Corolla Area Fishing

[MrOutdoors1973]

I leave for Corolla on Saturday and will be there for a week. My dad has a place there and I usually get there once a year, but haven't been for a few years. We usually go in the spring or summer and bait shop folks tell me I can expect to catch croaker, mullet and the occasional small drum. Now, I am not looking to catch a bunch of 40 lb drum, but I am not interested in going to the ocean and fishing the surf to catch a few little croaker, mullet and sand sharks. I want to catch some nice fish. I have been reading the board and it looks like this time of year can be good and I have learned some good techniques. I am committed to fishing in the ocean more this trip and leaving the 3-5 lb LM bass in the ponds alone. I don't mind driving to North Corolla out on the beach or down to Oregon Inlet if that is what I have to do to find good ocean fishing. However, if I do that on a couple days I want to make it worth my while.

Here are my main questions and there may be more:

* I have 1 8" surf rod for live bait fishing. I will likely take a 7' Medium action bass rod for some flounder fishing.....I like mortimer's post about carolina rigging and will probably do that with this set up. Will I get by with these setups? Do I need to beef up my casting rod?

* I have a cast net. Can I use this to catch some live bait such as fresh mullet? Where can I use it? Can it be used right in the surf?

* I prefer to fish with lures so should I get some of this gulp stuff and fish it for flounders on the live bait rigs. I don't really have my heart set on catching flounders or table fare....I just want to catch some decent fish, drum, sharks in the 5 lb and up range or whatever. I also keep hearing of this bluefish bite......but on the beach at Corolla I have never even seen one caught. I also have never seen them out breaking the surface and such either. Maybe I was just there at the wrong time of year. I would really like to get into some nice bluefish, striper or mackeral fishing. What's my best bet. Again.....I am not trying to target one specific species.....but if you told me.......buy such and such plug and chunk it all day long with a rip, pause retrieve.......or a get some metal spoons and bomb cast and burn it in as fast as possible......just point me in the right direction.

I am probably going to go to the Oregon Inlet at least one day. Let me know what my expectations should be. Again, I am not looking to set the world on fire, but I just haven't had much success fishing in the ocean down there. Thanks!

[cobia_slayer]

first things first... the north beaches are really flat compared to the southern beaches. imo, corolla is one of the worst places to fish (mainly cause theres no places for locals to fish). i have heard of stripers busting bait up there in late feb through dec, but ive never seen it.

the futher south you can go the best, if you dont wanna go over the OI bridge then OI is gonna be one of the better places. if you can get around to the bridge and fiah the shoal youd prolly have a good shot at some pups in the 5 to 10lb range. best bait will be cut mullet/spot or even live finger mullet. sometimes youll see some mullet swiming in the surf, but more often theyll be on the shoal that i was talking about. an 8' rod should be good, most times you dont need to cast more than 50yrds.

flounder, fish the surf or where theres current and use a carolina rig with mullet/spot/squid cut in strips and let it drift. you will catch something..

that really all the fishing i do this time of the yr. im sure others will chime in soon.

[MrOutdoors1973]

Thanks for the advice CS. We went to OI on Friday and my buddy got 2 nice drum. First was about 25-26"s and the second one was about 31"s. Nice fish for a couple guys from the midwest.

[cobia_slayer]

No problem, glad yall caught something!