South East Fishing Meets

NC we use to not be able to had to go to SC or Va. Now we can buy some things still not all the cool stuff other states get though.

 

@Blackout14 im just saying

 

Just have to know the right people and stores to buy the "fun" stuff

 

Or we make our own

 

It’s 85 and sunny. I don’t wanna go to work.

 

@Blackout14

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/col/spo/6576046950.html

 

Looks like I'll be getting to do some flounder/croaker/spot/trout fishing next weekend on the Chesapeake!

 

If anybody’s in ocracoke next week and wants a fishing accomplice hit me up

Also I’d appreciate any advice/tips lol I’m a salt noob.
Hoping to catch drum or flounder or bluefish or something lol

 

Fish finder rigs with fresh cut mullet is what people are killing drums and blues on. Gotcha plugs also work well for blues. I saw a picture the other day a guy caught a 40 1/2 inch blue off the surf there! Lots of big ones coming off the wrecks right now. For flounder I use a high low rig with a 1 or 2 oz bucktail on the bottom with a Gulp swimming mullet on the bucktail and the top hook. It absolutely slays them.

 

Wow sounds like my timing is on at least
Thanks for the tips. If I catch anything I’ll post it here

 

If you have a Facebook, look up the group "Surf fishing North Carolina". A lot of people post their catch, rigs, and daily reports from bait shops. That one and a few other groups is how I follow the bite.

Yes! You do have good timing!

 

Dropper loop's is how I make mine, I couldn't remember what it was called and could only think of a high low rig. I guess it still is a high low rig? But not like a crappie rig for bottom fishing, I've heard folks call those high low rigs too.

 

I like a bucktail at the bottom that's tied on, then about 12-18 inches above that tie a dropper with a hook/teaser/gulp then about 6 inches above that tie a swivel. Sometimes I'll tie two dropper loops then a bucktail just depending on how active the fishing is. I pre-tie everything and wrap the rigs around a 1 inch pipe insulation and toss them all in a coffee can so they don't get wet and rust.

But you certainly can catch flounder on a crappie rig/high low rig. I typically only use those going after croaker/mullet.

 

Are u guys using a sinker/bead above the swivel like in a fish finder rig or are u relying on weight of the bucktail/grub to get down?
Or is it more of a bottom fishing rig with the sinker at the very end
Are you fishing these rigs in the surf or is it mostly a soundside thing?

I’m bringing a shimano 2500 reel/ugly stik/ 10# power pro combo

Plus a super cheap 17# surf set up

I’m hoping if the drum bite is crazy I can rent a heavy rig for tossing big stuff lol

 

I’m stocked up on gulp shrimp and will buy bait when I get there

Would a big gulp minnow rigged to spin behind a swivel/egg sinker like I do for the big browns here be worth trying?

We’re bringing a 17’ canoe for soundside shenanigans lol

 

I'll sometimes flounder fish the surf if the bite is slow, mostly sound side though. The bucktail provides plenty of weight to get the rig down.

For the fish finder rig, I'll use about a 6-12 inch piece of 50# mono with a 4/0-9/0 circle hook. That ties directly onto a swivel, then on the main line attach a slider with a clip for the weight. The weight will slide freely on your main line. I don't use beads, just make sure the swivel from your leader to the main line is large enough where the slider won't go onto your leader.

 

If you go sound side, find the channels/flats leading to the channels. Use a popping cork with the gulp shrimp/swimming mullet is a surefire way to catch reds and trout.

 

Like this one?

 

That seems overly complicated... Try something simple like this one. It's the same setup I use just with a gulp shrimp/gulp mullet.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/doa-deadly-combination?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions

Edit: You fish them like a popper, every 2-5 seconds pop it. Don't just throw it out there an wait like you would fish live bait.

 

The one @Yukon suggested has a cupped top on the cork so it creates more disturbance and "noise" and makes the fish much more aggressive. You can get just a popping cork and tie the rig you have pictured. I have had more luck and less tangles with the what yukon suggested since it's on a wire, plus I feel the cork works better that way as well. I tie something similar to that but in reverse and have a pegged cork near the hook for bottom fishing like for cats, big bull reds in the Pamlico, flounder. That rig is called the Santee Cooper rig. It's killer on the deeper water big bulls in the sound on the deep water oyster beds. I like it better than the typical carolina rig.