I'm doing s long weekend in Cedar Island NC next week and plan on bringing my kayak and doing some fishing. I pretty much know nothing about salt water fishing. I read that its Black Drum season. Any tips? Right now I just plan on getting some shrimp and casting out and just winging it.
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Is that like shooting fish in a barrel?
I'll see myself out.
Shrimp does work for black drum. Target structure for black drum (docks, jetties, oysters piles). There should be a lot of speckled trout around. Look at google maps for grass flats and you can use a popping cork with a jig tipped with a soft plastic. Very effective in shallow water. In deeper water >5 feet look for bends in channels and find oyster rocks that the trout are hiding from the current in. October is peak time for most inshore species in NC.
Thanks. It looks fairly shallow right outside our beach house, then the water deepens after 150 yards or so. I planned on trying both. Will definitely look around for docks and whatnot to see if anything is biting there.
How are hermit crabs for bait? Air BNB reviews say they're all over the beach where we're staying. Thought about catching a bunch of those and using as bait as well.
I do believe they will eat hermit crabs, usually the bait at tackles shops is fiddler crabs so I can't vouch for hermits. Get a couple packs white with chartreuse tail 3" gulp shrimp and 3/16 ounce jigheads. If reds, flounder or trout are around they will eat it. Black drum tend to want to eat bait more than artificial.
Although I got a keeper black drum on a Gulp shrimp and jig head last week...
Truth, I didn't say never but they tend to eat bait more. Sheephead are the more extreme version where they will once in a blue moon eat lure other than Fly Guys stuff.
Yep. Sand fleas or shirmp is the ticket.
I've had plenty of success in the past dropping sand fleas down alongside structure (usually pilings) and getting some nice black drum in coastal NC.
Second sand fleas if you can find them
Thanks! I'll def pickup some shrimp then search along the beach for anything that moves and use as bait. I'll be happy to catch anything. Just read where it's black drum season right now. Hoping to catch a couple of dinners while we're there
If u use plastics w a popping cork, tip it w a small piece of shrimp or fishbites. Scent helps w black drum.
Also, the hermit crabs are great bait for sheephead, u need to get near some structure for them in most cases.
Black drum are a little different than a lot of inshore fish. Their diet is mostly all shelled fish. Crabs (blue, hermit, fiddler), sand feas, and shrimp will work. Targeting black drum stay away from mullet, menhaden, and your typical baitfish species.