shit.

6/23/2026 11:02:35 PM

Well aint that neat. Super small world

6/23/2026 11:10:13 PM

Get a bucket, lid, and aerator. Mullet, Menhaden/Pogue, Shrimp, Croaker, Pinfish, etc all have their place in the bait lineup. Sometimes you don't get the species you're targeting and just roll w/ what you're able to get. For bait, Menhaden and Shrimp are my least favorite because they're real easy to tear off the hook.

Create some "structure" in your bucket. Things like a stick, rock, or natural seagrass make the bait fish (especially mullet) feel secure in the bucket, making them stay peppy much longer than they would otherwise.

Your bait/lure choice is going to be based on conditions and what species you're targeting. I like live bait for Trout and Flounder (both ambush predators) provided its not too windy, there's a low-moderate current, and the water clarity is decent. Cut bait for Drum (bottom feeder)

Learn to throw a cast net. Cast nets are called by their radius so a 5' cast net will have a 10' spread when open. Start out with a 4' net then go larger from there if you want. I'd say anyone could learn to throw one in an afternoon. Be aware of throwing into an area that you're unsure of what's on the bottom. Submerged pylons, oyster rocks, crab pots, etc will snag the net and if you try and force the retrieve you will tear the net. They can be repaired but it's a PITA. I don't throw the net in any water that I'm not prepared to get in should I have to free the net. You might consider a rubber bib/apron and water shoes/boots when throwing the net as it can be a messy/wet endevour.

3'-4' PVC pipe. Cut a sharp angle on one end. With a rubber hammer you can easily drive these into land, marsh, beach, etc. If you're fishing from a pier/dock use impact driver and 3" screws to easily secure and remove PVC rod holders from pylons.

When bait fishing, a tiny fish scale on the tip of the hook can cause the hook to foul when the fish bites, so always make sure to inspect/clear the tip after hooking the bait.

Dont f*ck with the rod too early when you're seeing movement in the rod tip. Most inshore saltwater species of any size will let you know when they're hooked as the rod will bend over violently and the reel will start to run.

I may add more later but here's the main tip.

Fish where the fish are. If you're not seeing schools of bait fish, crabs, birds, movement, bubbles, etc you're probably not in the right spot for the current conditions. Fish always have to be somewhere and they eat everyday.

PS: alot of these creek adjacent roadside ditches in ENC hold eating size shrimp and crab this time of year.

8/11/2026 12:45:58 AM

Suspending/slow sinking hard plastics eg: Mirrolures are generally for winter time trout fishing in deep water. Don't waste your money unless you have a boat and know where the deep holes are.

Topwater lures eg: Heddon Super Spook are fun to fish in the summer and early fall. Generally best at first light and dusk when the water surface is smooth. If you see fish feeding at the waters surface, it's a good time to throw topwater lures.

My best soft plastic by far is the Berkely Powerbait pre rigged swim shad in the shiner chartreuse colorway. I've caught 100s of trout on this lure. They swim and fall beautifully. If you go with this lure, use a 8-10 lb leader line. Anything heavier will negatively impact the action of the lure.

The pre rigged Voodoo Shrimp or similar will catch most of the inshore species but they're pricey. I've started buying the non rigged soft plastic shrimp and putting them on a jig head. If you're fishing these for flounder, use a 25-30lb leader line as flounder have lots of sharp teeth that can easily cut a lighter leader.

Gulp! baits are good but also pricey. If you buy the plastic tub (+/- $25.00) with all the liquid inside you can dip/soak cheap soft plastics in there liquid and it's just as good as proper Gulp! baits.

Immediately bleed any fish you plan to eat by cutting the artery that runs under the gill plate. After cutting, put the fish into a bucket of water so that the blood can't coagulate. You'll harvest much cleaner/tastier meat because the blood gets removed and the fish dies quicker. Once the fish is dead, transfer to ice ASAP and then pour the bloody water back into the water you're fishing. Now you've put alot of scent into the water which will attract more fish.

[Edited on August 11, 2026 at 1:55 PM. Reason : yah]

8/11/2026 1:48:17 PM

This is A+ advice. Thank you very much!

8/14/2026 10:02:37 AM

That's tremendous.

8/16/2026 10:02:42 PM